How to prepare for a performance review
What to do in the two weeks before, in the meeting, and after
Most people prepare for a review in one long evening, scrolling back through email and chat and trying to remember what they did all year. You only find the work you happen to stumble on, so the review undersells you. Here's what to do instead, in the order to do it.
Two weeks before: gather the year
Start from a record, not your memory
Recent work crowds out everything before it. Your manager has this bias about you, and you have it about yourself. So go through the year month by month using what's written down: your calendar, your sent email and chat, the work you closed or delivered, documents you wrote, and last year's goals. If you kept a brag document, this part is done. If you didn't, here's how to rebuild a year in about an hour.
Line up feedback early
If your company collects peer feedback, suggest people who saw your best work and tell them which project you'd like them to write about. Most people are glad to be pointed at something specific. If there's no formal process, ask two or three colleagues for a couple of lines about working with you. A quote from someone else carries more weight than anything you say about yourself.
Read the measuring stick
Find your company's leveling guide or competency framework, the form you'll fill in, and the goals you set last year. These tell you what you'll be judged on. Use their words when you write.
One week before: write it
Group by theme
Sort what you found under the headings on your form, or under delivery, working with others and growth if there aren't any. Pick the two to four strongest results under each and leave the rest in your notes. Each item should say what changed because you did it. See these accomplishment examples if you're stuck on wording.
Tell the biggest wins as stories
For your two or three biggest results, use STAR: the situation, your task, what you did and the result. It makes you state the outcome, which is the part reviewers look for.
Write for the meeting you won't be in
At many companies your rating is settled in a calibration meeting, where managers compare their people and agree on ratings together. Your manager will be describing your year to people who have never seen your work. Give them lines they can read out: short, specific, with the result attached. "Cleared a six-week backlog so the launch went out on time" holds up when it's quoted. A paragraph about being a strong team player doesn't.
Read it out loud once
Anything that sounds like a job description is an activity, not a result. Rewrite it with what changed, or cut it. For a finished example of the whole thing, see these self-review examples.
In the meeting
- Let your manager go first. You'll hear how they see your year before you respond, and you can fill in what they missed.
- Ask specific questions. "What would have moved my rating up a level?" "What does the next level look like for me, in practice?" "What do you most need from me next year?" Vague questions get vague answers.
- Take notes. You'll want the exact words later, when you set goals and when you prepare for the next review.
- If you disagree with the rating, don't argue it on the spot. Say you'd like to think it over. Then follow up in writing within a few days with the two or three examples you think were missed, and ask what you'd need to show next time. Ratings rarely change in the room. A calm written note is what gets taken seriously.
After
- Send a short follow-up with what you heard and what you agreed for next year. It turns the conversation into something you can both point back to.
- Turn the feedback into two or three goals, each with something you'll be able to show by the next review.
- Start next year's record now. The best time to begin your notes for the next review is the week after this one.
Do it without the cramming
Nisshi keeps the record for you. You log a few lines about your work as you go, or let your assistant write them, and Nisshi turns them into weekly recaps, STAR stories and a self-review draft for any date range. Before your next 1:1 it pulls together what's happened since the last one. Come review time, you're editing a draft built from what you actually did, not reconstructing a year from memory. It all stays on your Mac, privately.
Questions people ask
When should I start preparing for a performance review?
About two weeks before your self-review is due. That gives you a week to gather what you did and a week to write it. If you keep notes through the year, a couple of evenings is enough.
What should I bring to my performance review meeting?
Your self-review, a short list of the two or three results you most want your manager to remember, and the questions you want answered about next year. Bring something to take notes on.
What questions should I ask in a performance review?
Ask what would have moved your rating up a level, what the next level looks like for you in practice, and what your manager most wants from you in the coming year. Specific questions get specific answers.
What if I disagree with my performance review rating?
Don't argue it in the room. Say you'd like to think it over, then follow up in writing within a few days with the two or three examples you think were missed. Ask what you'd need to show next time to get the rating you expected.
How do I deal with recency bias in my review?
Start from a record instead of memory: your calendar, sent messages, finished work and any notes you kept. Recent work crowds out the rest of the year for you and for your manager, so go through the year month by month.