Yes, it’s that familiar time of year again…the last month of the year, and time for your annual performance appraisal.
Now ideally, we would stride confidently into the boss’ office for our appraisal, secure in our knowledge that we’ve met all our targets, excelled in our work, submitted all assignments on time or ahead of time and delivered on all our KPI’s. We would be wearing a smug smile, humming a happy tune, knowing that there is no way we could be passed over for a promotion, good increment and fabulous bonus….
…and then we wake up from our pleasant daydream and face the harsh reality, which is not nearly as pleasant as the imagined scenario. More likely, we screwed up a couple of times, lost a few sales, dropped the ball on some assignments and gave a bad presentation which everyone criticized. And worse, we could have had a fight with a colleague and he has gone and complained to the Boss!
Yeah…that’s more like it huh? ?
Not to worry dear friends. Regardless of how bad things are in the office and how hopeless the chance of impressing the boss during your year-end appraisal seems, there is always a strategy. Don’t give up. Instead, think about how you can make the best of things and use the appraisal time to leave a good impression.
Try these tips.
1.Own it. Maybe you’ve heard the saying “Love What You Resist”. Let’s face it, who really likes performance appraisals? Erm..hmm..OK, no one! Yes, we could do very well without them. But, if you are a full-time employee, then there is no escape from them. They will happen whether you like it or not.
So instead of complaining, why not re-frame the annual perforamance appraisal as an opportunity that you can use to your advantage. Re-framing this will make you more excited about the task at hand.
2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. In order to get the best out of your appraisal, treat it as a 2-way process. While your session may not have been designed as a 2-way appraisal, you can still turn it into one by submitting beforehand, a detailed list of all your career successes for the year. Keep records of all projects you’ve worked on and highlight successes thathave had a positive impact n your department and/or company as a whole.
3. Plan for Feedback. Take the appraisal as a genuine opportunity to get feedback on your performance. While not all feedback is objective or constructive, all feedback has value. You can use it to think about which parts of the feedback you are going to act on in order to improve your own performance and value as a professional.
So before the appraisal, think about questions that you’d like to ask your boss regarding your own performance. Write them down and take them into the session with you.
4. Communicate What You Want. Sometimes, we feel shy or embarassed about asking for something from our Boss. We leave the obvious unsaid, hoping that the Boss will “get the message” and give us the desired promotion/portfolio/raise/perk. However, unless your Boss is a Genie with his very own lamp, this is not likely to happen.
Whatever is unsaid remains unsaid and before you know it you’re out the door and back to staring at your old payslip. So, take action to pre-empt such a situation. Write down on a piece of paper, exactly what you want. Be sure to include all possible headings, such as increments, bonuses, perks, benefits, changes to your portfolio and direct reports, and other wishlist items.
Rank them in order of priority. While of course, it’s not advisable to just slide over the sheet to your Boss and say “I’ll have all these, thanks!”, at least you will have the information at your fingertips in case any opportunities to “ask” for what you present themselves. However, don’t be disappointed if you are not able to ask for everything on your list. Pick your moment and try to negotiate for the highest-priority item at least.
5. Sign Off. Before your appraisal, create a list of items that you will offer to complete/undertake/implement in the year to come. Run them by your Boss during your appraisal and get his sign-off (verbally at least). This subtle yet effective step will ensure that you (not HR) get to create and control your deliverables for the year ahead.
This list will also serve as a useful tool for next year’s appraisal, assuming of course that you have delivered on your own promises!
Wishing all employees out there the very best of luck during their year-end performance appraisal and here’s hoping that you will all receive a large bonus and generous increment! (It is always good to hope and stay positive!)
