Professional Tone in Performance Reviews

Personality Traits Don’t Belong in Performance Reviews Performance reviews should focus on skills, outcomes, and behaviors—not personality traits. An article by Suzanne Lucas for Inc. Magazine highlights a troubling finding from Textio: ✅ 88% of high-performing women receive feedback on their personality compared to only 12% of men. When men do get personality-related feedback, the descriptions differ significantly: Women: "Collaborative," "nice," or "abrasive" Men: "Confident," "ambitious" This disconnect reflects stereotypes that don’t help anyone grow. What NOT to do in performance reviews: ❌ Describe someone as "introverted" (personality-based language). ❌ Focus on general traits like "nice" or "helpful" without linking them to outcomes. What TO do instead: ✅ Address observable behaviors and impact: Instead of: "You're too quiet." Say: "I noticed you didn’t contribute in meetings; your ideas could add value if shared." ✅ Focus on outcomes: Highlight measurable results, goals, and areas for development tied to skills. ✅ Offer actionable feedback: Provide steps to improve performance, like asking someone to prepare discussion points to engage more actively. By focusing on behaviors, outcomes, and skills, reviews can help employees grow without reinforcing unhelpful biases. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gWTeTw5a What do you think? How does this impact women of color? How can we improve feedback processes to create fairer, more -actionable- reviews? #LeadershipDevelopment #PerformanceManagement #InclusiveLeadership

Performance reviews shouldn’t feel like a surprise attack. They should build trust. Clarify expectations. Support growth. But too often? They leave people confused or deflated. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s what happens when emotionally intelligent leaders get it right 👇 It’s a two-way conversation, not a monologue ↳ One-sided reviews undermine trust and overlook valuable insights. ❌ Avoid saying: “Here’s how you did this year...” ✔️ Consider saying: “Before I share my feedback, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how this year went—the wins and the challenges.” It starts with strengths, highlighting achievements ↳ Emphasizing strengths fosters safety and enhances openness to feedback. ❌ Avoid saying: “First, let’s address the areas needing improvement. ” ✔️ Consider saying: “Let’s begin with what’s working. You’ve had a strong impact in [XYZ area].” It names emotions without making it personal ↳ Emotions are important, but feedback concentrates on behaviors, not character. ❌ Avoid saying: “You were quite challenging to collaborate with on this project.” ✔️Consider saying: “There were a few moments that caused frustration for the team—can we discuss how we might approach that differently together?” It balances necessary candor with care ↳ Candor fosters personal growth, while care encourages openness to embrace that growth. ❌ Avoid saying: “This is probably not a strength of yours.” ✔️ Consider saying: “This area fell short of expectations, and I know you can achieve more. Let’s discuss what would assist us moving forward.” It includes future-forward coaching ↳ Reviews should focus on growth rather than merely reviewing the past. ❌ Avoid saying: “There’s not much more to say. I think you know where I stand on your performance. Let’s see how the next quarter goes.” ✔️Consider saying: “Let’s discuss what’s next—what goals you’re excited about and how I can support your development.” It reflects active listening for deeper understanding ↳ People share more when they feel understood ❌ Avoid saying: “I already know how you’re going to respond—we don’t need to rehash that.” ✔️Consider saying: “Can you share more about your experience with the [XYZ] project? I want to ensure I’m not overlooking anything.” It ends with alignment and encouragement ↳ The conclusion of a review should create clarity and momentum, not confusion or hesitation. ❌ Avoid saying: “I suppose you should just keep working on it.” ✔️Consider saying: “I feel like we are on the same page, and I’m committed to supporting you at every turn." ✨ That’s the kind of review that builds trust, ownership, and momentum. What’s a phrase you’ve heard—or used—that made a performance review feel like a real conversation? Drop it in the comments 👇 *** ♻️ Re-post or share so others can lead more effectively 🔔 Turn on notifications for my latest posts 🤓 Follow me at Scott J. Allen, Ph.D. for daily content on leadership 📌 Design by Bela Jevtovic

In any collaborative environment, providing constructive and thoughtful feedback is a skill that can elevate both individuals and teams. Here's a quick guide to mastering the art of giving good feedback: Address the behavior or outcome you want to discuss with precision. Specific feedback is more actionable and easier to understand. Additionally, provide feedback as close to the event as possible, ensuring its relevance and impact. -Begin by acknowledging what went well. Positive reinforcement sets a constructive tone and helps the recipient understand their strengths, fostering a more receptive mindset for improvement. -Frame your feedback in a way that encourages growth rather than focusing solely on mistakes. Offer solutions or alternatives, guiding the individual toward improvement. Avoid personal attacks and maintain a professional, supportive tone. -Express your feedback from a personal perspective using "I" statements. This approach helps avoid sounding accusatory and emphasizes your observations or feelings about the situation. -Critique actions and behaviors rather than judge the person's character. This helps the individual understand what specific actions can be adjusted or improved. -Feedback should be a two-way street. Encourage the recipient to share their perspective, thoughts, and potential solutions. A collaborative discussion fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to improvement. -A healthy feedback mix includes both positive reinforcement and developmental guidance. Recognize achievements and strengths while offering insights into areas for growth. This balance creates a well-rounded view and motivates continuous improvement. -Pay attention to your tone and body language when delivering feedback. A respectful and empathetic approach enhances the impact of your message. Ensure your feedback aligns with your intention to support and guide rather than criticize. -Effective feedback doesn't end with delivery. Follow up to check progress, provide additional guidance, and show ongoing support. This reinforces the idea that feedback is a continuous process aimed at improvement. -Just as you provide feedback, be open to receiving feedback on your communication style. Continuous improvement applies to everyone, and being receptive to constructive criticism enhances your ability to provide effective feedback in the future. Remember, the goal of good feedback is to inspire growth and improvement. By incorporating these principles, you contribute to a positive and collaborative environment where individuals and teams can thrive. What would you add?

How to conduct performance reviews as a leader Ah, the dreaded performance evaluation, the bane of every corporate employee's existence. As important as these conversations are for the continued productivity and progress of any organization, review conversations are also dreaded in equal measures because they are a vulnerable time for workers. Yet, this type of negative consensus around performance reviews are primarily because of poorly conducted conversations that turn into harsh, grilling sessions. As leaders and managers, it is our responsibility that we do not weaponise review and evaluation conversations to deny promotions and lower the morale of our employees. When conducted in an empathetic and professional manner, performance reviews are excellent instruments to provided constructive feedback and map the future growth of your team members. Some tips to navigate these conversations to maximise their efficiency: >> Give a few day's notice before the review meeting, so that the employee can frame all their thoughts and expectations accordingly. >> Conduct the meeting in private, without an audience. This is a vulnerable conversation for your employee, so keep it discreet. >> Start the meeting on a light note. Chances are, your employee is already quite nervous, so beginning with some casual conversation should give them time to relax. >> Start off with areas of strength to instill confidence, and then gradually segway into areas of improvement. >> Provide constructive feedback with actionable points, and avoid the usage of negative language. So instead of saying "This is a poorly-written report", trying saying "This report needs some more research and depth of subject matter". >> Ask them if there are gaps in your leadership that is hindering their performance, or if they need you to enable and support them in some way. You might find a way to improve your own approach to work as well. >> Provide your employees with learning and development programs to broaden their skillsets. >> Set realistic and achievable targets to track performance growth before the next review. >> Conduct the reviews regularly, preferably more frequently than just once a year. #peformance #productivity #leadership Nyra Leadership Consulting

It's mid-year, which means many leaders are conducting employee performance reviews. That's good—delaying until year-end is too late. More frequently is better, yet if you're not giving feedback the right way, it's pointless! Too often, reviews are unhelpful and vague, lacking concrete examples or clear explanations of how employees' work impacts customers. It creates confusion, low morale, and turnover. Research indicates: Only 31% of U.S. employees are engaged at work—the lowest in a decade (Gallup, 2025). 24% of employees would quit their jobs because of ineffective performance appraisals (Folkshr, 2025). The good news: You can turn it around at your company. Here are examples that benefit both individuals and those they serve. ✖️ Instead of: “You’re doing great.” ✔️ Say: “You took direct customer complaints and brought them into our weekly meeting. Because of that, we fixed an onboarding error that caused 40% of new users to call support in their first week.” ✖️ Instead of: “You’re a team player.” ✔️ Say: “You supported the product managers by sharing relevant customer feedback they didn’t have. That collaboration saved time—and solved the issue faster.” These are real examples. I’ve led hundreds of performance reviews—and been on the receiving end, too. I know how easy it is to get it wrong. And how powerful it is when you get it right. Want more actionable strategies? Message and follow me on LinkedIn + subscribe to my newsletter. What are your views? Comment below. #DoingCXRight #customerexperience #leadership