Problem
Oliver works at a company that creates web applications using a variety of different programming languages. He has been with the company for about three and a half months, and he is approaching his first quarterly performance review.
When Oliver sits down with his manager, he explains that he is being evaluated on a scale of 4, with 4 being the highest score and 1 being the lowest. He explains that for his first review, he has earned a 2 out of 4. Oliver is surprised and upset-he thought that he had been doing a really great job. He knew that he was still learning and could be faster at times, but he did not expect to get such a low score.
His manager explains that he has received this score because he has regularly taken a much longer time to complete his tickets than the established level of effort and he also regularly fails to respond to emails and Slack messages. This is a big problem since about half of the team is remote and collaboration is a huge priority.
Oliver takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and thinks about this feedback. He listens carefully to what she is saying and thinks about how he can take steps to improve. As she speaks, he makes sure to take notes, makes eye contact, and acknowledges what she is saying so that she is aware he is actively listening. Then, he calmly expresses his desire to improve.
He says that he would like to create a plan with his manager that will help him to build the skills he needs in order to ultimately be successful. His manager recommends that he use a time management app to track time so that he is more aware of time and may complete tasks faster. Oliver also agrees to take courses online to improve his skill set, and attend bi-weekly 1:1s with his manager to track his progress.
• If you were to give Oliver a piece of advice about how to apply a growth mindset to his situation, what advice would you give him?