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No Bullsh!t Leadership

Nailing Your Formal Performance Review

No Bullsh!t Leadership · 2026-06-02 · 17 min

Episode notes

Most leaders DREAD the formal performance review; because they don’t prepare and they don’t know what to expect. Today I go deep on how to control the dialogue, so that your review becomes a career accelerator, rather than a spirited defense of your failings. Let’s face it: you know your performance hasn’t been perfect, so it’s easy to agonise over how your boss might evaluate you. This makes it tempting to just throw yourself at your boss’s mercy, and plead for leniency, hoping the good will outweigh the not-so-good. But if you manage this conversation well, it will reinforce your value, and shape how the organisation sees your future. In this episode, I give you a practical framework for nailing your formal review. From KPIs to performance standards, I show you how to read the room before you walk in, and how to build a case to support your performance evaluation. I also show you how to take advantage of an opportunity that almost everyone leaves on the table.

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