Recovering From a Negative Review
Answered by Suzanne Morgan
Question:
I've received a negative review from my boss. My feelings are a bit hurt and I was a bit defensive in our meeting. But I mostly agree with her criticisms and want to clean up my record. How should I handle this?
Answer:
Chin up! No one's perfect. The important thing is that you can admit your flaws and are willing to work on them. If your superior reprimanded you for a mistake or poor performance, take a visible and active role in improving your record:
- Tell your boss that you are interested in resolving the problem and are taking steps to do so.
- Outline some concrete ways to improve your performance.
- Present this outline to your boss.
- Ask for feedback on your plan and ask what else you need to do to improve the situation.
- Obtain agreement on a plan.
- Follow the plan. Track the changes and improvements you have made.
- Use the documentation to show how you've resolved the issue.
- Ask your boss if she agrees that you've made progress.
- If so, ask her to document the improvements for your files and ask for suggestions for continuous improvement.