The dreaded performance review

Is the performance review dreaded, or is it really an opportunity to state your case? If you have a poor manager, an overbearing manager, a micro manager or just plain old incompetent manager - here is your chance.

I look forward to a performance review but in all reality I don't get many opportunities in the workplace I am employed as they just don't perform performance reviews. Now they should as it is the state government that pays my salary and it is mandated in the public service code of conduct that a performance review is to be performed at least annually - it isn't.

In the nine years I have been employed in the job, I have received just one performance review and although it was supposed to last an hour, I turned it into a two-hour meeting much to my manager's discomfort. The role of the performance is to naturally review your performance but it shouldn't descend into a chance for your manager to just direct criticism at you - this is generally what happens though.

The purpose of the performance review is to see how your job can be performed more efficiently, what your manager can do so you can increase your productivity, what problems they can sort out, what training you need and what systems can be improved. With the exceptions of the best managers, this generally doesn't happen, if this was indeed the case, the performance review wouldn't be dreaded.