Preparing for Your Annual Performance Review

by David Bird, Product Marketing Manager
Halogen Software

More and more, healthcare facilities are implementing an annual performance review process for their health professionals. They are recognizing the value of these programs for supporting the ongoing development of their health professionals, for addressing succession and critical skill requirements, and for supporting staff satisfaction and retention.

If you’re new to the process, it’s important to know how to prepare for your review. The work you do upfront is important to your success. It will help make sure your supervisor has a broader picture of your performance and career goals, will foster dialogue, and will help you take charge of your career progression.

Here are some things you can do to prepare.

1.   Gather Supporting Information

Gather and review your job description and the goals, competencies and development plans identified for you at your last review or upon starting your position. Use these as the basis for preparing details on your accomplishments, strengths and development needs/interests.

Often, healthcare organizations have a requirement for employees to review their job description annually (in the event that it has changed). Confirmation that you’ve reviewed your job description is often verified in your performance review meeting.

You can also gather any regular reports you’ve created that contain details about performance highlights and milestones, as well as any challenges.

You might also want to review your organization’s mission, vision and values, as well as its strategic direction.

If you’re a new hire, or new in a role, make sure you have proof of having successfully completed your orientation.

If applicable, make sure you also have proof of the completion of any required competency assessments.

As required, gather any documentation to show you’ve completed all mandatory training and complied with required policies (e.g., TB test, flu shot), and to confirm that you’ve read and reviewed your facility’s policies and procedures/employee handbook.

If you have a previous performance review, review the feedback and ratings you were given. This can help you identify where and how you’ve grown or developed over the last period.

2.   Review Any Performance Journal Notes

Keeping an ongoing journal of your performance details, highlights and challenges is always a great idea. It’s easy enough to recall performance details for the last month, but tougher to do for the last year unless you’ve kept notes on a regular basis. If you haven’t kept journal notes in the past, start now.

If you have kept notes, review them and look for trends, particular strengths that should be recognized, common situations you find challenging, areas where you need to develop your skills, areas of interest or strengths you’d like to pursue, etc.

Having this detail at hand will help you and your supervisor get a broader, more objective view of your performance over the entire period, and avoid being biased by recent events. It will also make it easier to define appropriate development plans for you and will help make preparation for your next performance review faster and easier.

3.   Prepare a Summary of Your Key Accomplishments

Using the materials you gathered in steps 1 and 2 as background, prepare a list of your accomplishments. Make sure you capture “how” not just “what” you accomplished, and relate things to your goals and any appropriate higher level organizational goals. Consider also how they contribute to your facility’s strategic direction and mission, vision and values. You should also make note of any training or development activities you completed.

Do make sure that you give your supervisor any important contextual details they need to understand your performance. Just make sure you keep the details fairly brief; this list shouldn’t take the place of a performance journal. You should also identify any challenges that stood in the way of your success, and any support you received from others.

Again, make sure you look at your performance over the whole review period. It’s a common mistake to focus primarily on the last few months and forget about earlier activities. You should also be mindful of highlighting things your supervisor may not be aware of – they can’t be at your side all the time and will have gaps in their knowledge of your performance.

Finally, gather any notes of appreciation, emails, certificates of recognition, awards, etc. that document exemplary performance since your last review. You should also gather any communications that identify challenges or problems with knowledge and performance.

You can use this information as background for your discussion with your supervisor during your performance review meeting, or even submit it to your supervisor before your review, to help them in their preparation.

4.   Do a Self-Evaluation

It’s always a good idea to complete a self-evaluation before your performance review, even if your healthcare facility doesn’t formally conduct them. Ideally, you should use the same form your supervisor will be using for your performance review. Go through each section, and rate your performance as honestly as you can. The goal is not to campaign for better ratings, but to share your assessment of your performance with your supervisor before your review meeting. Use the details from your performance journal and list of accomplishments to help you do this, and to provide summaries of your performance of goals as appropriate.

Ideally, you should share your self-evaluation with your supervisor before your review meeting. It will help them prepare and flag any differences in perception in advance. But you can always just bring your self-evaluation to your meeting and use it as reference.

5.   Prepare a List of Areas for Development

In reviewing your job description, competencies, goals, performance journal notes, list of accomplishments, etc, identify any areas where you felt you struggled, or where others may have noted your performance lacked, and make note of these.

You should also identify any areas where you would like to further expand your skills/experience/expertise as part of your professional development and career growth.

Be honest about any struggles when you meet your supervisor. Be ready to ask for the coaching, mentoring, training, or support you need to develop and improve.

You should also think about your career aspirations and be ready to discuss them with your supervisor. Identify the skills/knowledge/experience you want to further develop to help you achieve these goals.

6.   Write Objectives for the Coming Period

You don’t have to wait for your supervisor to set your objectives for you. Be proactive and draft some possible objectives based on your job description, your skills/experience/abilities, and your department or the organization’s higher level goals. Make sure you consider your facility’s strategic direction, and mission, vision and values to ensure you’re aligned with the organization. In drafting your objectives, look for opportunities to expand your duties, broaden your knowledge, or take on more responsibility. You can review and refine these in your meeting with your supervisor.

7.   Share Your Preparations With Your Supervisor

If possible, share the materials you’ve prepared with your supervisor before your performance review meeting. They will help them prepare for your meeting more effectively and encourage a more meaningful two-way dialogue. Sharing the materials in advance helps avoid surprises in the review meeting if you and your supervisor have different views on your performance.

8.   Prepare an Open Mind

Often we come to our performance review meeting with our supervisor feeling a bit defensive. We’re bracing ourselves to hear criticism, or we’re jockeying for ratings/positioning that impact our position in the organization. Unfortunately, when we’re defensive, we don’t listen very well.

Prepare yourself for your performance review meeting with your supervisor by adopting a positive, open attitude and letting go of any defensiveness you’re aware of.

Conclusion

It’s your career! You have the power and the responsibility to manage your own performance and ensure your ongoing development and progression. Make the most of the opportunity your performance review offers to make your contributions known and to get fair, meaningful feedback and direction that helps you grow as a health professional. Proper preparation and participation in the process can help ensure that.

About the Author

David Bird is Product Marketing Manager at Halogen Software (www.halogensoftware.com), a provider of talent management solutions for the healthcare market. He can be reached at (613) 270-1011 ext 271 or at dbird@halogensoftware.com