The Impact of Poor Communication on Performance Reviews

End of year performance reviews are a crucial opportunity for employees to reflect on their performance over the past 12 months and set goals for the future. However, for many people, these reviews can also be a source of stress and anxiety.

According to recent studies, poor communication skills are one of the top reasons that employees fall short of expectations during end of year reviews. This includes everything from difficulties in communicating effectively with colleagues and managers, to a lack of confidence or effectiveness when presenting in meetings, delivering speeches, townhalls, representing the company at events.

In fact, poor communication skills comes up in approx 70% of performance evaluations.

Effective communication is critical to success in any workplace, and as the world moves faster and concentration spans get shorter, it has become even more important to be able to clearly and effectively communicate your ideas, thoughts, concerns and knowledge. But receiving feedback that your skills are lacking can be difficult to hear.

So, what can you do if communication skills are identified as an area for improvement during your end of year review?

First and foremost, it’s important to take this feedback seriously and commit to taking action to improve. Whether it’s through formal training or coaching, reading books or attending workshops, there are many resources available to help you develop your communication skills.

One way to get the help you need to develop your communication skills, is to work with a professional coach like Lisa Hugo, who can help you identify specific areas where you need to improve and provide tailored strategies for making meaningful progress.

If getting professional coaching is not an option for you, you can use simple practice tools like speaking in front of mirror, or to friends and family, recording your self with your phone and listening to it, and then analysing yourself on what you did well and what you could improve. Practicing makes perfect and the more you practice, the more you’ll build your confidence and refine your skills.

However, it’s important to remember that improving communication skills takes time and effort, and there’s no overnight solution. But by setting specific, measurable goals and consistently working to improve, you can make meaningful progress and achieve greater success in your personal and professional life.

Use this opportunity to reflect on your performance and set goals for the future. If poor communication skills are cited as an issue for you during these reviews, make sure you seek the help needed to improve your skills as this could be a major factor in holding you back from future opportunities, salary increase or even maintaining your position.