By V N Saroja
Dazzle your head honcho with our power-packed tips on how to prepare for your performance review.

Fact of life 1: Bosses hate performance reviews and try to postpone them.
Fact of life 2: Bosses have a short-term memory as far as achievements are concerned but a very long-term one for screw-ups.
Fact of life 3: The company will resist doing anything special for you even though you may deserve it.

Still, as tough as it may sound, it is possible to plan and get the performance rating you deserve. First, never limit the importance of a performance rating to something that just decides raises and promotions. It is your chance to showcase your potential and plan your career graph in a company. It is an opportunity to assess yourself and the company. So go about your appraisal in a way that is sure to win you accolades.

Devise A Battle Plan
Divide the planning process of your review into three distinct phases — documentation, consolidation and review.
• Documentation: Keeping records every day at work is part of your documentation phase. Not just the boss, you could have a memory lapse too, so don’t leave it to the last moment to try and remember what the important events and landmarks were in the year that went by. Start a personal file today and jot down details every time you make a significant contribution to the company. Include all reference details like date, contribution made, clients/departments involved, significance of the contribution as well as the effect on the revenues or costs and the final contribution to the bottom line.