© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
1st poor performance review
I had a less-than-stellar performance review and am having a hard time recovering from it. My professional confidence has dwindled and I'm upset because I should be able to take critical feedback better. I'm looking for advice and help, FGB'ers!
Have you ever received a bad performance review and how did you bounce back from it? Thank you!
Ammu Shiri K
Member Technical Staff, ManageEngine
27
08/01/20 at 10:38AM UTC
The way you are feeling is completely normal and honestly a less-than-stellar performance review is usually the norm since Employers avoid giving stellar reviews to avoid complacency.
It is always better to review your performance by yourself before going in for a review meeting so that you can agree to or counter the points put across by the employer. This way we can feel positive after the meeting about it having been useful, honest and constructive.
But it is also okay do this after the meeting too, and carefully analyse and consider the comments given during the meeting. It is okay to feel low sometimes, just dwell in it for a while and keep in mind that what's important is to feel peaceful and always strive to keep improving.
Jenn McFatter, aPHR, CCFP Veterinary/HR Professional in Austin, TX
65
08/01/20 at 12:26AM UTC
Once you've had some time to get over the initial emotional response, try to look for how to be constructive using the feedback you've been given. When you look at things objectively, can you honestly agree that these are areas for improvement? Overly inflated positive reviews don't necessarily do employees any good... because they aren't learning how to be better. And everyone has room to grow. Was there any discussion in the review on how you work on these issues, etc? Again, a not so positive performance review should always be constructive! If you'd like to go into more detail, let me know! Happy to help if I can : )
Uzma IslamAn aspiring Chartered Accountant
36
07/30/20 at 6:14PM UTC
Well, I am still a student, but I have had my fair share of criticism. Let me share one story with you. During my first year of University, I was assigned to a team of people for a group coursework. Being new to a foreign land, I was confused on how to interact and behave with them. I also did not know how to go about the coursework and I was too shy to ask anybody to explain. I was also still adjusting to the new lifestyle, and honestly I was just bad at that subject in general.
So suddenly one day, one of my group mates approached me and told me how they were unhappy with my progress and work. That really saddened me at first, but I turned that negative comment into a motivation for me and started working harder and better so that I do not have to hear such comments again. Turning my negative emotions into a positive one really did help, since I ended up getting more marks than them in average later.
So my advise to you is : grieve. Cry it allll out to feel lighter. Then ask your management/seniors for some advise, and turn your sadness into your motivation! Use your one-star review as an incentive to keep moving forward. Also, remember that it is okay to get a one-star sometimes. Life is all about falling and then getting up from it even stronger!
Hope this helps xx
Joy Chua-Schwartz
12
07/30/20 at 2:08AM UTC
Sit with it and let yourself feel all of the feelings for a few days or even a few weeks - your reaction is 100% normal!
After the sting of the poor review has dulled a bit, I agree with all the above posters on taking inventory of what feedback is valid and set goals for yourself to learn from it and grow. Remember that no one is a star performer all the time - it's important to hear constructive criticism and internalize it so we can make changes to become better. The ultimate goal for your next review is for your manager to tell you those concerns s/he had in the last review are a thing of the past!
Kerry WileyLook for a way to say yes.
99
07/29/20 at 2:54PM UTC
I went through a leadership training once that had us get in depth feedback from people we worked for, with, and those who worked for us. I learned that I was doing some things well, but had some areas to improve. I intentionally asked colleagues that I knew were of completely different perspective and work style than me for feedback. It wasn’t always easy and I didn’t always agree but this exercise made me a better leader. I was able to see myself more clearly and understand how to improve areas I didn’t even know were impacting others. Turn criticism to your advantage by using it as a tool to learn about yourself and others. If you see it as a gift someone is giving you that benefits your development, it doesn’t hurt as much.
Maria Molinari Team Lead / Project Coordinator
565
07/29/20 at 12:13PM UTC
Any performance review that is less than stellar is always hard to bounce back. We know we can take the feedback but jumping back 125% like we used to is difficult. I look at it as a personal challenge. A few reasons for that, 1. I don't want my manager to see me sweat it and 2. The sooner I fix the problems, the sooner I can start getting great performance reviews and never feel this way again. Try to make a plan or just jot down some ideas that will help fix the areas discussed and use those as ammo. You got this!!
HrprofHR professional
23
07/29/20 at 3:10AM UTC
Try to make a positive out of a negative. Attempt to dissect the feedback and figure out how to improve on the negative information. If the feedback was not detailed, ask for more details and suggestions on what can be done to improve. A poor performance review hurts but does not make you a bad person.
Acacia ParksChief Behavioral Health Officer at Found
37
07/28/20 at 10:29PM UTC
I will always remember a time when I received feedback on some of my work from one of my supervisors and it was so critical. I was angry at him for being so harsh. I couldn't figure out why he hated me so much. Someone helped me reframe those feelings by pointing out that he didn't have to give me feedback at all. If he didn't like me, he could have just said some vague stuff about how it was bad and left it at that. He could have let me fail, none of the wiser that I had issues I needed to work on. Instead, he gave me detailed feedback, which I could use to improve myself. From then on out, anytime I got critical feedback from someone, detailed critical feedback, I felt grateful, no matter how negative the feedback might be. That person took the time to articulate to me how I could improve myself When they could have been selfish and left me hanging out to dry. If they hated me, they wouldn't have done that. That said, critical feedback hurts. It hurts me every time. It's okay. Give it a little time to take the edge off of your emotional response. Read it as many times as you can to desensitize yourself. this may sound weird, but maybe ask a friend to read the feedback out loud to you if you can stand it. For some reason, hearing it in different ways helps me to desensitize. And then, when you're ready, make a plan for how you're going to kick the @$$ of this negative evaluation. I know you will.
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