1. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t my fault\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s human nature to defend yourself. But when it comes to your performance review, check your ego at the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow is not the time to go into a long explanation about why a mistake wasn\u2019t your fault\u2026 Even if it\u2019s the truth, it makes you look unprofessional, vindictive and lacking self-awareness,\u201d says career coach Jena Viviano.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of saying it wasn\u2019t your fault say, \u2018I appreciate the feedback and that is definitely something I\u2019m working on for the future\u2026 Now probably isn\u2019t the time, but perhaps we can schedule another time to discuss.\u2019<\/p>\n
This gives you the opportunity to collect your thoughts, come to the table calmly and pragmatically explain the incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n2. \u201cYes, yes, yes\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nWhile you don\u2019t want to dismiss your manager\u2019s feedback, being too quick to say yes isn\u2019t the right move either.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Yessing\u2019 your manager to death might seem like a good way to appear agreeable, but nothing could be further from the truth. True leaders are not yes people nor do they like to surround themselves with yes people,\u201d says Scott Stenzler, founding partner of recruiting firm Atlas Search.<\/p>\n
\u201cResearch shows that yes people tend not to think independently, can be intellectually dishonest, lack sincerity and often add little to no value to the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead of simply \u201cyessing,\u201d show your manager that you understand and acknowledge their feedback.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet your manager finish their thought. Don\u2019t eagerly chime in before they finish speaking \u2014 instead, pause momentarily to make sure they\u2019re done, which has the double benefit of indicating that you\u2019re carefully considering their point, and only then let them know you agree,\u201d Stenzler recommends.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut most importantly, be sure to follow it up with all the reasons why you agree.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n3. \u201cYou said\/you did\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s communication 101 \u2014 when discussing a sensitive topic, never lead with \u201cyou\u201d statements. In a performance review, this might include statements like \u201cyou said I was going to get a raise,\u201d \u201cyou didn\u2019t clearly outline expectations,\u201d etc.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou statements can come across as accusatory and blame ridden,\u201d says Jen Brown, Founder + Director, The Engaging Educator. \u201cInstead of \u2018you,\u2019 focus on \u2018I\u2019 \u2014 I understood, I\u2019m confused, I\u2019d like to discuss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n4. \u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nGoing one step further, adding a \u201cbut\u201d can be even more antagonizing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you couple a \u2018you\u2019 statement with the word \u2018but,\u2019 you\u2019ve created an argument,\u201d Brown says. \u201cFor example, if you said\u2026 \u2018You said [x], but I think [y],\u2019 you\u2019ve elevated your own opinion above the other, leading to a confrontational situation\u201d \u2014 the last thing you want during a performance review.<\/p>\n
To get your point across in a non-confrontational manner, you only need to make a small tweak.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of \u2018but,\u2019 the word \u2018and\u2019 works just as well,\u201d Brown says. \u201cTaking the above example again, the conversation could sound like: \u2018I heard you say [x] and I\u2019ve been thinking [y], can we discuss this further?\u2019 [This] will open conversation instead of elevating one opinion above another.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n5. \u201cIt was really a team effort\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nLots of people have trouble taking a compliment. But if there\u2019s one time you don\u2019t want that to happen, it\u2019s during your performance review \u2014 your number one moment to prove the value that you bring to your company.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough it\u2019s important to give credit where credit is due, it\u2019s equally important not to deflect your personal accomplishments to other people,\u201d says April Klimkiewicz, career coach and owner of bliss evolution. \u201cIf your supervisor is congratulating you on a job well done, say \u2018Thank you! With the help of the team, I was able to accomplish the goals we set forth. I\u2019m very proud of this accomplishment.’\u201d<\/p>\n
\n6. \u201cThis isn\u2019t fair\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nThis phrase is better suited for the elementary school playground than the office.<\/p>\n
\u201cAside from sounding like a child, the idea of something being \u2018fair\u2019 in the workplace is pretty subjective and emotional,\u201d Brown says. \u201cThink about why you feel it isn\u2019t fair. Use specific language to define what isn\u2019t fair \u2014 and if you keep getting back to \u2018It isn\u2019t fair,\u2019 maybe you have hurt feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are valid \u2014 just be sure to temper the emotional response with facts, especially in a review,\u201d Brown continues.<\/p>\n
\n7. \u201cCan I have a raise?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nLet me be clear \u2014 your performance review is absolutely a great time to make your case for a raise, but asking for it point-blank like this is probably not going to convince anyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow is not the time to say you need a raise. Now is the time to prove and show you deserve a raise. There is a big difference,\u201d Viviano says. \u201cCome to your performance review with a clear understanding of your accomplishments and how they\u2019ve provided results for the company.<\/p>\n
Then when it comes for you to speak during your review, talk about the things you\u2019ve accomplished that you\u2019d like to highlight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve proven your value, you can talk about why you deserve a raise.<\/p>\n
\n8. \u201cThat\u2019s not part of my job description\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nIt might not be written in your job description, but if you want to be seen as a top performer, going above and beyond to help from time to time never hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlmost every job description ends with, \u2018and other duties as assigned.\u2019 Stating that some function is not part of your job description can make it look like you\u2019re trying to shirk work,\u201d Klimkiewicz says.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead, be a team player and let your supervisor know you were not clear that particular duty was expected of you, but now that you know, you\u2019ll be taking it on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n9. \u201cWhat about so-and-so?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nThere\u2019s a time and a place to bring up concerns about a colleague to your manager, but your performance review isn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you talk about people who aren\u2019t there, you\u2019re avoiding the relationship in front of you. It\u2019s really easy to talk about another person when they aren\u2019t there,\u201d Brown says.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of deflecting, think about why you are bringing someone else up. Are you apprehensive? Are you trying to avoid the real meat of the situation? Reflect on the why and address the real issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n10. \u201cI know\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nAgain, recognizing the feedback that your manager gives you is crucial, but a statement like \u201cI know\u201d can come off the wrong way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can sound defensive to your supervisor when they are trying to give you constructive feedback,\u201d Klimkiewicz says.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep in mind that \u2018I know\u2019 can be heard as \u2018so what.\u2019 And if you say \u2018I know\u2019 enough, then you run the risk of sounding like a know-it-all, which is not a good look,\u201d Stenzler adds.<\/p>\n
In addition, \u201cif you recognize there\u2019s an area where you can improve, but acknowledge it by only saying \u2018I know,\u2019 then all you have accomplished is making it clear that you see there\u2019s a problem but don\u2019t care enough to find a solution,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Instead, Stenzler suggests \u201c[coming] to your performance review prepared with a clear set of actions which you have implemented, or plan to implement to remediate that weakness. Be prepared to explain why some things worked and why others didn\u2019t. Your manager took the time to prepare for the review, you should, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n11. \u201cI\u2019m not good at that\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nPerformance reviews are all about growth, and phrases like this show an unwillingness to change and develop.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Carol Dweck\u2019s groundbreaking book Mindset, she teaches that the most successful executives are the ones who are able to move slightly outside of their comfort zone\u2026 Our clients, the companies we place people with, always report a higher rate of success hiring professionals who employ a growth mindset,\u201d Stenzler shares.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet your manager know that you are willing to take on new responsibilities and are prepared to put in the hard work to grow into increasingly challenging roles within your organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nRead: 7 skills to leave off your CV<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"To make sure that you don\u2019t unintentionally sabotage yourself, GlassDoor has put together a list of things that you\u2019ll want to avoid saying at your next performance review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":116476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[7186],"class_list":["post-205088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-glassdoor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205088"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205178,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205088\/revisions\/205178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}