Poor annual performance review - what to do?

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omega
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Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by omega »

[Situation updated. See this post --admin LadyGeek]

Please provide your perspective on this.

My boss gave me “lowest grade” for my performance this year. I was shocked/very pissed to learn this because I was the top performer for last 5 years and this year too, I pulled all the weights on behalf of the group (total of 5, including the boss).

Our group is in scientific field, and we create and analyze the data and submit the report to our clients. The reports are in doc format. At the start of the year, due to staff shortage and high volume of work, my boss suggested that I can save/share the work in PPT format (He now denies that he said that; it was an oral communication and I don't have a proof).

I have so far completed 25 projects (10 in doc format and 15 in PPT format); the team’s average is 15. For reference, over the years I have completed around 20 projects/yr prior to annual performance review. This year too, he reviewed all the data irrespective of format before I shared with clients. I always checked with clients regarding the format and most of them preferred PPT.

Now he says that he only considers word document as valid for performance review and thus gave me low performance comparing to others (everyone else saved it as doc). He says he doesn’t want to argue with me because it was my misunderstanding and that it was not his problem. When pointed out that he always reviewed the data during 1:1 and said nothing about the format, he is adamant that he won’t talk about it.

I am beyond pissed. I put in so many long hours and weekends to complete the work, as some of them were time sensitive. Few of them including PPT ones are published or in the process of publishing including his name. I even fought with the clients to include his name. Still, he won’t budge. Rating determines everything including bonus, promotion etc., so it has consequences.

What are my options?

1. Talking to him is not going to happen. He is very defensive when provided with solid argument. He will refuse to talk to me.
2. Talking to his boss. Not sure on the outcome as he already signed it off. We had 5 people leave in 4 years including the one last year went through a lawyer and got some huge amount for leaving the company. Still his boss supports him strongly for some reason. I can still talk to him but don’t want to sound like complaining.
3. Is there any use of providing rebuttal to the review? Will it come to bite me in the future?
4. Suck it up and stay. There is a possibility that I can get his position (nothing guaranteed but a good chance). He is 73 but still no sign of retirement. They provided me a direct report starting next year – so there is a hope.
5. Look for new job (hate to do this as our daughter started high school…moving can be pain for the whole family)

Please share your experience and wisdom.

Thank you for your time!
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8foot7
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by 8foot7 »

[below]
Last edited by 8foot7 on Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by LadyGeek »

This thread is now in the Personal Finance (Not Investing) forum (career guidance).
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8foot7
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by 8foot7 »

To be quite honest with you, it sounds like your boss has been ordered to pick someone as a lowest performer and you drew the short straw.

1) A poor performance review should never be a surprise. You should have been getting negative feedback all along.
2) Your review should include documented instances where you failed to meet requirements or expectations. A simple file format issue should not present itself in this way.
3) A manager should always be willing to discuss performance and particularly ways of improvement. His reluctance to engage with you beyond presenting you with a poor review is telling.

I know in some orgs, "stack" ranking comes and goes, where every so often you are supposed to identify the bottom 10% of your org and invite them in various ways to separate from the company. The problem is, while technically there will always be someone coming in "last," that person may well exceed expectations anyway. Forcing someone to be in the bottom 10% because someone has to be often results in outcomes like the one you are describing.

There is very little you can do other than look for a new job. Chances are, while you were not necessarily identified by senior ranks as the bottom performer, your boss has chosen that label for you and it's at the behest of his reporting chain, so there is very little to be gained by complaining to them. I would make it a high priority to exit the company, and in the meantime, I would document compliance with any and all job requirements so there is no confusion as to whether you are meeting expectations or not.
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Watty
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Watty »

omega wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:37 am There is a possibility that I can get his position (nothing guaranteed but a good chance). He is 73 but still no sign of retirement.
He may be afraid of being forced out if they already have a good replacement in place who is ready to take over.
omega wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:37 am 2. Talking to his boss. Not sure on the outcome as he already signed it off. We had 5 people leave in 4 years including the one last year went through a lawyer and got some huge amount for leaving the company. Still his boss supports him strongly for some reason. I can still talk to him but don’t want to sound like complaining.


This really depends on your relationship with this person. I have had jobs were I had dealt with my "Bosses boss" on a weekly basis for years so that it was natural for me to talk things over with them.
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by nisiprius »

I'm not an expert at this. I have the same impression as 8foot7. There's something really odd about this. As I understand this, you were told verbally to use .PPT format and then given a unsatisfactory performance review for not using .DOC format. As you have told the story, in any normal situation the boss would have said "I need to have you resubmit the work as in .DOC format, and I need to be sure to have it well before your performance review" or some darned thing.

I would say three things.

1) It sure sounds to me as if you need to be looking for another job. This kind of thing sounds as if they are trying to create a paper trail so that they can fire you for cause.

2) If you don't have actual paper copies of your previous performance reviews, try to get them and save them. And does the current performance review indicate the reason for the poor score?

I don't know the savvy way to answer "why did you leave" in your next job interview, but you certainly want to be able to say, and indicate that you have documentation, that you were the "top performer" for five years and then were suddenly given "lowest grade" for reasons that you don't understand.

3) Even if you are willing to resign voluntarily, there are probably formal steps you ought to be taking, but I don't know what they are. You probably ought to talk to your employer's HR department, for example.
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by investnoob »

Is this the first instance where your boss has "forgotten" what he told you?

I wonder if he actually realizes that he told you ppt was ok, but forgot. And now he has remembered, but is embarrassed that he forgot and is digging in.

That is one thing that makes sense to me. People are strange and do strange things when they are embarrassed.

On the topic of maybe he is looking to give someone a poor review for any reason. I think you have to ask yourself what you know of your boss. Sounds like you worked for him for a while. Do you have a good relationship with him? Has it changed recently?
secondcor521
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by secondcor521 »

If you think that there is a decent chance that your boss has not completely written you off, you could try acting like a positive eager beaver. Ask in every 1:1 (you should have a 1:1 with him at least once a month and preferably more often) what you can do to be a top performer. Write those down and email them to him after every 1:1. Then at least monthly write him a report about how you are meeting those objectives. If he responds positively, this could work. If he doesn't - which is the more likely scenario - then it won't; in this case I wouldn't bother.

Realistically, there are two options:

1. Have someone whose judgment and discretion you trust and who knows you well read the review. It may be that there are legitimate reasons for your low rating that you are blind to or are refusing to see or understand because of who it's coming from. A friend or spouse might be able to read it, see what the manager is saying, and articulate it to you in a way that you will accept and then work on to change / improve. This will only work if you are open to the possibility that you're "wrong" and your manager is "right".

2. Look for a new job. Defensive documentation will slow down the process of them firing you, if that's what they've decided to do. Same idea as above, but with the aim of keeping your job long enough to find a new one. The documentation process for firing someone is sometimes called a performance improvement plan, and it's basically in place to prevent the company from getting sued for wrongful termination. It is always easier to find a new job when you have a job.
rage_phish
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by rage_phish »

I would have HR looped in immediately on all future conversations about this

I’d also start interviewing. I’d have zero interest in working under this supervisor anymore. And it’s luckily an incredible time to be job hunting
humblecoder
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by humblecoder »

Your manager sounds incompetent.

If your manager was competent, nothing in your annual performance review should be a surprise since you would have gotten feedback along the way. The fact that he didn't say anything to you about the PPT format all year until your review is nothing short of dereliction of duty.

I would report this to his manager and to HR. His manager should know that he/she has an incompetent person working under him/her. HR should know in case they want to investigate this issue for potential discrimination (if you are in a protected class).

If neither your manager's manager or HR provide any satisfactory answers, then you can decide if you want to ride it out or leave.
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by JBTX »

Sounds like you need a new job. Something has happened to sour the relationship with you and your boss that probably isn't performance related. It likely isn't recoverable. I've been in a similar situation in a much more compressed time frame.

As to how you transition until you find a new job is up to you. You can just grin and bear it, or you can protest / run it up the chain it and see what happens if you otherwise really like the company, but understand your chances of success are really low.

Going from being a highly rated employee to a low rated one in one year without any interim communication is just really incompetent management on the company's part. It might not be a bad idea to consult an employment lawyer to see what rights and recourse you may have understanding there are consequences to going the nuclear route.
azanon
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by azanon »

As a manager myself who works with other Chiefs, this would be my first guess: The issue quite possibly has nothing to do with your actual "performance" per se (meaning #'s), but maybe something else like perhaps a "conduct" issue or maybe you're not a very aggregable person with your boss and/or other workmates. Where I work, it's more difficult to remove an employee based on performance than conduct. But maybe in your work environment, it is the other way around, so your boss in building a performance case against you because of something else you're actually doing that's causing them to want to part ways with you.

So per my guess, I'd suggest doing some soul searching and honestly consider whether you're not getting along well with the supervisor or the other employees which led to a poor performance review. Or consider are you doing something that is hindering or making the job unnecessarily difficult? (tell-tell signs are spats that you might be having with the chiefs or other employees on a frequent basis, or do you break chain of command at times?). Or maybe you're complaining a lot via to higher ups or going to HR unnecessarily? (my rule of thumb on HR - never step foot in there unless absolutely, positively necessary) Maybe none of this is true, and it really is just a "sudden" shift in performance or maybe they are coming up low on funding and need to remove someone, but I suspect either of these explanations are probably quite a bit less likely.
Last edited by azanon on Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ramjet
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Ramjet »

Where I have worked in the past, if you got a bad yearly review out of the blue, management was starting the process to eliminate your position. The next thing that would happen would be an unreasonable workload, hoping to make you resign as opposed to being fired or let go. I would polish up the resume just in case and keep an eye out for anything else strange at work. If anything else happens time to look for a new job.
Marseille07
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Marseille07 »

Find a new job. It sucks, but no point continuing there imo. If your work is evaluated on the format of your files, they clearly don't know how to evaluate performances and you don't want to stay at a place like that.
sabhen
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by sabhen »

Find a better job ASAP.
Jags4186
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Jags4186 »

Time to look for a new job. You may want to consider spending $400 or $500 on a consultation with an attorney. Keep detailed records of everything that has happened to you. Let them guide you whether or not to put in a formal complaint with HR regarding your boss.

Readjust your workload to the department average of 15 completed assignments a year vs. 25. Have you been put on a PIP?
Last edited by Jags4186 on Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
jayk238
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by jayk238 »

omega wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:37 am Please provide your perspective on this.

My boss gave me “lowest grade” for my performance this year. I was shocked/very pissed to learn this because I was the top performer for last 5 years and this year too, I pulled all the weights on behalf of the group (total of 5, including the boss).

Our group is in scientific field, and we create and analyze the data and submit the report to our clients. The reports are in doc format. At the start of the year, due to staff shortage and high volume of work, my boss suggested that I can save/share the work in PPT format (He now denies that he said that; it was an oral communication and I don't have a proof).

I have so far completed 25 projects (10 in doc format and 15 in PPT format); the team’s average is 15. For reference, over the years I have completed around 20 projects/yr prior to annual performance review. This year too, he reviewed all the data irrespective of format before I shared with clients. I always checked with clients regarding the format and most of them preferred PPT.

Now he says that he only considers word document as valid for performance review and thus gave me low performance comparing to others (everyone else saved it as doc). He says he doesn’t want to argue with me because it was my misunderstanding and that it was not his problem. When pointed out that he always reviewed the data during 1:1 and said nothing about the format, he is adamant that he won’t talk about it.

I am beyond pissed. I put in so many long hours and weekends to complete the work, as some of them were time sensitive. Few of them including PPT ones are published or in the process of publishing including his name. I even fought with the clients to include his name. Still, he won’t budge. Rating determines everything including bonus, promotion etc., so it has consequences.

What are my options?

1. Talking to him is not going to happen. He is very defensive when provided with solid argument. He will refuse to talk to me.
2. Talking to his boss. Not sure on the outcome as he already signed it off. We had 5 people leave in 4 years including the one last year went through a lawyer and got some huge amount for leaving the company. Still his boss supports him strongly for some reason. I can still talk to him but don’t want to sound like complaining.
3. Is there any use of providing rebuttal to the review? Will it come to bite me in the future?
4. Suck it up and stay. There is a possibility that I can get his position (nothing guaranteed but a good chance). He is 73 but still no sign of retirement. They provided me a direct report starting next year – so there is a hope.
5. Look for new job (hate to do this as our daughter started high school…moving can be pain for the whole family)

Please share your experience and wisdom.

Thank you for your time!
Honestly,
Looking at your previous posts-no pay increase, email from svp about boss issues - do you recall moments where you were difficult with your employer-complaining, or throwing fuel to the fire? Could it be something you said? Just saying.
Escapevelocity
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Escapevelocity »

Get out of that company as quickly as possible. Anyone who would put your manager in a position of authority is not a good place to work.
DarkHelmetII
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by DarkHelmetII »

Prospectively - in either short-term till you find a new job - or perhaps longer term if you can course correct this (unfortunately sounds less likely than not, however) document expectations going forward via email. If you are super skeptical print off / take screenshots of the emails after you send them in case they magically disappear, but definitely do not send to a personal email account.

Does sound odd and other speculations as to what might be going on seem valid but in reality I don't think anyone, including OP, knows all the dynamics here. I'd just document and execute to a "t" against said documentation.
mcraepat9
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by mcraepat9 »

If you are indeed a top performer (in reality, not this most recent round of nonsense), then getting another job is a complete no-brainer at this stage. Life is too short for crap like this, and there isn't a better way to demonstrate your value within the confines of this performance review than to leave and make the company clean up the mess they made. If they are right and you are the worst, then it's good for everyone! If they are wrong, they will discover it rather quickly.
Last edited by mcraepat9 on Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by miket29 »

8foot7 wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:53 amThere is very little you can do other than look for a new job. Chances are, while you were not necessarily identified by senior ranks as the bottom performer, your boss has chosen that label for you and it's at the behest of his reporting chain, so there is very little to be gained by complaining to them. I would make it a high priority to exit the company, and in the meantime, I would document compliance with any and all job requirements so there is no confusion as to whether you are meeting expectations or not.
Agree 100%. Sorry this has happened to you.

Don't bother with appealing thru HR. HR is there to protect the company, not you. In fact anything you tell HR will probably go into a file building a case why you were a low performer and let go, in case you decide to sue for some reason.
2Scoops
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by 2Scoops »

Do you generally like your job at this company outside of this current setback?

What impact will this poor review have on your compensation or upward career path (if so desired)?
Dave55
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Dave55 »

Sounds like your "manager" set you up for the fall. Agree with others here, find another job ASAP.

Dave
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Monsterflockster
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Monsterflockster »

This is just another example of a bad manager. I sometimes wonder how these people get in these positions.

My advice... use your vacation time and put it behind you. From now on put all work into docs. Seems strange that the only thing that matters is how many "doc" projects you have done but if that's how they score your performance than so be it. You'll be back on top next year.

Not sure how old you are but with a boss at 73 I'd wait him out. But one thing for sure is I wouldn't be putting in extra hours anymore.
vrr106
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by vrr106 »

This has nothing to do with the doc or ppt format. If it wasn't that, it would be something else. I don't know the details of your situation but I would do the following at the same time:
1. Start job hunting
2. Try to be the "eager beaver" to your boss as someone else mentioned
3. Try to get your boss to provide you more feedback on performance prior to the review cycle, especially in a way that forces them to respond without resorting to vague stuff. For example, try asking "if I produce more than the rest of the team and produce it in doc, would that put me back on track to be a top performer" etc.
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yohac
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by yohac »

omega wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:37 am Now he says that he only considers word document as valid for performance review
That by itself it Twilight Zone-ish. What difference does the doc format make, as long as the necessary information is conveyed?

I'd get out of there ASAP.
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Wricha
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Wricha »

New job appears to be the best option. The only way you can get your boss’s job is if they fire him. If you were in line for his job you would have already been called in to let you know not by a bad review.
Impatience
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Impatience »

Sounds like your boss or your job is looking for an excuse to push you out and they don’t have anything more substantial to throw at you than the laughable file format mix-up. Maybe a client or higher up has a personal beef with you? Whatever it is you should start looking for another job and start coasting at your current one. Statistically most poor performance reviews are followed by departures so make it on your terms.
Rex66
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Rex66 »

New job. Hopefully it’s not difficult for you.

But your thoughts that ppt would be ok are off. You really should have known this. Frankly I think you do know it. Doesn’t excuse the boss for verbally ok’ing it but you likely knew.
bloom2708
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by bloom2708 »

With a team of 5 (4 team members and 1 manager), does someone have to land in the bottom 25%?

Stack ranking, slotting, your manager may have no choice and this is the only differentiator. It might only impact this year or it could be a sign that the end is coming.

I would proactively save the 15 projects to .docx format if you think it is worth keeping this job. Why? Just to take that issue off the table.

No fun, that is for sure.
jaqenhghar
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by jaqenhghar »

What a prior poster said: Start looking for a new job and coast at this one.
srt7
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by srt7 »

I would never work in a company that has stack ranking. It's just a way for cowardly managers to chicken out and not have tough conversations. Such methods tell me more about management practices rather than employee performance.

If a .doc vs. .ppt formats determine if a project gets counted then you need to coast while finding another job.

Take off my PC hat for a bit here ... at 73 he's lost his [Offensive language removed by moderator oldcomputerguy] mind ... literally!
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Exchme
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Exchme »

Other posters have made good points that a document format is not the issue, it's something else. Do take a good look at yourself to make sure you are always trying to be positive and supportive of others and the team.

But never, ever, stick around where you are not wanted and this outfit has made it clear you are out. Instead, look at all you've learned with all those extra hours of effort and go somewhere else. Don't worry if the new place is somewhat lower pay, you need a fresh start. Even if the company doesn't move right away to get rid of you, you have been labeled and labels stick, so you will be the first out in any downturn (and downturns are a much worse time to look for a new job).
worthit
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by worthit »

OP, sorry to hear about your travails.

As few other posters have pointed out, it is either the stack ranking or the beginning of the end for you with that company. So I would start updating my CV if I were you to see what is out there. You will be surprised.

I always used to tease my former manager about this every year as to who was on his hit list for the year, because it was a well known secret in my company. I don't believe they are doing it anymore or at least I am not aware of it.

Oh another thing, don't go to HR.

Good luck.
gogreen
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by gogreen »

omega wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:37 am Please provide your perspective on this.

My boss gave me “lowest grade” for my performance this year. I He says he doesn’t want to argue with me because it was my misunderstanding and that it was not his problem. When pointed out that he always reviewed the data during 1:1 and said nothing about the format, he is adamant that he won’t talk about it.

He is 73 but still no sign of retirement. They provided me a direct report starting next year – so there is a hope.

Thank you for your time!
Quoted the points I'd like to use.
First, start looking ASAP, this is a major red flag.
Second - stay positive, people die / are force to retire by health issues an mass at the age of 73.

Good luck :sharebeer
worthit
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by worthit »

srt7 wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:54 pm I would never work in a company that has stack ranking. It's just a way for cowardly managers to chicken out and not have tough conversations. Such methods tell me more about management practices rather than employee performance.

If a .doc vs. .ppt formats determine if a project gets counted then you need to coast while finding another job.

Take off my PC hat for a bit here ... at 73 he's lost his [Offensive language removed by moderator oldcomputerguy] mind ... literally!
I thought the same thing. What if he is truly having a senior moment and becoming forgetful?
runningshoes
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by runningshoes »

There's a lot of advice stating that you should look for a new job ASAP as the org doesn't seem to want you any more. I disagree for the simple reason that your boss could have provided input to his boss that is inaccurate and his boss simply believes him. IF in fact you have a record of 4 prior years as a top performer, I would immediately document that, along with a history of meetings with your boss this year that included both file formats, a history of client meetings (and an offer to involve them if so required to prove your point) and their preference for file format, and send a formal complaint to the senior person at HR and your boss's boss. Explain that your boss refuses to discuss this, let them know that the idea that your performance is needing improvement due to the file format is beyond ridiculous, and it's not acceptable for your financial security to be placed at risk due to these events.

If they really want to get rid of you, you'll know based on the response. If they don't and everything is based on a single misunderstanding, this will either correct it or blow it up. In any case, documenting this and creating a detailed paper trail provides you a likely better financial outcome if in fact you end up leaving.
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Sandtrap »

Dave55 wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:07 pm Sounds like your "manager" set you up for the fall. Agree with others here, find another job ASAP.

Dave
+1
Great input!

Actionably:
1. Seek other employment ASAP (you don't know when the other shoe is going to drop)
2. Talk to HR for your options.
3. Talk to legal counsel for options. (Do not be a victim. Do not let bullies survive. Do what you can).
4. If you had issues or who knows. . . do some introspection and do not take that to the next job.
5. Open your own company in your skillset and become prosperous and gain substantial wealth and recognition in your field.
a) you can never be fired unless you fire yourself.
b) Prosperity is the best "revenge" for a poor hand of cards.
c) In retrospect, this event will be the steppingstone to greatness!

j :D
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DoubleComma
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by DoubleComma »

This is a difficult situation. I am definitely not saying you are wrong, but I know there are always two sides to every situation and only one is being presented here. None of us can confirm that this performance rating is accurate or not, we have no way of knowing.

What would help is if you clarified what would be an acceptable outcome at this point.

If you are expecting the rating to be changed, I would suggest you change you expectations unless you the rating is reflective of something you have documentable evidence proving its incorrect.

If a rating change is the only acceptable outcome for you, my advice is start looking for a job now.

Otherwise share with the group what you would like to see happen and we can help provide to coaching to make that happen.
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JoeRetire
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by JoeRetire »

omega wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:37 am Please provide your perspective on this.

My boss gave me “lowest grade” for my performance this year.

Now he says that he only considers word document as valid for performance review and thus gave me low performance comparing to others (everyone else saved it as doc).
Something is "off" here. Perhaps I'm missing something.
- what is your job title? You are a scientist at a Director level making $200k+ per year, right?
- Is this the entirety of your job - submitted reports? Is this the sole criterion for your performance reviews? Nothing else matters?
- Have performance review criteria changed this year?
- How did everyone else happen to save all their work as .doc?
Last edited by JoeRetire on Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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humblecoder
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by humblecoder »

I see people saying "don't go to HR.. they are there to protect the company".

I think that's the reason why you should go to HR and why they might help the OP in this case.

It sounds like the performance review, as documented, is giving the OP a poor rating for spurious reasons. Maybe there are other reasons that aren't documented in the performance review, but those reasons don't matter. Only what is documented is what matters.

In fact, if the manager wants to get rid of the OP, he/she is doing a poor job of it by using some idiotic reasons as documented critiera. PPT instead of DOC? Really? Is the manager also looking for cover pages for the TPS reports too?

Which goes back to my original point that the manager is derelict. He/she is exposing the company to a lot of potential liability. Any good employment lawyer would be salivating over this case if the OP is part of a protected class.

This is why I am saying that the OP should go to HR. HR will go into "protect the company" mode, but their focus will be on the manager who is putting the company at risk.
Afty
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Afty »

I'm sorry you're going through this. It's unacceptable for a manager to surprise someone with a negative performance review. Where I've worked, managers are not allowed to give the lowest rating without first delivering a written/documented warning that this might happen.

That said, I agree it's unlikely the issue was just the format of your reports. Did your manager deliver a written performance review? Is the PPT issue the only negative feedback in that written review?
Last edited by Afty on Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tomsense76
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by tomsense76 »

miket29 wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:53 am
8foot7 wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:53 amThere is very little you can do other than look for a new job. Chances are, while you were not necessarily identified by senior ranks as the bottom performer, your boss has chosen that label for you and it's at the behest of his reporting chain, so there is very little to be gained by complaining to them. I would make it a high priority to exit the company, and in the meantime, I would document compliance with any and all job requirements so there is no confusion as to whether you are meeting expectations or not.
Agree 100%. Sorry this has happened to you.

Don't bother with appealing thru HR. HR is there to protect the company, not you. In fact anything you tell HR will probably go into a file building a case why you were a low performer and let go, in case you decide to sue for some reason.
Not sure I agree with this. Ultimately it depends on HR at the company/culture of the company. However a functioning HR department should be able to handle this kind of issue. In fact had a similar issue in a past job where HR helped sort it out.

The other option is you talk to your boss' boss.

It's worth noting the same argument made above is actually why HR is likely able to help. Namely they should have all the past performance reviews on file. They would notice something is way off trend. Again a functioning HR department would also be curious about this sort of thing and willing to dig into it with you.
"Anyone who claims to understand quantum theory is either lying or crazy" -- Richard Feynman
OnTrack2020
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by OnTrack2020 »

At 73, who knows what is going on with this person from either a mental or physical standpoint??

I, personally, would not approach HR for reasons stated above and would begin the process of looking.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

OP, just curious: are you the “perceived takeout” for your manager? Is manager’s continued employment viewed favorably by his manager?
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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cashboy
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by cashboy »

omega wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:37 am Please provide your perspective on this.


What are my options?

1. Talking to him is not going to happen. He is very defensive when provided with solid argument. He will refuse to talk to me.
2. Talking to his boss. Not sure on the outcome as he already signed it off. We had 5 people leave in 4 years including the one last year went through a lawyer and got some huge amount for leaving the company. Still his boss supports him strongly for some reason. I can still talk to him but don’t want to sound like complaining.
3. Is there any use of providing rebuttal to the review? Will it come to bite me in the future?
4. Suck it up and stay. There is a possibility that I can get his position (nothing guaranteed but a good chance). He is 73 but still no sign of retirement. They provided me a direct report starting next year – so there is a hope.
5. Look for new job (hate to do this as our daughter started high school…moving can be pain for the whole family)

Please share your experience and wisdom.

Thank you for your time!

sadly, i have been in somewhat similar situations. so here is my advice based on my experiences:

forget #1 and #2

#3 - yes, but carefully, objectively, and politely worded; state the facts. if you do not do #3 then you are implicitly saying that your agree with the review.

#4 - no need to do anything quickly, so hang out while you consider what to do.

#5 - as a safety net in case things get worse there.


in one of my cases, three other people had similar experiences. two provided review rebuttals, and/or information on 'exit interviews', which created a situation for HR - too much similar information from different people to ignore.

the manager was ultimately removed from his position. just to be clear, we did not go to HR, but when they (HR) were presented with the rebuttals (they read all reviews as part of their roles) and exit interviews they had to act - not because they liked us (lol) but because they feared the company would be sued.


good luck!
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Californiastate
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Californiastate »

The OP is out of luck on this one. They didn't confirm oral change in protocol with a confirming memo. The boss did it deliberately or is now covering their tracks by denying the acceptance. Either way the boss and employee relationship is kaput. It appears the employee bosses boss relationship is kaput too. I don't think the OP has provided all information. His current position is untenable. He will need to leave or pull a card out of his sleeve.
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greg24
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by greg24 »

You posted in January 2021 about butting heads with your supervisor. At some point after that, he told you to use PPT format. Now he uses that to give you a terrible review.

The writing is on the wall.
Normchad
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by Normchad »

greg24 wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:44 pm You posted in January 2021 about butting heads with your supervisor. At some point after that, he told you to use PPT format. Now he uses that to give you a terrible review.

The writing is on the wall.
Yep. You won’t have this job much longer.

Take this as a heads up that you’ll be leaving soon. Get your resume together and start looking.
wrongfunds
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Re: Poor annual performance review - what to do?

Post by wrongfunds »

Anytime a new topic is posted and if responders feel something does not add up, all you have to do is to click on the author's name and look at the other posts or the topics started by OP
Then only one should provide their two cents.
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