PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARKO MILANOVIC/STOCKSY.COM; GETTY
IMAGES.*“THE 12 ELEMENTS OF GREAT MANAGING”, 2011 GALLUP, INC188 marieclaire.com.au
- STAY CALM
“Having an emotional
reaction is normal – but
feeding unproductive
emotions is dangerous,”
warns author of Fixing
Feedback, Georgia Murch.
“When we are stressed, we
go into fight-or-flight mode.
When we fight we become
defensive, take things
personally and become
focused on showing people
we are right. Flight is when
you just want to get the
hell outta there, so you
hardly respond and avoid
discussing the issues.” In
a bad performance review,
you should do neither. Keep
an open mind and listen
calmly to your manager,
which shows them how
committed you are to your
learning and development,
says Murch. Save your
tears and moaning about
unfairness for a debrief
with your work spouse later. - QUERY ANY^
INACCURACIES
If you feel your manager’s
comments aren’t justified,
you might be right. “The
majority of bosses aren’t
brilliant at leading
performance reviews,” says
Murch. “So extend some
grace and help them get a
clearer view. If there is little
substance to the issues
discussed it will become
clear through the questions
you ask, showing them that
their feedback is based on
opinions with little to no
facts to back it up.”- ASK FOR HELP
If you understand why
you’re being given this
feedback, acknowledge it.
“Ask what your manager
recommends moving
forward, make your
suggestions and work on
a plan together,” suggests
Murch. “Be clear on what
progress looks like and set
goals, and ask them if you
can meet regularly to keep
on track.” Setting open and
regular communication
channels can help prevent
poor performance reviews
in the future. - DON’T RUSH^
TO ESCALATE
If you think you’ve been
treated unfairly, don’t head
straight to HR. Give yourself
some time to reflect and try
to be objective about what
was said. “Don’t make it a
‘me versus them’ situation,”
advises Murch. “We need
to work with our managers
and the review is no
different.” That said, do seek
opinions from people who
were involved in projects
with you. If you still think
you’ve been treated poorly,
book some time with HR.
This could also be an
opportunity to rethink if
you’re happy where you are.
HOW TO DEAL WITH A POOR
PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Performance reviews can be tricky at the best of times,
but a negative one can really knock your confidence and
bring out defensiveness in even the most placid of us. Here’s
how to handle a bad review with professionalism and grace- and come out the other side as unscarred as possible.
COMPANIES WHO PROVIDE THEIR
EMPLOYEES WITH CONSISTENT FEEDBACK
ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE HAVE
TURNOVER RATES 14.9 PER CENT LESS
THAN BUSINESSES WHO PROVIDE
THEIR STAFF WITH NO FEEDBACK*FACT