5 Things to Avoid During Appraisal Discussions

With another financial year coming to an end, it is that time of the month when you are busy with filling appraisal forms or preparing a presentation of significant achievements. While the hiring managers resort to performance reviews given by the team leaders to decide whether you deserve a hike, a lot is still in your hands when it comes to getting a rise in paycheck. Whether you get a hefty rise or not is never dependent only on the performance report, but also on how you present yourself during the appraisal meeting. At the heart of this meeting would only be a single question: 'What you have done and how it contributed to the company's goals?' Giving precise answers can only help you get an inch closer to the list of employees who are going to get appraisals. This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate why you deserve a hike but still many employees fail to make full use of it and end up committing the following mistakes.

Do not appear emotional.

Although office-politics can be disturbing and is not in your hands, the HR might be biased towards your colleague for reasons unknown. Not only this, he can even go on pointing out some grave errors that you made in the past few months just to see your reaction. The discussion topic could be the smallest issue, but it could be mentally disturbing. Don't panic and never let tears come up in your eyes. Instead, face it with an optimistic attitude and try to give a brief on how you handled the entire situation. Just don't get into a heated argument.

Never show fear of the discussion.

While it's impossible to predict what would be the questions of discussion, do not let this get on your nerves. Anticipating more about the meeting just because you heard a colleague you are close with got a negative response would only add up to nervousness. Be willing to discuss your triumphs and failures. Always remember, appraisal meetings are a win-win for both bosses and employees. It tells where they currently stand and what steps are needed in the future to achieve the company's vision.

Do not go unprepared.

Have you ever gone to an exam unprepared? Obviously, not. Similarly, when you are going to discuss the appraisal, why not put in extra efforts to get that data prepared which shows you as an exemplary performer? Attending these discussions without any former preparation creates a negative impression in the minds of the HR as well as derails your career progress track. It could screw up the meeting if you cannot give satisfactory answers to the questions pertaining to errors or reasons behind the failure of a project.

Take criticism positively – Avoid the blame game.

Whether you get an appraisal or not lies finally with the management's decision but never blame the biased attitude or a specific colleague for a negative response. The words you whisper in the ear of a person sitting next to your desk could reach the ears of the hiring manager within a few minutes. Instead, take responsibility for the blunders you committed and ask for feedback. Take efforts to know if the project could have been completed alternatively that you did not think of and use it to rectify the errors so that you know what is being expected the next time a similar project comes from a different client.

Do not talk excessively.

While boasting about your spectacular achievements might be your motto of this discussion, this is an interactive dialogue between you and your manager. Do not make it sound like a monologue where only you have babbled incessantly about all things you have done to complete projects or get new clients. Once you have listed all accomplishments, wait for a feedback and show readiness to know what the hiring manager thinks.

Even if appraisal meetings are in sync with career growth, there is much more to it than they actually look. There are workplace environments where an appraisal discussion is only concerned with the question - 'Did you meet the sales target or not' where an employee would be expected to give a binary yes-no answer and that is the end of it. If given a chance to talk about your performance in such meetings, go fully prepared and make the most out of it by avoiding the silly mistakes stated above. It's not about getting a higher compensation, but improving performance and moving closer towards success.