So Sophie,

We recently had performance reviews at my job and I am extremely dissatisfied with the results. I feel that I should have received a higher rating than I did. It's especially irritating that several of my coworkers, who are incompetent and difficult to work with, got the same rating I did. How do I cope with this?

-Disgruntled

Hey Disgruntled,

ou can take some small consolation in the fact that most of us, at one time or another, have been in exactly the same position that you are. From my vantage point, there are several options that you can take, the fine points of which follow.

Option 1 - You can do nothing, keep slaving away, and hope that next year your boss will be more fair. "Don't rock the boat" can become your new motto. Take supreme personal satisfaction in a job well done, never mind who else noticed.

Option 2 - You can decide to look around for another employer who will appreciate your many fine talents and pay you accordingly. In today's job market, this is a risky move. Don't quit the job you have until you find another. There is nothing but immediate satisfaction to gain by storming into your boss's office and ranting about their incompetence. You will most likely live to regret it. But there is hope: finding a new career could result in you landing the job of your dreams, making boatloads of money, and never once looking back to regret leaving the unappreciative bastards who so grievously wronged you. On the other hand, this could also result in you toiling away for longer hours and less money than you were before. You could also wind up with terribly nasty coworkers and the pointy-haired boss from hell. It could be the worst thing you've ever done. This sort of option bears careful consideration before implementation. It never hurts to test the waters, though. A wise man once said that you work only for yourself, and that you need to keep in mind that you are merely leasing your services to your employer. When times get tight, it will feel no overwhelming sense of loyalty to you, so you owe it precisely the same amount of loyalty in return.

Option 3 - You can tell your boss that you feel that your performance review merits reconsideration. Be calm, rational, and do not raise your voice. Do not point out your feelings regarding their competence. Do not accuse them of favoritism. Point out your strong qualities and elaborate in detail. Mention specific projects that you have excelled at. Solicit feedback from your coworkers. Many of them, if you are indeed doing a fantastic job, will be more than happy to send an email on your behalf. Be prepared to have documented proof of your excellence. Do not resort to pointing out deficiencies in your coworkers, assigning blame to particular individuals, shouting, or whining about the injustice of it all. This only makes you look mean and petty and brings to mind the mental image of a five-year-old child who feels like his half of the candy bar is too small.

Option 4 - Take careful note of the amount of work end effort that others around you are putting in. If they are sullen and do not accept constructive criticism, do the same. If they come in late and leave early, follow their example. Are their projects always late and/or poorly managed? Is the end result shoddy? If this is indicative of the kind of performance that your company views as "successful", then why should you break your back to go above and beyond when those in charge neither notice nor appreciate the extra effort? Spend your free time enriching your personal life, not working overtime.

Option 5 - Do nothing as far as your boss and the other higher ups are concerned. Take a survey among your coworkers. Find out whether the poor rating was just you, or if others had a similar experience. It could very well be that someone up in a tower office decreed that no superior ratings were to be given out (as some sort of justification for not giving out adequate raises). Perhaps a boss somewhere up the chain got a poor rating and the trickle-down effect resulted in a lot of disgruntled managers handing out no higher than the rating they themselves received. People aren't as noble as you think. Stuff like this happens all the time and there isn't a damned thing you can do about it. Go out with some coworkers and take turns venting your frustrations. Drink heavily. Go home and sleep it off. It will seem better when it's not fresh in your mind.