So you didn’t quite expect the poor marks you received on your last performance review. While your first reaction may be anger, the worst thing you can do is lash out and act defensive. But don’t be discouraged. More than 90 percent of companies use ratings to measure performance, giving up to 80 percent of their workforce a C rating.
As vice president of employee success at Reflektive, a people-management platform, I have been on the other side of these one-on-ones for years. But don’t despair. Rather than getting emotional, take the time to reflect, clarify expectations with your manager, and identify some opportunities for growth. If you use your review as an opportunity to improve your performance, you will inevitably build a stronger employee-manager relationship and begin to stand out from your colleagues.
It’s natural to find it difficult to forge ahead in the wake of a lousy review, but the fastest road to recovery is to shift your focus on all the positive things you can accomplish in the future. Here are some tips on what employees should do the day (and weeks) following their review to start down the path toward improvement.