Aug 21, 2023
5 min read

30 Performance Review Summary Examples & Phrases You Can Use

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The performance review process is essential for employees' career development, as it helps them learn from mistakes and double down on what they already do. But relying solely on annual performance reviews doesn't seem to budge it anymore – you should do performance reviews more frequently.

However, regularly summarizing performance isn't easy, as you want to feel redundant with new things to say. Don’t worry – we're here to help.

In this article, we’ll list 30 performance review summary examples and phrases for different aspects of work. With those, employees will get quality feedback that will help them fix mistakes they might be making and steer their careers in the right direction.

Self-performance review summary examples

Judging your own performance is always tricky, as you need to be honest, but you might find answering some of the questions too exposing. However, it is still vital to complete self-assessments, as you will be able to reflect on your performance and skills, which will help you improve on its own but will also get you valuable feedback from your supervisors later.

Here are some areas to focus on if you want to conduct a successful performance review of your past activities:

Key achievements and team goals

  • I feel my direct contribution to Project X organization resulted in savings both in time and resources, which delighted the clients.
  • I was able to meet deadlines and occasionally deliver work much before the due date, which made my manager's job easier.
  • While I am usually proactive, I should be more consistent in asking for new work after finishing all my assigned tasks.

Strengths and areas of improvements

  • I think time management and effective delegation are my key strengths.
  • I lead my team by example, showing them that it isn't that hard to roll up your sleeves and walk the walk.
  • However, I could do a better job with communication and conflict resolution, which is something I plan to work on.

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Organizational skills

  • I do a great job multitasking and managing several client projects simultaneously without breaking the deadlines.
  • Workload management is also a strength of mine, as I can make accurate assumptions about how much time it will take to complete a project and how many people we need.
  • While I do get everything done on time, sometimes the quality of the work is not the greatest, so I should work on balancing quality and quantity.

Communication and teamwork

  • I do a good job explaining team roles to other members and dissecting what needs to be done for success.
  • I ask for immediate clarifications when things aren't clear, which helps our team stay on track and delight our clients consistently.
  • While I do a good job communicating and maintaining a positive attitude when things go well, I should work on my crisis and conflict resolution skills to feel less intimidated when a resolution is necessary.

Performance review summary examples for managers

Performance review summary examples for managers

Image source: Pexels

While managers usually do employee performance appraisals, they should also get periodic summaries of their managerial fire abilities. Here are some ideas for conducting an effective performance review and writing a summary for a manager:

Key achievements and team goals

  • You achieved notable success leading the team during the review period, especially on Project X which was our most complex yet.
  • Your leadership and people management skills showcased during the busy season as the teams you run achieved top performance.
  • Your out-of-the-box thinking showed when you devised a custom team schedule, which improved company productivity in the last quarter.

Leadership strengths and style

  • Your interpersonal skills, decision-making and critical thinking have directly influenced team performance, leading to admirable outcomes throughout the performance review period.
  • Delegating tasks to the right team members to complete specific tasks is something you do great, which showed on multiple occasions by increased employee engagement.
  • You showed great flexibility and adaptability even when things didn't go as planned, but you managed to adjust and rise to the occasion.

Communication and collaboration

  • Your collaboration with other departments and stakeholders significantly contributes to the overall project’s success, as evident from the reports and colleagues' comments.
  • Your proactive engagement with stakeholders and other departments leads to well-informed decision-making, which improves team-wide productivity.
  • One of your biggest strengths is managing conflicts through clear communication and patience to achieve resolution and maintain a positive team environment.

Areas of improvement

  • While you do lead by example, you should give more frequent feedback to subordinates to help them achieve their goals.
  • Your direct approach with colleagues is effective, but you should be more patient with the newcomers and give them time to adjust and learn.
  • While your teams usually exceed expectations, you should work on implementing newer technical solutions into your workflows to improve productivity further.

End-of-year performance review summary examples

The annual performance review can help your team members have a bird’s-eye view of their performance over a longer stretch. Here are some example areas to focus on:

Positive feedback end-of-year summaries:

  • You have consistently surpassed targets and set high standards for the rest of the organization, so you will be eligible for promotion to a more senior role soon.
  • The ability to quickly adapt to new client workflows and use different tools is something you excelled at, and it benefits our organization tremendously.
  • Your excellent communication and problem-solving skills helped us cope with challenging projects and navigate tough client situations throughout the year.

Constructive feedback end-of-year-summaries

  • While being proactive and independent makes you a great remote worker, which showed in the number of completed projects you have done this year, it would be better to ask for more input upfront if things aren't clear and not wait for our clients to ask for revisions.
  • You have an exceptional eye for detail, which is why we gave you our most important projects for the entire year. However, you should do a bit better job respecting deadlines or at least notifying your supervisor upfront that you might turn in your work late.
  • We like how you lead by example, as you were the top performer and a true role model to younger colleagues. It would be nice, however, if you spent a bit more time explaining procedures and encouraging other team members to learn, as it will benefit them and you in the long run.

Conclusion

We've covered a lot of ground here, but we hope these examples have given you some helpful ideas for your next performance appraisal. With our phrases and good feedback automation tools, you will be able to create stellar appraisals in no time. As long as you are honest while remaining constructive and respectful, conducting performance reviews that will provide quality feedback to the recipient will never be a problem.

FAQs

How do you write a summary for a performance review?

A review summary is a brief overview of employee’s performance, strengths, and areas they can improve upon. It should briefly explain what they do well and what they should improve, with advice on how to do so.

What is an example of a performance review conclusion?

A performance evaluation conclusion should briefly summarize a person's performance during the review period, highlighting their key strengths and something they can improve upon:

John consistently exceeds expectations and is always willing to help others. His greatest strengths are his work ethic and his communication skills. As for the areas to work on, he can be a bit more proactive and seek feedback.

What should be included in a performance summary?

A detailed performance summary should reflect on each of the criteria a performance review had. Our article gave you plenty of effective performance review phrases, but some of them can be:

  • Objectives and goals
  • Time management and organization
  • Communication
  • Areas of improvement

What should I write in a performance review comment?

A performance review comment should highlight the employee’s strengths and areas for improvement. Be specific and provide examples to support your feedback. Make it constructive by suggesting what they can do to improve instead of only pointing out the negative.

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