New York Lawyer
June 15, 2006

Q:
I recently had a performance review and, basically, I think I blew it.

I was expecting a rave review, and instead, while they said some good things, there was also some completely unexpected criticism. I was really surprised and taken aback by the comments (they seemed unfair and off the mark), and I don�t think I reacted very well. I did what I know you�re not supposed to do, got angry and defensive, and was trying to explain my side of the story, probably without much success.

I think the partners doing the review might have been put off by my reaction. How can I recover from this?

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A:

Well -- you�re right that you didn�t go by the playbook, but you�d hardly be the first person to react negatively to criticism. Let�s back up.

Performance reviews, ideally, are highly motivating sessions that set expectations for performance, provide goals for the future, spotlight strengths, identify development needs, and otherwise help inspire (and document) guidance for a person�s career. Properly conducted, a performance review can energize an employee, making the person feel re-directed and excited about his or her future.

But that didn�t happen in your case. One possibility is that the reviewers didn�t do their job properly. If they (or others you work with) failed to set expectations properly, it could be that you were falling down on the job and didn�t even know it. Further, their delivery of the criticism might not have been as tactful or helpfully worded as we might like (you don�t say anything about this). For instance, they may have been too conclusory and judgmental in their statements, and perhaps too vague, thus providing a one-two punch of saying "you�re no good" along with "and we�re not going to tell you why." So give yourself a break if their approach was not stellar.

Having said that, regardless of the reviewers� relative merits, your reaction probably wasn�t ideal and you now need to recover, as you say. Here are some thoughts:

Don�t be too hard on yourself. Your reviewers probably don�t like criticism themselves (the "I like criticism" club meets in a small phone booth) and maybe even sympathized with your reaction. I think everyone understands that receiving negative feedback is tough, and that it often results in less-than-perfect personal reactions.

Work on your weak points. You can best help yourself by carefully and honestly evaluating whether the reviewers have a point. Leaving aside whether you were properly apprised of expectations, and whether they told you in a warm-and-fuzzy way or not: was your performance in fact deficient in some aspect? If so, take that on board and work on the weakness.

Close the loop. If you truly feel that the review was unfair, and that failing to correct the record will leave a major black mark against you, considering having a further conversation with the reviewing partners (perhaps the one you feel more comfortable with). You can something like, "I�ve had some time to reflect on my review. First, I appreciate the fact that you let me know there was a problem. I wanted to give you a little more context just so the whole picture is clear and to clarify the situation." You can go on to explain additional details that they may not have known about. Sometimes, if the situation is particularly complex, it is okay to do a memo or email, but it must be followed up with an in-person chat. Make sure to have a followup to the review only if the partners lacked significant information that could substantially alter their views. If, by contrast, continuing to discuss the situation will only make the problem you�re having more conspicuous, leave it alone, work hard and let an improved performance do the rehabilitation for you.

Ask for expectations to be set. If the problem was that you weren�t aware of expectations, make sure in the future to be very clear with people you�re working with about what they expect. Ask for feedback as you are doing assignments so you are less likely to be caught flatfooted.

Try these approaches and maybe next year�s review will indeed be a rave.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work