How to Advocate for Yourself During Performance Review Season
By Elizabeth Blass
June 2026
It’s performance review season for many of us. People often walk into performance reviews hoping their work has spoken for itself. My advice: advocate for yourself every time. Performance reviews are one of the clearest opportunities to advocate for your growth, clarify expectations, and align on what unlocks the next level.
Throughout my chapters in The Customer Success Talent Playbook, I talk about the importance of understanding what is expected at each level and intentionally building the skills, visibility, business impact, and leadership behaviors required to get there.
One of the biggest misconceptions about career growth is that hard work alone guarantees progression. Hard work and results matter but visibility, communication, and clarity matter too. And not everyone enters these conversations with the same level of visibility, confidence, sponsorship, or access. That is part of why learning to advocate for yourself is so important.
Over the years, I’ve seen talented people undersell themselves because they assumed their manager automatically connected all the dots. I’ve also seen people create meaningful career momentum by clearly articulating their impact, growth, and readiness for broader opportunities.
Advocating for yourself does not mean being arrogant. It means being prepared.
Before your performance review, spend time reflecting on:
What outcomes did I drive this year?
Where did I take ownership beyond my role?
What business problems did I help solve?
How have I grown in leadership, communication, or strategic thinking?
What evidence demonstrates readiness for the next level?
One advantage professionals have today is access to AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Co-Pilot to help prepare for these conversations thoughtfully. Used well, these tools can help you organize your thinking, identify blind spots, and communicate more effectively.
Here are a few prompts you can use:
“Here’s a summary of my accomplishments this year. Help me identify themes, business impact, and examples of leadership.”
“Role-play a performance review conversation where I ask what gaps exist between my current role and the next level.”
“Help me rewrite these accomplishments in a more executive-ready way focused on outcomes instead of activity.”
“Based on these goals and accomplishments, what strengths and growth areas stand out?”
Most importantly, do not be afraid to ask direct but thoughtful questions during your review conversation:
“What specifically differentiates someone operating at the next level?”
“Where have you seen the greatest growth in me this year?”
“What experiences or opportunities would help prepare me for broader scope?”
“What gaps would need to close for me to be considered for a promotion?”
Managers have an important responsibility here too. Performance reviews shape more than compensation decisions. They shape confidence, retention, engagement, and sometimes entire careers.
Not every employee is motivated by the same things. Some are seeking promotion. Some want broader scope. Others are motivated by learning, visibility, flexibility, leadership opportunities, or deeper impact. Great managers take the time to understand what matters most to each individual and tailor growth conversations accordingly. And ideally you know this about your team member well before a performance review conversation.
Team members want to know:
Where am I exceeding expectations?
Where do I still need to grow?
What experiences will help prepare me for broader scope?
What does success look like at the next level here?
One of the most valuable things a leader can provide during review season is detailed feedback. Vague encouragement without actionable guidance often leaves employees feeling more uncertain, not more motivated.
Leaders can also use AI thoughtfully to prepare for these conversations. AI can help managers organize feedback, identify where guidance may feel too vague, role-play difficult conversations, and pressure-test whether feedback is actionable and balanced.
Sometimes the most impactful thing a manager can do is help someone see potential in themselves before they fully see it on their own. As I say in the book, career growth doesn’t usually happen in one giant leap. It happens in the small, intentional steps you take every day.
Your career is yours to shape. Own it, keep moving forward, and advocate for the future you are trying to build. I’m cheering you on!
