On the twelfth month before my performance review, my manager and I developed SMART, aligned goals

On the eleventh month before my performance review, my manager and I put together a well-prepared performance plan

On the tenth month before my performance review, my manager and I worked out how I would ask for and receive regular performance feedback

On the ninth month before my performance review, my manager gave to me, preliminary feedback on my aligned goals

On the eighth month before my performance review, my manager gave to me, the opportunity to work with a mentor

On the seventh month before my performance review, I participated in many of the learning opportunities identified by my manager

On the sixth month before my performance review, my manager and I reviewed company metrics to see if my goals were still relevant and on track

On the fifth month before my performance review, my manager gave to me, the usual regular ongoing performance feedback

On the fourth month before my performance review, I reviewed feedback from my customers

On the third month before my performance review, I reviewed my development plan and goals and started to think of the plan for the coming year

On the second month before my performance review, I completed a self-assessment

On the first month before my performance review, my manager and I discussed my progress

So on the day of my performance review, I had no surprises!