Performance reviews become powerful when they shift from box-checking to growth, clarity, and genuine investment in people’s long-term success.
Early in my career, I didn’t give performance reviews much thought. They felt generic, and I was confident that I was performing well. Nothing seemed to come from them – just templates, goals set by someone else, and leadership language copied and pasted. Sure, the merit increase mattered, but the review itself felt like a box to check.
About five years ago, that changed. I wanted more from my performance review because I wanted more from my career. After a decade in marketing and proposal management, I was ready to explore what was next. Would I move toward business development and client-facing work? Dive into the technical side with project management? Lead a team of proposal professionals? Stay in proposal management but focus on the pursuits I found most rewarding? Or pivot to corporate marketing and communications? There were plenty of career paths to consider – but my current reviews weren’t helping me find clarity.
So, I approached the process differently.
From the perspective of an employee seeking a collaborative, meaningful review experience, my first step was to track my own performance and create a short presentation highlighting my impact. I built a five-slide deck that included:
- Goals I’d set for myself and the progress I’d made on them
- Major proposals and projects I’d worked, including big wins and their value
- Direct feedback from internal clients and teammates
- Side projects and leadership initiatives beyond my core role – professional development, conferences, mentoring, marketing collateral, AI initiatives, and more
- Connection to the bigger picture, linking my performance to my job description and the firm’s leadership values
This preparation helped me advocate for myself and made the conversation more productive and structured. Most importantly, it demonstrated to my manager that I was serious about my growth.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to look at the performance review from the other side when I was promoted to a regional manager. Like any first-time people manager, I wanted to put my best foot forward and show my team that I was invested in their growth and development. I wanted to approach the review process with curiosity and openness – focused on where each staff member wanted to learn and grow.
So, I asked myself: What do I need to know to take these reviews to the next level and make them meaningful – for my staff, for myself, and for our entire team?
I created a OneNote for each staff member that included:
- My understanding of what had been done that year and key accomplishments
- Feedback from real people on real projects – I just copy and paste these into this OneNote throughout the year
- Areas for development or opportunities to improve from my perspective
- Target goals – short- and long-term, discussed and agreed upon collaboratively rather than a copy and paste from a job description
- Actionable steps to reach those goals, setting us up for success in the next review
This approach transformed something stagnant into something meaningful. It helped me learn more about my team – who wanted to stay in their current role, who wanted to try something new, who wanted to mentor others, and who wanted to expand industry expertise. This insight is invaluable for developing staff and improving retention. People want to work for someone who is invested in their success and paying attention to their goals.
It also made tough conversations easier. Discussing weaknesses and areas for improvement didn’t dominate the review because the structure led naturally to actionable steps for growth. The focus shifted from problems to progress.
Exceptional performance reviews aren’t just about checking a box – they’re about creating clarity, building trust, and driving growth. Whether you’re an employee or a manager, investing time and thought into the process pays off in stronger careers, stronger teams, and stronger organizations.
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Mercedez Thompson, MA, CP APMP, Shipley BDC, is the regional proposal manager, Northeast at Michael Baker International. Connect with her on LinkedIn. |