How to Move Past a Negative Performance Review

How to Move Past a Negative Performance ReviewHow to Move Past a Negative Performance ReviewI recently had lunch with a former colleague who admitted that he had received some negative feedback on his latest performance review. My babo said I dont communicate well, he stated.According to my colleague, the boss didnt cite any specific reasons for the feedback. He didnt provide examples of poor communication in the past, and he didnt offer any guidance on specific actions or activities that would help my colleague communicate effectively in the future.(Lets pause here to appreciate the irony of a boss communicating poorly about his employees bad communication.)Unfortunately, its common for supervisors to be unclearwhen providing feedback. According to a study conducted by World at Work,results show that 53% of employees say that when their boss does praise excellent performance, the feedback does not provide enough useful information to help them repeat it. And 65% of employees say tha t when their boss criticizes poor performance, they dont provide enough useful information to help employees correct the issue.Whether the boss doesnt want to be seen as the bad cop, prefers to avoid conflict, or just hasnt adequately prepared for a feedback discussion, many employees are left wondering what to do after receiving a negative review.Here are four steps to make your negative review work to your advantage.1. Clarify the feedbackEven if you think you know why youre receiving the criticism, make sure you truly are on the same page as your boss. Alison Green of the Ask a Manager blogsays, You cant just let negative feedback go on without addressing it, or you risk having your professional reputation affected or even losing your job. You must address it with your boss.One way to do this is to ask follow up questions, such asWhat gave you the impression that I(dont get along with my co-workers, am not as efficient as I could be, am disorganized)?Are you referring to(the fact that I turned in that last assignment late, the time when Bob and I disagreed over X, the comment that Jane made in the lunchroom)?Can you give me an example of(a time when I didnt communicate well, a time when my manner welches too abrupt, a time when I was tardy)?2. Identify the business impactEmployees can feel singled out for seemingly minor flaws when they dont understand the context for the criticism. Rather than assuming that your boss is picking on you unfairly or doesnt like you, encourage him to explain how this issue is affecting the business.Ask the following types of questions to encourage your boss to elaborate on the big pictureCan you help me understand(who is affected when I play my music without headphones, why it bothers you when my update is 10 minutes late)?Why is it a problem that I(schedule meetings for later the same day, arrive at the office after 10 a.m.)?3. Agree on next stepsIn order to move past negative feedback, you must understand exactly what change s or actions your boss expects to see moving forward. This is the time to take initiative and propose solutions. Think of specific, measurable steps you can take to address your boss concerns and encourage your boss to help you create a mutually agreed upon checklist.Some examples areTo improve my communication, I would like to send out a weekly status update to our team. Do you think this will make people feel more in the loop?I didnt realize that Fred had to answer the phones when I arrive late. Im going to work on showing up 10 minutes early in the future and Ill also forward my work number to my cell phone just in case. Do you think that will help solve this problem?4. Initiate check-insIdeally, your boss should follow up on your progress after providing criticism in order to provide continued guidance. However, many managers do not schedule regular meetings with their staff. If you have received negative feedback, take the initiative to address the situation, as its unlikely to go away on its own. Its critical to regularly check in with your boss to assess your performance.Propose a follow up method to your boss, such asCould we set up a 30-minute weekly check-in to review my progress around this issue?Id like to email you a weekly update detailing my activities to address this issue.Could we set up some milestone meetings over the next 6 months to evaluate my performance regarding this issue?Its one thing to receive this type of criticism once, but its another to be fired later on for failing to deal with it earlier. By proactively taking steps to address critical feedback as soon as it happens, you will demonstrate initiative and maturity that will help you both in the current situation as well as in your future career.