How to Ace Your Performance Appraisal

A performance appraisal interview is, in many ways, far more important for an employee than it is for a manager. It is essential that you prepare for your performance appraisals carefully and handle them skilfully.

A good performance appraisal can enhance your reputation and accelerate or change the direction of your career. An interview that goes badly can stall it and damage your progress for months or years after.
Employees consistently complain about two features of their performance appraisals. They find that managers pay more attention to mistakes and omissions than they do to giving praise for work that has been well done. Secondly, they find that managers do most of the talking and give them little chance to make any constructive contribution to the discussion.
From an employee's perspective, there are three things to be achieved in an appraisal discussion.
1. You need to make sure you receive appropriate recognition for work you have done well.
2. You need to agree on any areas of weakness in your performance and put a plan in place to fix them
3. You need to be clear on the goals, objectives and standards required of you in the next period so you understand how you will be assessed in your next appraisal.
To get the most from your performance appraisals follow these guidelines.
Do your homework
You must prepare for an appraisal with even more care than your manager does. Consider what you have done in the period being reviewed. Think over the whole period, not just the most recent months. What has gone well? Not so well? What evidence do you have of your performance? Collect factual support for any opinion you offer about your performance.
Think about the evidence your manager has of your performance. Be sure you are familiar with it. Think of data he or she may not have and, without bombarding him or her with paperwork, list or summarise salient points and have relevant documents to hand.
Identify the high points
Make a realistic assessment of your strengths and the things you have done well. Be sure you base your conclusions on facts. Plan how you can present these to your manager in a rational and professional way, supported by the evidence. When you are well prepared you will not be caught off guard if your manager focuses only on negative aspects of your performance.
Be realistic about areas for improvement
Be realistic and rational here too. Look at the evidence. Consider any extenuating factors. What can you do to make things better in the next period? The more you think it through, the more you will be able to come up with ideas during the appraisal. Think of questions you can ask about things you should do more or less of, or differently. Think about any negative feedback you may receive so you are prepared for it and less likely to react defensively.
Be clear on targets for the future
If you don't know what you are going to be assessed against in the future it will be hard for you to turn in a top performance. Ask for clarity. If necessary ask for a follow up meeting to give you time to consider exactly what is being required and how you can respond.
A performance appraisal is a two person game. You need to be an active participant, not an observer, in a process that can have a major impact on your progress.

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