When your manager—who hasn’t spoken to you all year—opens the conversation by asking you how you are doing.
When they kick off the conversation asking about what you’ve accomplished since your last review. (But you’ve forgotten everything that happened before yesterday).
When they ask you to talk about your weaknesses and indicate that they have (critical) feedback for you.
When they ask you about your stretch goal and you are hearing those words for the first time in life.
When they finally get to praising you for being a valuable asset to the organisation.
When they say they really want to know how the organisation can support your growth.
But then they tell you that they don’t quite agree with your suggestion that a pay raise is the best form of support.
And now is the time for your manager’s yearly confession that while they appreciate you, they don’t have the funds to actually pay you better.
However, however, they see you in a leadership role in the future…and then there will be money.
