Invitation to a performance review meeting

[Joe2011]

Hello CAG! Hope everyone is good & enjoying the sunny spells

 

I work as one of the managers for a store. I have been working with my company for well over a year so permanent employee. I have been performing really well and been given feedback about the good stuff I do. Until very recently when I wanted to apply for a bigger role in my store I was told that I am not ready for it. It came as a surprise because I thought I was ready but anyways after a heated debate with my line who said he will work on the things that he thinks I need work on and we will get there. I left it at that

 

A few weeks later he invited me and handed over an informal performance improvement note listing 5 things. 4 of which I believe I was doing over and above the call of duty. I could not believe he was trying to performance manager me on something that I am already doing. He kept saying I am the judge of your performance whether u like it or not and I don't think your there yet. I refused to sign the document because I just could not agree with the things he had mentioned on there, the letter also said if I need support I will be given I said no I am fine. He said he will sit down with me ever week to (which he hardly did cause of clash of schedules) and whenever we met he spoke about a load of theory and analogies. Performance wise he gave me feedback many times saying I am making progress so I was happy that things are working out ok. Review date was meant to be the 25th and he did not review until another catch up a week later on the 3rd and he handed me an invitation to a performance meeting a few days after that stating in it very vaguely what I had not achieved. And a lie that he had given more time to show improvement that's why there wasn't a meeting on the 25th. I had shown considerable improvement in the past month and launched stuff not seen before in the company driving the things he asked me to the hilt. He said there is improvement but not enough.

 

All managers get an assistant and mine have been off sick for weeks putting more pressure on me and He hasn't really given me a team that can be used in the area he has given to me. I feel victimised and for the first time in my career very helpless cause I know I have done everything and more. Plus the things that he mentioned I am not doing which I agree I need work on everyone else is missing too and I have taken pictures on my phone where clearly other people have missed the same things when I mention this to him he says we are talking about U and not them all I am trying to do is get him to look at this consistently.

 

Now I know from the way he was speaking to me he is going to give me a first written warning and I am entitled to take someone with me but I am going alone. And most likely I will appeal the decision cause I know I am doing so much more and have had a very successful last year as a manager and as a store we are performing very well. He always gives me the feeling that he wants to get rid of me and I don't like it and I know he will not see or like all the good stuff I will do after this first waning is given which I will appeal against. I have a baby on the way and my misus is so upset about all this I really don't wana lose my job over some guy trying to show his boss he can performance manage his managers I find it wrong especially when I have done and are doing all the things he pointed out more than the rest please help me with your thoughts and any advice u may have for me

 

Many thanks

[dj1971]

Joe2011,

 

Like it or not your manager is right in that the decision is his and it is not your place to point out what other people are not achieving. He has given you a few things on which he would like to see improvement, this is bog standard in any job and unless you take the suggestions on board and work on the areas suggested you will find yourself being managed out of the company and without a job.

 

I really don't understand why you are making things so difficult for yourself. I realise you think you have reached the stage where you are ready to be promoted, but you have admitted yourself that there are a few areas in which you could improve and the decision on whether you get a promotion or not is your managers' You start fighting with him and being difficult you will soon find yourself out of a job.

 

My suggestion would be to eat a large piece of humble pie, attend the performance meeting as requested and take on board what your manager says, including areas in which he thinks you need to improve. Work on these areas and keep your mouth shut, soon enough you will be at the stage where you are ready for promotion.

 

One thing I believe you should never ever do is drag other peoples performance into your own review meetings. Quite simply it is not your problem how others perform unless they are reporting directly to you, so why give yourself more stress worrying about how other managers are performing, that is your managers job.

 

DJ