Annual review day. You walk to your boss’s office feeling like it’s the school spelling bee. It could be rewarding and a boost of confidence, or you could feel like everyone’s judging you and perhaps go back to your desk feeling like a dope.
Most of us sleepwalk through our reviews. You walk in. Sit down. Listen to the boss speak. He tells you how great you are, but budgets only have limited space this year. You nod. Say stuff like “I understand,” “that’s okay,” “the economy is tough,” all this low-confidence verbiage. At the end, you get up, shake hands and go back to your cubicle, two percent raise in hand, to text your spouse about how disappointed you are.
What just happened? You got your handout and settled back into quasi-contentment. Let’s change that.
How to Take Control of Your Review
It’s called YOUR review because it’s about you. Your accomplishments, career path, happiness, etc. When you zombie through it, the focus shifts away from you. You have the potential to gain so much more by finding the confidence and building the mindset to do more.
So here are a few tips to help you do just that:
1. Research beforehand
The worst thing you can do at your performance review is to be unprepared. If you are, you’re lost.
Instead, research and brainstorm:
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New ideas to implement for your position.
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Steps that could improve the department as a whole.
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Everyone’s favorite: SALARY. (How much should you be making? Use these sites to figure that out.)
You could focus on just one or all three of these areas, whichever you’re most passionate about. The important thing is that you show the boss you’re ready.
Think about how impressed you would be if someone said, “I believe if we implement this new idea, it would increase this department’s morale and efficiency. By the way, I took the time to do the research beforehand to show you how it would work, if you want to take a look through it.”
Who would say no to that?
2. Say “thank you” and smile
Always show your boss you appreciate everything, including your (measly) two percent raise. Thank him for his guidance and for allowing you to thrive in your position.
Also, smiling will further relax all parties. Never be confrontational; be thankful.
3. Express your desire to be a top performer
Show your ambition to be a top performer, and ask how you can help make your boss’s job easier. If you can think of examples based on your research, this is a perfect opportunity to offer them.
Figure out where you can insert value beyond your job description. You’ll be surprised by the results!
4. Have stories handy
Your boss is busy, so he doesn’t have the time to remember every detail about your time at the company. That means it’s up to you to have the meat of your material ready to go.