Performance Review at work. The very thought of it is stressing me out. Any Tips

GPK26 said:

Others were less tangible and I struggled a bit there, but also recognised that if there isn't a specific number or achievement such as pass exam X, then I wouldn't be held to account as much.

You can simply say that because the objectives that are intangible are not SMART then they have no place in the review.

Anything that is not very tangible can be twisted in the event the company are unhappy with you, so use their own methodology and say "if it isn't SMART then I don't feel comfortable in having it in there. It may resuly in having a lot fewer objectives but that isn't a bad thing.

Remember to schedule 3 monthly reviews yourself of progress as we are often all guilty of forgetting about this stuff and letting them slide.

My first time posting as well 

I had this exact situation today - despite knowing well in advance, I had done no prep work for my half year performance review....mistake #1!

So I set about pulling up my goals for the year which were agree on at the start of the year.
Some of the goals were quite straight forward and measurable - eg complete 12 projects this year, we have completed 6,so a little behind schedule, but not a biggie.
Others were less tangible and I struggled a bit there, but also recognised that if there isn't a specific number or achievement such as pass exam X, then I wouldn't be held to account as much.

Review time comes and I meet with my [fantastic] boss who is well aware of my mental health struggles. We spoke openly and honestly, and time flew by. There was recognition of what I have achieved and there was no criticism....all went well.

So it's not a big deal then? WRONG!

In fact it turns out that many people hate the whole review process- even those without our "special difference".
It seems that having to write your own self appraisal in advance is something that many people struggle with.
My boss admitted that he also struggles when faced with writing his own self appraisal - more so than having to write appraisals for his direct reports.

Good luck with your review 

My first time posting as well 

I had this exact situation today - despite knowing well in advance, I had done no prep work for my half year performance review....mistake #1!

So I set about pulling up my goals for the year which were agree on at the start of the year.
Some of the goals were quite straight forward and measurable - eg complete 12 projects this year, we have completed 6,so a little behind schedule, but not a biggie.
Others were less tangible and I struggled a bit there, but also recognised that if there isn't a specific number or achievement such as pass exam X, then I wouldn't be held to account as much.

Review time comes and I meet with my [fantastic] boss who is well aware of my mental health struggles. We spoke openly and honestly, and time flew by. There was recognition of what I have achieved and there was no criticism....all went well.

So it's not a big deal then? WRONG!

In fact it turns out that many people hate the whole review process- even those without our "special difference".
It seems that having to write your own self appraisal in advance is something that many people struggle with.
My boss admitted that he also struggles when faced with writing his own self appraisal - more so than having to write appraisals for his direct reports.

Good luck with your review 

As far as I can understand, it is just the scheduled performance review. In that case, you have nothing to fear, it's just the scheduled meeting with the manager to plan the next six months and ask you if you are having any issues or any proposal.

Unscheduled performance reviews are a different thing: in that case, there is an urgent issue that must be addressed immediately.

You're going to smash it mate! Don't feel afraid to ask your manager questions like "what would you say" or "what would your experience be" etc. 

I'm sure you'll be grand. Let us know later this week! 

Thank you both, these really help me stop freaking out about it and approach tomorrow a little more constructively

Autumn_Trees said:

You are NOT ALONE on this one. It's really tough! 

I've seen this from both sides of the management / employee fence and it is actually really easy.

It is one of those hurdles that HR make management pass down to try to give you some structure and ways to measure your ambitions and progress, so it will work for you if you think about it.

I assume you were given objectives last time you had one of these reviews, so this is a case of "did you do what you said you would or were you just slacking off". That also works for promises made by management of things like training courses and opportunities (eg working in other teams for a bit).

Look at the previous objectives, work out how close you came to them and base the next terms objectives on these - make them realistic.

The SMART system is actually really good as it makes these actually achievable. Lets base my response on an IT Helpdesk role as that is what I know inside out:

Specific - You want to become Microsoft certified in Windows 11 to prove you know your stuff. There is an exam for this so it is very specific.

Measurable - You must pass the exam. Very much do-able and measurable as you need more than 50% to pass..

Achievable - You have to be given the training material and time to do this (including an element of your own time), so it should be achievable with 2 hours a week set aside to study

Realistic - 2 hours a week is realistic I would think.

Time constrained - It has to be done in the next 6 months

OK - piece of cake so far.

Look at the other objectives you had and work out if they can be adapted, evolved or otherwise made repeatable in a way that helps you grow.

Your manager should do pretty much all the heavy lifting for this but they will look on you much more favourable if you come up with suggestions, and if it helps direct your career in the direction you want then this is you taking some control of your future.

If anyone wants to DM me for help then I'm happy to do this, but I'm renovating 2 apartments at the moment so I'm not about as much as I normally am.

Hi there, 

Yeah this massively freaks me out too! We have a 6 monthly review cycle at work and once a year that involves writing a personal review (eg. a review of yourself) and then a review of your manager. It is encouraged that you set out aims for the coming 6 months too. I find it SO HARD. 

I never can remember what I do in a half-year period anyway, let alone write about it and goals? My goal is to keep coming to work to get paid so I can live. That is my only goal, I don't know what you want me to say! 

Try and think of it like this: What is the purpose of your job. Are you fulfilling that purpose? What other factors affect your ability to do your job? What are the points/feedback your manager has raised with you in the past and have you worked on those points since? You want to document: what you're doing, how you're doing it and why it is good. 

You are NOT ALONE on this one. It's really tough!