Performance Review

This is a role-play scenario to work on with your teacher.

You will play someone who works in a small company. Your teacher will play your boss.

The Scenario

Every year you have a performance review with your manager. Your report and how this review goes has a direct effect on whether you get a promotion or pay rise - and if so, how much.

You've had a good year and been praised by your manager for your work on several projects.

Listen to your manager's feedback and try to persuade him that you're ready for a promotion.

Useful Vocabulary

Current Financial Climate

The state of the economy in general, and the company in particular. "In the current financial climate, we can't afford to upgrade the system"

Firefighting

To be constantly having to fix new problems, rather than doing new work. "This project is a mess - I spend all my time firefighting."

Handover

Sharing knowledge with another employee. Usually done when going on holiday or leaving a job

My door is always open

Said by managers to encourage people not to be afraid to email or otherwise contact them

Straight-talking

Honest and direct in communication. Sometimes meaning "too direct"

To be hot on

To carefully look for or notice. “You should wear a shirt and tie. The new boss is very hot on personal appearance.”

To deputise

To do work normally done by a superior, for instance when your boss is busy or on holiday

To waffle

To talk too much and without focus

Customer facing

A person, job or system which interfaces directly with your clients or customers

Go-to guy

The person who really knows about something, or how to do something. People “go to” him or her

Leave that/it with me

Said to reassure someone that you understand their problem, will look into it and respond to them

Stakeholder

Someone, usually senior, who has a special interest in a project

Technical debt

When features are prioritised over bug-fixing and refactoring code, problems can build up. This is known as technical debt

To delegate

To assign tasks or responsibility to more junior team members, and support them doing this

To need a bit of work

A polite way of saying that you need to improve. "Technically excellent, but communication needs a bit of work"

ARGOT