Three Dos And Don’ts After You Get A Bad Performance Review

Three Dos And Don’ts After You Get A Bad Performance Review

Performance reviews are already stressful, but when you get told that you’re not doing so hot, it’s even worse. Here are three things you should do after your assessment and three things you shouldn’t.

Photo by Russell James Smith

A bad performance review can send you in a downward spiral — especially if you feel like it’s inaccurate — but there are still a few good ways to keep your head up and move forward. Carolyn O’Hara at the Harvard Business Review recommends you keep these principles in mind:

Do:

  • Ask questions and get clarifications — it’s critical to understand the specific ways you can improve
  • Take the initiative to make a detailed plan of action
  • Remember to see the value in feedback — it can be a springboard for positive change



Don’t:

  • Get angry or argue with the feedback — you’ll only make things worse
  • Turn only to sympathetic friends to vent — you also need honest mirrors to make sense of the review
  • Consider the review the final word — how you react to the feedback is far more important

A bad performance review is not the end of the world, and it’s not the end of your career either. It just means that you have things to work on and that’s OK. Dealing with a negative review is difficult, but if you keep these three dos and don’ts in mind, you can make it a positive launchpad for the new and improved you.

What to do After a Bad Performance Review [Harvard Business Review]


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