A new year is here, and this can mean a lot of things like finally committing to that early morning workout on your resolution. In other cases, this is a time when *scary music plays* performance reviews start! Some of you find it nerve-racking and others find it as no big deal. For those that are new to it and don’t know how to prepare, we got you. Here is everything you will need to have ready before that Zoom meeting with your boss.
What Are Your Goals?
Like new year resolutions, you must have goals for your job. What is it that you want to achieve or do next with your position? Think of personal goals related to work, like being more organized as an example. Maybe you struggle to communicate thoroughly with your team members, write that down too. Your boss wants to know what you plan to do that will help the growth of the company for this new year. Give them everything you got!
Reflecting on the Previous Year
Was there anything you were proud of or not so proud of about yourself from last year? List both accomplishments and failures/challenges. This shows your boss that you took time to prepare and really think about last year’s performance. For the failures and challenges you faced, do you have a plan of action to take for this new year to keep those from happening again? This tells them that you do walk-the-walk and not just say random words. Have all this ready and remembered.
Brainstorm Additional Responsibilities
Think about any new tasks you had to take for your role and list them down. These include duties that weren’t in your original job description before and tasks you’ve been doing for your team that your boss is unaware of. All of this is important to mention so your hard work doesn’t go unrecognized.
Ask Questions Back
If you have questions on things that have been confusing recently about work, ask them. This is a moment to receive clarity on anything that you’ve been wondering about whether that be about upcoming projects, expectations, etc. Communication is important and they will appreciate anything you have to bring up so you can have answers.
Feedback, Feedback, Feedback
Whether the feedback you receive is positive or not, use it to your advantage. That’s the whole point of giving and receiving feedbacks, right? It is a way to reflect and act. All feedback is important, and you want to keep your ears open and really listen. This is an opportunity to humble yourself as well if you know you need to step things up.
If there are other things you know you want to prepare for that aren’t on our list, that is great! This means that you really are going to use this performance review wisely. This review is not just for your boss to get an idea of where you are at, it is also for you to really reflect and know what to do.