For many finance professionals, the moment of truth is fast approaching: the end-of-financial-year performance review that determines your bonus, your warped sense of worth in this world, and whether you will proceed with that fancy new kitchen.

To maximize your odds of a productive outcome, here are three things you must refrain from doing during the performance review.

Don’t let your boss dictate the agenda

Your manager is usually armed with your performance metrics over the past year from a big computer in the HR department, and some peer-review forms from the numerous small computers of your colleagues. And it is likely that she will be reading these materials for the first time while conducting your performance review.

In such a situation, many people let themselves get constantly on the back foot, responding to whatever metric or peer feedback the reviewer’s attention randomly focuses on (including negative ones). Alternatively, you can enter the review with your own documentary evidence of notable achievements, your “brag file”, and dictate the course of the discussion from a position of strength.

Having a brag file also turns the meeting into a relatively positive experience for everyone. In particular, your boss is not only likely to appreciate the lead that you are taking (remember, he enjoys this process as much as he likes doing budgets), but it is also a welcome change for him from the usual bombardment he gets from bitching subordinates during these meetings.

Don’t speak ill of your colleagues

This is not an occasion for you to review the performances of your colleagues. It is certainly not the time to dump on your boss a year’s worth of loathing towards the lazy cow who is further up the career ladder than you are, or the Machiavellian nitwit who is free riding on your coat-tails. Rightly or wrongly, this will come across to your manager as excuses and ranting from an employee who has nothing positive to say about himself, but plenty negative to say about others. Most importantly, as your father used to say when you were at school, no one likes a dibber dobber.

Don’t go in with a combative attitude

The bonus pool is finite and you have the right to fight for your just share during the performance review. A brag file will help you in this regard. Bitching and moaning will help very little. But going into the meeting all guns blazing, complaining about not being valued sufficiently and threatening to quit, is downright destructive. No boss likes to heap money or recognition on a hostile employee, unless the latter is a truly exceptional revenue generator or has some uncompromising photos of him. Furthermore, the finance industry is a surprisingly incestuous market and you never know what consequences may befall on you longer term due to short-sighted, bridge-burning behaviour.

Everyone has problems at work unless, of course, you “work” at Google or Facebook. However, a performance review is not a forum for you to vent your frustrations or declare war on your employer. Enter with an affirmative attitude and a fully-loaded brag file, and engage positively with your reviewer. This strategy is neither naive nor is it airy-fairy, new-age stuff. It is simply the most sensible way to make you stand out and maximize your chances of getting that well-deserved new kitchen.

Blue Horseshoe is finance professional in Australia. The views expressed are his own and not those of eFinancialCareers.

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