5 Ways to Rebound When Your Boss Gives You an Unexpectedly Poor Performance Review Rating

"I'm a junior account executive, and my boss scored me lower on my performance review than I did on my self eval... I'm pretty upset about this because I don't cut corners around my position (the way I see some other employees do!), and a lot of what I heard came as news to me. I would expect at least a one-on-one before hearing that I work hard but not efficiently (wouldn't you?!)."

"Should I search for a new job?" she asked the board. "There are plenty of other account executive positions I could easily apply to..."

Of course, FGBers who have been in similar situations are weighing in with some advice. Here's what they have to say.

1. Consider getting human resources involved.

"Ugh, been there," says Angie Lopez. "If you're being given conflicting feedback that's resulting in your performance being reviewed negatively, I would say consider looping in your HR at this point?"

2. Work on a development plan.

"I think if you don't like your job, boss or company then, yes, go find your tribe!" Shandon Hayes says. "If it's a reaction to your surprise performance review, take a safety pause. You sound like a really hard worker who strives to be very self-aware. This could be a great opportunity to work on a development plan with your boss to illustrate your determination to succeed. You can easily set up SMART Goals (or something similar), schedule weekly check-ins and progress reporting. And if you drive this, you're not only improving your bosses perception of your work, you're developing your skills to create a development plan, communicate it and ensure success — a skill set that all strong professionals need. It might sound daunting at first, but think on it."

3. Have an open conversation with your boss.

"Sounds like you were a bit blindsided — if you haven’t done so, make an appointment and ask directly what you need to do to get a better rating for next time," says Rose Holland. "How often do you meet with your boss and talk about successes and challenges? I meet with mine at least every couple of weeks, if working on something new more often. Make appointments or even stop by. Take the initiative, don’t wait for your boss to do so. These regular discussions help. On a side note, find out what kind of rater your boss is. My current boss is a tough rater which was a big transition for me. It was difficult at first, but now I appreciate the honest feedback."

"This has happened to me once or twice — on one occasion, it was the final confirmation I needed to just get the hell out of there; on others, it's been because a different manager was doing the rating than had been managing me all year," says Galros. "So, I support the advice given above — sitting down in a relaxed environment to assess whether this job is for you is a good way to spend a few hours. And sitting down with your boss and asking what specifically would get you a better rating, then putting a plan into action — as someone said above, it's good practice!"

4. Take a look in the mirror.

"I have been in sales for many years, there is always room for improvement — I learned that my mangers would give me lower scores, which then turned into gradual increase on the next review," says Jackie Ruka. "It was how they scored, which was always lower than what I perceived. It can be humbling but at the same time made me look at my skills."

5. Work on what your boss says.

"I've been there — killing myself while half my team goes out for a smoke every hour on the hour only to get an average review," says an anonymous FGBer. "I 'worked' on the 'issues' they had and two years later I was sent to a 'Employee Excellence' trip/award."

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