What You’re Getting Wrong About Performance Reviews
Performance review season shows up every year—and so does the frustration.
Employees feel anxious, unseen, or disappointed.
Leaders feel overwhelmed, pressured, and stretched thin trying to get it right.
This isn’t because performance reviews are broken.
It’s because most people misunderstand how to use them.
This won’t be gentle.
But it will be helpful.
A lot.
In this article, we’ll look at the annual performance review from two perspectives—the employee being evaluated and the leader responsible for the evaluation.
Watch: What You’re Getting Wrong About Performance Reviews
If you prefer to listen or watch instead of reading, I break this down in detail in the video below.
Why Annual Performance Reviews Create Frustration on Both Sides
Performance reviews carry real consequences—compensation, growth opportunities, and future career direction.
When employees aren’t sure how to prepare, and leaders feel unsupported in executing the process well, frustration builds quickly. The result is a system that feels tense instead of productive.
But it doesn’t have to work that way.
The Performance Review From the Employee Perspective
Insights from a Former Hiring and Operations Manager
If you’re being evaluated, here’s something important to understand:
This process is heavy for your leader to carry.
They’re not just reviewing you. They’re executing this process for every direct report they manage. They’re reviewing skip-level feedback. They’re completing their own evaluation. And they’re doing all of this while continuing to run the business.
I’m not sharing this so you feel bad for them.
I’m sharing it because you have more influence here than you think. Here’s how to do your part while advocating for yourself.
How to Write an Effective Self-Evaluation
Your self-evaluation matters more than most employees realize.
Take time to reflect on your progress over the past year. Be specific about what you accomplished. Include metrics wherever possible. Capture success stories that may not surface in day-to-day conversations.
Your leader should not have to guess at your impact.
Why Submitting Your Self-Evaluation Early Matters
Do not wait until the last minute to submit your self-evaluation.
Submitting early gives your leader time and mental space to review your work thoughtfully. That space often leads to stronger evaluations and more productive conversations.
Using Performance Reviews for Career Pathing Conversations
Performance review season usually includes three things:
A performance rating
A merit increase
A conversation about career pathing
Before your meeting, get intentional about your aspirations. What skills do you want to build this year? What opportunities are you interested in pursuing?
Preparation creates better conversations.
The Performance Review From the Leader's Perspective
If you’re the one conducting evaluations, take a breath.
This process carries weight. And your direct and indirect reports deserve a review that helps them grow into the next level they want to reach…and that the organization needs.
Here are the most important reminders.
How Bias Shows Up in Performance Reviews
Bias appears in performance reviews more often than leaders realize.
Anchor your evaluations in:
Facts
Goal attainment
Documented outcomes
Avoid injecting personal feelings, preferences, or judgments.
Review behavior, not individual characteristics or personality traits.
And evaluate the entire review period…not just recent events.
Why Performance Reviews Should Never Include Surprises
There should never be anything in an annual performance review that hasn’t already been discussed.
Good or bad.
If an employee is surprised during their review, that’s feedback on the process (and on you as a leader), not on the person being evaluated. Annual reviews should reinforce conversations, not introduce them.
The Importance of Specific Feedback in Employee Evaluations
Specific feedback builds trust.
Details help employees feel seen and recognized. They also soften the impact when delivering constructive or corrective feedback. Use examples. Include numbers when possible. Tie feedback directly to goals.
Vague feedback creates confusion. Specific feedback creates growth.
Why Performance Reviews Are Not Adversarial
Whether you’re being evaluated or conducting the evaluation, this process is not meant to be combative.
It’s an opportunity to connect, celebrate success, identify opportunities, and decide on a path forward.
When both sides show up prepared and intentional, performance reviews become far more effective—and far less stressful.
How to Prepare for Your Performance Review Without Regret
Reading about performance reviews is helpful.
Preparing for yours intentionally is where things change.
If you want to walk into your review confident, organized, and ready to advocate for yourself, the Review Without Regret Workshop was created for you.
In this workshop, you’ll:
Organize your accomplishments clearly
Identify where metrics strengthen your message
Prepare language you can actually use in review conversations
Show up informed, confident, and grounded
Save your seat for the Review Without Regret Workshop! I look forward to seeing you there!
Want a head start? You don’t have to wait for the workshop to begin preparing for your performance review. Grab a copy of my book, Own Your Career, and spend time with the chapters starting on pages 33, 49, and 63. They’ll help you start gathering your wins and thinking more intentionally about how you show up to your review.
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