Performance Reviews, Part 1: When Feedback Feels Like Judgment

Work Unscripted

What happens when your performance review praises your results, but tears down your identity?

In this raw and vulnerable solo episode of Work Unscripted, host Marlo Lyons shares the real words from one of her own annual performance reviews— like “over-driving,” “over-reacting,” and “the Marlo show.” As a neurodivergent professional, Marlo unpacks how judgmental feedback lands, why it stings, and what leaders can do to make performance reviews feel constructive instead of personal.

You’ll learn:

• Performance review tips for employees: How to respond to a bad review without spiraling
• Performance review tips for managers: How to discuss reviews with empathy and curiosity
• How to present and write performance reviews that separate behavior from identity
• What to do after a bad performance review and how to turn judgment into growth

If you’ve ever walked away from a glowing review feeling bruised, or want to know how to make performance reviews feel good for your team, this episode will change the way you give and receive feedback forever.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where Marlo reads another review and shares more real-world lessons on how to prepare for, present, and recover from performance reviews that miss the mark.

Connect with Marlo Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
-----------
Work Unscripted is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.