When it’s time for your annual review, you can either be a passenger or a driver. The key to getting what you need from your performance review is asking the right questions.

One of my coaching clients, Eddie*, was preparing for his annual performance review. He planned to do what he always did: pull out his calendar and meeting notes, make a list of things he’d done over the past year, and submit that as his review.

He’d add a few goals for the coming year too—to fill in the blanks on the organization’s review form.

“Done!” he told me. “That’s all it takes.”

My response: “You’re missing a real opportunity.”

Few of us love performance review processes. Some of us dread them, for their tedious forms and the possibility of uncomfortable surprises.

But all of us could benefit from taking them seriously.

You can go along for the ride, like Eddie planned on doing. Or you can use this as an opportunity to drive toward your goals and get what you need from the process. If you want a little more control in your performance review conversation, plan on doing these five things.

#1: Celebrate your wins with details.

Eddie could tell his boss, “building operations went well.”

Or Eddie could say, “building operations had 70% fewer off-hour service calls this year over last, because we implemented a daily checklist to identify potential problems before they happen.”

In the second scenario, Eddie names an accomplishment, quantifies the impact, and offers an explanation. This doesn’t just celebrate his team’s wins, it gives his boss data that can be shared with other leaders, helping the whole department look good.

#2: Show how your work fits into the broader organization.

Likewise, Eddie could present a bulleted list of 20 projects his team accomplished. That’s good, but that’s also what an individual contributor would do. If Eddie wants to be seen as a leader, he should make the case that he contributes to the vital work of the organization.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to use a bucketed list instead of a bulleted list. Place individual projects into categories that speak to essential, cross-functional work.

For example, instead of noting that he cross-trained his team members on various equipment and updated policy manuals, Eddie could group these individual events under the category of “Business Continuity Planning.”

#3: Ask for feedback.

Never miss an opportunity to ask how you need to grow. Though this is #3 in our list, it may be the most important opportunity in your performance review. This is your chance to learn what your boss needs to see more of, and how you could improve your performance.

If your boss doesn’t have tangible feedback regarding your current performance, ask them to think about your future. How do you need to grow, or what rough edges do you need to round off, to reach the next stage of your career?

#4: Share your goals and ask for what you need.

Most annual review processes ask you to look forward to the next year and set some goals. I recommend the bucket approach (see #2) for this as well, to help position your work as a significant contribution to the organization.

Once you’ve named your goal, ask for what you need. For Eddie, that might be resources like a new hire or equipment. But it might also be information or access—for example, to sit in on a decision making meeting, to shadow someone doing a different kind of work, or help building relationships across the organization.

#5: Ask questions.

Finally, ask questions. If Eddie’s boss made a decision last year that he didn’t understand, he might ask his boss to walk him through the decision making process. If he’s wondering how to move up in the organization, he might ask for advice.

I am amazed at the number of clients who never think to ask—for feedback, for what they need, or for information—during their performance review. Don’t miss your opportunity to bring questions to the conversation; you should walk out of the meeting knowing more than when you walked in.

If you’ve thought through these five actions, you’ll be prepared for your performance review—and you’ll be ready to shape the direction of the meeting, rather than just responding to the comments your boss brings.

*Client name and details changed to protect confidentiality.

This post was originally published through Amber Johnson’s newsletter and is cross-posted here with permission.

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