That Sucky Time of Year

We are about to embark into the worst time of the year: performance review season.

Let's get this clear: Givers of performance reviews hate giving them. Receivers of performance reviews hate getting them. Good bad time all around.

Perhaps we need a few tips to make them suck less.

Rather than spend time teaching how to give a better review, I'm gonna spend time teaching how to receive a review better.

Whether you realize it or not, you are in complete control of your review. It sure as shit doesn't feel like it at the time, but trust me when I say you are.

You are in control of every single aspect of the review outside of what your boss has prepared. You're in control of what you accept or don't accept about what was said. You're in control of what you get clarified, what you ask for examples about or what you sit silently and stew over. You are in control of what you do or do not put into play the second you walk out of your manager's office.

The very real, important part of the review is what happens after you get it.

Challenge yourself to listen so intently during your review that you pick up at least one nugget. I promise you this is incredibly difficult. It's hard because mostly while we are getting a review we are spending the whole time denying that any of it is accurate.

Even if 90% of the content doesn't agree with you and how you felt you performed over the year, find that teeny, tiny 10% that just might be true.

Those folks that listen for the 10%, that digest that 10% and then, act on that 10%, those folks are the ones that grow. Those are the ones that change, evolve and develop themselves into a better version of themselves the next year.


You, only better, one year later. The thought of that just might make reviews worthwhile.

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