Professional Development

Receiving a poor performance review

How to better receive the feedback and plan your next steps.

BY DIANNA E. GRAVES, COMT

While all performance reviews are different, two things remain consistent: Managers don’t like giving them, and staff members don’t like receiving them.

Although reviews may be necessary, discussions of an employee’s poor behavior can be painful for both sides. They present the chance for miscommunication, misunderstanding, unfulfilled expectations (on both sides), and even hurt feelings or anger. As a manager, I don’t ever want to hurt any employees by ruining their view of themselves, and no one wants to hear criticism of their skills/personality.

Here’s how I recommend staff members and managers should handle poor performance reviews.

No surprises

One reason that employees hate reviews: they often have no idea what is coming. An employee should never be surprised by anything in the review. The review process begins on the day the manager hires the new employee. At this time, the manager should discuss the employee handbook along with the aspects of the position that will be evaluated at a review (see “Start at the beginning, page 29”).

Also, a copy of the review should be in front the employee while the manager reads it. This helps to make the review a two-way discussion of the key points between the manager and the employee.

Keep emotions in check

When an employee receives a poor review, emotions can run high on both sides of the table. An employee’s reaction can even be hostile when the manager presents negative information. They could become angry, hurt or even deny the behavior that resulted in a negative review, which makes it a confrontational situation neither side wants. Both sides should try to remain positive to avoid this affecting the working relationship moving forward. They need to stay calm and in control of their emotions. Otherwise, it could result in a loss of trust that hurts communication between the two sides.

Also, employees shouldn’t ask a manager to provide names of other employees who may have reported poor behavior. Managers view this as a revenge tactic. Instead, employees should focus on the poor behavior and ways to curb it.

Listen

As an employee, acknowledge the criticism and accept that you could make improvements to correct your level of production and behavior. It’s very hard to look inward and see that the criticism may be true, but there will be no resolution on either side of the table without some sort of inner reflection. If you still do not agree with the review, you do not have to sign it at that time. Take it with you and review it later when you can quietly reflect and consider whether it’s merited.

Discuss solutions

Employees should try to find solutions for problems. Be willing to work out a plan to show your manager you are aware of the problem. For example, if you are constantly late because of conflicts with the time that your child’s daycare opens, discuss potential alternatives, such as staggered start time/end times.

Also, employees should ask the manager for recommendations on how to proceed. Reviews are opinions of your job performance — even if there is disagreement, the employee must recognize that the opinion is still prevalent. In that case, finding a happy medium becomes the issue at hand. For example, an employee may consider himself a team player, but the manager may disagree. The manager should then provide examples of instances of this presumed behavior and advice on how to better handle the situation.

Establish a game plan

Again, this should be a two-way street between the employee and manager. Both sides should come up with a concise plan on how/what should be done to succeed. Set up a time after the review (preferably a week or two later) to sit down, discuss solutions, and come up with a plan. This gives the employees a chance to review the information and to discuss it with the manager under calmer times. The manager should have some ideas for the employees as to what needs to be changed with their behavior or their technical exams.

Start at the beginning

During the employee’s intake process, the manager should review the employee handbook with the new employee and highlight the potential “hazards” that can occur in their job performance review. This includes:

 Sick/vacation policy

 Dress code do’s and don’ts

 Employee interpersonal expectations (teamwork, staff disagreements)

 Certification expectations/individual growth timeline

 Review process/grievances/pay increases

Whether it’s a manager or human resources, these areas need to be firmly discussed with the employee so there are no questions of expectations and potential discipline actions that could be incurred if these expectations are not met. If this information was not previously discussed, an employee’s review can easily go awry.

Stay positive

Even when reviews are negative for the employees, the process should include discussions of last year’s growth and strengths and goals for the future. It should be a positive experience for the employees, not a time for old conflicts. Also, managers should be pro-active and correct issues as they occur. A technician’s review in October shouldn’t discuss a particular day in February when the staff member was unprofessional. Not only is it hard to remember something that occurred eight months prior, but it sends the wrong message at the time that behavior was acceptable.

Conclusion

The key to the review process is frequent communication, which begins on day one of employment. Lack of communication leads to decreasing trust on both sides. Talk it out, work it out, and do the job.

Follow these tenets, and no one should ever be surprised by a poor review. OP

Dianna Graves is the clinical services manager at St Paul Eye Clinic, P.A. in Woodbury, MN. Ms. Graves is also an independent Continuing Education/Clinical Management consultant. She has been JCAHPO COMT certified since 1984. E-mail her at dgraves@stpauleye.com.