Make The Boss Your Ally, Not Your Adversary

Just about anyone I know really hates the annual performance review process - in many cases, they dislike performance review time more than actual job interviews. It really got me to thinking about why this aspect of career development is so dreaded by even the best and smartest of professionals.

What if there is a way to transform your experience with your boss? I have always advised my clients to spend an entire year preparing for performance reviews and make concerted efforts to keep track of their achievements and kudos. Why is this important? Because that practice would put you in a better position to have a more productive and collaborative conversation with your boss about your long-term value to the company; give you a fair opportunity to highlight your contributions, and allow you to confidently negotiate a favorable salary increase or promotion.

I cannot tell you how many talented professionals I have met who have forgotten their career achievements or lost sight of their major career milestones. Even if you have a great, working relationship with your immediate boss, realize that when the performance review period comes around, he/she may have a tough time remembering all your contributions in the previous 12 months.

So if you are preparing for a mid-year performance review or want to get a head start on your year-end performance evaluation, try this easy-to-adopt career development strategies:

Record Your Activities: Keep solid, verifiable records of everything using either a word document or Excel spreadsheet; frequently monitor your career activities and conduct frequent updates at the 3-month, 6-month, 9-month and 12-month marks.

Make sure that your personal career files include the following:

Chronicle Your Contributions: Achievements/successes you have made outside the scope of your responsibilities - think in terms of innovation, direct impact to company, areas of improvement, cost savings, revenue growth, efficiency etc.

Showcase Your S.T.A.R.S: Specific project-related challenges or goals you faced and how you overcame them. (consider the Situation-Task-Action-Results approach or developing a Critical Leadership Initiatives document)

Demonstrate Your Progress: Detailed descriptions of how you have addressed or exceeded individual and management-directed goals from your previous performance review

Highlight Your Professional Development: Solid list of any improvements you have made to your skills, competencies, and areas of expertise - training courses, advanced degrees or certifications

Mention Your Special Projects: A comprehensive outline of any internal programs, special projects or high-profile initiatives that you volunteered to lead or were selected based on unique skill set

Incorporate Third-Party Testimonials: Copies of "kudos" emails and letters gained through routine comments and unsolicited feedback from clients, vendors, strategic partners, managers and colleagues

By: Abby Locke

Abby M. Locke (premierwriting.com) is a career marketing strategist and leadership brand coach who partners with 6-figure executives and professional MBA women to help them achieve true career mastery and success through cutting-edge, career branded communications, innovative job search campaigns, and proactive career management tools.