WORKPLACE ANSWER
How do I prepare for a performance meeting?
A performance meeting can be a routine review of how things are going, or it can be arranged because your employer has concerns about your performance.
Understanding which type of meeting you are attending is the first step. From there, you can review your objectives, organise relevant examples, think about anything affecting your performance and prepare the points and questions you want to raise.
Quick Answer
Start by understanding why the meeting has been arranged.
If it is a routine performance review, prepare examples of your work, progress against your objectives, challenges you have experienced and any support or development you want to discuss.
If your employer has raised concerns about your performance, make sure you understand what those concerns are. Review any objectives, examples or information you have been given and prepare your own relevant examples and context.
Write down the questions you want to ask, including what is expected of you, how your performance will be assessed, what support may be available and what happens next.
First, Understand What Kind of Performance Meeting This Is
Performance meetings can happen for different reasons.
A routine performance review or appraisal will usually look at how your work is going, progress against objectives, feedback, challenges, support and future goals.
A meeting about performance concerns is different. Your manager may want to discuss areas where they believe your performance is not meeting expectations, understand why there may be a problem and talk about what needs to improve.
Before preparing, check the invitation or ask your manager what the meeting is intended to cover.
If performance concerns have been raised, also check whether the meeting is an informal performance discussion or part of a formal capability or performance process.
Knowing this will help you understand what you need to prepare and what may happen next.
Understand the Concerns or Objectives
Once you understand the purpose of the meeting, identify what your employer wants to discuss.
For a routine review, look at:
• your current objectives;
• your main responsibilities;
• previous feedback;
• progress since your last review;
• work that has gone well;
• challenges you have experienced;
• any support or development previously discussed.
If concerns about your performance have been raised, try to understand:
• what your employer believes is not meeting expectations;
• which responsibilities or objectives are affected;
• what examples have been given;
• what standard your employer expects;
• whether the concern relates to your ability to do the work, your understanding of expectations or something else.
If the concern is unclear, make a note to ask for specific examples and clarification.
You will be better able to respond if you understand exactly what your employer believes the problem is.
Review Your Objectives and Expectations
Look back at what has previously been agreed or communicated about your role and performance.
Depending on your situation, this might include:
• your job responsibilities;
• agreed objectives or targets;
• previous performance reviews;
• previous feedback;
• emails or meeting notes;
• performance measures;
• any previous improvement objectives;
• training or support that has been agreed.
Consider whether the expectations are clear and whether you understand how your performance is being assessed.
If an objective or expectation is unclear, prepare a question about it rather than trying to guess what your employer expects.
- Gather Relevant Examples and Information
Think about examples that help explain your performance.
You might want to bring or make a note of:
• work you have completed;
• results or relevant performance information;
• emails or feedback;
• completed projects or responsibilities;
• examples of objectives you have achieved;
• previous performance discussions;
• training or support you have received;
• training or support you have previously requested;
• examples of difficulties or obstacles that affected your work.
If your employer has raised a specific concern, focus particularly on information that helps you understand or respond to that concern.
You do not need to collect everything you have ever done. Choose information that is relevant and helps explain the situation clearly.
Think About Anything Affecting Your Performance
What If a Performance Improvement Plan Is Suggested?
Prepare the Main Points You Want to Make
Before the meeting, write down the most important things you want your manager to understand.
If you have received feedback or concerns, consider:
What do I agree with?
There may be parts of the feedback that you recognise and want to discuss constructively.
What do I disagree with?
If you believe something is inaccurate, make a note of why and identify any relevant examples or information.
Is important context missing?
Think about anything your manager may not know that could help explain the situation.
What would help?
Consider whether clearer objectives, training, feedback, resources or another form of support could make a difference.
Keep your notes focused. A short list of important points is usually easier to use during the meeting than a long script.
Prepare the Questions You Want to Ask
A performance meeting should help you understand what is expected of you.
Writing down questions beforehand can help make sure you leave the meeting with greater clarity.
If performance concerns are being discussed, useful questions could include:
• What specifically do you believe needs to improve?
• Can you give me examples of the concern?
• What standard am I expected to reach?
• How will my performance be measured?
• What timeframe applies?
• What support or training will be available?
• When will my progress be reviewed?
• What happens next?
• What could happen if the required improvement is not achieved?
For a routine review, you may also want to ask about priorities, objectives, feedback, support or development for the period ahead.
If something is unclear during the meeting, ask for clarification rather than leaving unsure about what has been agreed.
Think About What Support Might Help
Performance management should not only be about identifying problems. It can also involve understanding what may help someone perform effectively.
Think about whether any practical support would be useful.
This might include:
• clearer objectives;
• more regular feedback;
• additional training;
• coaching or guidance;
• clearer priorities;
• access to resources;
• changes to workload or responsibilities;
• additional time to learn a new task or system;
• reasonable adjustments where relevant.
Be as specific as possible about what you think would help and why.
You can raise this during the meeting and ask your employer what support it can provide.
What Could Happen After the Meeting?
What happens next will depend on why the meeting was arranged.
After a routine performance review, the next steps might include:
• updated objectives;
• feedback;
• training or development;
• agreed support;
• changes to priorities;
• a future review date.
If the meeting is about performance concerns, possible next steps could include:
• clearer expectations;
• additional support or training;
• agreed improvement objectives;
• further performance meetings;
• a period of monitoring or review;
• a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP);
• potentially a more formal capability or performance process if concerns continue.
Being invited to discuss performance does not automatically mean that you will be placed on a PIP or face formal action.
Before the meeting ends, make sure you understand what has been agreed, what is expected of you and when the situation will next be reviewed.
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Before the Meeting
Things to Think About Before a Performance Meeting
Do I know whether this is a routine review or a meeting about performance concerns?
Do I understand what my employer wants to discuss?
Have I reviewed my objectives and expectations?
Do I understand any examples or concerns that have been raised?
What relevant examples or information do I want to bring?
Is there any important context my manager may not know?
What are the main points I want to explain?
What questions do I want to ask?
Is there any support or training that might help?
Do I understand how my performance will be assessed?
Have I checked whether I can bring someone if I want to?
Do I know what I need to take to the meeting?
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Unsure How to Approach a Performance Meeting?
If you've been invited to discuss your performance and you're unsure what it means or how to prepare, Talk It Through can help you organise the situation, think through the points you want to raise and prepare questions before the meeting.