How Top Managers Never Get Shortchanged in Their Performance Reviews

Read Time: 3 minutes.

Here we are again. Performance review season. 

Managers will spend weeks crafting thoughtful reviews for their teams, and then hastily dash off their own self-evaluation in 20 minutes on the deadline day.

We treat their own performance review like an afterthought. A bureaucratic box to check. Something to get through so we can focus on "real work."

It’s a silent protest that leaves a loud mark when we get passed over for promotion or an underwhelming bonus check.

Here's the reality: Your self-review isn't just documentation. It's advocacy.

• For your team

• For your career

• For your future

Follow these 7 simple rules. Stop shortchanging it.

1. Never Use AI to Write It

This is your story. Your performance. Your career.

You can outsource the editing, but it'll be obvious if you don't own the content. Your manager knows how you think and communicate. A ChatGPT-generated review will feel hollow and generic.

If you don’t care abotu your review, why should they?

Plus, the process of writing it yourself forces you to reflect on what you actually accomplished. That reflection is valuable preparation for the conversation that follows.

2. Never Overinflate Your Accomplishments

If you exaggerate one thing, they'll assume everything is rounded up in your favor.

• Stick to facts.

• Use specific numbers.

• Quote actual feedback.

Let the results speak for themselves.

The goal isn't to be creative. It's to be credible.

3. Never Sell Yourself Short

Do not create a document that requires your manager to overrule you.

They're juggling a complicated portfolio of reviews, budget constraints, and competing priorities. Give them an easy out and they might take it.

If you think you exceeded expectations, say so. If you believe you deserve a promotion, make the case. Don't hope they'll read between the lines.

Also…

Don't write yours last. Shortchanging your own review isn't just bad for you. It doesn't help your team either. They're watching how you advocate for yourself.

4. Always Have Data to Back Your View

Ask your customers what they think. Survey your team. Track the improvements you made.

• "I improved team morale" is an opinion.

• "Employee satisfaction increased from 6.2 to 8.1" is a fact.

If you leave it open to opinion alone, you're likely to lose. Opinions are subjective.

Data is easier to defend and harder to argue.

5. Always Connect the Dots

Don't just list tasks. Show how your work solved real business problems.

"Managed the Q3 product launch" tells them what you did.

"Led Q3 product launch that exceeded revenue targets by 23% and reduced customer acquisition cost by 15%" tells them why it mattered.

6. Always Speak Their Language

If your company obsesses over "radical transparency," use that exact phrase. If they have an initiative around "customer excellence," don’t rename it to be clever.

Want them sign your praises? Write a song that’s easy to sing in their language.

This isn't corporate speak for the sake of it. It's showing you understand what the organization values and how your work helps drive those priorities.

7. Always Work Backward From Winning

Know the process front to back. Every company is a little different. And the easiest way to get what you want is ensuring zero friction for your manager.

Don't wait until the last minute. Being the 15th review in the pile when they're exhausted isn't strategic.

Write sections they can steal. Make it easy for your boss to copy and paste when they're advocating upward. Don't just assume they'll forward your review. Make it so good they’ll want to.

The Bottom Line

You spend all year managing other people's performance.

Don't forget to manage your own.

Your self-review is the one document that tells your professional story the way you want it told. It sets the basis for promotion discussions, compensation decisions, and development opportunities.

The managers who get this right don't just document what they did.
They build the case for where they're going next.

Your team is watching how you handle your own career.
Show them what thoughtful advocacy looks like.

Because if you believe in what you’re doing, why would anyone else?

What You Missed This Week

Our Sunday AM posts:

📌 The Hardest But Most Important Leadership Habit (Dave on LI)
📌 It’s Always Hard Being New (Mar on LI)
📌 Major Leadership Mistake: Adding Complexity (Dave on X)

And here are our most popular posts last week:

🔥 Unforgettable Managers (Mar on LI)
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🔥 Should I Write This Book? (Dave on X)

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Dave