Help! My supervisor is giving me unfair performance reviews

Q. This year, my performance barely met the required expectations, and was two places below ‘exceptional’, which had been my performance rating for five years in a row. I expected a similar rating this year as well because I believe I did my best, just like in the past. I think my supervisor is being unfair this time. What should I do? 

Posting a sustained exceptional performance rating over a period of five years is exemplary. You must have consistently made an unusually positive contribution that towered above that of your peers, perhaps in your results as well as how you obtained them. 

That said, even with impeccable dedication, it is improbable that anyone in any career will post such an immaculate record forever. We live in a very competitive world, where only a few individuals can be on the champion’s podium at a time.

Performance could be affected by many factors, among them health issues, personal matters, relationships with colleagues, the mettle of one’s character, awareness of what is critical in one’s environment, and even sheer luck. Although performance management systems are designed to engender objectivity by instituting clear performance goals, and a method of moderating performance ratings, no such system is airtight, therefore, subjectivity could still seep in. Being human, supervisors are not insulated from occasional partiality.

Did you consider your supervisor unfair when your performance was rated exceptional for five consecutive years? There is a chance that your ‘exceptional’ or other performance rating has more to do with your performance, rather than your supervisor. There can be a significant difference between doing one’s best and being the best. Sometimes your best will take you to the top and other times it will not.

If everyone was allowed to rate their performance, there would be very few, if any, individuals in the ‘second best’ category. One’s self perception is useful, yet it is rarely complete. Those close to you may have views about you and your performance that could help you grow personally and professionally. Seek audience with your supervisor and discuss your opportunities for performance improvement and personal growth.

Remember that while success is good, it can cloud one’s lenses and undermine the ability to perceive weaknesses and pitfalls, besides bloating the ego. In the end, regardless of how it feels, a true champion knows how to go home with a medal as well as without one.​

Fred Gituku, Human Resources Practitioner