RoyGroundUp

PERFORMANCE REVIEW PHRASES

Initiative and ownership performance review phrases

Initiative and ownership: Acts without being asked and follows things through to the end.

Ownership is the competency managers value most and describe worst. These phrases separate "does what is asked" from "spots what needs doing".

Replace [Name] and [example] with the person and a real piece of work.

Strengths: exceeds expectations

  • [Name] spots problems before they are assigned. They noticed [example] and fixed it before anyone asked.
  • [Name] owns outcomes, not just tasks: they followed [example] through to the customer, not just to "done" on the board.
  • When [Name] sees a better way of working, they propose it with a plan, as with [example], which the whole team now uses.
  • [Name] closes loops. When they say they will do something, people stop worrying about it.
  • [Name] takes on stretch work willingly and asks for help when they need it, rather than waiting to be rescued.
  • When things go wrong, [Name]’s first reaction is "what can I do", not "whose fault was it".

Solid: meets expectations

  • [Name] completes their assigned work well and follows it through.
  • [Name] will take on new tasks when asked. The next step is suggesting improvements before being asked.
  • [Name] raises problems when they spot them; proposing a fix alongside the problem would add a lot.
  • [Name] manages their own workload with little supervision.
  • [Name] follows up on actions from meetings reliably.

Needs improvement

  • [Name] tends to wait for instructions, even on work they understand well. I would like them to decide the next step and tell me, rather than ask.
  • Problems on [example] were noticed but not raised or fixed. When you see something wrong, I want you to act on it or flag it.
  • Several actions from our one-on-ones were not followed up. We will keep a shared list and check it each week.
  • [Name] considers work finished when it is handed over, not when it works for the customer. Checking the outcome is part of the job.
  • [Name] escalates problems they could solve themselves. I will tell you what you can decide on your own.
  • [Name] has not yet taken on any stretch work. I would like them to own [project] next period.

Self-review phrases for initiative and ownership

  • I noticed [problem] and fixed it without being asked, which saved [result].
  • I took ownership of [project] end to end, including the parts outside my usual role.
  • I want to get better at proposing ideas rather than waiting for direction.

How to make these phrases land

  • Initiative is about what happened that would not have happened without them. Ask yourself: what changed because they acted?
  • Use one phrase per point and follow it with what happened. A phrase without an example reads like a template.
  • For areas to improve, say what good looks like and what support you will give.
  • Nothing in a review should be a surprise. Raise problems in one-on-ones during the year.

FREE TOOL

Turn these phrases into a finished review

Rate each competency in the free review builder and it suggests phrases for that rating, then gives you a clean review to copy, print or save as a PDF.

Open the review builder

Phrases for other competencies

Related