Take that time to ask your manager about their career path or the history of the organization. That is similar to starting an interview process with a request for salary amount. But do not ask questions about raises or promotions. Prepare some questions for your manager.If the review takes a sharp left turn in an unexpected direction, you will be better prepared with this information fresh in your mind. You may not need to communicate this information, but if you’re reviewing with a new manager in the organization, it could be helpful to refresh your memory on what other managers have done in the past. See what goals you’ve met since then or habits you’ve adjusted. Look through your old appraisals, if you have them handy.Showing the initiatives that you have taken on company or your time can highlight your value. Lifelong learners are motivating to be around – even when they report to you. List out any learning initiatives you took on over the year – formal and informal.Often, when others are driven, it can be motivating for others. You want to identify how you have been achieving goals and how you are driven to keep working hard and growing within the organization.

Review your old goals and identify new ones for the next year.Bring the solution to the problem with you – especially at a performance review. Be sure to outline the additional job requirements for your manager. If your description does not match your current position, it may be time to help craft a new description. It is helpful to understand where you are meeting and exceeding the documented expectations. If you are unsure of what to prepare, here are a few ways you can prepare before the review: Spending time compiling your lists of goals or accomplishments will give you a leg up when you walk into your manager’s office. Prepare throughout the year for your performance review. Spend 12 months planning for your review – not 12 minutes. When you’re focused on growing as an individual, you might even find that the money will follow sooner rather than later. Feedback can be helpful to growth, so make that your mindset. So, don’t be short sighted and feel emotionally tied to a raise with your review. Yes, paying the bills or taking a vacation is important, but using this opportunity to set your overall career in the right direction will have a long-term payoff with higher yields. When it comes to performance reviews, you have to take the long view of your career and not the short view of your bank account. While sometimes money is directly linked to a performance, it’s helpful if you don’t link them in your own mind.

Here are three ways to prepare for your next review. Your preparation may save your job, but ultimately, it will help you take control of your career and progress with your organization. While some companies are bad at growing their employees, you can do some of your own work to show up to the review table prepared. In a fast-paced work environment, many managers consider performance reviews as an uncomfortable requirement to complete or as a way to document poor performers for a potential employment termination. Something about the performance review process has led employees to feel threatened and vulnerable instead of as an opportunity for growth. Truthfully, your manager might be dreading your performance review, too.

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