As a manager, this is a busy time of year. Besides normal project work and recruiting activities, it is performance review time. All 56 consultants receive a mid-year and end-of-year review. With three direct reports, I set aside a fair amount of time for completion of reviews.
Performance reviews are a new experience for new hires straight out of college. This isn’t a class grade or an exam. This is an evaluation of your performance with respect to three primary areas: Corporate Competencies (apply to everyone in the company), Functional Responsibilities (based on your job description), and Personalized Goals. Employee reviews are an opportunity to learn where you are doing well and where you have growth opportunities. This is valuable feedback to allow you to learn where your focus areas should be for your ongoing career growth.
While a performance review is a formal process, my goal as a supervisor is to ensure that what one hears during a performance review is not a surprise. In other words, if I’m doing my job, my direct reports should have heard both my positive feedback and my input on growth areas before we meet to have a formal performance review. As a consultant, you should expect to here both positive as well as constructive feedback, as appropriate. You should be soliciting feedback from those you work from – without such input, how can one continue to improve and grow?
I’m often surprised by the reaction of newer consultants to such feedback. There tends to be a natural response of most people to take feedback personally and/or defensively. I encourage you to look at feedback in this light – the objectives of the individual providing you feedback is 1) to provide a quality product of value to the client and 2) to give you the opportunity to learn how to do your job better and to assist in the first goal. In most cases, there is nothing personal about it – except for the aspiration for you to continue to grow and succeed.