to think you can't come back from a bad performance review?

[Figamol]

Short version, 1st annual review at very male global company. I have a very demanding frequently unreasonable big boss but who has always complimented my work although does get irritated at processes and timings that are out of my control. But I always take the blame as he never wanted to listen to why and it never seemed a big deal.

My line managers always shrug off his behaviour as his usual difficult self and I never had any indication that anything was up. In fact the opposite - the end result of my work has been of a high standard that has always made him look good and he is not good at compliments but has sometimes said so. And I often have to complete work in a telepathic manner as he never gives any input directly - it always comes through my line manger.

I get a lot of compliments from the wider company and would have great feedback from any other stakeholder in the business.

Roll on December I made a mistake that he blew a top about, but it had no financial or legal impact, more one on his ego. I apologised and he accepted. Unfortunately it was the same week as our performance reviews started.

This week I got my two scores. The one for goals being the lowest you can get and the one for behaviour a good mark. I had 12 goals and 9 of them I met or exceeded expectations. 3 of them I got the lowest mark.You would imagine I would get a score on the average. But no - I got the lowest mark you can get with feedback from the top basically saying I don't understand my bosses style. I do, its volatile ;) And also the reasons my mark was so low don't correspond to my goals in any way.

Its all very contradictory and thoroughly confusing.

The lowest mark means no bonus and you're effectively on your way out. I have some pride and the self esteem is taking a big knock. The worst case scenario I can cope with - its not an industry I want to be in.

Trouble is I havent been put on a performance plan, its clear Im not fired (yet).And he also put me forward for a visible project on behalf of the region.

Are they sending a sign to look for something else? Or are they using cynical tactics to distribute their rankings and avoid paying a bonus.

I don't understand big company culture and could really do with some advice here.

In the short term I need to stay - it would put us in big difficulty without my salary. Could I up my game and fight to stay? Maybe, I can definitely hold the mirror up and find some ways to improve, but he has the character of someone that you can never please and who holds small mistakes against you. Would it be worth the effort knowing that I could wipe it out with a few spelling mistakes one day? Do I pull up my line managers on how it got to this point? Surely a score like that shouldn't come as such a surprise, as it did? How come I thought things were going ok and was seemingly so far off the mark?

Happy to hear what anyone else would do in my shoes. Im off sick for two days with the flu (nice timing) and genuinely don't know how to handle the next meeting with my line manger :(

Personally I can’t be doing with all the shenanigans and shifting goalposts, and I’d look very hard for a new job. Who knows what they’re up to - I can’t abide bosses like that. I think you’ll be chasing your tail the whole time you’re there.

Well I have known people come back from poor reviews but honestly this sounds like an issue with your boss. I think you have a few options:

1. Start looking for something else ASAP. He sounds like a tool.
2. If you have factual evidence that you actually met all the goals bar a couple, go to HR and ask them to look in to your performance review as you don't understand the ratings. You may get your bonus back but you will need to be tough for a while and be prepared for a difficult working environment. However your boss sounds like he needs a kick from hr.
3. Play the suck up game. Sit with your boss and say you want to do well and can he help you. Get him to commit to exactly what you need to do then make sure you have proof of doing it. Gather positive feedback from others.

Or a combination of the above. I would probably do 1.

I think you can come back from a performance review that's less than glowing IF you've been given feedback (or asked for) abput what and where they are looking for change, and by when. That's a constructive, respectful conversation. If you don't or cant get this feedback it speaks volumes about the spirit in which feedback is given - ie constructive,

I'd ask for a meeting to discuss and set goals for progress. This should be easy if you're good at your job - you sound it - and I think is key so boss/wanker knows you're not cowed by this and can front up to him.

Big girl pants, deep breath. You might not want to stay in the industry but right now this is your job, and you've got this!!

Read about workplace psychopaths, think it is Kevin Dutton who studies & writes on this.

Two comments

• does your appraisal not include feedback from colleagues and other managers ? I would expect if your bonus is linked to it that you get feedback from colleagues and other managers who have been involved in projects. If you don’t have any I would email people asking for feedback.

• if you want to stay - fight for it and be assertive. With managers like that you need to manage up. I would ensure you have regular 1:1s and agree the actions outputs for the next week. Follow up with an email confirming the discussion. The following week send an update On the actions whats been completed etc and next weeks actions.

I would ensure you capture notes and email them weekly to ‘confirm your understanding’ and that way you can prove that you have delivered.

Thanks all. Some good advice there.

A think a short term to be quiet and plan to makes changes decided along with them is best. I don't have the energy to look for another job right now. Must be the January feeling....

I already do send a weekly email on what Ive achieved and what Im working on. Yes there was very good feedback - but my bosses opinion overrides it all apparently.

Fighting is pointless - my boss brings in billions and Im like a tiny ant. He is the truest definition of a narcissist/manchild but his seniority of a massive global company seems to make people feel like in awe of him or something.

Its a fallacy that HR are interested in anything other than best interests of the company and I would not do anything legal anyway. I live in a small town - its best to do things quietly!

Something similar happened to me about 16 years ago.

I had met or exceeded all of my targets and yet I was given a ‘needs improvement’ grading. My boss had broken all the ‘rules’ about appraisal grading but didn’t care. Basically, the department wanted to ‘shed excess numbers’ and I was the lucky one singled out in my team.

I was the only woman in a very male-dominated department (engineering) and was never ‘one of the lads’. My face didn’t fit. In all fairness, though, I’d lost a lot of motivation as I’d seen a lot of our business go to other sites and I could see the writing on the wall.

I went through the grievance process but management closed ranks. In the end I negotiated a nice settlement agreement which funded my PGCE.

Three months after I left they announced the site was closing. I guess my lack of willingness to ‘put in the extra hours’ was sensible after all.

I think a shock poor performance review reflects on both people - the manager should be acting to improve things, not just giving out poor scores. I re-review every 3 months as it's useful to reflect and react more frequently. In this case, I would ask for regular feedback etc so that the annual review isn't dominated by events close to the review date.

I'm not sure that's a lot of help. Your boss sounds like a dick. And a poor manager. Another job might be the solution...

He sounds like a dick who was annoyed and so gave you a low score just make his point. He sounds very difficult to work with and I'd probably be looking for a different job.

I think you can come back from this if you're willing to put the extra effort in but it doesn't sound like you really want to? From some of your comments, it sounds like you've taken the path of least resistance? e.g. "But I always take the blame as he never wanted to listen to why and it never seemed a big deal." You're taking the blame for something which is not your fault and is out of your control. Of course it's a big fucking deal.

Despite it being the 21st century and us all supposedly being equal, when working in a male dominated environment as one of the few women, you need to understand how men work and how they communicate so you can work with them more effectively. Rightly or wrongly this will help make you more successful.

My other concern about your initial post OP is that several times you refer to you making mistakes. One mistake is not good. Multiple mistakes, argh, you're putting yourself at risk here. You refer to "a few spelling mistakes one day". That's just not acceptable. Use bloody spellcheck. Review your work. It sounds like you need to raise your game. That may sound tough but in global companies, the competition is tough and you need to be on point.

And the big mistake that impacted on the ego of your boss? That was really silly of you. Rule number one is that your job is to protect your boss and make them look good at all times (even if they're an idiot and you hate them). You can't just brush your mistake aside and say it only impacted their ego. That's massive. Look how it ended up for you!

It sounds like you're very new to a full-on corporate environment plus have a challenging boss. This can be managed but you need to learn fast, take control and stop making mistakes. And start seeing your boss as opportunity rather than a problem. If he's as powerful as you say, he could make your career. Earn his respect and this could be a massive opportunity for you. Yes, he's clearly difficult. But large corporates are full of narcissists and sociopaths/psychopaths and you need to learn how to work with them so you can be successful. That may sound cold but that's global corporates for you. There will always be someone like that at a senior level. You need to work out what makes them tick, what they like, what they don't like and tailor your approach accordingly.

(I've worked in male-dominated global companies for 20+ years and learnt the hard way).

Thanks HundredMilesanHour. You are completely right - it's a given to me that I need to up my game. I wince when I make mistakes and care very much. I accept a good percentage of my performance review but not all of it and definitely not the actual score. There are other team members that make mistakes of equal proportion but as they've been there longer they survive them better.

Mistakes are human - and I think what happens to me is the more I fear making them because of the environment the more I make them! The workload is insane (I work 4 days a week but no-one seems to realise) I am also constantly being given tasks and asked to turn them round and bring them to him asap. Right now I can do speed or quality - but struggling to do both (as are the rest of the team).

I am sooo new to this corporate environment. I watch all the politics and egos and I am dumbfounded. People put on personas - right to the junior level. No-one seems real. I think if I really wanted this big corporate career as a personal success things would be different - as it is I am there for one reason only, to pay for my special needs kids daily needs and because the company is good. Im very confident that things go so well with all other stakeholders that I just landed in the wrong boss and difficult Middle East region.

I think I can pull this back but you are so right, and its the question I keep asking myself - do I really want to? :( I think I do if I can truly pull out of my line managers the message behind the score.

Do they rank you on a bell curve? (Forced distribution)

My company does this, essentially ranking employees from best to worst and the bottom x% get a performance improvement required mark and no bonus or pay rise.

Problem is, the majority perform at least satisfactorily (and are told so by managers throught the year) so it always causes upset come year end when someone HAS to be bottom.

Maybe your mistakes make you an easy target?

Ps the least resistance thing - I gave up. We're actually scored on 'challenge' but when I was new and keen and saw space for improvements he told me to stop challenging things. Same for the blame thing - he literally doesn't want to hear who's fault things are - you're literally out the door before you can try and say. Its a classic case of shooting the messenger a lot of the time.

Its good to think this through with you all - thank you!

MotherofDragons90 officially not - but another very senior friend says that BS and I think you may be right. Im the newest on the team too.

It sounds like you do want it, if only to prove to yourself that you can succeed in that environment. And if/when you do, that may then be the moment you decide to walk away. If you walk away now, will you look back and regret it? Sounds like you might.

The corporate world is a massive learning curve. It can be brutal and can feel very fake (and often is!). But you can learn how to navigate it and eventually you'll get to a point where switching on your corporate side becomes very easy. The pressure will always remain intense though and you will always be judged. At all times, cover your arse and cover your boss's arse. It doesn't get easier but you do get used to and will find ways of keeping your sanity (most of the time!)

This is an old-ish book but it's worth a read as I think it will help you:
www.amazon.co.uk/Nice-Girls-Dont-Corner-Office/dp/1455558893/ref=dp_ob_title_bk?tag=mumsnetforum-21

I'd also suggest you have a think about what motivates your boss and what pressures he's under. If you can work that out, it will help you understand what he cares about - and doesn't - and how you raise problem and solutions (to minimise the shooting the messenger).

It's probably the bell curve issue. Happens in my company too. Despite me doing extra work than everyone else and doing it all better I still get the same grade. But they just really don't want to give any pay rises or promotions this year either. The company as a whole is apparently 'skint' (wish I was skint at their level).

Sad reality of private businesses. I made a mistake once ages ago on a report that my manager and several other managers didn't notice, and then it went to the clients big bosses who did notice. That didn't go down well. I fortunately wasn't blamed because my manager was an idiot and said something like 'it's not a big deal'. He almost got fired. In my defence, the mistake was made because rather than give me the few days I needed to do the report, they gave me an hour. And spent the entire time messaging me asking if it was done.

Wtf ? You are routinely complemented for your work, this guy is recognised as being volatile and difficult but you're on your way out because he blew his top? I would not accept the grading and ask for specific written feedback as to why you have been given the low grade. Can you collate examples of work you've done well and supply that as a pack of documents to support your case?

Such good feedback thank you.

Yes Santaclarita - I just went online and googled forced distribution and my company and theres plenty of press articles and the comments section (particularly by ex managers feeling bad about it) was very telling.

Perhaps things are less bleak for moving forward than I thought.

In my experience it's not worth sticking it out in jobs where you have to put up with that level of BS and they are telling you officially and on the record that you are underperforming. It is not worth fighting them so I would start looking for a new job and play along in your current role until you have one lined up. It is of course worth reflecting on what you can do differently in your next job but I would apply this learning to a clean slate.

Yeah it feels like shit at first, but you get used to it. Or you'll go off sick from stress or run out screaming. I'm planning on the latter when I finally get a job to replace it.

Santaclarita - were you ever marked as not meeting expectations but we not part of the headcount cut of under performers?

No I was always just average. Known people that got the not meeting expectations grade though and they still have a job.

If they force the ratings to a bell curve, they will give low ratings to people that they aren't too worried about losing or people that they think will accept it without too much fuss.

They probably have a number of prima donnas who throw a major strop if they aren't rated on the top end of the scale.

If I was you, I would make a huge fuss as it doesn't reflect the feedback you got. That way, if you stay, they will think twice about pulling one again.

I would ask for time with your big boss so you can "understand his style". Take notes. Document how you will communicate/work with him going forward and ask for his agreement. If you do that then you'll have evidence of your effort to work better with him...ask loads of questions. At least he will think you care....?