If your boss has just given you a negative performance review, you may feel shocked, hurt, angry or confused. Ouch, these can be crushing and leave you feeling deflated and questioning what did you do wrong or what more could you have done?

Often times we may not agree with them and wonder how they came to conclude that our performance warranted such a harsh review.

In fact, you may even question whether or not the review is even about you!

“No one bats a thousand,” says Mitchell Marks, professor of management at San Francisco State University and president of the consultancy JoiningForces.org. “We’re human beings. And sometimes a reality check is quite valuable.” Without feedback, after all, there wouldn’t be any possibility for growth. “Always getting a glowing review means that you’re not challenging yourself,” says Sheila Heen, author of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well....