I'm being performance managed. Help!

[Loopyloopy]

I'm in a six month rotation that I need to be assessed as satisfactorily in. Currently I'm not. I really try, but my confidence is so shot that I can't make decions because I keep second guessing myself. Physical skills that I was a master at before - I now cannot do. My supervisors tell me that I need to do things better, but I just can't seem to do it. I don't know what to do.

Being told to do things better isn't good management. Have they told you exactly what needs to improve and by how much? If not I would go back to them and ask in writing for measurable targets (use SMART).

Is there anyway of practising the physical skills?

This is shabby treatment and smacks of weak management if all they've done to support you is to give woolly feedback about doing things better. Have they given you any clue as to what specifically needs to be improved?

I know it's an uncomfortable feeling having to press them on what exactly you need to improve, but it will show them you aren't prepared to be fobbed off with vagueness. I would arrange to sit down with your manager, have an honest conversation about aspects you need to focus on then reconfirm it by email, so you have a record.

If you've been employed continuously for >2 years, ie if this rotation was preceded by other roles in the same company, this will form part of the performance management process they have to adhere to, so its important to start formalising things in email.

You need to know specifically and exactly what your performance gap is. So your line manager needs to lay out for you exactly what is expected of you, what you're doing now and so agree with you what the gao is and what you need to do to get up to the required standard. Then you need to agree on a reasonable timeframe to get there within. I'm not surprised you're losing confidence