As companies contend with increased competition, limited resources, and economic uncertainty, employee performance reviews may seem like a quaint relic of an earlier era – particularly with a remote workforce and limited in-person interaction between senior managers and their staff members.
However, yearly performance reviews – whether physical or virtual, standardized or informal – remain a fundamental tool used by organizations of all sizes to assess employees, refine strategy, and guide decisions about pay raises. In fact, when crises or curveballs vie for the attention of an already overwhelmed C-suite, it’s more important than ever for legal and compliance professionals to highlight their accomplishments, demonstrate their value, and advocate for greater responsibility and recognition.
For individuals in those roles, here are 6 ways to generate meaningful and actionable feedback, advance career and compensation goals, and develop relationships that can optimize the potential of the annual performance review.
1. Build a relationship throughout the year with the individual who evaluates you.
Ideally, a yearly performance review should serve as the culmination of a series of discussions you’ve initiated throughout the year. To that end, make it a point to update your evaluator on a regular basis about personal and departmental accomplishments and contributions, rather than waiting until the formal review. Depending on the company’s culture or your work arrangement, schedule monthly or quarterly meetings, put a recurring virtual chat on the calendar, or stop by their office to check in. In all cases, these conversations should be informational, and not appear self-serving in any respect.
Regular meetings will also help prepare you mentally for the annual review, nurture a productive relationship, and identify areas that may need attention earlier rather than later. Frequent check-ins are opportunities for real-time feedback and midcourse adjustments, not only in terms of your goals. Carving out time for productive, focused discussions is particularly important if you’re working remotely, or if your reviewer is working remotely. When you reach out to offer updates and pinpoint areas where you may need support or clarity, you build rapport and trust while contributing to a culture of improvement.
2. Keep track of your performance factors.
As you communicate with your manager throughout the year, it’s important to document the following performance factors:
- Key accomplishments measured against your assigned annual goals
- Specific examples of how you have achieved those goals
- Quantifiable value that you (or your team) brought to the organization
- Suggested goals for the upcoming year
If you keep a running list of your accomplishments over the course of the year, it will help you to prepare for your final review. Depending on the personal dynamics with your reviewer, it may be effective to send a self-evaluation to the reviewer in advance of the meeting. Because it’s not incumbent upon them to recall the details of what you shared with them throughout the year, that agenda could serve as a factual framework for the discussion. Your self-evaluation can identify your accomplishments against your assigned or agreed-upon goals, focusing on your success in the work environment you maintain, whether it’s on-site, remote, or hybrid.
3. Nurture relationships with business leaders, the C-suite, and board members.
As a leader or member of the legal or compliance team, you are being evaluated by those outside your department through interactions with them in the normal course of business or while serving on cross-functional teams. It’s essential to devote time and effort to these relationships and demonstrate to colleagues how you add value and help them reach their goals. Remember, the tenor of comments that colleagues share about you will influence your reviewer’s perception and evaluation. Take the time throughout the year to connect with other senior business and functional leaders to ensure you’re addressing their needs and concerns, identifying risks, and aligning with their efforts. If you’re not based in the same office, arrange coffee dates or virtual meetings to ensure these colleagues associate a face and skill set with the name they see in the Cc field.
4. Connect your role to corporate strategy during the formal review.
At your formal performance review, be prepared to focus on and discuss your accomplishments, quantifiable value, and goals. By presenting this information and connecting it to the overall corporate strategy, you will position yourself as a valuable business partner as well as an attorney or compliance expert. Even as a member of the legal or compliance team, you can keep the company’s overall goals aligned with your own and increase your stature as a strategic advisor.
Be prepared to address what you’ve accomplished based on your goals, but also highlight how you’ve helped the company and your department adapt to unexpected challenges or downturns. Define for your reviewer how you succeeded in shifting course, adjusting strategy, or redefining priorities. Also identify any current or future challenges and opportunities you see on the horizon, and explain how you might help address those issues.
5. Avoid potential pitfalls of constructive criticism.
Feedback, whether positive, constructive, or negative, is a gift. It provides valuable insights to help you grow, improve, and succeed. Embrace it as an opportunity to learn.
If the performance review does not go as planned, and focuses more on your shortcomings, keep in mind the goal is to advocate for personal development and for the success of your department and company. In response to any negative or constructive remarks from your reviewer, it’s very important to:
- Avoid being defensive or argumentative
- Assume your reviewer’s critique is based on honorable intentions
- Ask for feedback that will help you understand areas for improvement
How you react to feedback and constructive criticism is extremely important. Respond with comments such as, “help me understand,” or “it would be helpful to know more,” to delve into specific examples or areas of concern. Make this an important learning opportunity both to improve your performance and to advance your career.
6. End the review with positive impact.
The most meaningful use of the performance review is to create a continuous learning process with the goal of helping you achieve long-term success. To take your career to the next stage, ask these questions at the end of the review:
- What would you like me to focus on to support the company’s objectives?
- How can I best continue to support you and make your job easier?
- How can I add the most value in the coming year?
Answers to these questions will chart the course for improved performance and personal development, resulting in an even stronger review next year. If you feel you would benefit from outside assistance in reaching your goals, consider engaging an experienced executive coach who can provide objective guidance and positive reinforcement to help advance your career. Learn more about BarkerGilmore’s executive coaching and leadership training opportunities here.
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