Performance reviews
A practical guide
These conversations shape performance, trust and reputation long after the meeting ends.
Done well, they create clarity and motivation. Done badly, they create confusion, resentment and risk.
Done well, they create clarity and motivation. Done badly, they create confusion, resentment and risk.
For managers
Giving feedback well
01
Invest in the relationship
Invest during the year so the review confirms — rather than surprises.
02
Prepare properly
Turning up under-prepared signals indifference and undermines your credibility.
03
Own your view
Sift, weigh and synthesise — then stand behind your conclusion. You’re not a postbox.
04
Explain the outcome clearly
If the answer is “no” or “not yet”, say so. Don’t hide behind process or policy.
05
Ensure alignment
What happened, what you say, and what you write must match. Gaps create mistrust.
06
Close the gaps
Ambiguity is where resentment and disengagement grow. If something matters, name it.
07
Treat strengths seriously
Discussion of achievements should be as rigorous and developmental as the gaps.
08
End well
Do they leave understanding where they stand? Are they motivated?
09
Hold the line on fairness
Even when others don’t. People remember if you compromise it.
For individuals
Receiving feedback well
01
Arrive with your own assessment
A clear view of the year gives you a reference point for the conversation.
02
Treat feedback as data
You don’t have to agree with it to learn from it.
03
Ask for clarity
If you’re given fragments, ask for the joined-up picture. You can’t act on what you don’t understand.
04
Look for patterns, not anecdotes
Themes that repeat across time and people matter more than single comments.
05
Consider message and messenger separately
One tells you about expectations; the other tells you about the environment.
06
Keep your own records
Don’t rely on the official system alone. Note feedback and commitments while they’re fresh.
07
Choose deliberately what to act on
Not all feedback deserves equal weight. Decide what to change, test or park.
08
Avoid the two traps
Don’t catastrophise a difficult review. Don’t dismiss one that stings. Both shut down thinking when you need it most.
The bottom line: Feedback is not about comfort. It is about clarity and motivation.
The real test: does this conversation leave people better able to think, decide and act — or not?
