CAREER TIPS - 3 things to do when you receive a bad performance review - instead of getting defensive

Posted 17th July 2024 • Written by MITA MALLICK on fastcompany • • • • • •

Here are three things I advise workers consider when you do receive a bad review:

1. TAKE TIME TO PROCESS

Instead of getting defensive, here’s what I recommend you say if you receive a tough review: “Thank you for taking the time to give me this feedback. I am going to take the time to process this and come back when I am ready to follow-up. I appreciate you giving me space to review what you have shared.”
There’s no need to respond immediately; take the time to process the feedback. It’s important to work through your feelings so that you can move to evaluating the feedback.

2. EVALUATE THE FEEDBACK

When we receive negative, poor, or what we think is unfair critique, we need to be able to evaluate the feedback after we have processed our emotions. It might be a few days before you look at the bad review again. Pull up any notes you took in the moment along with the actual written review.

It’s important to do a self-audit when reviewing the feedback. Consider the following questions:

What parts of the review seem fair and rooted in facts?

What parts of the review seem unfair and why?

Is any of this feedback you have heard before, either from this manager or at another time in your career?

Is this the first time you are ever hearing this feedback?

What surprises you the most about what you see written and what was shared?

Share the review with family members, friends, and colleagues you trust to get their perspective.

A fresh set of eyes can help provide more insight and support as you evaluate the feedback in a bad review.

3. ELEVATE YOUR CONCERNS

As a Chief Diversity Officer now, I encourage leaders to take the concerns employees have about their reviews seriously and also to work with leaders to interrupt their bias when evaluating talent. It’s also an important opportunity for both the manager and the employee to think about what role they each played in ultimately the bad review that was given.

Remember, a bad performance review isn’t the end of your career. It is a moment to consider if the feedback is fair and if there are specific things you should be focusing on developing. Or, if this feedback is unfair and not rooted in facts and to speak up and advocate for yourself.

My advice: don’t let a bad performance review hold you back—let it propel you to continue to make an impact in your career.

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