Reverse Engineer Your Annual Review

If you recently had your 2025 annual review, you're probably in one of three places: You're relieved. You're frustrated. Or you're thinking, "what do I have to do to get the recognition I deserve?!" Maybe you worked your butt off…only to be met with a "meets expectations" rating. Maybe you were told you're "an asset to the team" and "a real team player" — but the raise made you feel like a bit player. Or you walked out with good news, but it came at the cost of deep anxiety and overwork. What I've seen over and over as a coach is that annual reviews don't reward effort.  They reward memorable impact. And in most corporate environments, the bar gets raised every year. Reliability becomes baseline. Over-functioning becomes the expectation. Good performance is simply table stakes. If you want a strong year end review this year, you cannot simply work hard and hope for the best. (Well, you can do that. But it won't guarantee you the strongest results.) In this week's podcast episode, I'm breaking down how savvy women reverse engineer a fantastic annual review. Starting in Q1, as goal setting is underway. This is not about working longer, harder hours. It's not about turning yourself into a self-promoter. It's about making a few key decisions now that will shape your year.  So that you're not left scrambling and sweating at year-end as you try to cobble together a self-assessment that lands you the ratings and recognition you deserve. Your 2026 review is already being written. The question is whether you're shaping it. What You'll Learn: Why "work hard and you'll be rewarded" is a fairy tale What's missing if you're an under-rated hard worker Strategic steps to take as you commit to 2026 goals If you're in goal-setting mode right now, this is the episode to listen to if you don't want to be overworked and overlooked in 2026. For more information, visit The Mental Offload.