RoyGroundUp

PERFORMANCE REVIEW PHRASES

Leadership performance review phrases

Leadership: Guides, develops and supports others (for leads and managers).

Leadership phrases work for managers and for individual contributors who lead without the title. Focus on what the people around them can now do.

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

Strengths: exceeds expectations

  • [Name] develops their people. Two of their team took on bigger roles this period, including [example].
  • [Name] sets a clear direction. Their team can explain what matters most and why.
  • [Name] gives specific, timely feedback, both positive and constructive, and their team trusts it.
  • [Name] delegates outcomes rather than tasks, which has grown their team’s confidence and freed their own time for [example].
  • In a difficult period, [Name] kept the team steady by being honest about what was happening and what was not known.
  • [Name] leads without authority: they brought [teams] together on [example] without anyone reporting to them.

Solid: meets expectations

  • [Name] holds regular one-on-ones and supports their team well.
  • [Name] makes sound decisions; involving the team earlier would build more buy-in.
  • [Name] sets clear goals for the team. The next step is coaching people towards them rather than directing.
  • [Name] is approachable and the team feels comfortable raising problems.
  • [Name] leads by example in [area].

Needs improvement

  • [Name] tends to do the work rather than delegate it, which limits the team’s growth and their own capacity. We will pick two things to hand over.
  • Feedback to the team is rare and mostly saved for reviews. I would like to see a short piece of feedback each week.
  • One-on-ones are often cancelled or turned into status updates. Protecting that time is the priority.
  • [Name]’s team is not always clear on priorities. A short written plan each month would help.
  • [Name] avoids difficult conversations, as with [example]. We will practise these together.
  • Decisions are sometimes made without explaining why. Sharing the reasoning will build trust.

Self-review phrases for leadership

  • I helped [person] grow into [responsibility] by [how].
  • I improved my delegation by handing over [work], which freed time for [priority].
  • I want to get better at holding difficult conversations early.

How to make these phrases land

  • Judge leadership by the team. What can the people around them do now that they could not do before?
  • 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.

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