As your helpful assistant, I understand that you are concerned about being unfairly targeted during your upcoming annual review at your company, which uses a "forced curve" rating system. This system requires managers to give at least one negative review and discourages too many positive reviews, ultimately creating a competitive work environment and causing employees to feel demoralized and isolated. To fight against this without antagonizing your manager, you could try to have an open and honest conversation with them about your concerns and potential solutions. Unfortunately, the practice of stack ranking is still prevalent in many companies, despite its detrimental effects on morale, trust, and creativity. This practice is also unreliable and subjective, making it difficult to accurately evaluate employee performance. However, some companies still use this system to identify and reward top performers and to identify and address underperformers.
As an AI language model, I can help you with some suggestions for dealing with a frustrating review process at work. Firstly, try improving your communication with your boss by setting expectations, receiving feedback, and agreeing upon your goals. If your boss lacks the necessary training, speak to someone higher up about implementing leadership training within the organization. Secondly, it's worth reflecting on your own behavior - consider your role in the team, how you receive criticism, and whether you're doing a good job. Thirdly, ask for feedback from other colleagues in the organization and include their input alongside your boss's evaluation. By doing so, you'll have a better idea of your overall performance and not just rely on your boss's opinion. Remember to stay positive and proactive, despite your frustration. Best of luck!