
Shedding the Corporate Bitch
Welcome to Shedding the Corporate Bitch – the podcast that challenges the status quo and empowers bold professionals to ditch outdated expectations, rewrite the rules, and rise into leadership on their own terms.
Hosted by transformational coach and unapologetic truth-teller Bernadette Boas, each episode delivers raw insights, unfiltered conversations, and practical strategies for ambitious corporate professionals, executive leaders, and HR trailblazers who are ready to level up—without selling out.
Whether you're navigating toxic cultures, battling burnout, or aiming for that next big role, this show is your weekly dose of motivation, straight talk, and real solutions that get results.
Follow now—and start shedding what no longer serves you, so you can build a career and life that actually fits you.
Shedding the Corporate Bitch
Power Plays For Writing Powerful Performance Reviews
What if your performance review wasn’t just a task… but a career-defining opportunity?
In this episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch, leadership coach Bernadette Boas flips the script on how corporate professionals — both employees and managers — should approach performance reviews.
Whether you're writing your own self-assessment or giving feedback to your team, this episode is your blueprint for using performance reviews to own your impact, build trust, and elevate careers.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- 🎯 Why your performance review is your personal press release
- ✍️ The 4 essential elements every self-assessment must include
- 🚫 The dangerous cost of vague, sugar-coated feedback
- 💡 How managers can turn reviews into true leadership moments
- 📈 How to align your story with strategic business outcomes
- 🤝 Why trust and growth begin with the words you use
Whether you're aiming for your next promotion or striving to lead with impact, this episode will help you make your review — and your voice — truly powerful.
🔗 Resources & Links:
- 🎯 Book a discovery call with Bernadette: CoachMeBernadette.com/discoverycall
- 🎧 Follow the podcast: BallOfFireCoaching.com/podcast
- 📺 Watch on YouTube: Shedding the Corporate Bitch TV
- 🌐 Learn more: BallOfFireCoaching.com
📢 Connect with Bernadette:
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bernadetteboas
- Instagram: @SheddingTheBitch
- YouTube: Shedding the Corporate Bitch TV
📣 Share the episode & leave a review!
Loved the episode? Leave a review, share with your team, and tag us on social! Your support helps us empower more powerhouse leaders like you.
If you had to turn over your end-of-year or mid-year performance review to your CEO tomorrow, would it earn you a seat at the table or would it expose how little you've owned your impact this year? Most professionals treat performance reviews as simply paperwork, a box to check off a list. But here's the truth your review is your personal press release and, if you're a manager, your feedback is either building trust or quietly tearing it down. In today's episode, we're flipping the script and I'm giving employees the exact blueprint to write a self-assessment that doesn't just list tasks, but it commands recognition. Self-assessment that doesn't just list tasks, but it commands recognition, drives development and positions you for what's next. And we're not just reviewing performance. We're rewriting how we tell our career story and lead the people that we are leading and for leaders. I'll walk you through how to craft feedback that's not generic, vague or sugar-coated, but meaningful, motivating and aligned with real growth. This isn't just about reviews. It's about how you show up, lead up and level up. So let's dive in.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Shedding the Corporate Bitch, the podcast that transforms today's managers into tomorrow's powerhouse leaders. Your host, bernadette Boas, executive coach and author, brings you into a world where the corporate grind meets personal growth and success in each and every episode. With more than 25 years in corporate trenches, bernadette's own journey from being dismissed as a tyrant boss to becoming a sought-after leadership coach and speaker illustrates the very essence of transformation that she now inspires in others with her tips, strategies and stories. So if you're ready to shed the bitches of fear and insecurity, ditch the imposter syndrome and step into the role of the powerhouse leader you were born to be, this podcast is for you. Let's do this.
Speaker 1:At least once a year.
Speaker 1:I like to have this conversation regarding performance reviews in order to ensure that you are all honoring the riches that are your contributions, your impact and even your areas for development that you're bringing to the table each and every day, whether you are the employee or the manager. And this particular conversation I want to have is really not about either giving or receiving performance reviews. We've done that before and I'll probably continue talking about it because it's that important. However, what I wanted to do in this particular conversation is really talk about how to write your performance review and or the to write your performance review and or the manager write a performance review feedback in order for it to have real impact, in order for it to showcase exactly what you've accomplished, at the same time, what areas of development that you want to be focused on and the support that you need in order to advance and grow and really be a high value, high potential, contributing team member, both to the team and to the business. The first thing I want you to be thinking about when it comes to writing your performance reviews, as I mentioned at the beginning, it is not just this paperwork task that needs to get done. It's not just a check in a box that yes, you've finished it. And, leaders, I'm really talking to you as well, because far too often when we get into the end of year, mid-year, and say you have a number of employees on your team, it can be exhausting, it can be overwhelming, it can be very time consuming to really put the time and the effort into a valuable performance review or feedback. And yet it's absolutely critical because it is the blueprint it should become the career path plan for your employee that they can then take and really work toward. So the first thing I really want everyone to be reframing around performance reviews is that it's just not documenting your tasks. It really is influencing the perception others have of you in the work that you're doing, whether that is the strengths and the expertise and the skill that you're doing, whether that is the strengths and the expertise and the skill that you're bringing, the talent that you're bringing, but also the gaps, the blind spots, the areas that need focus, development and even support on. And then, at the same time, it's also influencing future opportunities, whether that's today, six months from now or three years from now. So reframe your thought process around.
Speaker 1:It's just not a task to be done at the middle of the year and at the end of the year. It is something, both from the employee perspective and the manager perspective, that really needs to be taken seriously, that needs to be very intentional and a lot of thought to go into it, because, again, that employee is going to take it and they're going to run with it as far as what are the accomplishments that they made, but, more so, what are the areas that I'm being told that I need to focus on? And they know, too, that the performance review could be leaned on when it does come down to considering them for future opportunities. Other people other than the manager will be looking at this and therefore they want to make sure that they've crafted a story that showcases their contributions, but, at the same time, they want to ensure that they're getting the feedback they need from their manager in order to continue to develop and grow. You can look at it as your performance review is your voice when you're not in the room. Let me say that again your performance reviews, any self-assessment that you do, is your voice when you're not in the room, meaning if someone takes this performance review and looks at it to get a better understanding of not only what you've done, what you haven't done and areas that you're focused on, but also a little bit about who you are and what is it that you are bringing to the team and to the business.
Speaker 1:Now, as I mentioned, I do a lot of work with my clients in regards to helping them structure, frame, and then they go off and they write their performance reviews and I always have them looking at four particular things. I want them to really think about their tactical accomplishments. I want them to think about their contributions, the impact that they've made. I want them to think about their areas for improvement and then I want them to own up and actually suggest what their developmental goals, opportunities are and any support that they need. So let's break down those four areas so you really understand how you can structure your review. First off, you have your tactical accomplishments. What did I do toward that goal? What did I not do?
Speaker 1:Now, the important part about all of this is you don't want to just report oh, I did it and I accomplished it. You want to be sure that there are specifics, there are measurements, there are the actions that you took against that plan or, I'm sorry, against that goal. There is quantifiable results that you can make mention to. You can mention if it was delivered on time and how relevant or realistic it was to the goal achievement that you had. But you want to definitely ensure that you're not just saying, yes, I accomplished this goal. You're putting some story behind it, you're putting some impact around it, you're focusing on the goal, the project, the KPIs and the deliverables, but you want to create a story to where then someone can take it and really see what you were able to accomplish. You will definitely in the tactical type of accomplishments. You would definitely want to put them in like bullet form.
Speaker 1:But yet you want to put them in bullet form in the sense of a smart structure where you're listing out the specifics, the measurements, especially quantifiable results, and again painting that picture. So, for instance, you could say say, a goal of yours was to create certain number of programs or products throughout the year and introduce them to the market, so for customer acquisition. And so your result against that goal could be something to the effect of launched five features or five products a month early from originally planned, increasing customer prospecting by 10%, which resulted in X number of dollars of new sale opportunities. So it's not just yes, I accomplished this metric, it's telling a story around your achievement Now you might have missed the mark. Story around your achievement Now you might have missed the mark. So you just simply say launch two out of four products or features that were expected on time, or that two weeks, one month early, increasing customer adoption by just 5% against our plan of 15%, with the action to pursue one, two and three in the coming months. It's really creating a story and a picture around that tactical accomplishment. Then you want to definitely ensure that you're putting in your contributions and the impact that you had on the business.
Speaker 1:This is more strategic than the tactical. This is what was the impact that you had on the work? Did you develop team members? Did you build relationships with key stakeholders in the business or outside the business, if it's client facing? What was the impact that you had on the business as a result of being and building those type of relationships? So you want to be thinking very strategic, going beyond the tasks that you were assigned for that particular goal, to really think okay, really, what was my value that I brought to the table? Did you through your work? Were you asked to attend a conference or to speak at, either internally or externally.
Speaker 1:As a result of your expertise, over and beyond what the task was, did you have any what I'll call leadership moments, that it doesn't matter if you have a title of a leader leadership is individually as much as it is with others that you're leading. So what were those strategic, looking around the corner, forward thinking, visionary type of moments that you might have had? Did you contribute to a new project, a new initiative? Did you identify something that's broken, that needs to be fixed? What were those things? Did you take a class that was unexpected or get a certification that was not necessarily planned? Those type of things. What strategic thinking or innovations might you have come up with?
Speaker 1:Did you have any cross-functional influence, whether that's inside the business or, if you have multiple business units, it might have been outside the business. So, for instance, I have a number of my clients who work across business units, manage across business units, they do workshops across business units. They're part of a circle of influences that are across businesses or across function. Not only are they accomplishing their tasks and their goals for their team and their business, but they're also doing this other work beyond that that. They also want to make sure that they tell that story and that they include in their performance review. I don't care if you're an individual contributor and you're looking down at a task and you're in a room all by yourself on a daily basis turning out work. There's a story, there's value, there's impact, there's contribution in that work and you need to recognize it, what I call honor your riches.
Speaker 1:You can also wrap stories around almost like a business case, or there's an acronym of CAR, which means talk about the challenge, talk about the actions that were taken, the results that were made. In a business case, I like to look at okay, what was a problem that I was tasked to solve? What was the impact or challenge or risk that was being caused by that problem in the business? What are going to the benefits be if we address this problem and address those risks and issues, and then what was the result once we did so? You can look at it in a form of a business case type of story or in a car challenge, action, results. But whatever you do, you want to paint that picture and give yourself credit where credit is due.
Speaker 1:When it comes to impact, let's talk areas of improvement. That's the third section. You have the tactical, the strategic or the powerful contributions and areas for improvement. We all have them. I don't care who you are. We all have areas that we need to improve on, and if you don't know what those are, you ask for feedback, you do self-assessments, of which then you bounce up against other people's assessments of you you can call them a 360 assessment to really understand your competencies, gaps, blind spots, strengths, weaknesses, and therefore then that way you can craft yourself a story and or an action plan is even more important to address those issues. We all have areas for improvement. If we're not learning and growing, we might as well be dead. Have areas for improvement. If we're not learning and growing, we might as well be dead.
Speaker 1:So really think through, reframe any thought processes about weaknesses, failures, missteps. Look at them as growth. That's what they're all about is growth. And if you're not making mistakes and if you're not failing and if you're not screwing up in some way, shape or form, then you're in the wrong job, you're in the wrong business, because that's the only way you're going to grow. So really think about them and then say something like one area I'm working to develop is X, y and Z Forward thinking. You know you want to. It's almost like you want to level up, you want to fill the gaps between where you are now, where you want to go and these are the areas that I'm working on.
Speaker 1:And then, lastly, are your developmental goals, based on what you now recognize as your tactical, your strategic and your areas for improvement? What are those things that you want to learn, you want to take on next? You want to learn you want to take on next, you want to lead, you want to get support with so forth and so on. You want to point out what are the developmental goals or opportunities and support that you'd be looking for from your manager, from your team, from the business as a whole, and you kind of outline that as well. You can request stretch assignments, you can ask to have mentoring or coaching, or you want a sponsor or an advocate, whatever the request might be. Put it there, put it out there, let them know. Verbalizing it is fine, don't get me wrong, but you really want it on paper as well. As far as what are the things you feel you need and these are my requests and I pass them on to the powers to be Really spell it out because, again, this is your press release. This is your opportunity to put your voice out there and to advocate for yourself.
Speaker 1:Now, one aspect I want to cover before we move on from this section of how to structure your performance review the tactical, the strategic, the areas for improvement and the developmental goals and requests. The last thing I want you to really be thinking about is the words you use, the tone that you use them. The clarity and the assertion you make in your words and in your tones are very important. You don't want to be demanding, you want to be confident, you want to be assertive, you want to be clear, you want to be specific, you want to be results oriented, because that's what leaders are looking for in their high potentials is results, but not results like check, check, check, check, check, check, check. They can get anybody to do that. If you want to advance, if you want to grow, if you want to reach that goal that you have for yourself, it needs to be powerful, strategic, it needs to be high impact and it needs to be results driven. I want to switch gears to the managers, the leaders out there. This part's for you, but please pay attention to the employee part too, because then you can be coaching and helping them actually structure and format and craft their story and craft their overall performance review. That will not only benefit them, but the best reflection of a strong leader is helping your people to rise up and therefore it's also a win-win for you.
Speaker 1:The first one is we talked earlier about reframing. Performance review is just not a report. It's not a few sentences, it's not a scale Did I achieve or did I not achieve? Was my employee satisfactory or exceptional or below average? It's not just reporting on one simple metric. It is your leadership moment, it is your responsibility, it is your time to develop, coach, inspire and motivate, not only in the verbal that you're going to have when you sit down, but the taking of the time, being intentional, being thoughtful, being attentive to what is it this individual needs to be motivated, to be inspired to want to continue learning and growing, and because I need them to accomplish some very challenging tasks, projects, initiatives.
Speaker 1:We're going through a lot of change, so I need them to be leaning in with me as opposed to kind of wanting to run for cover, because it's just not a good environment, not a good culture. So this is your leadership moment to ensure that they get the information that they need, the feedback and the support that they need in order to be the best individual that they can be. All right, keep in mind you are your words and your words written and words verbal are going to shape your employees mindset. They're going to shape the narrative that they run through their head 24 by 7. It's going to shape how much confidence or little confidence that they have in themselves and how worthy they feel, how important and valued they feel and how willing they are to go the extra mile in order to make themselves successful, but even more so you.
Speaker 1:So please just reframe any idea of performance reviews that you've had. They're exhausting, they're time-consuming, they're difficult and uncomfortable to write. This is your opportunity and your moment to really ensure that they get what they need in order to be the best that they can be. So I want to give you a structure and a format as to how far as how you can go about writing the review, not giving the review. We've talked about that multiple times in the past, but this is your chance to really let your leadership shine. In the past, but this is your chance to really let your leadership shine.
Speaker 1:The first thing that I want you to be considering is you want to affirm the wins that they've had. You want to ensure that you're looking it over again, not to just make sure. Okay, task one check. Task two check. Task three check, but more so, all right, task one what is that story that they're telling? What's that narrative that they're sharing with you around the tactical accomplishments, the strategic powerful contributions, the areas for improvement, the opportunities that they're stating that they want from you, and is there anything more of wins from your perspective that you can then share and add more color to the story that they've provided? So do you have key accomplishments or highlights, observations, feedback that you've noted and you want to provide a lot of specifics. What are the observations? Who were the people involved, what was the situation that occurred? What were the comments made? Whatever you can share that are positive, uplifting, and they affirm their positive contributions and impact that they've had for the team and the business.
Speaker 1:And you want to use language such as your initiative, your leadership in taking on this particular project name. It was very impressive. You stepped up, you commanded the attention of the people around you, you led without issue, you dealt with a conflict and challenges very proactively, very responsibly, so forth and so on. Get as specific as possible, but you always want to start on a high note before you were to get into anything else. Then, of course, on the high notes comes what are those areas that you still find opportunities for the individual to learn and grow? What were the gaps between what they were tasked to do and tasked not tactically, but overall? What were the goals that they were given? And were there gaps, were there misses, were there missteps that were made?
Speaker 1:And therefore, be very direct, be very forthright, be very clear and detailed and specifics about those things, while at the same time, again, you're looking to build them up, even if it is hard. Feedback, then, always, where there are strengths and contributions and successes, there's areas for improvement, there's areas for growth, there's areas for focus on development and therefore, what you want to continue doing is affirming, is motivating, is inspiring, is building up, even when there are struggles or there are deficits in performance that you need addressed. And so you really want to look at using behavioral language as opposed to being very vague and very generic in the feedback that you're providing. So, for instance, I can't tell you how many times one of my clients will be told I need you to be more strategic. They'll come back and they'll be like okay, so what exactly does that mean? What does it mean to be strategic or forward thinking? It sounds like one would understand, but at the same time, they feel that they already are, and the examples that they've expressed to this individual, or even to me, expresses that they are behaving in that way, but that's not what's in the mind of the manager, manager and so the manager I'm speaking to you. You then need to clear that up, up front, to where they don't walk away from their performance review and question anything that you're telling them. So make sure it's getting into very specifics around.
Speaker 1:What does that mean? So, instead of saying I need you to be more strategic, you might say you tend to jump into executing and the tactical before aligning, or without even aligning, to more of the broader strategy or what we need to do going forward, and therefore you're gettingigning your plan to the actual leadership and execution of the plan with the team. Now, mind you, I didn't say your tactical execution, it's more so. Let's align your planning with what it is that the team needs to do. Planning with what it is that the team needs to do, because a lot of managers or leads on projects they tend to be doobies they're very good at executing, not very good at strategy and at leading a team meaning letting others do the work, letting others lead from the front. You know lead from the front delegating to others the key, important, valuable, high impact type of tasks and assignments.
Speaker 1:So be careful in the words that you're using and get them to be behavioral. Paint a picture of their performance as opposed to just being very vague, to where they walk away confused. But at the same time, you want to be very honest, you want to be upfront, you want to be transparent, but you just want to be motivating and supportive and inspiring and you're looking for them to lean in, not back away. Definitely call out opportunities for growth once you also had pointed out and affirmed the wins and the accomplishments that they've had. The third one would be you want to help connect the dots between the feedback that was provided both the successes or the wins, as well as the areas for improvement to the impact to the business or to the team, to the impact to the business or to the team. So you want to continue encouraging and continue building up, continuing to motivate, even with the areas of development or opportunity, while at the same time pointing out the impact that their performance, their contribution, their behavior, their results had on the goals for the team and the business.
Speaker 1:So the wins well, you know you did such a great job. We were able to X, y and Z. You know we were able to exceed one, two and three, as opposed to you continuing to execute and do, as opposed to plan and lead. Well, that is hurting the team as far as really ensuring that they have the leadership, they have the guidance, they have the clarity, they have the expectation setting that they need. So they know what it is that they need to do, when they need to do it and what support or who has their back if they run into any challenges. So I really need you to take on this leadership role in the capacity of leading them, as opposed to executing in the detail and in the minutia that you currently are.
Speaker 1:You want to tie the feedback to the impact that they're having, to the overall goals of the team and the business, while you're motivating and inspiring them. The goal here is to really help them appreciate what it is that they're bringing to the team, each and every day contribution they're making for you, with you and the team, and make them feel valued, make them feel worthy, make them feel important and a critical part of the team in the business. And that way, you know when there are trying times, when there are difficult times. When there are, you know when there are trying times, when there are difficult times when there are, you know hard decisions to be made. They'll be there for you. They'll be loyal. They'll have your back as much as you'll have their back. They'll have a high level of trust toward you and they'll feel really good about themselves as far as what it is that they need to do in order to help the team accomplish their goals. So it's a win-win for everyone.
Speaker 1:Lastly, what you want to include here is you have your wins or successes, you have the areas for improvement or opportunities for growth, you have the tying back of the feedback to the results or to the impact to the team, and then you want to wrap that up with all right. So here is my recommendations of development areas for you to be focused on plans that need to be put into place, any type of resources, mentoring, coaching, assessment, feedback, timelines that you want to put in place in order to support this individual you want to lay out what it is that you want them focused on, but also, what support and what guidance will you provide them?
Speaker 1:And if it's not you, then is it training, certifications, is it programs within the business or even externally? And while, at the same time, you also want to engage them in a dialogue, a conversation around. So what do you want to do next? What support do you need? Where can I support you that might not be outlined in this context? So you also want to really kind of keep the dialogue and the conversation going and making it a collaboration toward not only their wins and successes and contributions, but also their areas for improvement, their development plan and their overall growth.
Speaker 1:To the managers out there, this isn't a copy and paste. This isn't something that you just have standard language that you use for all of your employees and I appreciate anybody would if you have a large team, and what that means is you just need to really plan it, proactively, schedule it and even schedule the time that you're going to sit down and focus on writing these performance reviews, this feedback, and then presenting it to them. You just need to be intentional. It needs to be a priority to you and, as a leader. It should be your number one priority. You also want to ensure that you're personalizing it to that individual. You're adding story and context and detail that is specific to them, not generic to just any employee. You want to make them feel as if you've recognized them, that you've seen them, that you've experienced them in their role and responsibility, while at the same time you want to be thinking long-term for them and with them. So, these accomplishments, these wins, these areas for improvement, how are they going to foster the growth that you need out of them for what's coming down the road and add that type of context as well? And then, lastly, you really want, in the conversation, even in the writing, you even want to really connect them with you as far as here's what I see in you that is adding great impact to the team. Here's what I see in you that is going to help you advance. Here's what I see in you that, with some training, coaching, guidance, mentoring, you will be able to X, y and Z. You want to allow them to see that you believe in them. You want them to feel that you appreciate them and that they matter and therefore, by using certain words, to really bring them into the fold, so to speak. Here's what I see for you. Here's where I think you could go next really allows them to feel personally connected to you and not just a box to check off.
Speaker 1:In summary, for both the employee and the managers. For the employees, first, this is your press release. This is your voice when you're not in the room. This is your personal narrative, the story that you can tell about your career. That will dictate what comes next. So take it very seriously, put time into it, get the support and the help that you need in order to craft that story and recognize those four areas we talked about. That should be included in your review all the time. And for the managers remember this is your leadership moment. This is your moment to shine and to really ensure that you are leaving a legacy by helping your team members to rise up.
Speaker 1:There's nothing better than to seeing other people succeed, and so what I would ask all of you to do is for the employees, set up 90 minutes even then over the next few weeks, because reviews are coming and really just reflect and capture, even initially, what are those areas that we talked about, what are those successes and accomplishments, what are those areas for improvement?
Speaker 1:What are those areas for improvement? What are those areas for development? What are those riches that you should be honoring about yourself and what was the impact that you had for the team and managers? Start reflecting on each individual employee or team member that you have and take time to make note of specifics for each one so it doesn't become generic standard vanilla but it is very relatable to that individual. If both of you really are intentional about what it is you want to share for each other and to each other, then you're accomplishing so much more than just a performance review. You're accomplishing connection, engagement, relation and building great deal of respect and trust in one another, and that is a formula for success like no other.
Speaker 1:Now, we all know that writing performance reviews is time consuming, is monotonous and is uncomfortable for a good many people, and if that's the case for you, then book a call with me and let's talk about it. You can go to coachmebernadettecom forward slash discovery call and I can give you some tips and strategies for moving forward and writing that powerhouse of a performance review, whether it's as an employee or it's the manager providing feedback. At the same time, be sure to follow the show. We have great guests. We have great topics, so if you enjoyed this episode, then you can follow, subscribe and share, and you can go to balloffirecoachingcom forward slash podcast and follow the show on any one of your podcast streaming services, as well as on our Shedding the Corporate Bitch TV YouTube channel. I'll look forward to having you back here for another episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch TV YouTube channel. I'll look forward to having you back here for another episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch. Bye. I'll look forward to having you back here for another episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch. Bye.
Speaker 2:Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch. Every journey taken together is another step towards unleashing the powerhouse leader within you. Don't miss any of our weekly episodes towards unleashing the powerhouse leader within you. Don't miss any of our weekly episodes. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, spotify or wherever you love to listen. And, for those who thrive on visual content, catch us on our Shedding the Bitch YouTube channel. Want to dive deeper with Bernadette on becoming a powerhouse leader? Visit balloffirecoachingcom to learn more about how she helps professionals, hr executives and team leaders elevate overall team performance. You've been listening to Shedding the Corporate Bitch with Bernadette Boas. Until next time, keep shedding, keep growing and keep leading.