The Employability Journal by Barbara Bassot

Author:Barbara Bassot
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Macmillan Education UK

‘Learning will be even stronger if it is done with the help of someone else. A coach, mentor or teacher, who can help us ask those difficult questions and challenge us to look deeper.’

Theme 6.5 Preparing for a review

At some point during your time in the workplace you will probably have a review meeting about your performance. This will be an in-depth discussion about all aspects of your work and could be with your manager, mentor or a senior colleague. It will be important to prepare well to ensure that it is beneficial for your development. Understandably managers can be very unhappy if people do not plan, as this can give the impression that they do not take the review process seriously. Here are some guidelines for planning for your review meeting.

Evaluate yourself honestly. Be clear about your strengths and areas for development. A good review meeting is not only about expecting praise or about ‘defending your corner’. It is about learning and development.

Set yourself some goals for the coming weeks or months and be ready to discuss them. This is much better than expecting a manager to set these for you and then being taken by surprise.

Write some notes beforehand and remember to take these into the meeting with you. In particular write down any specific questions you want to ask and be prepared to discuss them. A question such as ‘What do you think I can learn next?’ will help you to see the way ahead and will highlight any further training you might need.

Don’t be afraid to take notes during the meeting. This shows you are taking the process seriously and they will be useful to refer to afterwards as a reminder of things you have agreed to do.

Find out if you need to complete any specific paperwork. Large organisations often have paperwork for review meetings that you and the reviewer need to complete. This might involve completing a self-appraisal and sending it to the reviewer by a set time before the meeting. Be sure to find out when the reviewer needs it and to meet the deadline.

Lastly, be sure to have a review. In large organisations this kind of meeting will probably happen as a matter of course, but in smaller organisations this is not always the case. If you have been in an organisation for a while and no one has talked about a review meeting, be sure to raise it and ask for one. This shows you have initiative and that you are taking your time in the workplace seriously.

Review meetings should be helpful and informative for both parties. It is important to be open-minded and to listen well so that you hear what is being said and act appropriately on any feedback you are given. Be sure to follow up on any agreed action points, being particularly careful to meet any deadlines set.

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