[Closed] Performance Review at work, not got much positive to say... how to play it?

Walk in, jump on the desk, drop trou and urinate wildly in all directions. That'll learn em 🙂

Say it bt do it gently

" I was hoping do do more of blah blah blah but the needs of the company have been that I have ended up doing blah instead"

"I feel I have more to offer in that I could take on more of the blah and balh rather than spend much of my time doing blah"

so gently and positivly but do it

Try and be positive, play the game for now, then jump ship as soon as an opportunity presents itself.

marketing strategy role ...

You stick your neck out at this economy climate you get chop if you cannot meet the target and perhaps the other person does not know that s/he is up for the chop if s/he cannot meet the target.

Now is not the time ...

Pretty straight forward.

This is what I'm doing and how I'm spending my time. However, I think you could also get better value for what you are paying me by asking me to deal with this, that and the other, which I am very well qualified to do.

Probably from the sound of it you may well be a threat to your immediate boss, so its important not to increase that threat to her, but to get the message across positively and from preference as if it were her idea. Of course it wouldn't harm at all if you could also subtley drop it to her boss that shes not making good use of her resources.

Whatever, don't leave it to fester, and try to retain your integrity without damaging your reputation.

take the money and ruin sounds like it is apiece of piss and spend your time on STW bitching

What the others say and dosumnet whne you object and get told to JFDI so they cant bash you over th ehead for failling to do th job description because they mad eyou do something else

take the money and ruin

Typo du jour! 🙂

Probably from the sound of it you may well be a threat to your immediate boss,

explain how you've come to this conclusion from what I wrote?

My last job my boss told me he felt threatened by me so it's a recurring theme... I work hard to do a good job and I'm told I'm pretty insightful but in no way do I try and succeed at anyone else's expense so I'm not trying to threaten or otherwise undermine my boss...

Performance reviews are a see-saw: it's either going great, or it isn't.

Given you're contracting, I'm amazed anyone's bothering with a review - this needs to be all about what the role should be if you go permanent. Telling them you're bored and overpaid will assist their decision making greatly. Telling them how you wish to shape the role should you become permanent will at least show them what they could have won when you inevitably leave.

Jobs are rarely about what you know, but how well you get on with those around you.

I think the point was is your boss doing the sort of things you thought you'd be doing (and if not is anyone?). Tricky situation but as per TJ just make sure you get your point across constructively

Keep schtum, take the money until you find something better.
You've already tried to improve things, keep pressing and the bossmanlady will clear you out of the ruck.

explain how you've come to this conclusion from what I wrote?

I tend to operate on the basis that everyone behaves rationally according to the world as they see it. From what you are saying your immediate bosses behaviour is not rational. So then its a question of what would make it rational. 35 years experience as a senior manager tells me that the most likely conclusion is the one I've come to, i.e. somewhere between incompetence and the fear of being found out. Might very well be wrong, but from your last post that I'm now answering I'll bet you a pound to a pinch of snuff that I'm not very far away.

Edit: If thats not clear, think Peter Principle, i.e. people get promoted to their own level of incomptence, i.e. you get moved up every time you perfrom really well until you don't then you stay there. Its not at all unusual to find someone occupying a chair thats just too big for their backside, and too scared to admit it. So what do they do? Try to ensure that no one highlights it.

SO

You like to get paid for "THINKING"

BUT

You object when they want you to actually "DO" things.

you're contracting and you have a job description & you're having performance reviews?

*cough*IR35*cough*

SO

You like to get paid for "THINKING"

BUT

You object when they want you to actually "DO" things.

Well if you are at a senior level either recruit someone to do the work you don't think is part of your role or 'find' someone within the company who is looking for a development opportunity and wants to learn more about your area.

I wouldn't bother your manager about complaining about it, just sort it out yourself and tell her what you have done about it. It is what I would expect from my team.

you're contracting and you have a job description & you're having performance reviews?

*cough*IR35*cough*

Yes, it sounds a little odd to me too.

Its not at all unusual to find someone occupying a chair thats just too big for their backside, and too scared to admit it.

Spot on IME. My boss I think can do a lot of her job very well, but I don't think she believes it herself. Without meaning to I seem to trigger her insecurity (as I said, I don't intend for my gain to come at her loss). This is a recurring pattern I've experienced over the last few years and am struggling to find a way to stop it happening - I can't hide my ability can I? and I can't control their negative reaction...

Someone explain IR35 to me, I don't see how it's relevant. I;'m on payroll with the company that manages my employer's recruitment, not self employed or have my own company. I'm not invoicing, I fill in timesheets...

if you intimidate your boss either you are 7ft tall and bring an axe to work or you are actually competent and they are less than...

Someone explain IR35 to me, I don't see how it's relevant. I;'m on payroll with the company that manages my employer's recruitment, not self employed or have my own company. I'm not invoicing, I fill in timesheets...

Fair enough then.

Spot on IME

So if you aren't secure, but want to stay there, the way forward is to make her feel and look good. Don't worry, if her boss has got anything about them they'll figure it out. Just don't rock her boat until you have to and are sure of your position. Right now shes in a corner, and there is only way for her to go which is out with teeth bared and snarling.

My contract is due to end in 3 months, although there's prob the opportunity to extend, and I'm about to apply for a position in the Corporate Strategy team. I have to ask her permission so should be interesting to see her reaction...
I guess it'll either be relief (she no longer has to cope with me being around) or she'll try to block it in a passive aggressive way as it feels like rejection...

sorry, wrong end of the stick. One of the benefits of being a contractor is no more performance review!

Fuzzhead, my thinking too. Unless done honestly they're worth nothing and prob do a lot of damage by breaking the trust between employer and employee...

This company use contracting to try people out for perm roles. Which overall I think is a good idea. In situations like this it means you can leave, which would be much harder to do in a perm situation

Amusingly enough we have Silver Investors in People status 😕

This all looks too familiar. If you've let it get to the point where you have not met your objectives and you have a performance review you have failed as a manager. If you are a senior manager you get paid to be able to deal with these problems. Not ask on a mountain biking forum what to do! Sorry to be harsh. Perhaps you are stretching yourself tot far and may want to consider an easier job with less stress.

Micky. I take your point.
however I've already raised the point that my time is being mis-allocated but was told to get on with it.
it's not even in my job description.
Not sure what else I can do other than escalate to Head of Dept or HR which would just cause conflict cos someone has to do this stuff (and no-one wants to). I suspect I'd be seen as creating a problem.

The role I applied for I think I would be fine in senior position, but the reality of the role is it's hugely different from the job description and my skills... I've raised this and nothing's changed... having spoken to another senior manager on the team who knows what the role should be, his view was they have the job desc wrong...

it's a bit like having a pop at Steve Peat for not outrunning Usain Bolt... response would be along the lines of 'what do you expect, i never said i was any good at that...'

You are not head of department and you talk of doing tasks 2 ranks below you and being a senior manager? That suggests 4 or more ranks/positions in your department. Your company sounds like the company I work for. There are so many "Managers" that in truth only the top tier has any control/influence and the others just tend to be high level administrators with fancy job titles. Even shite house attendants now are called Hygiene Maintenance Managers. What is it with job titles now? Are you not able to delegate? Remember that successful delegation should be an opportunity for the individual to develop/improve themselves rather than you offloading an unpleasant job.

I understand about delegation, I've managed a number of people over the years and almost all of them have been promoted. It's something I'm quite proud about.
Which is also why this situation bothers me. I know that motivating people means giving them challenging tasks and that if you give somebody something menial, you'll demotivate them and you can hardly complain if they don't enjoy doign it.
Whats happened here infact is that the admin task has been delegated upwards... I suspect it's easier to give it 'to the temp' than to a perm person...
And my job title, yes. A few years ago it would have a been a manager role. I'd be quite happy with that

Yes OK I see your problem. Your Appraisal/PAR should have a section after your objectives where it says "I will help you by ..." and your manager lists what he/she will do to assist you. It would be a poor appraisal if it did not! This would be a perfect time for you to put forward what you would like and you will have it in writing for next time. This could be worked to your advantage if you play it right. Good luck!

My last review: "Do you have the support of your manager?"

My reply: "My management interaction endangers my motivation"

Nobody has batted an eyelid. I don't think anyone has reviewed or read it yet.

so your so busy doing something else that you have nt done much of what your supposed to be from what i understand.. frankly it seems like you have delegation issues and should invest a little time in understanding how it is you came to be so distracted from your role that your paid to do and have so easily settled into a role that is sevral pay scales lower.. which should i be paying you for.. an edit of a converstaion i had once with a high flyer who had nt achieved many of his objectives as he'd let himself be distracted.. came as a surprise apparently that he got a D for his efforts but would have had a B in the role he was performing..

an edit of a converstaion i had once with a high flyer who had nt achieved many of his objectives as he'd let himself be distracted.. came as a surprise apparently that he got a D for his efforts but would have had a B in the role he was performing..

But then there should be no surprises in a review, if it's done correctly. Any short comings in preformance should be dealt with way before review time. Likewise, if an employee is shining then new objectives / a new role should be determined.

Go postal.

No one pays any attention to staff reviews. If you are doing someone else's job then who is doing your "strategy" job? Your boss? Boss not moving on is the problem IMO