ON-THE-JOB SPECIAL...How to ready yourself for the appraisal meet

How to ready yourself for the appraisal meet 

During the annual interaction with your superiors at workplace, it is important to read between the lines and leverage it in order to ensure career growth and rightful compensation.

    Aperformance appraisal is meant to help employees realise their strengths and shortcomings and receive a compensation accordingly. However, since most of us dread unpleasant interactions with our bosses and abhor the idea of being measured, the process has turned out to be a much maligned event in the calendar. So, how do you ready yourself for the inevitable?
    First, chalk out what you want to write in the pre-appraisal form. This is not the time to be a wall flower. You owe it to yourself to record all your achievements and present the best picture on record. Your self-appraisal helps the boss fill in gaps in his evaluation and overcome the bias of recent events.
    Next comes the ‘make or break’ appraisal meeting. The chat will fall into one of the following five categories and calls for different strategies for the best outcome.
The ‘you are the best’ talk
You are a star performer and your boss has acknowledged your contribution. Now, you need to figure out the responsibilities that you would like to shoulder in the coming year. You should be asking for a promotion or at least an opportunity to make a greater impact in the organisation. Don’t be shy to suggest a lateral move to assume another role or geography that holds better opportunities. The company is likely to prefer to keep you happy rather than have you seek a better deal outside. However, based on official guidelines, the increment offered to you may not match your expectations. So, press your case or ask for alternatives, such as an award—‘manager of the year’ or a ‘fast track’ training programme. Both add to your resume.
The ‘you messed up and I know it’ talk
You have probably missed the targets set in the previous year, taken some wrong decisions or have been part of a failed project. Will you be asked to plan a gracious exit from the firm or will you get a chance to redeem yourself? If there is no discussion on areas of improvement, you may be let go as soon as a viable replacement is recruited. If the conversation steers to what could be done to better it, the firm wants to know if you are lacking in attitude or training. If you are truly uninspired by your work, you are better off elsewhere. Explore other options within the firm and discuss it with your boss. If the attitude is right, but the skills are lacking, figure out the kind of training or exposure that would help you overcome the handicap. Be open to feedback and input on the possible corrective actions that you could take.
The ‘do you even exist?’ talk
You have probably spoken to your superviser five times in the past 12 months. This is a sure indication that your output does not figure in your boss’ KRAs and he is barely aware of what you do and how. It is critical that your conversation brings out the big picture about how your contribution matters to the firm and how your achievements surpass expectations. Bring in additional data to the table in terms of industry or past benchmarks. Leverage this data to get a better compensation for your efforts and ask for more  relevant responsibilities for the next year.
The ‘you are average but continue working hard’ talk
The boss starts speaking about the tough times the company is going through and how both promotions and increments this year are below expectations. However, he lists out a couple of your achievements and believes that you have it in you to improve upon them in the future. The message is that your performance is average and the organisation is happy to see you continue in that role. This is a cue to ask about the milestones in the previous year that would have classified you as an extraordinary performer. Analyse your boss’ response to frame the goals for the next year. Ask for projects or additional responsibilities that would give you the chance to shine, or for training that would help you bridge the gap.
The ‘everyone is too good to be true’ talk
If your boss dislikes the slightest hint of confrontation, expect no constructive feedback. Like everyone else, you too will hear how wonderful your performance has been and how lucky the team is to have you on board. You know that you will receive the same increment as everyone else and the promotion, if any, will be given out on seniority. In such a case, display all the written commendations that you have received from your manager’s boss, clients, etc.
    Ask for a fair deal, not an average one, when it comes to compensation or promotion. Your persistence could tilt the scales in your favour. Keep an eye out for opportunities to work with other bosses in the organisation since only your seniority counts in present team and underperformers will continue to coast along on the unrewarded efforts of over-achievers.
The writer is an alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad and CEO of Quetzal Verify, an HR solutions company.

DEVASHISH CHAKRAVARTY ET130211