How to Make the Most of Your Performance Review

Performance reviews are crucial for professional development and a terrific chance to reflect on your wins and your hurdles so you can be even better next year. Here are some tips to make the most of your performance review:

The first step to a successful performance review is getting ready for it. Start by taking time to reflect on your professional journey over the past year.

Or, if you struggle with remembering these now, take Tech Ladies Leadership Coach Lekisha Middleton's advice to use this year's performance review as a reminder to "put a process in place to capture your goals, wins/achievements and value added throughout the upcoming year. It’s so much easier to remember your progress real time vs. waiting until the same time each year to try to remember all the great things you achieved. It’s also good to use this same format to have monthly or quarterly check-ins with your people manager during your 1:1s. Lastly if you are a people manager, you can create a shared goals/wins document so the team can see how they are tracking and how they can support the overall team goals and company strategy."

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Achievements

Make a list of your main work and key accomplishments. But don’t yourself to just tasks and projects. Also include when you showed initiative as an individual, demonstrated your leadership skills, or collaborated effectively as a team member.

Then try to write out the specifics of each achievement,  and, if you can, put together some data and examples so you have “concrete evidence” to support what you share during your review. As you’re doing this, keep in mind your company’s mission and values as well as key goals for the year. By connecting your contributions to these, you’ll emphasize your value to the team and the whole organization.

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Challenges

Confronting difficulties head-on is the part of a performance review most of us dread, but it’s pivotal for getting the most of your performance review. And you can make the situation feel a lot easier by honestly going through your challenges on your own in advance.

Again you should make a note of the most important ones. But then take the next step of analyzing why each was a stumbling block for you. If you overcame the issue already, also list out the specific steps you took. Otherwise, think through what you can do in the future to overcome your challenges.

Doing this will let you show your self-awareness, resilience, and problem-solving skills in your review so your supervisor can see your ability to adapt and learn from challenges and your proactive mindset in turning problems into possibilities for improvement.

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Development

Speaking of improvement, this is the third area you should consider before your review. Try to identify specific areas where you can build skills that will make you even better in your role now and in the future. If possible, put together ideas or options for learning or training to help you grow in a way that will also support the strategic goals of the team and organization.

Being proactive like this lets your manager know you’re forward thinking and eager to stay on top of industry trends and demands so you can keep contributing meaningfully. You can also think if you want to take on new responsibilities or projects, which is another way to show your enthusiasm to adapt and grow.

As Tech Ladies Head of Community and Career Services Wendy Saccuzzo says, “When we think about performance reviews, we usually expect our manager to come to the meeting with feedback on our performance. We usually expect either a promotion, or more guidance around what will get us from where we are today to the promotion.

I challenge job seekers to flip the script and come prepared with a professional development plan for themselves. Your plan should include an outline of the skills and strengths you leveraged to achieve the goals you previously set. You’ll want to spend some time thinking about what you want to accomplish over the next time period. Be prepared to articulate the impact you have and will make in a way that you feel good about.”

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Bonus: Here at Tech Ladies we’ll keep supporting you in your professional development in the coming year. Keep your eye on our events for our virtual meetups and our career roadmapping workshop to make sure you’re on track way ahead of your next review!

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Now that you’ve gotten yourself ready, let’s look at what to do during the performance review itself.

1. Listen Actively‍

Active listening during a performance review is fundamental to making the most of it. Paying careful attention to the feedback provided by your manager demonstrates your commitment to understanding and addressing any concerns or areas for improvement.

You can show your engagement by by making eye contact, taking notes, and acknowledging key points. If your manager shares feedback that you’re not 100% sure you understand, don't hesitate to ask for clarification or for examples. This way you can respond thoughtfully to the feedback and make sure you and your manager are on the same page. Listening actively underscores your professionalism and shows you’re ready to work together to optimize your performance and contribute positively.

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2. Be Open to Constructive Criticism

Being receptive to constructive criticism is also essential in a review. This means approaching feedback with an open mind, recognizing it as an opportunity for improvement instead of a critique.

When you’re given this kind of feedback, you can turn it into a great opportunity for growth by asking for - and even suggesting yourself - actionable steps you can take to improve in tis area. By proactively discussing solutions, you both contribute to a more constructive feedback process and reinforce your dedication to evolving and excelling in your role.

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3. Bring Up Compensation and Career Advancement

Broaching the subject of a raise and/or a promotion can feel sensitive, but a performance review is exactly the time to do this. And it should be easiest to do at this time since you’ll be well prepared with information about your achievements and contributions, and your goals for continued growth.

If you’re looking to talk about compensation or promotions though, you should also do some advance research into amounts or levels that should match with your performance over the past year. You can also think beforehand about potential career advancement paths within the company so you can talk about what path would be best to follow.

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Remember, your performance review is a two-way conversation. So you’ll need to go into it prepared but be sure to also use it as an opportunity to understand your manager's expectations and how you can keep meeting them.