Seek feedback on negative performance review

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Dear Joan:
Recently, I've had a performance evaluation which was very unsatisfactory. I've been employed at this hospital for over ten years. Now suddenly, my work "needs improvement" and I have three months to do it in, otherwise, "be written up."

There are twenty-two areas on this evaluation that you need to meet requirements with thirty pages of documentation to prove they have been met. There is an additional document, a peer review from 2-3 persons with twenty-seven areas that are rated. This peer review carries a lot of weight and is confidential. This peer review has a lot of negatives according to my supervisor, such as "non-professional behavior."

My questions are: Is this legal? Can a peer go around saying and writing anything about a co-worker without proof or evidence? Where can one obtain names of attorneys that are experts in employee rights in case of firing? How much severance for ten years employment is customary? (Incidentally, the boss has hired two new persons at $6.00 an hour less than my hourly rate with no open positions.)

I have only two years left to go before I can collect Social Security, so I am not particularly anxious to look for a new job.

Answer:
I have advice for both you and your boss. First, you would be wise to listen to his feedback and take steps to improve your performance; Second, your boss must be very specific about what it is that you need to change..."non-professional behavior" is too vague to be acceptable criticism.

Although I think peer reviews provide valuable input in a team environment, they should not be used as a club to beat the co-worker. The manager must take the responsibility to observe each employee, first-hand, so he can support and pinpoint the peers' feedback and then work with the individual to help them improve.

The key word in your letter is "suddenly." After ten years, you "suddenly" need to improve. Either your boss has been telling you (or hinting?) for a awhile and you haven't been listening, or your boss has been putting off telling you and things have been building up and he is fed up. Perhaps the peer input has forced the issue.

Another possibility that can't be discounted is that he is trying to replace you with cheaper labor. Although it is tempting to believe that, the fact that your peers have given you a negative rating suggests that your performance is the real problem.

You are right to feel indignant about the general nature of the feedback. I suggest that you go back to your manager and ask for more specifics. However, I would wait until you can do it calmly and with an open mind. Explain that you are frustrated and upset about the feedback because you don't know why they said it and you can't correct it if you don't know what it means.

Then listen carefully to his response. If he doesn't have specifics tell him that it is impossible for you to improve during the next three months. If he does have specific details, don't get defensive. Listen and force yourself to write them down. This will keep you from getting into an argument and provide a record for you to refer to later.

Then think about what he said and decide what you can do to improve. Schedule another meeting with your manager and discuss what you want to do to improve and get his advice. Although you are feeling hurt and angry, you only have two years left before you can leave on your terms, so why not make it as pleasant as possible.

Lawyers who specialize in employee's rights can be found in the phone book. Frankly, you will be far better off (whether you ever file a suit or not) to take proactive steps now, such as asking for details and trying to improve. If you are fired, the company doesn't have to give you any severance, but if they do, a rule of thumb is one or two weeks severance pay for each year worked.

Surprise feedback is not an easy thing to hear and it's even tougher to listen to. It's in your best interest to do both.

Confronting poor performance, or difficult behaviors, is difficult for many managers.  Joan Lloyd’s
How to Coach & Give Feedback learning system is a step-by-step approach to help you help your employees make changes in their performance that will enable them to succeed on the job.  Actually reduces defensiveness and encourages open communication.  Now available in CD!