Take These Three Steps After a Bad Job Performance Review
Being judged poorly at work is just awful. It’s like trouble at school, only everyone involved is an adult and the stakes are higher because your job is tied to your financial security, health insurance, and self-esteem. You may leave a meeting feeling completely disoriented, and that’s okay, but once you get back on your feet, you can and should take the next important steps.
First evaluate the performance review
Before you do anything, review the review that just happened. Was it actually “bad” or are you just interpreting it as bad? During the review, you should try to take notes or ask for a written summary later so that you have something objective to look back on. Chances are your score isn’t as terrible as you think.
Again, chances are it was bad and it was just poorly reported. HR specialist Tim Sackett told me that bad feedback isn’t always obvious “because most managers are bad at giving direct feedback and explaining it. Most managers avoid conflict, and while they may want to be very critical of your performance, it often leaves the impression that you’re not that bad.”
So, as much as it sucks, you really want your manager to be honest with you. Ann N., a university employee, recalls that during a review of poor performance that she had not expected, her supervisor began by saying, “Don’t worry,” and that was her “first initial suspicion that this would happen.” Be bad.” It’s better to know for sure that a review is bad, so if you have a “suspicion”, ask directly.
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You will need to make a plan to right the ship, but do not address it on the same day as your emotions will be high. However, Sackett warns: “You can’t cry at work”: If you’re angry or sad, don’t be overtly upset. In the moments after the review, take a walk or rest for a while; “Find a safe place where you can cry, scream, and do whatever you need to do without anyone seeing.” Try to see the positive, even if it’s difficult. Sackett recommends viewing bad reviews as a “gift” because “someone cared enough about you to warn you before they fired you.”
Sackett recommends waiting 24 to 48 hours for “the sting to wear off” before approaching your manager again, but when you do, you should ask for a specific plan to improve your performance. It’s vital to keep your correspondence in writing: you want the plan laid out in as much detail as possible so you can refer back to it at the next meeting.
Anna’s teacher gave her feedback during the meeting on how to make her classes more collaborative: “We agreed that I would start implementing these ideas in my class and she would come look at one of them. After she came back to watch my classes, she said it felt a lot better.”
Continue communication throughout the remediation process. It may seem awkward to send Slack updates announcing your various activities, but your manager needs to see that you’re committed to course correction and actually taking action. If you’re not comfortable sending updates on your progress, try asking questions like: “I’m sending a new report from EOD, but can you confirm whether it should be sent to all team members or just you first?” This lets them know you ‘re doing what you’re supposed to do, but opens up a more natural dialogue. If you use an office-wide calendar, add blocks to show what you’re doing at any given time to make your productivity visible.
Prepare carefully for the next review.
In addition to addressing the specific, detailed issues that the manager puts in writing, there are a few other things you’ll have to do before your next review. First, put aside your pride. Sackett says that “what is a death sentence for most people is their unwillingness to internalize the results of the audit, take corrective action and not be a victim.” He says most managers desperately want to help you become the best at your job, but that won’t be possible if you’re too embarrassed after a review and just shut down. Perhaps you didn’t do a very good job at something in particular. It doesn’t mean anything about who you are as a person. You can fix the problems and move on.
Also do some self-reflection. First, listen to your intuition. Did this review make you feel inadequate? Did it make you want to work harder to succeed? Has this made you want to quit your job altogether? It may be a warning sign about your career trajectory, but you’ll only know if you really think about it. Ask friends and colleagues too. Sackett says colleagues are especially helpful here: “If they’re giving you advice about your own performance rather than about how to deal with your manager, they’re telling you, ‘It’s you and it’s your responsibility to fix it.’ You have people on the front lines around you and they have a good understanding of how you do your job and how it impacts the team, so communicate with them regularly to get feedback.
“I didn’t feel very well at the time, but I didn’t feel powerless,” says Anne. “I felt like I genuinely appreciated [my manager’s] feedback. It’s hard to review your own teaching, so I thought this would be helpful.”
“You may feel bad,” Sackett says, and it’s okay to feel a little upset about it all. However, as you move on to the next one, try to prepare yourself and be more prepared for critical feedback. Better yet, come up with things you can improve and suggest them in a meeting before your manager has the chance. “A lot of times,” Sackett says, “they’ll say you’re too hard on yourself and they’ll look at you in a much more positive light.”