How The Top 1% Prep for Performance Review Conversations

It’s performance review season, and my inbox is flooded with messages like:

“Hey, my manager’s in town for the first time in three years. How do I bring up a promotion?”

“I’ve got a review meeting in two hours. Any quick tips to negotiate my salary?”

If you’re only thinking about your performance review hours before it happens, you’re already too late.

The truth? Your career is your responsibility, not anyone else’s.

When you walk into a high-stakes conversation without clarity, data, or relationships to back your ask, you’re leaving your growth in someone else’s hands.

Imagine if a colleague came to you with a big request out of nowhere, with no context, no track record of trust, and no groundwork laid. You’d hesitate too.

Top performers know that great reviews aren’t the result of luck or timing. They’re the outcome of weeks or months of strategic preparation, building your business case, gathering proof of impact, and strengthening relationships with decision-makers.

Here’s how to get ahead of the conversation and prepare like the top 1%

1️⃣ Track and Quantify Your Wins

Don’t wait for the performance system to open. Start documenting now.

Keep a “Win List.” Capture evidence of your impact all year long so your achievements don’t depend on memory.

• Gather testimonials. Create a simple Google Form to collect data points and verbatims from clients or stakeholders. Ask: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied were you with my partnership?”
• Use visuals. Include screenshots, dashboards, and milestone highlights. Visual proof helps leaders remember your impact across the year, not just the last quarter.
• Collect data. Be your own data analyst. Track metrics that show tangible results such as time saved, revenue earned, and processes improved.

Top performers don’t just feel valuable. They have evidence that proves it.

2️⃣ Build Continuous Feedback Loops

Performance isn’t a once-a-year event. It’s an ongoing conversation.
 

Don’t limit feedback to your manager. Widen your influence circle.

• Go beyond your manager. Build relationships with peers, cross-functional partners, and your manager’s peers, people whose opinions shape promotion decisions.
• Seek insight. Ask them directly: “What would it take for me to operate at the next level?”

When you collect feedback early, you walk into your review with clarity on strengths, gaps, and perception, turning potential blind spots into growth plans.

3️⃣ Practice and Own the Ask

When review season arrives, you’re not negotiating from nerves. You’re advocating from preparation.

• Rehearse your ask. Anticipate tough questions. Practice how you’ll connect your results to the company’s goals.
• Frame your value. Acknowledge your team and your manager’s support, then pivot: “Here’s how my growth will amplify our collective results.”
• Show, don’t just tell. Bring your “win list” and feedback highlights. Let the proof speak for you.

Remember, promotions and raises aren’t handed out for effort alone. 

They’re earned through clarity, strategy, and proactive ownership.

The Bottom Line

Every performance review is an opportunity, but only if you’ve built the foundation long before it happens.

Ask yourself: Am I reacting to my career, or leading it?

The top 1% don’t wing it. They prepare with intention, data, and self-advocacy.

If you want the exact tools and frameworks to level up your career, from how to prepare for performance reviews to how to communicate your value confidently, join the waitlist for the Career Accelerator  here.

You’ve got this.

Rooting for you,
Angel Kilian
Founder | Career inFocus