Year-End Performance Reviews: 10 Things to Remember

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We've come to what many would describe as their favorite time of the year.  A time when we get to sit back and reflect on the things we have and the things we cherish.  Of course, I'm talking about year-end reviews!  Okay, maybe we don't all really look forward to year-end reviews – but they can be a time for us to celebrate our successes and learnings.  With that in mind, I wanted to take a moment to share ten things that I try to remember when it comes to year-end reviews.

Prepare

How many of us dread the year-end review so much that we wait until the last minute to prepare, and the day before, we hastily put a summary of what we accomplished together just in time for the actual review?  Me…me…me…me!  You don't have to raise your hand!  All of us, at some point, are probably guilty of this, but over time, I've come to realize that you're only doing yourself a disservice. 

Whenever I pack to go for a trip or vacation, whenever I wait until the last minute, inevitably, I forget something important – a toothbrush, toothpaste, the correct shoes for a particular meeting, etc.  However, when I plan a few days in advance, I rarely forget something important. Now that's not to say I still don't forget things – I just don't forget as many.

Your yearly accomplishments work in the same manner.  If you rush to pull everything together at the last moment, you'll likely forget something important.  But, if you plan in advance, you'll do a better job recalling all that you've accomplished. 

There's no perfect rule of thumb for how long to prepare, but I find that at least twice as long as the actual review should be the minimum.  You may ask, what am I preparing? You'll want to start with the beginning of the year (be it a calendar or fiscal year) and work your way to the end.  Generally, the end of the year is easiest for us to remember, and the things, in the beginning, are the hardest.  Go back through your calendar and e-mails from the beginning of the year.  If you have a "Feedback" folder, review it.  If you don't have one, consider creating one.  If you get in the habit of putting feedback received throughout the year into that folder, you'll be able to summarize the information more easily by the end of the year.  Keep a running tally of your successes and learnings throughout the year.  If you can get in the habit of doing this, preparing will be much easier.

Book the Meeting

This title may seem obvious, but sometimes it's the hardest one to do.  At the end of your year, what are all the things that need to be completed: A big project, all the other to-dos that have been put off, typical year-end activities, maybe compensation reviews, and the list goes on and on.  All of these activities mean that your calendar is likely hectic.  It also means that your supervisor's calendar is probably busy.  It can be burdensome to schedule even one more meeting on your calendars – and doing so can even cause you to dread the meeting – not only because it's your review, but because you're just that busy.  Do yourself and your supervisor a favor and schedule the meeting well in advance. It's a signal to both of you that the meeting is important enough to plan well in advance.

Tell Your Story

I know many people who would rather watch paint dry than have a year-end review!  But, as with many things in life, it's an opportunity for you to share your side of the story.  Remember when we'd be in class, and someone would make a noise, the teacher would look at you (even if it wasn’t you) and tell you to be quiet?  Maybe it was just me!  However, whenever those situations occurred, I just wanted to explain my side of the story.  I wanted to have my voice heard.  Preparing for a year-end review and summarizing all of the achievements you had that year is the chance for you to tell your side of the story.  It should not be taken lightly.  Take advantage of it!

Be Bold!

Speaking of telling your side of the story.  I would often prepare for the annual review, provide my examples, and tell my side of the story.  Except, I would downplay them.  I would give a great example but rate myself harshly – almost like "it's my job" even when the results were truly extraordinary.  And with that, here is my suggestion – be bold!  Tell your story as if you are the hero in it.  Now, I'm not calling for you exaggerate the truth, but do tell your truth.  Many of our successes are done with others' help – it's important to acknowledge the support. Yet, don't forget to tell your role in the success.  Be your own cheerleader!  Let others downplay your contribution – if they so desire.  My guess is that many won't and that your supervisor will be surprised at all of your contributions.

Speak the Language of Business

It took me a while to learn this one personally, but I have frequently found it to be true.  At the end of the year, the company is looking at a Profit & Loss (P&L) Statement to determine how well your business did.  Like it or not, your role and your contributions fit somewhere on that P&L Statement.  What were the activities you performed that created profit?  What were the activities you had that created Loss – what did you learn from it?  When you are tallying your accomplishments, as much as you can, try to put it in terms of currency (i.e., dollars, yen, euros, etc.…) so that it's easier to communicate your value creation. Don't get me wrong; you should still include activities that improved engagement, morale, etc.  However, the language of business is money, and it would do you well to understand where your activities fit in that P&L Statement.

Be Open to Feedback

Okay – so you spend all of this time pulling together these great examples, booking the meeting, showing your supervisor how you are the hero of the story using great numbers, and that should be the end of the story, right?  Unfortunately, wrong. You'll notice, I said to tell your side of the story.  Often, there is more than one side to a story, and you have to be open to receiving this.  I see this in the world today, where someone has a point of view, and there is nothing a person can say to change their mind.  Business doesn't work this way.  If a company ignores facts or cues from the industry and its competitors, it will fail and soon be out of business.  As individuals, like businesses, we have to seek to improve ourselves continually.  At times that means, even if we believe that our contributions were significant, our supervisors or peers may see it slightly differently.  If we're not open to receiving that feedback, then it's likely we won't improve, which is a downward spiral when it comes to performance.  Do tell your story. Don't close yourself to feedback or the fact that there is more than one side.  The best growth that I've had personally was based on the most challenging feedback or journeys I've been on.  A good friend of mine, Terry Gray, would often say to me, “Feedback is a gift.” We would do well to treat it as such.

Create Next Year's Goals

Usually, these meetings are a recap of the current or previous year – depending on when the year-end review is scheduled.  As you recount your accomplishments and incorporate your supervisor's feedback, be sure to take the time to plan ahead.  Run a few ideas past your supervisor on actions you intend to take next year to see if they align.

Align and Prioritize With Your Supervisor

There have been many times where I've spoken with my supervisor and provided a list of the upcoming actions I was going to complete.  After I share the list, we come to the part of the process where I ask or am told what their priorities are. It's an integral part of the review.  It gives us both the chance to calibrate on what's important – realizing that these priorities may change over the course of the year.

Be Flexible

Being flexible isn't just good advice for year-end performance reviews; it's useful life advice!  However, it's a good reminder that things change.  A year ago, not too many of us knew the word "Covid."  By February 2020, it had begun to enter our vernacular.  By June 2020, nearly everyone had heard the words "Coronavirus" or "Covid-19".  Today, there's no place you can go without reading a headline related to 'Covid.' When you look back at 2020, how did your priorities change from Covid-19 alone? It's good to put a plan in place and prioritize, but leave room for those priorities to shift or be upended completely.  Realize that change occurs regularly and that to maximize our contributions frequently, we have to change as well.

Embrace the Journey

Sometimes the events that I dreaded the most were the ones that were monumental in my head only.  By the time the event occurred, I had built it up so much in my mind that I began to fear it – only to realize after that it wasn't half as bad as I had made it out to be.  The year-end performance review can be an enjoyable process!  Did I just go too far?  Is it like saying it's pleasant to go to the dentist every year?  Well, mostly, I do enjoy going to the dentist!  I always feel refreshed afterwards and that my teeth are ready for the next year!

This year, as you prepare for your year-end performance review, realize that you have a story to tell and tell it!  Embrace the journey and remember the ten things we discussed today - and who knows, maybe one day you will indeed enjoy the process?!!

Too much?

Enjoy!

Coach Ha-Keem

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