How to Handle a Bad Performance Review
Posted December 15th, 2014
Getting a negative performance review can be quite upsetting, especially if you were expecting something different.
On the plus side, however, you are getting needed feedback on things you need to improve. Without the review you might be unaware of areas where you really needed to up your game.
So, if you have received a negative review, what then?
The first thing is to stay calm. Your first reaction might be anger, which in turn might lead you to say or do something you would regret later on. Take a few days to think about the review, and what has been said.
Then think about the criticism. Someone else is seeing things in you that you do not. This is not uncommon – we are much better at seeing the faults in others than in ourselves. Talk to other people who you believe will give you an honest assessment of your performance. Maybe they too are seeing the same things that your supervisor did, things you are missing. Get their feedback, and make clear that you really want the truth, rather than sympathy.
If there are critiques in the review that you don’t understand, talk to your supervisor to clarify exactly what he or she meant, and try to get concrete, specific examples of what was wrong, and what was expected, if you haven’t been given that already. If for example, your supervisor told you that your performance was lacking in certain areas, ask for specific examples of when you fell short, and try to get concrete examples of what is considered to be acceptable performance.
Then you need to develop a detailed plan on how you are going to address the issues raised. Do you need to learn new skills, focus on different tasks, or change how you interact with colleagues? Go over your plan of action with your supervisor to see if he or she agrees with it. If he does not, work with him to come up with something that is mutually acceptable.
Then take a month or two to try your new plan of action. After that time, talk to others to see how they think things are going.
Set up a meeting with your supervisor for another review to get his input.
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