Thrash out a poor appraisal
Come assessment time and this is a situation that’s common across companies, both big and small. No matter what your final decision is, here are a few pointers on how to go about handling the entire situation:
By Sreeradha D Basu, TNN |
KOLKATA: A family vacation. A down payment on a new car. And much more. Puneet Saraf (name changed) had plenty riding on his hopes from the annual performance review. But a rude shock awaited him when the assessment finally arrived. For, far from the generous hike and likely promotion that he was expecting, his increment worked out to barely a few hundred rupees a month!
Come assessment time and this is a situation that’s common across companies, both big and small. For every one person who’s thrilled about his or her review, there are many like Puneet who feel short-changed, unhappy or just livid at the way the review turns out.
It’s perfectly normal to feel defensive or upset about a bad review. But it’s important to take up the matter with your assessor only when you are calm and have thought things through in your mind. Sometimes, it could be a problem that can be fixed through discussion, after which you can still go ahead and flourish in the organisation.
At other times, a bad review just might be an indicator of the fact that it’s time to move on. No matter what your final decision is, here are a few pointers on how to go about handling the entire situation:
Take some time out
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Give yourself some time to calm down, instead of reacting negatively in the heat of the moment. During this period, try and do an honest self-evaluation. Was your review really unfair or was it just a case of the truth hurting? Sort things out thoroughly and fix up an interview with the person who assessed you, to discuss the issue.Facts first
Go through the review and ask your boss to explain each criticism, Make sure he/she gives you concrete instances of poor performance. This way, not only can you understand just where you’ve gone wrong, it also makes things more difficult for your boss. If by chance, he’s made unjust allegations, he has little to back up his stand. And if you’re being unfairly attacked, you can pursue the matter further.
Keep defences ready
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Prepare your counter-argument. Put together evidence of your performance, including letters of appreciation, statistics relating to successful completion of projects and value-addition on your part to the organisation. Sometimes, your performance may have gotten inadvertently overlooked. A strongly-presented rebuttal will only strengthen your argument. However, under no circumstances, should you discuss this report and seek help from your other colleagues.Be proactive
If the poor appraisal has been for some shortcomings on your part, discuss a plan with the boss to improve your performance. Keep a record of everything you do from then as evidence of the effort you’ve made to improve your work. Have regular meetings to keep your boss updated about your progress.
Don’t take hasty decisions
There are times when a bad review may prompt you to re-examine if you are actually suited for the job you are doing. Or, you may simply be stuck with a bad boss, who has no intention of letting you rise in the organisation. Whatever the case, think long and hard before deciding to quit. And if you do decide to follow through with your decision of leaving the company, don’t share your plans with your colleagues/boss until you have a written offer in hand.
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