The mid-year review process typically causes employees to roll their eyes, feeling that their boss is just checking another box off their list. In fact, did you know that according to Gallup only 14% of employees are motivated and inspired by the outcome of a performance review?

Here at Ama La Vida, we believe in reframing this mindset. After all, if we have to check the “mid-year review” box, why not turn them into a strategic tool for career growth instead of just going through the motions?

Let’s explore what a mid-year review is and how you can be part of the 14% that not only enjoys the process but gains professional development from it. It’s your career, so you need to take an active role!

And, if you are a manager that wants to ensure your employees fall into that 14% category, be sure to check out our article: Maximizing Performance Reviews as a Manager.

What is a Mid-Year Review?

Well, a mid-year review isn’t just an annual review split in half. So then, what is it?

Let’s start from your manager’s perspective. Hopefully they see the mid-year review as a check-in regarding goal progress, employee performance, and real-time positive feedback. It’s also an opportunity to discuss any areas for improvement.

For you, the mid-year review should also include a discussion regarding your employee development and engagement, go through any support you may need on projects, and touch on any feedback you have for your manager. (This process goes both ways after all.) And, when needed, it allows you an opportunity to discuss course correction before the review cycle ends.

Briefly Breaking Down the Review Process

The mid-year review is the ideal time to evaluate if annual goals need to be tweaked, to have a transparent conversation regarding performance, to celebrate accomplishments, and to discuss professional development plans.

The process should encourage a dialog regarding your performance. However, the key to having a successful outcome is for you to take ownership of the conversation.

Typically, your company or manager will create a document to review the goal status for each direct report on a team, as well as share any acknowledgements received. These meetings tend to be less formal than an annual review and the flow tends to be focused on discussion about goals.

Why Mid-Year Reviews Matter for Your Career

As previously described, both the mid-year review and the annual performance reviews are often driven by your manager.

Let’s focus on what a mid-year review looks like to you, the direct report. From Gallup, it has been discovered that 53% of employees don’t have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.  The mid-year review is your opportunity to gain clarity on expectations, align on priorities, and ensure you’re on the right track with your goals.

The Role of Constructive Feedback in Career Growth

Your boss will most likely want to provide both positive and constructive feedback, even if you take control of the mid-year review process.

Keep in mind that actionable feedback is a gift that you get to choose how to use. Gaining your manager’s perspective on your performance will help you better understand the expectations for your role and identify key skills to develop for future growth within the organization.

The reality is it can be hard to receive constructive feedback on your job performance, so learning how to receive feedback well is an important skill set. In this article, the acronym SIFT (Source, Impact, Frequency, and Trends) is shared to approach what to do with the feedback you receive.

Once you receive the actionable feedback, thank your manager for sharing it with you. You can say something like “thank you for sharing this with me because I know it isn’t always easy. I want to take some time to digest what you have said.” This allows you to respond later after having thought it through.

Leverage Employee Development Through Mid-Year Reviews

Another way to leverage career growth through the mid-year review process is discussing your professional development plan.

What opportunities will help you grow and expand your skills? Share a few options with your manager that focus on your skills development while supporting the goals of your team and the organization.

For example, if you want to develop your data analysis skills and your organization has expanded into a new market, offer to work with the data analysis team to build market research insights. It’s a win-win: the company gains insights, and you get to network with the experts in data analytics.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Mid-Year Reviews

There are some common mistakes that employees make during performance reviews. Being aware of and avoiding these missteps can help you turn your review into a productive conversation for both parties.

Below, we’ll explore the mistakes we often see our clients make, and in the next section we’ll dive into strategies to ensure you come prepared for a meaningful discussion.

Keep in mind that the best way to avoid any unwanted surprises during your mid-year review is to ask for consistent ongoing feedback from your manager frequently. Don’t wait until the evaluation or the mid-year review to discuss your performance.

Let’s dive into what the mistakes are and how to handle them.

Avoiding Difficult Conversations

It might not be fun to receive constructive criticism; however, without it you won’t be able to achieve the success you desire. In their book *Difficult Conversations,* Stone, Patton, and Heen highlight the importance of sharing the impact a difficult conversation had on you and inquiring about the intention behind it.

What this means is if your manager provides improvement suggestions, share with them the impact of that feedback and ask what their intention was in sharing it. Most managers have positive intent when sharing feedback but may struggle with how to deliver it sensitively and effectively.

Reframing these discussions from being intimidating to thinking about feedback as a gift will help you succeed.

Ignoring or Hiding Missed Deadlines

If you have missed deadlines or goals that haven’t been achieved, acknowledge the situation directly and share your plan to improve it. Try not to focus on why it didn’t get done and instead focus on the changes you want to implement to move forward and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Failing to Prepare for the Conversation

Mid-year performance reviews are about you and your performance. By preparing for the conversation, you will be able to gain clarity on what you would like to take from the conversation, including any expectations you need to clarify or resources you’d like to request. If you aren’t prepared, you risk leaving your development and career growth in someone else’s hands.

Not Providing Data for Examples

Sharing specific examples of accomplishments is okay; however, providing the data to support how you achieved those results makes your examples even stronger. Work to track and share the data to back up your impact, whether through quantitative results like percentage increases, monthly sales volume, or efficiency improvements, or qualitative insights that showcase your contributions to your team’s success.

Typically, your manager will have access to the quantitative data that is part of the evaluation; however, they might not know about the qualitative data. For example, share with your manager about the time you supported a coworker’s project by editing their slide deck before a big presentation. This type of qualitative data demonstrates your ability to complete your goals, while supporting your team’s greater success as well.

Preparing for Your Mid-Year Performance Review

Often employees think the performance review process is something their boss needs to do (or rather, get checked off their to do list) so they arrive at the meeting believing that they will just listen, nod, and get it over with as quickly as possible.

Regardless of your boss’s approach to performance management, you can leverage this conversation to gain valuable insights and ensure you make the most of your time. To do this, you must be an active participant and prepare.

Prepare Discussion Points for the Meeting

This article talks about the importance of providing data regarding your contributions during this review period.

Share the specifics of your accomplishments. By focusing on the data, you will be less concerned about the conversation sounding like you are “bragging” about your performance; instead, you are presenting the facts.

Also, include any soft skills that you developed during the period. For example, maybe you had to have a difficult conversation with a cross-functional team member that resulted in better synergy between the teams.

The Power of Self Reflection and Evaluation

To pull the data on your contributions, you will need to do some self-evaluation.

How have you been tracking progress on your goals, past performance, and any accolades that you have received? Are there areas that you know you didn’t perform at your best?

Focusing on your accomplishments is a good starting point. It helps you set the tone and your mindset. However, it’s not the only thing to review. Take the time to reflect on what could have been done differently. Sharing both sides shows your boss that you’re ready and want to improve and grow.

Using our Brag Book is a great resource to help you gather this information week by week. Highlighting your accomplishments, your development, what could be done differently, and your progress, all in one resource simplifies the self-reflection process.

Setting Goals for the Next Review Period

While goal-setting typically happens during the annual evaluation period, the mid-year review is a perfect time to review, adjust or create new goals for the next review period. The most common goal-setting framework is called SMART goals and this article dives deeper into the process.

We also like to talk about EPIC goals here at Ama La Vida if you’re looking for a more holistic approach to goal-setting that aligns with your personal values and aspirations.

Using ideas of what could have been done differently provides a basis for new goals. Write a specific action that you want to focus on over the next period to achieve the outcome you are looking for.

When creating your goals, remember to include goals that will support your professional development as a whole, as well as supporting your team and company’s growth.

Gathering Both Quantitative and Qualitative Data

Using the Brag Book to capture your performance results will provide quantitative data such as “my sales increased 4% over the last six months” which is a powerful demonstration of your skills; however, as we mentioned earlier, don’t forget to highlight qualitative data as well.

When it comes to qualitative data, gather any emails from co-workers, cross-functional team members, or managers to that speak to your contributions. Don’t forget to review your last evaluation for qualitative data as well.

Pro Tip: You can track these with a “Wins” tag on your email inbox or create a dedicated document where you compile positive feedback, successful collaborations, and key moments that highlight your strengths and impact.

For example, let’s say you received a friendly email from the team leader regarding your innovative brainstorming contributions in the meeting last month. That would be important information for your manager to know about.

Include these specific data points that demonstrate your soft skill growth as well as your ability to collaborate with others.

How to Handle Missed Deadlines or Challenges

So, how do you address a goal that is behind schedule or a deadline that was missed? Sometimes it feels easier to ignore or hide the situation; however, that won’t resolve it.

During the mid-year review, be honest about your challenges, share your ideas on how to resolve the problem, and ask for detailed feedback on how to improve the situation.

Focus on the improvement you will put into place as opposed to the challenge. Don’t make excuses; instead, share what you are going to do to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

What to Expect During a Performance Review Meeting

Organizations vary on how their mid-year review meetings will go; however, there are some typical points that will likely be covered during the process. For example:

Goal review

Your manager will review the progress regarding departmental and individual goals. This is your opportunity to share how you are progressing on your development goals as well.

Feedback

Your manager will provide meaningful feedback about your performance. Additionally, they might share some constructive criticism. Have the mindset that all feedback is data to help you grow and improve.

Challenges

Address challenges you are encountering with regards to your goals and performance. During this conversation, gain clarity and agreement on the expectations. Additionally, discuss resources to help you overcome the challenges.

At the conclusion of the mid-year review meeting, ensure alignment of updated goals and suggest that you schedule a monthly meeting to have an ongoing conversation regarding your progress.

A Winning Mindset for Your Mid-Year Review

The mid-year review can be viewed as a chore, but it doesn’t have to be! Take ownership of the process and develop a winning mindset for improvement.

You will see results by intentionally preparing for the meeting and reframing constructive feedback as powerful data to inform your actions.

Additionally, think of the meeting as a check-in conversation rather than a high-stakes evaluation.

Building Confidence in Your Skillset

Many people think that being confident is something you are born with. Actually confidence is a state of being that occurs after you take action.

So, what can you do to build your confidence in the meeting? Start by being prepared.

Once you’ve reviewed your accomplishments and understood what you specifically did to achieve the results, make sure to rehearse the key points you’d like to bring up.

Take time to read the praise that you have received and the last review you had. All those documents will highlight your strengths and demonstrate your professional growth.

By doing these things, you will recognize your strengths and be able to create a positive impression during the meeting.

Calming Nerves Before the Review Meeting

Feeling anxious before a performance review meeting is normal. Preparation is key to relieving some of these feelings. A well-thought-out discussion will foster open communication and will allow you to focus on your development.

In addition to being prepared, practicing gratitude exercises and deep breathing techniques can ensure you walk in feeling confident and calm.

Before the meeting, take a few minutes to center yourself with deep breaths.  You are now ready to share your progress, listen to feedback, and clarify expectations.

How Career Coaching Can Support Your Mid-Year Review

You don’t have to go through the performance review process alone. Having the support of career coaching can help you feel prepared and confident for the conversation. Your coach will ask you questions to highlight your strengths and ensure you are not missing key professional development achievements. Additionally, your coach can provide meaningful feedback on the concerns you have.

One of the key aspects of having a coach is the ability to practice new ways to respond to situations in a safe environment. This might look like figuring out the best response to constructive criticism in a confident manner and learning to embrace positive feedback.

For example, one of my previous clients really struggled with voicing her contributions to team goals. She felt like sharing those made her look like she was bragging. We role played different ways she could share her success while being authentic to supporting the team. Ultimately, this practice set her up to lead her own projects.

As you can see, having a career coach as your resource during this time can reduce the anxiety you are experiencing and ensure you are adequately prepared.

If you’d like to learn more about how coaching can support you around your career development goals, book a free consult here.

Next Steps: Turning Feedback into Career Momentum

We hope this article helped you see how the mid-year review is an important conversation to ensure you are on track with your goals and professional development. Approach this process with a proactive mindset, and view the meeting as a chance to gain valuable insights that can propel your career forward.

By actively engaging in performance reviews and incorporating feedback into your strategy, you’ll be better equipped to take ownership of your bigger picture career journey.