The goal should be to eliminate surprises in achieve the ends you desire, present your

your annual review. case to your Human

You want to know if you’re underperforming Resources department—but let your boss
as soon know ahead
as your boss is concerned so you can correct of time of your intention.
the problem Writing a rebuttal. If you decide to challenge
quickly. The idea is to discourage your boss your review,
from accumulating you will want to write up a formal rebuttal. It
performance problems, then unloading them should be short
in the annual and to the point. Don’t attack your boss or the
review. organization.
Do you want to push back? What if you take Stay positive and respectful, and control your
issue with anger or other
your boss’s assessment? If you’re convinced negative emotions. Finally, address only the
your boss’s specific issues
evaluation if unfair, you have a serious within the review that you feel were unfair.
decision to make. Do The worst-case scenario. If you see that your
you let the evaluation go or do you challenge performance
it? Both have review is really just a precursor to being let
risks. Ignoring a negative review may begin go, don’t
your boss’s effort despair. This may be an opportunity in
to terminate your employment. On the other disguise. It might just
hand, challenging be the impetus you need to find your true
your boss’s assessment could escalate a calling. As we
conflict that has noted in Chapter 10, there is no shortage of
long-term career implications. people who
If you truly feel your review is unfair, there is turned being “fired” into a success story.
always a Thomas Edison
possibility to change the decision in your was dismissed from his night-shift telegraph
favor. However, before operator job at
you protest your boss’s decision, consider Western Union. Robert Redford was sacked
your organization’s from a manual
culture and talk to your colleagues to assess labor job at Standard Oil. Madonna was let
how those go after only one
who have challenged a bad performance day as a counter clerk at Dunkin’ Donuts.
review in the past And early in his
were treated. career, billionaire Mark Cuban was fired from
Challenging your performance appraisal. If his job as a
you decide to computer-store salesman.
challenge your performance appraisal, here Sources: Based on S.P. Robbins, The Truth
are a few suggestions: About Managing People, 3rd
(1) Request a copy of your appraisal so you ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
can better Education, 2013), pp. 199–201; “How
process the information. (2) Determine what to Handle an Unfair or Negative Performance
exact aspects Review at Work,” hubpages.
of the appraisal that you disagree with. (3) com, November 5, 2014; “Survey:
Schedule a Performance Reviews Drive One in Four
meeting with your boss to provide your Millennials to Search for a New Job or Call in
evidence in support Sick,” newstex finance & accounting
of your position. (4) If the meeting with your blogs, October 28, 2015; and “How to Write
boss fails to a Rebuttal to Unfair
Performance Review,” arkadylaw.com, The above offers some clues on how best to
November 16, 2015. handle a
A recent survey of 1000 full-time employees, performance evaluation that you feel isn’t
all born after fair:
1980, found a great deal of frustration with Listen closely to what your boss is saying.
their performance The place
reviews. Sixty-two percent, for instance, felt to begin is to listen carefully to the specifics
“blindsided” by in your review.
their reviews; 74 percent frequently felt What exactly is your boss saying? Don’t
unsure as to what interrupt your boss
their managers thought of their performance; as she goes over your review. You
22 percent specifically want to have
called in sick because they were anxious clarity on the negative comments. Let your
about their reviews; boss complete
and 28 percent reacted to their reviews by her review and make sure you understand
looking for another her concerns before
job. Our conclusion: It’s very possible that you initiate a response.
sometime Be prepared to accept that there might be
in your career you’ll experience frustration as truth in some
a result of your or all of the negative comments. As we noted
performance review. above, we
It might surprise you to learn that most have a tendency to overestimate our own
bosses actually performance level.
dislike performance reviews. Why? First, Your boss’s assessment may be more
managers are often accurate than your
uncomfortable discussing performance self-evaluation.
weaknesses directly Stay calm and cool, and avoid being
with employees because they fear a defensive. Control
confrontation when your emotions and your tongue. Don’t get
presenting negative feedback. Second, angry and say
many employees something you’ll regret. Don’t react by
become defensive when their weaknesses diverting blame, giving
are pointed out. excuses, or getting into a debate with your
It’s not uncommon for employees to boss. As you
challenge the evaluation seek clarity, pay attention to your tone so it
by criticizing the manager or redirecting doesn’t appear
blame to someone that you’re challenging the truthfulness of her
else. Finally, employees tend to have an feedback. At
inflated assessment this point, just treat her negative comments
of their own performance. Statistically as constructive
speaking, half of all criticism.
employees must be below-average Ask what you can do to improve. Asking for
performers. But the evidence suggestions
indicates that the average employee’s on what you might do to improve can work for
estimate of his you in two
or her performance level generally falls ways. First, it shows your acceptance of the
around the 75th percentile. criticism. Second,
So even when managers are providing good it indicates your willingness to change.
news, Request more feedback between reviews.
employees are likely to perceive it as not Once you understand
good enough!
the content of your performance review and
what
you need to improve, you should talk to your
boss about the
possibility of getting more feedback between
formal reviews.