Mediocre performance review - what next

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black cat fortunate
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Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by black cat fortunate »

Yesterday late afternoon I got yearly performance review from work. --> "Consistent Performance", down from last year. Today in - yikes- 2 hours I have perf meeting with my boss :shock:

For context, last year was "Strong Performance" and options are At Risk - Inconsistent - Consistent - Strong- Exceptional

Please please any wisdom, especially for upcoming meeting around this?
I know I need to receive feedback openly and listen carefully.
Plan ways to improve. Perhaps drill down.

But I really feel blindsided by this. :oops: I truly don't feel like my performance was any worse than last year, and in the back of my head, I thought there was some chance for promotion.

One or two thoughts:
- (Don't laugh) Boss doesn't 'like' me as much as last year, I've fallen from graces.
- Tech based company; I'm being given clear signal that I may be among the first to go if layoffs.

Very thankful for any and all input!
yohac
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by yohac »

The downgrade may just be relative to your peers, or perhaps there was a directive to grade tougher this year. I would simply ask my boss where, if anywhere, he thinks I dropped the ball.

Not saying this is the case, but if last year was year 1 for you, and this is year 2, it's conceivable that your boss expected a bit more growth. Top performers don't just wait for assignments, they surprise their bosses with improvements.
Last edited by yohac on Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Marseille07
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Marseille07 »

Consistent is fine. Inconsistent or At Risk you should start worrying.

But the truth is that anything can happen if layoff strikes. If you are Strong or Exceptional then maybe less chance of being involved, but I don't think any rating guarantees anything.
Last edited by Marseille07 on Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
carolinaman
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by carolinaman »

Try to get objective feedback from your boss on how you can improve. Let him/her know that you want to be a top performer.

Some bosses do not put a lot of stock in performance reviews. This meeting is likely more telling than the review itself.
Coltrane75
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Coltrane75 »

Make sure your relationship with your boss and other managers is improved and good in the coming year. Also keep an eye out for the overall health of the company.
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lthenderson
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by lthenderson »

A previous company I worked for told managers to grade everyone down to reduce the pay increases (based upon our reviews) and conserve money during tough times. This happened more than once. Fortunately my boss at the time was up front with it so it didn't worry me. After awhile though, I switched jobs to one that didn't play those games.
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black cat fortunate
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by black cat fortunate »

First, so thankful for all these wise and prompt responses. I'm doing this from phone, so if I may, I will just respond to a one or two at a time.
Coltrane75 wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:13 am Make sure your relationship with your boss and other managers is improved and good in the coming year. Also keep an eye out for the overall health of the company.
This is the kicker! I 'loved' my boss for the last two years and I thought the feeling was mutual 😂
Longdog
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Longdog »

Be open and receptive to criticism - fight any tendency to be defensive (if that exists in you).
Ask whether there was a change in the number of people who could be assigned to each category. Assuming the staffing was consistent from the previous year, I'd think this is likely the case.
Ask for specific examples of where you could have done better.
Ask if your boss viewed an overall change in your performance the past year, relative to the previous year, or whether there were only a few specific examples of where you could have done better - perhaps taken on more responsibility or more of a leadership role?

It's disheartening, of course, but try to view this in a larger perspective as an opportunity for growth in the coming years.
Steve
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black cat fortunate
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by black cat fortunate »

carolinaman wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:12 am Try to get objective feedback from your boss on how you can improve. Let him/her know that you want to be a top performer.

Some bosses do not put a lot of stock in performance reviews. This meeting is likely more telling than the review itself.

Thanks. Good call out. Pay attention to content of meeting rather than just score. Truthfully though, I don't even want to use the specific word *Improvement* because that's redolent of Performance Improvement Plans. Which is not a great place to be
dowse
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by dowse »

It's been a few years, but I used to be an engineering manager and had to rank people in a similar way. Quite possibly, there was a directive to fit employees to a distribution and your group needed some adjustment. You may have been ranked borderline strong/consistent last time. Companies use these ranking systems to determine "equitable" compensation and naturally, for application in a layoff situation. Layoffs are not necessarily strictly based on performance rank. There are often exceptions made based on fit to future business direction. If there is a layoff and you survive, you may find yourself in the next lower category, as the "at risk" people would have been let go and a new distribution would be applied.

I hated those forced ranking systems. They usually came from some Harvard Business School fad. I felt that the goal should be for the group to have ALL strong or better performers.

Still, I would recommend that you ask for honest feedback. Ask for specific criteria to attain a strong or better ranking. If there is a gap in performance perception between you and your boss, it is important to close it through communication. It is ok to express disappointment, but not anger. You may want to request an interim meeting in before the next rankings are done to get back on track.

Good luck!
Marseille07
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Marseille07 »

blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:27 am
carolinaman wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:12 am Try to get objective feedback from your boss on how you can improve. Let him/her know that you want to be a top performer.

Some bosses do not put a lot of stock in performance reviews. This meeting is likely more telling than the review itself.

Thanks. Good call out. Pay attention to content of meeting rather than just score. Truthfully though, I don't even want to use the specific word *Improvement* because that's redolent of Performance Improvement Plans. Which is not a great place to be
Unless your place is weird, "Consistent" should not result in a PIP plan. Consistent just means average, not below average or worse. Of course, the whole thing is a sham because this is stack ranking in a nutshell.
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black cat fortunate
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by black cat fortunate »

Longdog wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:25 am Be open and receptive to criticism - fight any tendency to be defensive (if that exists in you).
Ask whether there was a change in the number of people who could be assigned to each category. Assuming the staffing was consistent from the previous year, I'd think this is likely the case.
Ask for specific examples of where you could have done better.
Ask if your boss viewed an overall change in your performance the past year, relative to the previous year, or whether there were only a few specific examples of where you could have done better - perhaps taken on more responsibility or more of a leadership role?

It's disheartening, of course, but try to view this in a larger perspective as an opportunity for growth in the coming years.
A specific area of improvement was new projects. I had a "big idea" proposal that was too cross-functional and deprioritized. This review there's a more "Modest Proposal" in the works.
None of the individual scores were low.

Thank you so much Longdog for your wise and comforting response. 'Disheartening' is the perfect word to revise the narrative. Much better than what I'm feeling - blindsided and discouraged.
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ClevrChico
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by ClevrChico »

At most companies, you aren't going to get strong every year, as there is a quota on ratings. Higher level ratings get rotated around to make things fair and keep the peace. Performance reviews are mostly theater. Adjust your effort accordingly.

As others stated, only be concerned with negative ratings.
TheHiker
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by TheHiker »

The manager possibly gets a quota/guidance each year how many of each of the ratings to assign.
In one of the places I worked at the manager was rotating those so that nobody got two lower ratings in a row.
At some companies these ratings mean a lot, at others they mean almost nothing.
I got a middle rating once and got promoted later that year.

Listen to the boss, ask if there are specific concerns and how you can improve. "Consistent" won't put you on a PiP or set you up for layoff.
Dregob
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Dregob »

yohac wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:02 am The downgrade may just be relative to your peers, or perhaps there was a directive to grade tougher this year. I would simply ask my boss where, if anywhere, he thinks I dropped the ball.

Not saying this is the case, but if last year was year 1 for you, and this is year 2, it's conceivable that your boss expected a bit more growth. Top performers don't just wait for assignments, they surprise their bosses with improvements.
I was always given "exceptional" reviews. One year the department basically said you can't do that for anyone. So all future reviews always were a mixture of ratings average or above.
Retired now so back to exceptional! :-P
bloom2708
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by bloom2708 »

70% would be "Consistent". 10%-20% would fall in the bottom 2 buckets and only 10%-20% in the top 2 buckets.

Making the top 2 buckets each year would be quite rare. It is almost a rotation.

This certainly can vary by company, but I would not worry about falling into the 70%.
Marseille07
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Marseille07 »

Dregob wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:54 am
yohac wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:02 am The downgrade may just be relative to your peers, or perhaps there was a directive to grade tougher this year. I would simply ask my boss where, if anywhere, he thinks I dropped the ball.

Not saying this is the case, but if last year was year 1 for you, and this is year 2, it's conceivable that your boss expected a bit more growth. Top performers don't just wait for assignments, they surprise their bosses with improvements.
I was always given "exceptional" reviews. One year the department basically said you can't do that for anyone. So all future reviews always were a mixture of ratings average or above.
Retired now so back to exceptional! :-P
That's weird, because what tends to happen is that you get promoted and compared against higher ranked peers.
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black cat fortunate
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by black cat fortunate »

"Calibrations" were done prior to review.

Would it be fair to ask boss about stack ratings, distribution of scores, and (possible) new company directives? I would rather her offer the information, of course - but if not, Perhaps some gentle probing (?)
SevenBridgesRoad
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by SevenBridgesRoad »

"Blind-sided"

This is the major weakness of the standard annual review. Why wait a year to let someone know how they are doing? See if you can get agreement from your boss to provide ongoing, more frequent feedback. Some will see the wisdom in that.

The best model is "coaching". A good coach (think back to your formal sports days or music program) will let you know where you stand almost continuously.
Marseille07
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Marseille07 »

blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:06 am "Calibrations" were done prior to review.

Would it be fair to ask boss about stack ratings, distribution of scores, and (possible) new company directives? I would rather her offer the information, of course - but if not, Perhaps some gentle probing (?)
You can ask and they will tell you the distribution of buckets. But not much you can do; some people are bound to be rated At Risk or Inconsistent or whatever. Consistent isn't a bad place to be in. Most places in tech employ some form of stack ranking.
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Watty
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Watty »

Be sure to ask for feedback on where you rank relative to your coworkers, that is the important thing.

Also ask how your company sets the pay levels for your position. Some companies are real open about how they set salary bands for a position but others will treat it like a big secret that they will not share with you.

I have worked at companies that were open about this so the target pay for a position might be $100K and in the HR document it stated that someone just promoted to that position might get 15% lower, $85K, and a very top performer would get 15% or $115K and max out there.

Your pay was directly linked to your performance rating. That was important in case there was a discrimination lawsuit so that the company could show that someone was being paid based on their performance and not because of discrimination.

At many companies setting salaries is a lot more mechanical and less descressionally than you might assume.

This is pure speculation but what might have happened is that with inflation at 8% the target salary might have increased from $100K to $108K and the 15% upper and lower limits would also increase by 8%. If your performance rating stayed the same then you would expect to get an 8% raise just to keep up with inflation.

This could be a problem if there is not money in the budget to give everyone an 8% raise to the managers may have needed to give overall lower ratings in order to justify smaller raises.

One Dilbert cartoon has stuck with me over the years.

Image
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TexasPE
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by TexasPE »

blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:48 am I truly don't feel like my performance was any worse than last year, and in the back of my head, I thought there was some chance for promotion.
Before retiring I worked for a large (100,000+ employee) multinational corporation. Managers were forced to fit their employees to a "performance curve"- only so many exceeds expectations, high, etc. If a new high performer was added to the pool, someone would be 'dinged' and have their rating reduced to make the aggregate pool of employees fit the curve. The manager had to judge how likely they are to lose someone if the person receives a lower rating than last year. So - it was all relative.

At my last performance review, a few days before I retired, I was rated on two projects. One project was for another manager (I was on loan)- she gave me a 'high' rating for the 11 months I managed her project. My manager gave me a 'meets expectations' for the 1 month I spent on the previous project.

My overall evaluation for the 12 months - meets expectations!

My boss had other, younger employees to keep happy and I was almost out the door. It was an easy decision for him. The only thing that hurt was a $10K reduction in my performance bonus for the year.

The whole system conflates performance "ratings" with distributing a fixed salary budget. It is easy to become demotivated when your performance did not change but your ranking does.

My happiest years at work were as an individual contributor, so I didn't have to deal with these issues for direct reports.
At 20: I cared what everyone thought about me | At 40: I didn't give a damn what anyone thought of me | Now that I'm 60: I realize that no one was really thinking about me at all | Winston Churchill (?)
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quantAndHold
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by quantAndHold »

Retired tech manager here. Consistent is fine. This isn’t like college, where there’s grade inflation, and everyone is above average. Probably 80% of people are in the consistent category. Typically, people who were in the higher categories would be considered for promotion, and once they got promoted, they would go back to a middle ranking, because now they were being ranked on a harder scale.

In your review, ask your boss what you need to do to get to the next level. And then do those things over the next year.
an_asker
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by an_asker »

blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:48 am [...]
But I really feel blindsided by this. :oops: I truly don't feel like my performance was any worse than last year, and in the back of my head, I thought there was some chance for promotion.

One or two thoughts:
- (Don't laugh) Boss doesn't 'like' me as much as last year, I've fallen from graces.
- Tech based company; I'm being given clear signal that I may be among the first to go if layoffs.

Very thankful for any and all input!
Sometimes it is just a mystery what the boss thinks and/or what inputs he gets. I had the same experience a few years ago when I thought I had worked harder than usual but still got a "meets expectations" review. Guess what? I have worked less hard since and have received "exceeds expectations" reviews since then.

I have no idea how some bosses think :oops:

Maybe it is so that they can reward their "pet" with raise or promotion.
8301
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by 8301 »

Oftentimes, managers give poor reviews because of the communications problems. He might have not understood your work.
Last edited by 8301 on Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
kd2008
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by kd2008 »

You are taking yourself and the process very seriously. Learn to play the game.

My boss: We had very high expectations of you and you met those. Here's meets expectations mediocre rating.

Thank you for the feedback was all I could say ☺️
sureshoe
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by sureshoe »

blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:48 am I know I need to receive feedback openly and listen carefully.
Plan ways to improve. Perhaps drill down.
Negative feedback is hard to receive, so good job recognizing you need to listen. Don't feel compelled to "answer" or "challenge" the feedback. As a manager, who is pretty tough, it makes me insane when I give people feedback and they argue or explain the behavior immediately. That doesn't mean my feedback is always correct, but if you have an explanation within 10 seconds, it tells me you're not really sitting and digesting it. So take AT LEAST 24 hours (if not 2-3 days or a full week) to really digest and understand. Then, instead of arguing - ASK QUESTIONS.

Boss: "I feel like your performance isn't where it used to be, you have lots of big ideas, but can't execute."
Instead of you replying: "But this was a big project I was asked to do and it was hopeless" (or whatever)
Focus on: "It sounds like there was not interest in the size of investment I proposed. Can you help me understand where I fell short on executing?" etc. Seek to understand your boss's point-of-view rather than disprove it.
But I really feel blindsided by this. :oops: I truly don't feel like my performance was any worse than last year, and in the back of my head, I thought there was some chance for promotion.
As others noted, this is a problem and a warning sign that you have a weak boss. I have given lots of bad reviews, and I have almost never had someone surprised. My org doesn't do annual reviews - we do quarterly check-ins, so that helps a bunch. But, I also encourage managers to do weekly or at least bi-weekly 1-1s. All performance feedback should be given in those sessions. The review, to me, is just about documenting formally the informal feedback the associate has been getting.

Recommendation for you in the future (at this company or others) is to actively ask questions that can't just be glossed over. Don't ask "Am I doing OK?" Ask more directly, "Do you see me as someone you can count on to take on more difficult challenges?" or "How would you assess the current state of my main project and my contribution to it?" Etc. Those flavors.
One or two thoughts:
- (Don't laugh) Boss doesn't 'like' me as much as last year, I've fallen from graces.
- Tech based company; I'm being given clear signal that I may be among the first to go if layoffs.
This is absolutely possible, but no reason to stress on it. Is what it is. You can't negotiate yourself into being liked. You can only question enough to understand where you stand.
blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:06 am "Calibrations" were done prior to review.

Would it be fair to ask boss about stack ratings, distribution of scores, and (possible) new company directives? I would rather her offer the information, of course - but if not, Perhaps some gentle probing (?)
"Calibrations" tie into what I was describing before (1-1s and quarterly feedback). Did you not get any warning there? Was it all positive? Or, did your boss just say "things are fine". The saying is "Damning with faint praise".

It is fair to ask about stack ranking and score distributions IN GENERAL. It is not fair or reasonable to say: "tell me where I rank compared to Joe, Lisa, Fred."

I think it's perfectly find to say to your boss, "I want to be viewed as a top contributor in this org, and this review makes me feel like you do not see me as such. Would you rank me in the top quartile of associates, or are our views different?" That's a very point-blank question, some bosses might not like it. You boss owes you to tell you where you stand. Lots of bosses are cowards and won't do it. They wait until once a year to slide in their indirect "you're OK but not great". Even good bosses struggle to give that direct feedback.

I had the vibe my boss and I were on the outs a couple years ago and I just told him that. "Hey, it feels like we're just talking different languages lately. Are there some things I'm doing (or not doing) that is rubbing you the wrong way." He unloaded on me. It was just a lot of unsaid things, we cleaned it up, and I still report to him with things going well.

Good luck. Use this as a time to look at yourself, but maybe you have a weak boss. If I ever got a bad review, I'd be job hunting. Always stuns me when I give a bad review and people don't quite. I certainly would.
mark_in_denver
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by mark_in_denver »

How old are you? How is the retirement funds and emergency funds?
HomeStretch
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by HomeStretch »

OP, if your performance meeting this morning is over consider providing an update if you are looking for additional specific feedback.
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8foot7
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by 8foot7 »

The problem here is not the review itself. The meeting is an interesting and unusual step and it would very much concern me. Meetings like this are to build documentation toward something, and it's far more likely to be building toward something unfavorable for you than it is to be headed in a positive direction.




....
On another note, I have always thought stack ranking has a place, but only within an organization that is largely underperforming and then only for a couple of cycles. In a company thudding along below its peers, identifying the worst 10% of employees a couple of years over and managing them out can be good in terms of overall health, culture, and expense level. At some point you have cut who you need to cut, however, and it feels like most places that use stack ranking don't actually turn it off. On any team of multiple people there will be a worst performer on a relative basis, but even that relative worst performer may exceed expectations.
tjtv
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by tjtv »

It's hard to say without knowing the company culture regarding performance review ratings. From what I've seen, all companies have a forced distribution of ratings, but then companies broadly use one of these two strategies to fill those buckets:

1)"Rotating" - There may be more high performers than the ratings distribution allows, so in some years a high performing employee will get a high rating, and other years they will get a medium rating to make room for another high performer to get the high rating. In this culture there is no negative stigma attached to an employee getting a lower rating than the prior year, everyone understands the rotating philosophy.

2)"Trajectory" - In companies that employ this strategy it's expected that an employee will grow(or at least not trend backwards). Ratings tend to start at medium, then go to high, then eventually promotion - at which point you're then ranked against next level criteria and you start back at medium again at that level. A ratings drop from one year to the next is extremely abnormal in this type of culture, and it will be heavily discussed in calibration sessions, because it really is a serious ding on employee performance.

So you need to figure out what company culture you're in. If it's #1 then everything is probably fine and this was just your year to be rotated down. If it's #2 then you're right to be worried.
LawEgr1
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by LawEgr1 »

Hello,

Engineering management here at a large multinational. I would give you the following commentary to relax your mind:

- we have a 5 tier rating system
- if you are a 3 equivalent, in your case "consistent", that's totally fine and not remotely close to a performance management issue, not remotely close to bad review, or nearing a PIP
- a 3 equivalent would simply mean you met objectives, but didn't necessarily go above and beyond for your particular G&O for the year, but satisfied your objectives
- a 3 equivalent would give you the standard merit increase, which may or may not be adjusted based on your location within the specific pay band for a job level you are at

Absolutely no reason for a PIP or anything else to be in place for 'satisfactory'. None. Period. If so, then they flat out don't know how to manage, give proactive feedback, and rate even close to accurate.

My employees in the department are judged individually, not 'relative' to one another. So, I grade them, along with their feedback and then it goes to calibration to see if the overall distribution of the specific site fits the bell curve established for the year. If not, then anyone that's near an edge is likely to be pushed one way or another, not always for the negative but typically they were the ones that get moved first (i.e., borderline 3 and placed to a 2 for underperformance). It all depends.

Lastly, your management should let you know if there are any concerns with y/y performance. In this case, not knowing what I don't know, I'd simply presume you had a good year just didn't knock it out of the park. 2/3 of employees fall into that category every year!

Just thoughts, hope it went well.
anonenigma
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by anonenigma »

blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:37 am This review there's a more "Modest Proposal" in the works.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal
Casper
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Casper »

8foot7 wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:33 pm The problem here is not the review itself. The meeting is an interesting and unusual step and it would very much concern me. Meetings like this are to build documentation toward something, and it's far more likely to be building toward something unfavorable for you than it is to be headed in a positive direction.
This is the problem with these vague threads where someone asks for workplace advice. No one but OP knows his/her company's policy on evaluations, what OP's boss is like, the company's economic situation, etc., so everyone just takes their own experience and projects it on OP. My company requires meetings between employee and manager for all performance reviews, good and bad. You can't finish the evaluation process without meeting to discuss the review. OP's company might be different, who knows.
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black cat fortunate
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by black cat fortunate »

HomeStretch wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:29 pm OP, if your performance meeting this morning is over consider providing an update if you are looking for additional specific feedback.
Quick update post perf-meeting:
*edit: Annual review, pardon lack of clarity

As @LawEgr1 aptly stated, it was the "above and beyond" part (those exact words were used, a few times). There were no dramatic new accomplishments and my proposed project was tabled. I was told "Consistent' was good (perhaps even 'great'😂).

Manager said they'd work with me on getting to next level, and we'd both try to step up our two-way feedback in 1:1 meetings throughout year (so no unexpected surprises). Most importantly (to me)- manager made me feel like they still wanted me on their team. Not after the biggest bonus or scaling corporate heights - but do want to feel valued. Also to answer another person's question - I'm in early 50s, retirement funds lackluster but emergency fund solid.

Thank you all for sharing so much wisdom, insight, and experience. Some of the responses here are just stellar.
Last edited by black cat fortunate on Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
GT99
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by GT99 »

8foot7 wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:33 pm The problem here is not the review itself. The meeting is an interesting and unusual step and it would very much concern me. Meetings like this are to build documentation toward something, and it's far more likely to be building toward something unfavorable for you than it is to be headed in a positive direction.
Maybe I misunderstood the OP, but it sounded like this was an annual performance review meeting. That's been a standard practice for everyone at every company I've worked for. Quite the opposite of unusual.

If there was a need to "build toward something unfavorable" for the OP, they wouldn't have a "consistent" rating. They'd have an "At Risk" or "Inconsistent" rating. I've been a manager for 10 years at 4 different companies, and the only employee I've had to build something on was rated a 1 out of 5.
123
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by 123 »

black cat fortunate wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:24 am ... I 'loved' my boss for the last two years and I thought the feeling was mutual!..
A friendly relationship can make criticism harder to give and receive/recognize.
The closest helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
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8foot7
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by 8foot7 »

GT99 wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:50 pm
8foot7 wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:33 pm The problem here is not the review itself. The meeting is an interesting and unusual step and it would very much concern me. Meetings like this are to build documentation toward something, and it's far more likely to be building toward something unfavorable for you than it is to be headed in a positive direction.
Maybe I misunderstood the OP, but it sounded like this was an annual performance review meeting. That's been a standard practice for everyone at every company I've worked for. Quite the opposite of unusual.

If there was a need to "build toward something unfavorable" for the OP, they wouldn't have a "consistent" rating. They'd have an "At Risk" or "Inconsistent" rating. I've been a manager for 10 years at 4 different companies, and the only employee I've had to build something on was rated a 1 out of 5.
Apparently I am the one who misunderstood the OP. I saw "perf meeting" and anxiety and assumed that the meeting was about performance, and not simply an annual review meeting. I would have thought the review itself would have been given during or just after the review meeting, precisely to avoid this kind of anxiety. In every org I've worked for, this is how it's done, and "performance meetings" are essentially the first step toward PIPs or managing out.
HomeStretch
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by HomeStretch »

black cat fortunate wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:42 pm Quick update post perf-meeting: …
Thanks for the update. Aside from your project being tabled, it sounds like the rest of the meeting went well. Look for opportunities to contribute and hold your managers to their promise to give you timely feedback throughout the year and to help you to the next level.
Afty
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by Afty »

tjtv wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:46 pm It's hard to say without knowing the company culture regarding performance review ratings. From what I've seen, all companies have a forced distribution of ratings, but then companies broadly use one of these two strategies to fill those buckets:

1)"Rotating" - There may be more high performers than the ratings distribution allows, so in some years a high performing employee will get a high rating, and other years they will get a medium rating to make room for another high performer to get the high rating. In this culture there is no negative stigma attached to an employee getting a lower rating than the prior year, everyone understands the rotating philosophy.

2)"Trajectory" - In companies that employ this strategy it's expected that an employee will grow(or at least not trend backwards). Ratings tend to start at medium, then go to high, then eventually promotion - at which point you're then ranked against next level criteria and you start back at medium again at that level. A ratings drop from one year to the next is extremely abnormal in this type of culture, and it will be heavily discussed in calibration sessions, because it really is a serious ding on employee performance.

So you need to figure out what company culture you're in. If it's #1 then everything is probably fine and this was just your year to be rotated down. If it's #2 then you're right to be worried.
Can I propose a 3rd option? At the places I’ve worked, we’re supposed to rate employees on impact delivered during the review period. We are specifically not supposed to consider previous ratings or impact delivered in previous cycles when determining someone’s rating for the current period, and so some amount of oscillation is to be expected. This is unrelated to any quotas there may be.
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by tjtv »

Afty wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 3:10 pm
Can I propose a 3rd option? At the places I’ve worked, we’re supposed to rate employees on impact delivered during the review period. We are specifically not supposed to consider previous ratings or impact delivered in previous cycles when determining someone’s rating for the current period, and so some amount of oscillation is to be expected. This is unrelated to any quotas there may be.
Sure, that makes sense but I see it as really just a subset of #1. I didn't mean to imply that people's performance over the last year was not reflected in their performance review rating, just that there's a general view of which employees are high performers over the long term and assuming that person continues on that path they are given a high rating in some years and not other years as a way to spread the love around.

Contrast that to a company where trajectory is important - in that culture a rating drop is seen as catastrophic. It may not be instant PIP, but it's cause for serious concern. Even if the drop was from "high" to "medium" or "exceeds" to "meets" it causes alarm bells to start ringing.
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by DoubleComma »

yohac wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:02 am The downgrade may just be relative to your peers, or perhaps there was a directive to grade tougher this year. I would simply ask my boss where, if anywhere, he thinks I dropped the ball.
The verbal conversation with your direct manager is what really matters, unless you have a very low performance rating. Consistent would not be a "poor" rating in our organization. We strive for consistent.

I can't provide to many details as I don't chose to expose which mega corp I work for. But as a VP and member of the Sr Leadership Team and I can share something that isn't always understood by our teams, and is very contentious, even among the Sr. Leadership team.

We hate this...

1) If your performance rating has a very specific KPI(s) that measures success, for example sales quota, simply achieving or exceeding that quota doesn't automatically provide you a higher rating. We look at averages, median, standard deviations and set the performance bands accordingly. So if your target is X, but the group of peers who have the same or similar target perform at X+1 you would need to be at X+1+ to be better than than our mid-rating.
2) We set targets for % of workforce per rating category. For example, even if the company had record performance, only a specific % of the teams can be in the highest tranche, and each tranche from the mid point up has % assigned. A manager can always "grade harder" but never more generous. So if there are 5 tranches we might say Top = 10% next = 20% and mid = 60%. The lower two won't have a percentage set, math says there will be 10% of the org in these lower levels by default, but if its was higher the only discussion is why are they there and what are we doing to boost them up or out.
3) If the company had a very challenging year, people leaders at a certain grade and higher may be fully blocked from have a rating in the top tiers. This is because we want everyone to be attached to the overall performance and not just the little area the focus on.

This gets very contentious as you can imagine. But the reason I'm sharing is you shouldn't worry if you're rated in the mid-category. By design that is where the majority of an organization should be and each year it should be harder and harder to be in the higher categories in subsequent years as we continue to develop the team and raise the overall performance and the organization.
The Woodbutcher
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by The Woodbutcher »

I'm retired, but I did primarily for two, large corporations in my career. Both corporations used forced ranking systems and I bounced around quite a bit throughout my career. Fortunately, some of my best performance years were near the end of my career and the associated salary increases had a very positive impact on my pension (which I know I'm fortunate to have in the first place). I say this only to encourage you to keep striving to improve your performance.

One of the common things at both corporations is that the employees basically wrote their own performance reviews using a template provide by the corporations. I don't know if this is the case with your employer or not. If it is, don't minimize the importance of writing a good performamce review for yourself that makes it easier for your manager to represent you in ranking meetings (assuming that there are multiple groups represented by different managers falling under one rank group). This means that it is easy to read, concise, includes specific numerical accomplishments and contributions (cost savings, sales margin gains, etc.) that supports team goals and highlights the top 3-4 things that you accomplished during the review period. Your manager only has a few minutes to represent you and this will help him/her to do that well.

I was often asked to review or help others write their own reviews and I can honestly say that most of them were poorly written and showed a lack of effort and supporting documentation. Othertimes, I found that many people just didn't feel comfortable "tooting there own horn". That is a mistake and needs to be overcome.

Finally, I had some very nice managers that I sincerely liked. Unfortunately, "these nice guys/gals" often struggled to fight hard enough for their employees and this allowed other managers to rank their employees above theirs. This is especially true with a poorly written and documented review initially wriiten by the employee that didn't give these managers anything with witch to push back.
jaqenhghar
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by jaqenhghar »

sureshoe wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:19 pm
blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:48 am I know I need to receive feedback openly and listen carefully.
Plan ways to improve. Perhaps drill down.
Negative feedback is hard to receive, so good job recognizing you need to listen. Don't feel compelled to "answer" or "challenge" the feedback. As a manager, who is pretty tough, it makes me insane when I give people feedback and they argue or explain the behavior immediately. That doesn't mean my feedback is always correct, but if you have an explanation within 10 seconds, it tells me you're not really sitting and digesting it. So take AT LEAST 24 hours (if not 2-3 days or a full week) to really digest and understand. Then, instead of arguing - ASK QUESTIONS.

Boss: "I feel like your performance isn't where it used to be, you have lots of big ideas, but can't execute."
Instead of you replying: "But this was a big project I was asked to do and it was hopeless" (or whatever)
Focus on: "It sounds like there was not interest in the size of investment I proposed. Can you help me understand where I fell short on executing?" etc. Seek to understand your boss's point-of-view rather than disprove it.
But I really feel blindsided by this. :oops: I truly don't feel like my performance was any worse than last year, and in the back of my head, I thought there was some chance for promotion.
As others noted, this is a problem and a warning sign that you have a weak boss. I have given lots of bad reviews, and I have almost never had someone surprised. My org doesn't do annual reviews - we do quarterly check-ins, so that helps a bunch. But, I also encourage managers to do weekly or at least bi-weekly 1-1s. All performance feedback should be given in those sessions. The review, to me, is just about documenting formally the informal feedback the associate has been getting.

Recommendation for you in the future (at this company or others) is to actively ask questions that can't just be glossed over. Don't ask "Am I doing OK?" Ask more directly, "Do you see me as someone you can count on to take on more difficult challenges?" or "How would you assess the current state of my main project and my contribution to it?" Etc. Those flavors.
One or two thoughts:
- (Don't laugh) Boss doesn't 'like' me as much as last year, I've fallen from graces.
- Tech based company; I'm being given clear signal that I may be among the first to go if layoffs.
This is absolutely possible, but no reason to stress on it. Is what it is. You can't negotiate yourself into being liked. You can only question enough to understand where you stand.
blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:06 am "Calibrations" were done prior to review.

Would it be fair to ask boss about stack ratings, distribution of scores, and (possible) new company directives? I would rather her offer the information, of course - but if not, Perhaps some gentle probing (?)
"Calibrations" tie into what I was describing before (1-1s and quarterly feedback). Did you not get any warning there? Was it all positive? Or, did your boss just say "things are fine". The saying is "Damning with faint praise".

It is fair to ask about stack ranking and score distributions IN GENERAL. It is not fair or reasonable to say: "tell me where I rank compared to Joe, Lisa, Fred."

I think it's perfectly find to say to your boss, "I want to be viewed as a top contributor in this org, and this review makes me feel like you do not see me as such. Would you rank me in the top quartile of associates, or are our views different?" That's a very point-blank question, some bosses might not like it. You boss owes you to tell you where you stand. Lots of bosses are cowards and won't do it. They wait until once a year to slide in their indirect "you're OK but not great". Even good bosses struggle to give that direct feedback.

I had the vibe my boss and I were on the outs a couple years ago and I just told him that. "Hey, it feels like we're just talking different languages lately. Are there some things I'm doing (or not doing) that is rubbing you the wrong way." He unloaded on me. It was just a lot of unsaid things, we cleaned it up, and I still report to him with things going well.

Good luck. Use this as a time to look at yourself, but maybe you have a weak boss. If I ever got a bad review, I'd be job hunting. Always stuns me when I give a bad review and people don't quite. I certainly would.
As an individual contributor, I just wanted to say this post is brilliant and a good reminder to myself when reviews come around. The "you can't negotiate yourself into being liked" is perfectly said.
OpenMinded1
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by OpenMinded1 »

lthenderson wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:15 am A previous company I worked for told managers to grade everyone down to reduce the pay increases (based upon our reviews) and conserve money during tough times. This happened more than once. Fortunately my boss at the time was up front with it so it didn't worry me. After awhile though, I switched jobs to one that didn't play those games.
I've observed this also.
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by jabberwockOG »

sureshoe wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:19 pm
blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:48 am I know I need to receive feedback openly and listen carefully.
Plan ways to improve. Perhaps drill down.
Negative feedback is hard to receive, so good job recognizing you need to listen. Don't feel compelled to "answer" or "challenge" the feedback. As a manager, who is pretty tough, it makes me insane when I give people feedback and they argue or explain the behavior immediately. That doesn't mean my feedback is always correct, but if you have an explanation within 10 seconds, it tells me you're not really sitting and digesting it. So take AT LEAST 24 hours (if not 2-3 days or a full week) to really digest and understand. Then, instead of arguing - ASK QUESTIONS.

Boss: "I feel like your performance isn't where it used to be, you have lots of big ideas, but can't execute."
Instead of you replying: "But this was a big project I was asked to do and it was hopeless" (or whatever)
Focus on: "It sounds like there was not interest in the size of investment I proposed. Can you help me understand where I fell short on executing?" etc. Seek to understand your boss's point-of-view rather than disprove it.
But I really feel blindsided by this. :oops: I truly don't feel like my performance was any worse than last year, and in the back of my head, I thought there was some chance for promotion.
As others noted, this is a problem and a warning sign that you have a weak boss. I have given lots of bad reviews, and I have almost never had someone surprised. My org doesn't do annual reviews - we do quarterly check-ins, so that helps a bunch. But, I also encourage managers to do weekly or at least bi-weekly 1-1s. All performance feedback should be given in those sessions. The review, to me, is just about documenting formally the informal feedback the associate has been getting.

Recommendation for you in the future (at this company or others) is to actively ask questions that can't just be glossed over. Don't ask "Am I doing OK?" Ask more directly, "Do you see me as someone you can count on to take on more difficult challenges?" or "How would you assess the current state of my main project and my contribution to it?" Etc. Those flavors.
One or two thoughts:
- (Don't laugh) Boss doesn't 'like' me as much as last year, I've fallen from graces.
- Tech based company; I'm being given clear signal that I may be among the first to go if layoffs.
This is absolutely possible, but no reason to stress on it. Is what it is. You can't negotiate yourself into being liked. You can only question enough to understand where you stand.
blackcat allie wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:06 am "Calibrations" were done prior to review.

Would it be fair to ask boss about stack ratings, distribution of scores, and (possible) new company directives? I would rather her offer the information, of course - but if not, Perhaps some gentle probing (?)
"Calibrations" tie into what I was describing before (1-1s and quarterly feedback). Did you not get any warning there? Was it all positive? Or, did your boss just say "things are fine". The saying is "Damning with faint praise".

It is fair to ask about stack ranking and score distributions IN GENERAL. It is not fair or reasonable to say: "tell me where I rank compared to Joe, Lisa, Fred."

I think it's perfectly find to say to your boss, "I want to be viewed as a top contributor in this org, and this review makes me feel like you do not see me as such. Would you rank me in the top quartile of associates, or are our views different?" That's a very point-blank question, some bosses might not like it. You boss owes you to tell you where you stand. Lots of bosses are cowards and won't do it. They wait until once a year to slide in their indirect "you're OK but not great". Even good bosses struggle to give that direct feedback.

I had the vibe my boss and I were on the outs a couple years ago and I just told him that. "Hey, it feels like we're just talking different languages lately. Are there some things I'm doing (or not doing) that is rubbing you the wrong way." He unloaded on me. It was just a lot of unsaid things, we cleaned it up, and I still report to him with things going well.

Good luck. Use this as a time to look at yourself, but maybe you have a weak boss. If I ever got a bad review, I'd be job hunting. Always stuns me when I give a bad review and people don't quite. I certainly would.
100% agree. Great insight and advice.
YoungSisyphus
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by YoungSisyphus »

Perhaps this is too existential to be helpful, but it has taken me a couple years to come to terms with just being “average” at a company. I received a large promotion and the following year was ranked a “consistent” down from a 7 year streak of always being in the top quartile.

I realized that in the new waters I was swimming in I was a smaller fish and no matter what I did I wouldn’t rank the same way in the position I was in.

This really bothered me. There were other circumstances, but over the last year I have come to understand and accept this sentiment in myself: that I really, really do not care what a faceless mega-corporation thinks of me. Of course, I pride myself in doing good work and I will try my best. But for the longest time I was finding too much worth in being the ‘golden person’, so that when this “exceeds” is taken from me, now I suddenly feel “less than” as a person. Perhaps I am the odd man out in how much I internalize these reward systems, but it took me some time to reprogram myself in this regard. It has been liberating.

Now I think: ok so I am consistent, I’m still getting paid the same salary, and all the stress and energy I was putting in won’t be rewarded… ok, I’ll keep my energy per hour at a lower, consistent rate and decide to enjoy more days than not. Instead of torturing myself over how “proactive” I can be or how much new value I can bring, I try to focus on having a little more joy each day for myself. I don’t so much worry about the bosses inner thoughts, as long as I am not so awful as to be on the “outs”.

And frankly, people that do good/great work can still lose their jobs. Just look at the layoffs happening now. So I go back to my point of not giving so much power to faceless mega-corporations ambiguous people ranking system.
JD2775
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by JD2775 »

ClevrChico wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:44 am At most companies, you aren't going to get strong every year, as there is a quota on ratings. Higher level ratings get rotated around to make things fair and keep the peace. Performance reviews are mostly theater. Adjust your effort accordingly.

As others stated, only be concerned with negative ratings.
^ This, exactly.

I had literally 0 areas for improvement for this review, and a laundry list of positive feedback from my co-workers. Everything was "fantastic, and a great year" according to my manager. I ended up with Consistent (using the OP's ratings) rating. Meh. Cpl years ago I had Strong or Exceptional equivalent, I was no better than than I am now. They rotate them around to keep the peace because they are limited. I don't put any weight into these ratings anymore, unless they are negative
rebellovw
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by rebellovw »

Not every year can be a home run performance review year - my last great review - was likely 5 years ago - when I hit the top - Outstanding - 5.

I don't want every year to be an Outstanding 5 - that year was hard - I was on site with an important customer (Tech) - working weekends - bending over backwards to make them successful - and they were.

I'm now - Exceeds Expectations - and things are much more "chill" - I'm fine with that.
bwalling
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Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

Post by bwalling »

If you're blindsided by this, you work for a lousy leader and manager.
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