How to Prepare for Your Performance Review - The Muse

How to Prepare for Your Performance Review - The MuseHow to Prepare for Your Performance Review Youve waited months for this moment- the chance to prove your worth to your boss and get a leg up in your career.Let me break it to you You wont get what you want if you dont prepare properly. In fact, your review will only go well if you get organized and collect all your information before the talk.So, with that in mind, heres what you need to do the night of your next performance review to put yourself in a great position for a productive conversation thatll get you ahead in your career and get you on your boss good side1. Learn How to Respond to FeedbackYou know not to yell (right?). But do you know there are ways to respond to negative feedback that actually make you look good?Youre going to want to pay attention to the following because its possible youll receive some not-so-great feedback. And even if youve been doing fabulous work, its almost guaranteed youre going to receive some form of constructive criticism (no ones perfect, after all).First, as Muse Career Coach Emily Liou points out in an article about handling negative feedback, own up to your mistakes and be ready to offer a solution or show initiative to do better.And, says Muse Writer Rich Moy, avoid blurting out things like I didnt realize that was wrong or It wont happen again (Heres what you should prepare to say instead.)How to Respond to Negative Feedback in (Almost) Any Possible Scenario2. Collect Your AccomplishmentsThink you deserve a raise?Its so important to state your case by listing out your accomplishments (including how much money youve made for the company, the skills youve learned, the relationships youve built, and the projects youve completed) over the past six months or year.We made it easy for you Just fill out this worksheet right from your computer.How to Ask for a Raise When You Hate Talking About Money3. Review Your Current GoalsDid you set goals at your last review? Or, do y ou have some personal ones of your own?Either way, reviews are a great time to look back at what you were hoping to accomplish and see if you, well, actually did them.If you met your goals, what did you learn along the way? Which ones are you most proud of? How can you build on them in the future?And if you didnt achieve them, how far did you get? Did your priorities change? What held you back? What can you do differently going forward?Jot down some notes to discuss further with your manager when you meet. Which leads me to6 Ways to Make Your Next Performance Review Way Less Painful4. platzset Some New GoalsNow that you know how far youve come, now you can decide where you want to go.Do this by setting some realistic, yet ambitious goals. Consider the followingWhat skills would you like to master by your next review?What responsibilities do you want to take on?What projects are you passionate about pursuing?What weaknesses would you like to improve upon?What goals would you like to continue to build on?What role do you want to shoot for one to three years from now? What can you do now to put yourself in the running?How to Set Ambitious Career Goals You Can Realistically Accomplish5. Prepare Any Lingering QuestionsEspecially if one-on-one time is rare in your office, reviews are super helpful for getting some of your most burning questions answered. It could be about the status of your team or department, or the goals of the company, or possibilities for career growth (like budget to get some professional development help).6 Phrases You Should Have in Your Back Pocket if You Want to Ace Your Performance Review6. Prepare for a Tough ConversationMaybe your boss will bring up some serious concerns. Maybe you even seen a performance improvement plan coming. Or, maybe itll be a normal review on your managers end, but youre going to have to raise your hand to discuss bigger issues. For example, nows a good time to talk about the fact that youre bored in your role or youd like to consider an internal transfer.Having these conversations is hard But being prepared makes it a little easier.The Best Way to Make Sure Youre Not Blindsided in Your Performance Review7. Pat Yourself on the BackFinally, give yourself some credit for making it to this big milestone. Sure, it happens every year, and you may not even receive anything special except for a simple Great work from your manager, but youve made it through what was probably a busy, exhausting, or even tumultuous period- look back on it, pat yourself on the back for everything awesome you did, and know youre going to kick even more butt after this review.Now all you have to do is double-check your review time (in case you have a jam-packed day), lay out a slightly-nicer-than-usual outfit (it doesnt hurt), and get some beauty sleep.And no matter what happens, because youve prepared, youre sure to handle it like a champ.