Why do people get worked up about end-of-year reviews?

Why do people get worked up about end-of-year reviews?  

No one really enjoys performance reviews. We all go into them with a sense of trepidation, maybe because evolution has given us a bias towards negativity and defensiveness. Millions of years ago, it paid to be wary, what with predators and competing tribes. It’s why research shows that we remember negative experiences more acutely and for longer than we remember positive ones.   

People can get worked up about end-of-year reviews; maybe because they’re linked to a bonus, or traditionally, they were a way to save up all the feedback and throw it at an individual to get out of giving a bonus. Thankfully, things have changed, and informal conversations should happen throughout the year, but this doesn’t stop individuals from worrying and even catastrophising, which can make conversations difficult, even if the conversation is a good one.  

So, as the year winds down and the annual performance review pantomime swings into operation in many organisations, we’ve created some helpful things to think about. It’s human nature to dread them. But done properly and with the right language and structure, they offer the perfect chance to celebrate wins and motivate teams and individuals.   

Holding onto past memories can impact how people react  

My first review came at the tender age of about 22, which is why when I hear the word ‘chortle’, my palms get sweaty. Chortle is a comedy website, and it gave me one of my earliest comedy appraisals in the form of a review.  

It was 2005, and I was a mere comedy baby – I had only just started to stand up (get it?). The review started nicely, explaining that I was ‘cool and confident in my delivery’. I had ‘an ease in front of an audience, presumably picked up from my days as a teacher’, it explained. I had never been a teacher, but hey, I’ll take the compliment.   

I remember reading the first couple of sentences with a smile. It evaporated three lines in when the faceless reviewer went for the jugular. My material was ‘formulaic and bland’, he wrote. The short two paragraphs finished by saying that although I was ‘engaging’, I was not an ‘instinctively funny comic’ and was ‘mechanical’. Harsh. I was a trainee.   

Now, I could, of course, review the review and point out the obvious contradiction that if my delivery was confident and cool, how could it also be mechanical? I could also deduct points from the writer because the review started with a spelling mistake. But that would be petty, wouldn’t it?  

I mean, it was over 20 years ago; it’s not like I’m hanging on to it, and still bitter. It’s not like those words haunt my every waking hour, and then I recite them in my nightmares. Sometimes I cry. Okay, so maybe I do hold on to the memory a tiny bit…  

But that just illustrates my point about the impact of negative experiences. A few years after the Chortle-dismantling, I won the award for best new stand-up act in the northwest. I can’t remember the words used when I was presented with the award, but they were very positive.   

The point is that language is important when reviewing someone's performance. Would you rather be critiqued or appraised? They are the same thing, but one sounds like a much nicer process than the other.    

Here are a few tips for ensuring your performance reviews are full of festive cheer and don’t become a nightmare before Christmas.  

Fairness first: avoid the bias trap  

Give yourself a ‘fairness MOT’ before the review. Think of it as a sort of pre-flight check, but instead of looking for mechanical issues, you’re scanning for sneaky biases. Are you giving feedback based on the full year or just recent events? Are you consistent in your expectations across the team?  

Unconscious biases are like tequila shots at the Christmas Party. They sneak up on you and get you in trouble. Take a moment to reflect on what’s really guiding your feedback.  

Here’s a quick checklist:  

1.  Look at the whole picture. Avoid focusing only on recent projects.   
2. Stay consistent. Praise or critique fairly across the board.  
3. Check your assumptions. Ask yourself if unconscious biases are influencing you, and if need be, check with someone in a more objective position.   

The manager’s wellbeing check-in  

Performance reviews can be exhausting. Giving constructive, thoughtful feedback, adjusting your tone, and repeating the process take their toll. To avoid burnout, it’s just as important to look after yourself.  

Pace yourself. 

Don’t squeeze too many reviews into one day. Space them out so each conversation gets your full energy and attention.  

Reset between chats. 

Take a quick breather after each review. Stretch, grab a cup of tea, or just clear your head.  

Positive positioning. 

Remember, feedback is an opportunity to guide, not just critique. Framing things positively makes reviews feel like pep talks rather than report cards.  

Don’t do all the work. 

Your role as a manager or leader is to guide an individual fairly through their performance. This means they do a bit of work, too. (More on this below)   

Make sure you are in the right place and frame of mind.

Because these conversations can be difficult (not always), it's essential that you and the other person are in a place where there’s time to chat both physically and mentally.  

 The four questions: turning reviews into conversations  

Encouraging your team to prep as much as you do will help it be a conversation over a tell. Ask them to think about the answers to these questions before the review.   

1. What went well for you this year?  
2. What didn’t go as planned?  
3. Where do you think you are now (in terms of assessment criteria if you have one)  
4. What are your goals for next year that align with strategy/team goals?  
5. What will help you get there?  

By letting the person receiving feedback lead the conversation, you turn a one-way review into a two-way conversation that might actually be enjoyable (yes, really!).   

The questions will help them focus, give you insight into their perspective, and make feedback feel constructive and collaborative. This approach also builds psychological safety by letting your team voice their thoughts first.  

When they lead, you get to guide, add perspective, and recognise development areas together. If you have a performance framework, ensure there’s a clear written understanding of what’s expected at each point of the framework. Encourage them to come to the review with an idea of where they think they are and, most importantly, why they think they are at that point.  

Encouraging them to check in with others to avoid their own biases helps, too. It also supports peer-to-peer feedback, which is a useful way to build honest relationships across the team. There should never be a surprise in a review.    

Wrap it up with a plan  

Close each conversation by summarising a few key takeaways and SMART action plans. Arrange follow-ups. Create a continued dynamic process, keeping goals and growth on track without waiting for next year’s review.  

Encourage people to take responsibility and accountability for their own development by writing up notes from the meeting and sending them to you with the key takeaways and points from their Personal Development Plan. This also helps you, especially when you have a large team.   

So, as you head into review season, remember the importance of fairness, keep an eye on your own energy, and use feedback to strengthen your connection with your team.  

If only Mr Chortle followed this advice!  

If you’d like us to support you or your team, please reach out to Doug - doug@laughology.co.uk - and he’ll talk you through how we can help.