As your mid-year review approaches, it is crucial to advocate for yourself in order to come out of the meeting feeling seen by your manager and prepared for the next steps of your career. Whether you are seeking a raise or promotion, more or fewer responsibilities, or took time off for child care and want to ensure your career progress has not been impacted, there are steps you can take to make the most of this face time with your boss.
Understand and prepare for the meeting
The first pillar of advocating for yourself in your mid-year review is understanding the nature of the meeting. These discussions can range from informal check-ins to more structured evaluations. Evaluating the purpose, level of formality and time commitment of the meeting is a good starting point before you begin preparing.
To do so, take a look at the attendees on the invite and how long the meeting is scheduled to be. A 30-minute meeting might mean you should send over some discussion points ahead of time in preparation. Alternatively, an hour-long meeting offers a broader window to really delve into your progress.
Preparing thoughts and notes ahead of time is crucial in guiding the discussion, which includes being ready to advocate for your achievements and communicate any challenges you have faced. Take time to reflect on and document these priorities and ensure you are covering the entirety of the time period that is being reviewed, in order to combat any "recency bias" from your reviewer.
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Recency bias is the tendency to focus on more recent events when making judgments or decisions and can be a roadblock when advocating for what you feel you deserve. Additionally, you should quantify your achievements when possible, using metrics like dollars saved, risk mitigated, sales increased and anything else that tangibly shows your contribution to the company.
At the same time, be candid with yourself and write down any obstacles you feel are holding you back, any weaknesses you may have that you would like to address, and areas where you need additional support. Coming to the table with notes prepared and potential solutions brainstormed shows dedication and commitment to personal growth.
Visualize what success looks like for you
What is your goal coming out of this meeting? Mid-year check-ins are for your employer to check in about your progress, but also an opportunity for you to communicate your needs in the workplace. Is your goal to receive feedback on a specific job function or direction on future projects? Do you want to take a more holistic view of your career path in this meeting, or get some questions answered about day-to-day tasks and responsibilities?
Whatever your focus, it is important to set these expectations at the outset of the meeting. A simple "Thanks for meeting with me today. I am hoping to walk away with a clearer understanding of XYZ," can effectively steer the conversation toward your goals.
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Confidence is key
Despite thorough preparation, stepping into a review meeting can be intimidating. Feeling confident is crucial, but easier said than done. Take deep breaths before the meeting and remind yourself that you are fully prepared. Your eagerness to discuss your career goals and gain clarity on your progress alone will impress your boss. Right before the meeting, remind yourself of your contributions and achievements — this will help build your confidence and awareness of your worth to the company.
During the meeting, resist the urge to fill silence. Nerves can cause you to ramble in order to avoid sitting in silence but doing so can dilute your message. Instead, get comfortable with pauses and use them to gather and articulate your thoughts. Remember that you are a participant in the meeting, not running it.
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Exuding confidence can also be helpful when facing criticism. If you do encounter criticism, don't become overly defensive or confrontational. If needed, you can even ask to excuse yourself from the meeting for a moment to collect your thoughts. This will allow you to process the critique, think about a solution you could offer to help you improve, and direct the conversation back to strengths that you have, while acknowledging the weakness and showing the value that you bring to the table.
Following up after the meeting is an often-overlooked aspect of the review process. A thoughtful email expressing gratitude and summarizing the key points is a great way to reinforce your understanding of the outcome. This action not only demonstrates your professionalism, but also underscores your commitment to putting feedback into action.
Remember that mid-year reviews are more than just a managerial requirement, they provide an excellent opportunity to have conversations that might be difficult to engage in otherwise. These meetings are a necessary step in charting out your career path and future in your industry — so be prepared, understand what you want to get out of the meeting, and above all, be confident.
