Guest blog by Diana Duque

So maybe you were just done with your performance review and won’t be having one for at least a year, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start prepping right now, and by that, we mean doing all the leg work to ensure your next review will be the greatest.

Take the feedback you were given, analyze it carefully and see what how you can take it and turn it into an action plan that you can start executing today!

Feedback is information. Don’t label it as negative or positive – it should provide you with insights or understandings about how you or your behaviors are perceived by others. You get to choose whether you are going to respond emotionally, defensively, or whether you will focus on the feedback as useful, character-building information.

Also, you don’t need to wait until the end of next year to get into the nitty-gritty. Be proactive, and even though your manager is probably really busy, you can always ask to have a working coffee break and discuss your evolution and show that you are proactive when it comes to own and develop your craft. It’s a precious opportunity to seek specific information: don’t be afraid to say “Could you give me a specific example of what you observed?”.