CAREER TIPS - What To Do After A Bad Performance Review
Posted 8th March 2022 • Written by Roberta Matuson on forbes.com • • • • •
You thought you were doing a great job.
Just last week, your boss complimented you on a project that you were working on with the team.
You were looking forward to receiving a great review (along with a bump in pay.)
And then this happened.
Your boss called you into his office to give you your annual review, and he began with, “Your performance isn’t meeting my expectations.” You can’t recall much of what was said after your boss dropped this bomb on you.
So, what do you do next?
Here are some options.
Schedule a meeting with your boss. Get another appointment on your boss’s calendar and explain that you have some questions regarding your performance review. Before this meeting, make a list of the areas where you seek specific feedback.
Here are a few questions you can ask to help you gain clarity and get your performance back on track.
“Can you provide me with some specific examples of where I missed the mark?”
“Going forward, what metrics will you be using to evaluate my performance?”
“In the future, should this situation come up again, how would you like me to handle things?”
Push back. Let’s say you disagree entirely with your boss’s assessment. If this is the case, you’re going to have to weigh out the pros and cons of pushing back. Should you decide to proceed, here are a few conversation starters.
“Help me to understand how you arrived at this conclusion.”
“I feel like I didn’t get a fair shake here. With your permission, I’d like to explain.”
“I’m wondering if you were aware of all the facts before you wrote this review. May I present my side of the story?”
Look for another job. During your annual review, the conversation you had confirmed what you already know. This job isn’t for you. If you like the company, and you both agree this job is a misfit, you could ask your boss to help you find a new role in the company.
If it’s apparent that no matter what you do, there’s no turning this situation around, and you’d rather have a fresh start, then now’s the time to get your resume in order and begin your job search.
Do nothing. Of course, you always have the option of doing nothing. You can improve your performance based on the feedback you received during your meeting. Should you go this route, I’d strongly advise that you check in monthly with your boss to ensure your performance is moving in the right direction.
No matter which direction you go, it’s best to learn from what just occurred. Somewhere along the way, there was a communication breakdown. In the future, be sure to ask for ongoing feedback to avoid future surprises.
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