“Good performance accountability is about having a positive conversation between manager and employee. A manager is a coach and communicator, not command and controller.” 

– Dave Ulrich, Co-Founder, and Principal, The RBL Group   

What employees can do after a poor review, so that their next review is positive? Performance reviews is the process of evaluating an employee’s performance over a period of time. This is the common factor that every organization follows to measure an employee’s capability. 

As an employee who receives poor review during the appraisal, you can follow the below tips to get yourself back on track:  

• Be consistent 
• Set Clear goals to achieve 
• Request for feedback then & there 
• Rebuild your relationship 
• Be open & Focus on goals 
• Document your improvements and achievements

In Detail, Here are a Few Things You Can Do to Improve Your Ratings 

Know Your Goals 

Be clear of what is expected out of you. In the immediate meeting after the previous year’s appraisal cycle, talk to your manager and ask for constructive feedback. Be receptive to it, and in the same meeting, learn what the manager expects from you and what your goals are. Knowing your destination is the first step in improving your performance.  

Continuous Feedback 

When you get poor ratings, it is not time for you to whine over it. You should decide your next step i.e., try to understand your manager’s expectations and show your work progress accordingly. As you travel down a particular path, make sure to get frequent reviews from your manager on the works you have done. Obtaining the feedback from manager on regular basis will help you to showcase your improvement in work quality. 

Document Your Progress 

Track and maintain the records of work whichever is done, which helps to show your progress in the upcoming review. The one common mistake every employee makes is not being prepared for the review meeting or not having enough records to substantiate his/her statements. That is what makes an appraisal meeting a nightmare for both employees and managers. This can be avoided by recording every work, improvement feedback, progress, and achievements while working. 

Improve Your Performance 

Digitizing the performance management system, which includes the continuous feedback mechanism, can help the employees in maintaining the records and summary of the reviews they receive from the managers. Each and every conversation with managers that are recorded and tracked can help to focus on new goals & achievement by comparing with existing. They can be referred to later whenever an employee is uncertain of the direction and needs some guidance. 

Gather improvement suggestions, not only from your primary managers but also from your peers and matrix managers. That can help you learn more about your strengths and weaknesses, and you can work on the areas of improvement. This approach will definitely show that you are working hard to perform better, and also there would be a drastic increase in your productivity and quality.  

Keep Checking Your Performance Level 

Okay, now you have your past performance records, receive continuous feedback from your managers, and implement it in your work. But, how do you know whether you have improved or not? Without knowing it, how can you go forward with confidence? The answer is, you should ask. Set regular discussions with your manager and ask a colleague who works frequently with you on projects to know your current status, and perform accordingly. 

Development and Training Plans  

Create a Development Plan and update the progress on a daily basis which would really help to track and monitor your performance. If you need training in developing your skill or upskilling to perform a particular task, let your manager know about the training program you need and give a roadmap as to how it would positively impact your productivity and overall performance. 

Also, you can ask your manager to recommend the training during the one-on-one meeting and improve on your lagging skills. 

Fix a Time 

Schedule a time with your manager to get your performance reviews progress and dig into a deeper level. Your managers will always be busy because of their heavy workload. Sometimes, they even postpone the one-on-one and regular team meetings. When he/she suggests canceling, make sure to get the new time as this is very crucial for you to become better at what you are doing. Take responsibility and schedule meetings after consulting with your managers instead of waiting for him/her to get back to you. 

Follow the above ways to increase your performance multifold and soon enter the top 20% of the organization. It is not an overnight process but a consistent long-term one. You should not give up and stick to discipline to see the difference in your work. Boost your performance ratings and get a lot of positive reviews in the next appraisal cycle. Good luck! 

Relevant Articles:

How to Respond to a Bad Performance Review

What are the Most Common Pain Points in any Performance Review Process?