Observation, impact, direction
Every review comment can be built from three parts. The same formula works for praise and for areas to develop, which keeps the tone consistent and fair.
| Observation: what they did | Impact: what it changed | Direction: what next | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praise | You rebuilt the onboarding guide in March, | cutting new-starter training from six weeks to four. | Next year, I’d like you to lead onboarding for the whole department. |
| Steady | You deliver your monthly reports on time, | so the finance team can close the month without delays. | Adding a one-line summary at the top would make them even more useful. |
| Development | Two client proposals went out with pricing errors in Q2, | which delayed both contracts by a week. | From now on, let’s have a second check on every price table before sending. |
Phrase bank by skill and rating
Choose a skill and a rating level. Replace the details in each phrase with real examples from the review period.
Clarity “Your weekly updates are consistently clear and on time, and the team relies on them to plan.”
Listening “You ask good follow-up questions in meetings, which helps the team reach decisions faster.”
Written work “Your client emails are accurate and professional, and rarely need a second round of edits.”
Setting SMART goals for the next period
SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. One goal, checked against each letter:
S Specific Response time on customer tickets, not “better service”.
M Measurable From 9 hours to 4 hours.
A Achievable A triage rota is within the team’s control.
R Relevant Response time drives the customer satisfaction target.
T Time-bound By 31 December.
Writing your self-evaluation
A self-evaluation (your own written assessment, submitted before the review meeting) uses the same formula in the first person. These openings help you state results plainly.
- Stating a result
- “This year I led the supplier review, which reduced costs by 12%.”
- Showing growth
- “I took on line management for the first time and now hold fortnightly one-to-ones with two analysts.”
- Linking to goals
- “My work on onboarding directly supports our goal of reducing first-year staff turnover.”
- Naming a development area
- “I want to strengthen my presentation skills, particularly with senior audiences.”
- Asking for support
- “A place on the leadership course in spring would help me prepare for a team lead role.”
- Looking ahead
- “Next year I would like to lead a cross-department project.”
Guides on performance reviews
2 guides · newest first
Templates for Impactful Performance Review CommentsTemplates and specific language patterns for performance review comments that give employees actionable direction, covering high, solid, and under-performer cases.Apr 23, 2026 · 15 min read
Performance Review Phrases - 200+ Examples for Every Rating200+ performance review phrases organized by category and rating level. Includes examples for communication, leadership, teamwork, and self-evaluation phrases.Mar 31, 2026 · 26 min read