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Half a year ago, I got a new management/leader role. This is not the first time I occupy a leadership position but the work environment is different and so are the duties. I am not sure I am doing things right. I would, therefore, like to ask for a performance review from the head of my division but not sure this would be a good idea for a manager. Would it?

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Well, I think "Performance review" is misleading. I would like to ask for feedback in an informal way as there is no official performance review for me but I want to whether I am doing things right or not as the work is completely different for me and not sure it is done in the way it should be.

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  • Tread carefully. If you ask for a review, you just might get it. Try to self-analyze where you can improve.
    – JosephDoggie
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 18:41
  • Is the head of your division your direct manager? If so, do you not have some mechanism to get feedback from your manager more than every 6 months? A weekly/ biweekly 1-on-1 for example? Or some sort of informal chat?
    – Justin Cave
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 18:43
  • @JustinCave No there is no feedback mechanism and if I do it, it must be informal.
    – Yacine
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 18:52
  • "I am not sure I am doing things right" Have you received any feedback from anyone at the company indicating that this is may be true?
    – sf02
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 19:14
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    @sf02 No but I want to know whether I meet the expectations (or rather the average of my peers). Unfortunately, I cannot do it myself because there are many factors that only my boss knows.
    – Yacine
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 19:22

3 Answers 3

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Quick Answer: Yes.

If you are unsure if you are doing what you need to be doing, then asking for feedback is 100% the right way to go. This doesn't have to be a formal performance review however.

You can ask your boss "Hey, when it's quiet - have you got 5? There's a couple of things I need some guidance on" and then ask about the 2 areas where you feel most unsure in your new role.

Then, you listen to the advice, take onboard the good bits, put them into practice and then give it a bit of time - see how things go.

It's better to ask, especially when you've moved to a new role with new responsibilities, than to have this pointed out in a formal performance review as a negative that you didn't know you needed to work on.

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  • Probably a better name for such a meeting would be "1:1" or "one on one"; I wouldn't call it "performance review" (unless I was seeking a raise)
    – Jiří Baum
    Commented Oct 20, 2022 at 0:46
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You should ask without a doubt. How can you improve if you don't know you are doing well?
I am always very keen on asking my superiors what I can do better, how to improve, and what to do to take the next step.

Your leader is also interested in you doing well, so why not work together? Communication is key, and the fact that you are not sure if you are doing good tells me that it is not 100% clear what is expected of you.
So it is important to clarify so you can succeed.

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If you only need to have occasional feedbacks from your boss after you complete certain projects, then you can tactfully ask for the feedbacks when your boss has some free time and is in good mood. The boss may be able to tell you how he thinks you can improve on certain projects. This could be in the form of informal chats (for example, during lunch, break time,...), and does not have to be the official performance reviews on the record.

However, if you prefer to have the full annual performance review, then you should wait till the designated time to have the official performance review from your boss.

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  • Well, I think "Performance review" is misleading. I would like to ask for feedback in an informal way as there is no official performance review for me but I want to whether I am doing things right or not as the work is completely different for me and not sure it is done in the way it should be.
    – Yacine
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 18:55
  • Yes. I know what you mean. I think you can certain ask your boss for occasional feedbacks (when he has some free time and is in good mood). For example, one way to do this is to chat with him during an informal lunch (if he, you and the team may go to lunch some times...)
    – Job_September_2020
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 19:03
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    One potential misunderstanding with the words "performance review" is that the boss might think you're looking for a raise and/or that you got an offer at another company; better to call it something else (one-on-one, catch-up, or based on the topic you want to discuss)
    – Jiří Baum
    Commented Oct 20, 2022 at 0:53
  • @JiříBaum, You are right. Maybe, a better word for this situation would probably be feedback.
    – Job_September_2020
    Commented Oct 20, 2022 at 2:22

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