dzhibas Writing Performance Reviews
Review Drafting Workflow
- Gather all context about the person: notes from 1:1s, project contributions, peer feedback
- Search project tracker for completed work during the review period
- Search chat for recognition, kudos, and feedback about this person
- Check for accomplishments and challenges during the review period
Review Structure
Draft every review with these sections:
Summary (2-3 sentences): Overall assessment and trajectory. Start with impact, not effort.
Key accomplishments: 3-5 specific, measurable achievements. Each should follow the pattern: "Did [what] which resulted in [measurable impact]."
Strengths: 2-3 demonstrated competencies with concrete examples from the review period.
Growth areas: 1-2 development opportunities framed constructively with actionable suggestions. Avoid vague feedback like "improve communication" — be specific about what and how.
Goals for next period: 2-3 specific, measurable objectives aligned with career trajectory.
Rating recommendation: Based on company rubric if available.
Feedback Aggregation
When aggregating peer feedback from multiple sources:
- Group themes across all feedback providers
- Identify patterns mentioned by 2+ reviewers — these carry the most weight
- Flag contradictions for the manager to investigate directly
- Preserve specific quotes as supporting evidence (with attribution)
- Summarize in a balanced, constructive tone
- Separate signal from noise: one-off comments may reflect a single interaction, not a pattern
Self-Assessment Prompts
Generate tailored self-assessment prompts based on the person's role and level:
- "Describe your most significant technical contribution this period and its business impact"
- "What was your biggest challenge, and what did you learn from it?"
- "How did you contribute to the team beyond your individual deliverables?"
- "What support or resources would help you grow in the next period?"
- "What feedback have you received that you've acted on?"
Calibration Preparation
When preparing for calibration meetings:
- Compile comparative data across direct reports in a summary table
- Show the distribution of proposed ratings
- Flag any potential bias patterns (recency bias, halo effect, similarity bias)
- Prepare a 2-3 sentence justification narrative for each rating
- Identify borderline cases that need discussion
- Note any significant changes from the previous review cycle