How to Spin Anything in Your Favour (Performance Reviews and Interviews)

This week, I had my annual performance review.

You know the drill: at the beginning of the year, you set KPIs or OKRs. At the end of the year, you're assessed on whether you achieved them.

In some companies, this impacts promotions and bonuses. In others, it's a tick-box exercise that everyone pretends matters.

Either way, you need to navigate it well.

The Problem with My Goals

Looking at my goals, I realised I hadn't achieved some of them.

Goal 1: "Create a fully AI-powered dashboard"

What does that even mean? A chatbot? GPT integration? Automated insights? Natural language queries?

It was vague when it was written. It's still vague now.

I started working for the company in March and had to sign off on KPIs as it was already due. I already warned my line manager that next year I will not sign off on anything vague and unmeasurable.

Goal 2: "Increase revenue by 5% using machine learning"

Sounds impressive, right? Here's the problem: I have no visibility into revenue figures. None. I don't have access to that data. I never had a benchmark to begin with.

So how am I supposed to prove I achieved—or didn't achieve—a goal I couldn't even measure?

The Panic Moment

Staring at these unachieved goals, I did what any reasonable person would do: I panicked slightly and asked my husband for advice.

His response: "Don't focus on what you didn't do. Focus on what you DID do instead." He also said “I need to teach you how to speak CORPORATE language”. Haha

The Reframe

So instead of: "I didn't create a fully AI-powered dashboard"

I wrote: "While the original goal of a 'fully AI-powered dashboard' was exploratory, I focused efforts on [specific project I actually completed]. This delivered [specific business value] and was a more strategic use of resources given [business context]."

Instead of: "I didn't increase revenue by 5% with ML"

I wrote: "Without access to revenue data to establish benchmarks, I pivoted to [specific ML project]. This project [specific measurable outcome] and positioned us for [future impact]."

The lesson? When you can't meet a goal because the goal was flawed, reframe to show what you accomplished instead and why it mattered.

And Then I Realised Something

This is EXACTLY the same skill you need in job interviews.

When they ask: "Have you worked with [tool/system/process you've never used]?"

Your instinct might be to say: "No, I haven't."

Full stop. Awkward silence. Moving on.

Don't do that.

The Interview Version of "Spinning" It

Here's how to handle questions about things you haven't done:

Question: "Have you worked with Databricks?"

Bad answer: "No."

Better answer: "I haven't worked with Databricks specifically, but I have extensive experience with [similar tool]. The concepts are transferable, and I'm a fast learner. In my last role, I picked up [new tool] in two weeks and was productive immediately."

Question: "Do you have experience with deep learning frameworks?"

Bad answer: "No, I've only done traditional ML."

Better answer: "My experience is primarily with traditional ML algorithms—regression, random forests, XGBoost—which honestly solve most business problems more effectively than neural networks. But I'm familiar with deep learning concepts and have done some personal projects with TensorFlow. I focus on choosing the right tool for the problem, not the most complex one."

Question: "Have you built real-time data pipelines?"

Bad answer: "No, all my work has been batch processing."

Better answer: "I've primarily worked with batch pipelines, which handled [specific scale/complexity]. I understand the architectural differences with real-time streaming and the trade-offs involved. The principles of data quality, transformation logic, and error handling are the same—it's the infrastructure that differs."

The Formula

Here's the reframe structure that works for both performance reviews and interviews:

1. Acknowledge the gap honestly (but briefly) "I haven't worked with X specifically..." "While I didn't achieve Y..."

2. Pivot to what you HAVE done that's relevant "...but I have experience with Z, which is similar" "...but I accomplished A, which delivered B value"

3. Show understanding or future direction "...and I understand the key differences" "...which positions us for X in the future"

4. (Bonus) Demonstrate learning ability or strategic thinking "...I pick up new tools quickly, as evidenced by..." "...this was a more strategic use of resources because..."

Why This Matters

Whether it's a performance review, an interview, or even a casual conversation about your work, the ability to reframe is crucial.

You're not lying. You're not hiding failures. You're providing context and showing what you learned or achieved instead.

In performance reviews, this skill:

• Helps you advocate for yourself

• Shows strategic thinking (understanding why goals changed)

• Demonstrates adaptability

• Protects you when goals were poorly defined

In interviews, this skill:

• Shows you're thoughtful, not just "no"

• Demonstrates transferable skills

• Proves you can learn

• Indicates self-awareness

The Things You Should NEVER Spin

Let's be clear about boundaries:

❌ Don't lie about experience you don't have If you've never touched Python, don't say you're proficient. Say you're learning or willing to learn.

❌ Don't make up metrics If you don't have data, don't invent it. Say "without baseline metrics, I focused on [alternative measure]."

❌ Don't dismiss the gap entirely Acknowledge it exists, then move past it. Don't pretend it doesn't matter.

The Interview Scenarios

Let me give you more examples of common "gotcha" questions and how to reframe:

"You don't have experience in our industry"

Reframe: "You're right, I haven't worked in [their industry] specifically. But I've worked in [your industry], which has similar challenges around [common problem]. The analytical thinking and problem-solving skills are transferable. In fact, coming from outside your industry, I might bring fresh perspectives that someone who's only worked in [their industry] might not see."

"This role requires 5 years of experience and you have 3"

Reframe: "I have 3 years of hands-on experience, but I've progressed quickly. In my current role, I [specific achievement that shows senior-level work]. I've often found that the quality of experience matters more than the quantity. I'm confident I can perform at the level this role requires."

"We use [tool you don't know]"

Reframe: "I haven't used [tool] specifically, but I'm very comfortable learning new tools. In my last role, I taught myself [different tool] in [timeframe] and became the go-to person on the team. I focus on understanding the underlying concepts, which makes picking up new tools straightforward."

"You've never managed people"

Reframe: "I haven't had direct reports, but I've led projects with cross-functional teams of [number] people. I've mentored junior analysts, coordinated with stakeholders, and driven initiatives without formal authority—which arguably requires even stronger influencing skills than managing direct reports."

Your career advancement depends less on never having gaps and more on how you talk about the gaps.

Everyone has:

• Goals they didn't meet

• Tools they haven't learned

• Experience they don't have

• Mistakes they've made

The differentiator is whether you can:

• Acknowledge reality

• Show what you learned or did instead

• Demonstrate growth and adaptability

• Articulate your value anyway

This isn't spin. It's perspective.

So the next time you're staring at unmet goals or facing an interview question about experience you don't have, remember:

Don't say "no" and stop. Say "not exactly, but here's what I have that's relevant."

Then show them why that matters.

And for the love of all things data, if your company asks you to set goals like "create an AI-powered dashboard" without defining what that means, push back. Ask for specifics. Get clarity.

Keep pushing 💪

Karina

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