We all put in a lot of hard work when it comes to our professional careers. Apart from passion and interest, the most important driving force behind this is the financial reward associated with a particular job. When you are not adequately financially paid for all the work that you are doing, the only thing that you look forward to is the appraisal that you are promised. We all are aware of the discrepancy that is most often found between what is promised and what we get when it comes to workplace appraisals.
What is essential to keep in mind is the fact that not all people are working only for the money, some of them are also passionate about their work. Some people are really in love with what they do, but, the fact remains that we cannot ignore the finances as we need money to survive. Irrespective of how much we love our work and job we need to have the adequate financial stability to live a comfortable life on our own. If this is not the case, then after a point of time all the motivation to keep going and continuing the job will get drained.
When it comes to the appraisal at work, we need to keep certain things in mind and clear our facts.It will be unfair to us if we keep doing a job that is not paying well. We expect an appraisal to make up for it but then even the appraisal, in most of the cases, is not at par with the nature and burden of the job. Moreover, after doing so much of hard work and putting in efforts, you would not want to feel the woes of a low appraisal.
You need to be very clear about your expectations, as far as the appraisal is concerned. Evaluate the kind of work that you do, analyze if you are doing more work than what should be expected from you, and then set your expectations for an appraisal. A low appraisal can be a deal breaker as it will not be able to motivate you enough to work harder for the betterment of the organization. If you have just received your appraisal and you really are not happy with it, if it is nowhere close to what you were promised and you are not sure what next to do, here are some tips that can help you to deal with a low appraisal.
#1. Keep A Positive Attitude
The first thing that people do after getting a low appraisal is, become super negative. As a result, their ability to being hopeful and take better steps for future is overpowered by their negative attitude. However, we all know that one cannot change anything by focusing on the negative aspects for a long time. It might be a little difficult for you to stay positive in such a situation and not feel dejected by the entire episode as you worked hard and was expecting a higher appraisal. But, remember that only if you keep being positive and calm, you will be able to make the best of the time that you have right now. You may not have been able to get the appraisal that you wished for, but you sure can take the required steps to negotiate it. Keeping a positive attitude will help you to correctly evaluate the next best steps that you should take after you have received the current appraisal.
(Also Read: How To Have A Positive Attitude In Life?)
#2. Analyze Your Expectations
It may be possible that you were expecting something that is practically not possible and it is not wise of you to have such high expectations. You get paid on the basis of your work and your contribution to the company, and therefore your appraisal is also dependent on the kind of value you are adding to the organization. It will not be very wise of you to have expectations of getting an appraisal that is beyond the amount that you should be receiving. Sometimes we are not aware, sometimes we have the wrong information and sometimes it simply becomes impossible for us to have practical expectations. All of this can lead to the expectations of an appraisal that is practically not possible for us to attain.
#3.Keep Your Cool In Front Of Your Boss
It is important to make sure that you keep your cool after receiving the news from your boss or whosoever is the bearer of the news. It is essential to understand the fact that your boss is also answerable to higher authorities. Many other people and opinions are involved in such decisions and then there are the budgets that these people have to follow. You cannot afford to misbehave with the person who is your head and blame them for doing wrong with you. In case you wish to take this matter up, you can officially address the issue, but you should make sure that you are by no means misbehaving with your boss.
Understand the fact that losing your calm in the heat of the moment will make things worse and will not leave the option of officially addressing this issue open for you. You need to have cordial relations with your boss to make sure that you are officially able to take this matter up and get at least one opportunity to present your grievances. You do not wish to ruin your relationship with your boss just because you were really disappointed at the kind of appraisal you were offered and because it was not in accordance with your expectations.
(Read Here: How To Manage Your Emotions At Workplace?)
#4. Ask For A Genuine Feedback
It may be possible that you are really not doing all that is expected from you or in comparison to the other people competing with you. It is a possibility that you are not really adequately aware of the quality of work that is expected from you and thus are not being able to perform the best that you can. Therefore, a good amount of feedback from the people who are working in the positions above you will help you to analyze your position and work on your shortcomings. You will not only be able to improve your performance, you will also get to see the other side of the coin which will make things absolutely clear for you.
Once you come to know the reasons because of which you did not get the kind of the appraisal that you were are looking for, you will be able to work harder and improve.
#5. Apply The Feedback You Received
The best thing to do will be to improve yourself using all the feedback that your superiors have given you. If you really cannot do anything about the recent appraisal, then you can surely improve your work to such an extent that you get a better appraisal or opportunity the next time. The best use of this situation is to make sure you learn from all that has gone wrong this time and make best of the knowledge for the next time.
Do you think this article can help you to deal with a low appraisal? Do you have any more tips to share with us? Please share your comments and opinions in the comment box below. We look forward to your replies.
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