If you look at the situation objectively, PRs can be seen from two very different paradigms. On the one hand, a PR carries all of the traits of being investigated at the local precinct. The lights are too bright; you feel as though you’ve committed a crime, no matter how innocent you are; and a 300-pound man is harassing you, laying a list of all of your faults out on the table. Ok, maybe this is a bit of an extreme, but either way, it does make you feel in the wrong and forces you to question all of your actions.

On the other and more realistic, positive side of things, the PR gives you the opportunity to look back over the year and evaluate your various strengths and weaknesses. Believe it or not, we all have areas on which we can improve, despite how much we’d like to believe we are infallible. By recognizing growth areas on which the boss would like you to focus, you can take the wheel of your next year.

For many in the business arena, the idea of upper management picking apart our year sounds as appealing as working over the weekend! But love it or hate it, the PR is a staple in most industries. Instead of fighting it, a futile act at that, we should take the opportunity to capitalize on this event. With definitive objectives and measurable milestones, you are more likely to succeed and catapult your career. To do this, we need to understand why we may feel a sense of angst or fear when confronted with an evaluation. Sometimes our feelings are a direct result of the relationship dynamics we share with our boss, especially if it’s a female.

Are female bosses tougher on women?

“When you break it down, women don’t always play nicely together,” says Natasha Clark, a Houston accountant. “Forget men, we are the hardest on each other, and not always for good reason. My former boss, a jealous, workaholic divorcee, would make me work late purposefully when she knew my boyfriend and I had a date. After two years of never being able to make plans, I stopped sharing my personal business with her, just so I could have a life!”

A 2006 Gallup Poll determined that, “By a 37% to 19% margin, Americans say that, if they were taking a new job, they would prefer their boss to be a man rather than a woman . . . Among women, 40% say they would prefer a new boss to be a man, while 26% would prefer a woman.”

But not all women have had negative experiences. Pittsburgh teacher Vicki Drummond doesn’t have a preference. “I have seen both sides of the situation. I have had very abrasive female bosses and those who were very nurturing. It varies more on personality rather than gender as the sole discriminating factor.”

Whether you are working for an angel or a tyrant, the question is, will your relationship, good or bad, affect your PR? In all fairness, we would like to think your manager would act professionally and give you an assessment based solely on merit. However, we ladies are unpredictable, and sadly, do not always act judiciously. Instead of focusing on uncontrollable variables, i.e., your boss’s menstrual cycle, take responsibility for your own PR.

What’s important? Everything!

The first step is to figure out what factors are important. Some managers might tell you what they base the PR on and some won’t. If they do divulge the details, they might say they only focus on the one thing: your work. Well, let’s just put an end to that little white lie once and for all.

EVERYTHING MATTERS! EVERYTHING! From your attitude to your work ethic to your Jimmy Choos . . . or if you’re still climbing the ladder, your knockoffs from Payless. Your boss, albeit not always with a conscious effort, is taking mental notes about you ALL of the time. These get filed away in a folder that makes up her image about you. These include small details you might never think of, such as do you take detailed notes at all of the meetings? Don’t remember? Guaranteed she does. These insignificant actions, or non actions in some cases, affect how she sees you and that in turn relates to your grade at the end of the year.

Susan Morem wrote a great book that every serious professional, male or female, should devour, entitled How to Gain the Professional Edge. In it, Morem gets into the nitty gritty about what will and won’t cut it in the boardroom. Some of the topics include:

•  Image
•  Actions
•  Interactions – with everyone
•  What you wear
•  Social graces
•  Attitude

You may be thinking, well obviously! But take a moment and think about the people with whom you work. Know anyone who dresses for the club and not the office? Anyone with a poor attitude? Does your office mate come in 15 to 20 minutes late every day? Could this be you?

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by ignoring these seemingly minute details. And let’s just be honest, looking around the office it’s easy to see that these work basics aren’t so basic anymore. Practicing proper work etiquette will set you one step higher than all of your risque, inappropriate, and egotistical peers with whom you are forced to share an office. Take their mistakes, learn from them, and set yourself apart. With so many of today’s individuals ignoring these rules, it shouldn’t be too hard.

Prepare your own review of accomplishments and disappointments

These are actions you can take well before the review, and I hope you do. But the year’s over, so what can you do now? CYA-Cover Your A$$. Basically, come to play. Your boss is going to have a folder filled with notes she’s been taking about you all year. Everything will be included, both positives and negatives. How can you be expected to defend your position or rating if you’re not prepared? It may seem like an arduous task, but take the time to review the year and list all your failures and successes. (For future reference, make it easier on yourself and list these throughout the year when they occur.)

In his book, Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why: 10 Things You’d Better Do If You Want to Get Ahead, Career Consultant Asher suggests listing the following:

When you break it down, success is your decision. Whether throughout the year, or during the PR, it is our responsibility to determine the outcome. Through careful planning and consideration, we, as intelligent and diligent professionals, possess the ability to craft our futures. Unless of course the boss is an unpredictable terror, then we are only left with two options: HR or Monster.com.