In my last blog I talked about performance appraisals.  So today, I will personalize it a little more and talk about my own performance appraisal.  In all fairness to my boss, probably the worst person in the world to have to do a performance appraisal on is the HR person.  It’s “our” process, “our” form, etc.  So, HR people are more vested in the entire process than most employees.  And although I’ll read hundreds of reviews on “other people”, this one is about me. 

I know that in a performance appraisal the criticism I will receive is inevitable (of course totally unwarranted from my perspective!).  Frankly, if it does not include criticism it’s not very useful to me as a development tool, although we each like to believe that the criticism of ourselves is unfair. 

The critical piece in criticism is “How I give it, receive it and deal with it will tell a lot about me”. 

I have several choices on my approach to dealing with this feedback.  Here are a few of the ones I've seen most often: 

1.      Tupperware Approach – I simply internalize the feedback within myself like I’m a tupperware bowl and I put a lid on it, never to be looked at again. 

2.      Uhaul Approach – I don’t deal with the feedback, I simply pick up and move on to another job or another company, until I am criticized there. 

3.      Bulldozer Approach – I will smash right on through, reacting, blasting people with the hope no one else will have the guts to criticize me again. 

4.      Phone Approach – I will call everyone I know, gossip about my review experience, try to make myself look good and diminish the perspective of my boss. 

5.      Growth and Development Approach – I am willing to make adjustments in my behavior in order to grow and develop as both a person and as an employee.  I accept that there is probably some truth in the criticism. 

How did you respond to your review?