WHAT TO DO ABOUT A BAD REVIEW

What should you do if you receive a less than favorable performance review? What is the best way to bounce back? Here are some tips for dealing with what could potentially be a career derailment.

Deal with your feelings about the situation. No one enjoys receiving negative feedback. It is human to feel angry and sad when something like this happens, but it is critical not to get stuck in unproductive emotions. Vent to someone who you can trust, but don't keep rehashing what happened endlessly.

Objectively assess each item on which you were rated poorly to see if there is truth in any of the statements. You may also want to independently and privately get feedback from colleagues who are trustworthy about the veracity of the issues mentioned in the appraisal.

Divide the list of issues into hard skills and soft skills. If you have any real performance issues with hard skills, you need to think about why this is so. Hard skills are the core essence of the job. If, for example, you are an auditor and you receive feedback that you are not performing up to standard with audits, that is a very serious issue because auditors are supposed to master that skill in order to be competent.

It's possible that your performance has slipped because of personal issues that are interfering with your ability to focus on the job. If that is the case, then you need to get professional help to aid you in getting back to normal so that you can do your job.

More people tend to run into problems with soft skills that have to do with interpersonal relations. If you receive feedback that you are performing poorly with respect to time management, teamwork, or decision making, then you should seek assistance from a coach who can help you improve in these areas.

Rebuild credibility with your boss and co-workers by showing that you are willing to take feedback. It will take some real effort on your part to win the confidence of the people you work with, but if they see that you are really trying, and if you are consistent with your improved performance, they will start to see you in a different light.

If there is information in your performance review that you have determined is not true but is rather political in nature, decide what your response should be. Basically you have two choices: either choose to play the political game and make friends with those who have power over your career or start looking elsewhere for a company that is better aligned with your values.