By:  Margaret Wood 8/17/2017

While most employees look forward to their performance reviews (raise time!), if you manage a team and dread writing  performance evaluations, or even your own self evaluation, you may find that you eventually run out of things to say or just want to say it differently.

Right?

You write one after another, trying not to repeat yourself, thinking that  what you write is supposed to be “tailored” to that employee. Eventually,  your mind goes blank, your eyes glaze over,  and you can’t think of anything else to say. You have run out of good phrases, nice adjectives, or are stuck on how to say something negative, while keeping your company out of legal hot water. You really just want to get this over and done with…

If you have you ever been in a similar situation, the following list of over 200 phrases will hopefully get you past the mental block and inspire new ways of saying what you need to say!

Positive Performance Review Phrases

Attendance and Punctuality 

1. _____ is very prompt at the start of each work day.
2. _____ manages his staff to a great attendance score; his staff is frequently among the top performers in the company for on-time arrivals.
3. _____ demonstrates the secret to success is not who works the longest, but who works the smartest. With this said, _____ is also one of our top employees for attendance and reliability.
4. _____ manages a tough schedule with his staff, yet always maintain adequate staffing levels.
5. _____is a reliable performer and maintains a good schedule.
6. We have had no issues with _____schedule – he has good attendance and does not deviate from the standard attendance policy.
7. _____ always ensures his employees adhere to their lunch schedules and breaks.
8. _____ meets all company standards for attendance and punctuality.
9. _____ begins each day refreshed and ready for any challenges she will face.
10. _____ attention to punctuality has paid off this year, he consistently arrives on time.
11. _____starts meetings and ends them on time.
12. _____ schedules his time off well in advance.

 

 

 

 

Negative Performance Review Phrases

Attendance and Punctuality 

1. _____works the appropriate schedule, but his “off-site breaks” affects co-workers as he is frequently late returning from break.
2. _____ is a very good with punctuality, but her staff is not. She needs to better manage the team to company-required schedules.
3. Frankly, _____ has a ghastly view of on-time attendance. I do not remember a day when he has shown up on time, ready to work.
4. _____ shoddy attendance record must improve in the next 90 days or he will be terminated under the company’s attendance policy.
5. _____ is such a quality worker, but unfortunately his punctuality is abysmal. This one area is dragging down _____ review and must be improved.
6. _____ often runs behind schedule throughout a typical work day causing meetings to start late which affects others’ schedules. She needs to get her schedule in order to help her coworkers.
7. _____is often tardy for work and despite repeated warnings, does not respect the attendance policy.
8. For most of the year, _____has had excellent attendance. Over the last several months, he is frequently absent or late for work. _____needs to improve his reliability.
9. For the most part, _____ has been good with his schedule. However, during the summer months, _____ frequently leaves early or takes a half day of unscheduled time off on Friday. This provides a bad impression for his coworkers and employees.

 Positive Performance Evaluation Phrases

Attitude

1. _____ is quick to congratulate coworkers and builds an atmosphere of trust with his team.
2. _____’s attitude is an asset to his management skills. He continually builds people up, deals with difficult situations with incredible posture, and focuses on the positives.
3. With the incredible pressure we have been feeling as a company, it would be easy for _____ to get down, but he stands firm that the situation won’t affect his attitude. _____ has a mind-set that few people do and we appreciate that about him.
4. _____’s internal bearing is always right on with a focus on the right attitude.
5. _____ has a cheerful attitude which makes others feel good when he’s around.
6. _____ accentuates the positive in most situations.
7. One of the difficult things a new manager must learn is how to emphasize the right things and downplay the other things. _____ keeps a steady, positive attitude that helps her employees know everything is ok – even when it seemingly isn’t ok!
8. _____ has one of those attitudes that is always positive. She frequently has a smile on her face and you can tell she enjoys her job.
9. _____ is a cheerful guy who always makes you feel delighted when you’re around him. We are fortunate to have _____ on our team.
10. _____ has an even demeanor through good times and bad. His constant cheer helps others keep their “enthusiasm” – both positive and negative – in check.
11. _____ has a soothing personality which reflects in a very calm personality. Her attitude is one which should be emulated.
12. _____brings a level of enthusiasm to his job that few can. He is always one of the guys on the team we go to when we need a lift.

 Negative Performance Evaluation Phrases

Attitude

1.  _____is normally a very affable guy, but under times of pressure, he succumbs to it and needs to work on his choice of language and volume level of his voice.
2. When the pressure is on and there is a choice to blink or not, ____ too frequently blinks.
3. _____ is a good manager, but her mood changes too often for people to keep track of.
4. _____ is an asset in many ways, but her attitude needs to be kept in check.
5. _____has a dreadful outlook at times which has a tendency to bring down the entire team.
6. For the most part, _____ is a personable guy, but when he gets upset, his attitude turns to shocking. _____ needs to balance his personality out and not react so much to negative events.
7. _____has a tendency to instigate problems between his coworkers.
8. _____knows that certain conversations provoke members of his team, yet he continues to be vocal about non-work related topics. _____ should keep his conversations work related.
9. _____has a tendency to erupt over minor things. This causes unease with her coworkers who do not want to set her off.
10. _____ is quick to show his discontent with work; he should stop to think about how his display affects those around him.
11. _____ is a good person, but any constructive criticism devastates her. We cannot walk on egg shells around her if we want the team to get better.
12. Simply put: _____’s negative attitude negatively affects his work performance. _____ needs to bring his attitude under control.

 Positive Performance Review Phrases

Communication

1. _____ is effective in the written and verbal word.
2. _____’s years of experience communicating is evident in his wonderful communication skills.
3. _____ has the valuable skill of communicating difficult concepts in easy to understand language.
4. _____ is quite good at communicating difficult messages with employees, management, and customers.
5. As an employee, _____ was good at communication; as a manager, _____has proven to be an even more effective communicator. His communication skills have improved tremendously this year.
6. _____ is an adept communicator and is one of the best business writers I have had the pleasure of working with. _____ communicates very well through his reports and white papers.
7. _____ is very good at written communication, however his verbal communication skills can be improved. _____ should work on being an active listener.
8. _____ reports necessary information to his coworkers.
9. _____ is excellent at keeping written information about her assignments and projects.
10. One of _____ strengths is his use of candor and effective communication with his employees.
11. One of _____ core strengths is her ability to immediately connect with someone.
12. _____ is very competent communicator.

Negative Performance Evaluation Phrases

Communication

1. _____’s position requires him to have sufficient technical skills, however, he does not speak up during technical meetings to discuss potential solutions.
2. Over the past year, _____ has not performed very well in creating an honest and open environment for the employees he supervises.
3. _____ must improve her foreign language skills to stay competitive in this industry.
4. Greg is not adept at documenting verbal communication. Over the next 90 days, _____ should work on this skill.
5. One of _____’s roles is to find consensus among his team members, but he has frequently failed to accomplish this task.
6. _____ does not communicate effectively and clearly.
7. _____ holds too many meetings; fewer would be more effective.
8. _____ should communicate project status updates more frequently.
9. _____lacks credibility in his messages. His co-workers do not believe he is honest.
10. _____ does not convey a positive image of the company to customers.
11. _____ has proven to be an ineffective communicator.
12. _____does not effectively communicate – both written and verbal communications need to be improved.

 Positive Performance Evaluation Phrases

Cooperation

1. _____ promotes a team-centered environment.
2. _____ is a proven team player.
3. _____is truly an asset to the team;  he can effectively work with other teams and departments.
4. _____ is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, including tasks or jobs outside her area of responsibility.
5. _____ motivates individuals to work together to meet deadlines and perform effectively as a team.
6. _____ encourages people to work together towards a common goal.
7. _____gives 110% of himself to make sure the job is well done.
8. _____ offers assistance willingly.
9. _____ makes a positive contribution to morale.
10. _____ accepts constructive criticism positively.
11. _____ shows sensitivity and consideration to other people’s feelings.
12. _____ creates a positive and inclusive work environment.

 Negative Performance Review Phrases

Cooperation

1. _____ doesn’t view his workplace as a “team” environment and too frequently wants to “go it alone” on projects.
2. _____ does not encourage a team-centered work environment.
3. _____ fails to commit his team to cooperating with organizational goals.
4. _____ demonstrates a desire to avoid working with others.
5. _____ refuses to share crucial information with co-workers for fear he will be marginalized.
6. _____ is very good at individual tasks, but he falls short in cooperating on group projects and in partnership with staff members.
7. _____takes on new tasks with ease, but when it comes time to communicate with other team members and train them on these tasks, _____does not perform very well.
8. _____ consistently fails to be an effective team member. She needs to improve over the next 90 days in her teamwork skills.
9. _____ is too cautious – she is afraid of confrontation so she does not step out to assist when it’s necessary.
10. _____ gets upset when co-workers do not help him, yet he does not offer assistance to others.
11. _____ is far too focused on finding new ways to accomplish things rather than cooperate with others in a process which is already well tested and defined.
12. Instead of being innovative and maximizing her resources, _____ tends to complain about what’s lacking.

Positive Performance Review Phrases

Creativity and Innovation

1. _____constantly searches for new ideas and ways to improve efficiency.
2. _____ creates an exciting atmosphere for his team; one in which new ideas are rewarded and encouraged.
3. _____ doesn’t accept “we’ve always done it this way” as a solution; instead, he constantly reviews solutions to see if they are the most effective way of doing things.
4. _____ encourages his teammates to think outside of the box and to be more creative with solutions.
5. In meetings, _____is very good at extracting unique ideas out of people, even from those you might not consider as creative.
6. _____ is a very creative innovator. Specifically, he solved an on-going problem by looking for a solution from all angles.
7. When we’re in crisis mode, we know we can turn to _____ to craft a viable and inventive solution.
8. _____has a creative personality which allows her to suggest original ideas and has great execution.
9. _____is an innovator – his skill at inspiring new ideas is an asset to our team.
10. _____has an imaginative personality and is very resourceful in times of need.
11. _____ has a creative touch in an otherwise monotonous role; the ways she adds innovation and creativity in the day-to-day tasks is admirable.
12. _____ adds an artistic flair to everything he produces which makes his projects fun and enjoyable.

Negative Performance Evaluation Phrases

Creativity and Innovation

1. _____discourages creative solutions from her team.
2. _____ has a difficult time thinking “outside of the box” and creating new and untested solutions.
3. _____ is a creative guy but he has a tendency to act before thinking. This causes problems when an untested or unexamined idea is moved forward too quickly.
4. There is a place and time for realism, yet _____ consistently strikes a practical, hard-nosed look at things without thinking how she could creatively solve a problem.
5. ______ has shown a tendency to be a matter-of-fact manager, but in his position, thinking in a more resourceful manner would serve everyone better.
6. Whenever _____ runs into an obstacle, he has a tendency to stop and ask for help. We encourage him to develop solutions – or even recommendations – before constantly asking for help.
7. _____ does not research solutions deeply enough and often just compiles ideas found on Web sites. This does not help with resolution as the solutions don’t necessarily apply.
8. _____ rarely provides new thoughts or innovation to finding resolution
9. _____ fails to generate new ideas.
10. _____ seems unwilling to consider new or intriguing ideas, even when the team runs out of your run-of-the-mill ideas.
11. _____ needs to work on being more resourceful on tasks and projects.
12. _____ isn’t willing to take risks on creative ideas

Positive Performance Evaluation Phrases

Customer Satisfaction

1. _____ handles customer service situations well and is highly rated by her peers, managers, and customers.
2. _____is one of our most proficient customer service trainers and demonstrates this when she’s working in customer care.
3. _____ understands how to listen to customers and extract details that make a difference when dealing with our clients.
4. _____is adept at having happy customers and successfully up-selling them at the same time.
5. _____ deals with customer complaints with a calm demeanor._____is very good at handling difficult situations.
6. _____is exceptional at working with customers. He is very adept at dealing with irate customers in a calm and rational manner.
7. _____takes great pride in his work.
8. _____skillfully overcomes client objections.
9. _____has consistently high marks on his customer satisfaction surveys.
10. _____ is very diligent to ensure customer satisfaction and does everything necessary to retain them.
11. _____ is able to handle his clients well and has received much praise from them.

 Negative Performance Review Phrases

Customer Satisfaction

1. _____gets easily frustrated then it cones to dealing with a difficult customer and too often passes the customer on to his supervisor.
2. ____’s average time per call is too high and needs to be reduced by 50% by the end of this year. He needs to learn how to handle customers in a more efficient manner.
3. _____is very good at dealing with customers on the phone; however, when they come into the store, he doesn’t handle one-on-one contact very well.
4. In most areas of customer service _____ does a good job, but when it comes to difficult situations, Harry dis not very diplomatic when handling the customers.
5. _____ does not apply her training on  how to overcome client objections; she gets frustrated and instead gives up to easily.
6. _____ consistently demonstrates poor listening skills when it comes to customer issues.
7. _____demomstrates a lack of interest in customer service training and it’s importance. He is frequently is late to class and does not participate.
8. ____ follows the phone scripting in a rigid and inflexible way. In today’s market, we need some creativity and flexibility in dealing with customers, yet _____ does not seem to understand that.
9. _____ can handle common customer service situations; however, more complex issues seem to cause her to freeze and fails to take action.
10. _____ fails to follow up with customers as requested.
11. _____ has consistently low marks on his customer satisfaction surveys.

 Positive Performance Review Phrases

Dependability

1. _____ is one of our hardest workers. He consistently demonstrates that he cares about his job, his co-workers, and the company.
2. _____ consistently impresses us with her willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
3. _____is a very reliable employee; we can always rely on him to get the job done right.
4. We can depend on ____ to turn in good performance each day; he never fails to impress.
5. _____faithfully commits to get the job done and consistently performs at or above expectations.
6. When we think of “steadfast,” _____comes to mind. She is a loyal and trustworthy employee.
7. When we have a situation that needs addressed, we turn to _____; (s)he has our trust and has proven  (s)he can get the job done on time.
8. _____ is known for his dependability and willingness to do what it takes to get the job done.
9. _____ is willing to jump in alongside her employees to ensure the job gets completed on time.
10. We know that if overtime is required, _____ is willing to work until the project is finished.
11. There are many times we have tasks that are time sensitive. In these instances, we know we can depend on ______ to get the task accomplished on time.

Negative Performance Evaluation Phrases

Dependability

1. Although _____ is a very loyal employee, he is not a very dependable. There are times throughout the day he goes “missing” and is unaccounted for.
2. _____ is usually very steady in her work, but there have been several instances where she has not turned in her work in a timely manner.
3. _____ is unwilling to work beyond his normally scheduled 40 hours to see a project to completion
4. _____’s performance reliability is questionable. Too often, his work results are inconsistent and need to be checked too frequently.
5. _____ seems content with leaving unfinished work for others to do.
6. _____ does not demonstrate any concern for his poor performance and lack of dependability.
7. _____is not a dependable employee. He has too many errors.
8. _____ cannot be depended upon to produce consistent results.
9. Even if we are behind on production, _____ does not show a willingness to jump in and help her employees out. Once promoted to supervisor, she has taken a hands off approach to the detriment of her team.

Positive Performance Evaluation Phrases

Interpersonal Skills

1. _____has a knack for making people feel important. This translates into great opportunities for teamwork and a positive working environment.
2. _____makes people feel comfortable. His natural ability to work with people is a great asset to our team.
3. _____handles himself and the relationships with his co-workers very well.
4. _____ can quickly build a positive relationship with people and understands how to relate to them.
5. _____is able to create and sustain a positive, professional relationships with her coworkers, direct reports, and management team.
6. _____ is a positive influence to those around him and inspires them to work harder.
7. _____ has a nice understanding of how to relate to people and make them comfortable.
8. _____can strike up a conversation with anybody. He has a gift in relating to people around him.
9. _____ can find a point of connection with just about anyone.
10. _____is a great performer; he who works well with other members of his team.
11. _____quickly establishes a rapport with people and is an excellent communicator.
12. ____ easily connects with others and establishes good relationships quickly.

Negative Performance Review Phrases

Interpersonal Skills

1. _____is very motivated; however, his strong personality  is very intimidating and makes him unapproachable.
2. _____ does not work well with others – he constantly complains but offers no resolution.
3. ____ has a very strong, domineering and sometimes caustic personality that  has caused a rift on our team.
4. _____ is recognized as a very sharp, driven individual amongst the management team. However, his personality is rather aggressive, causing issues between him and other team members.
5. ____does not understand the difference between “friend” and “coworker” and only wants to focus on friendships rather than building good working relationships.
6. ____needs to work on cultivating good relationships with those around him.
7. _____ works well with members of his own team, yet he has an “us” against “them” mentality when it comes to others within the company.
8. Many of _____ coworkers see him as unapproachable. He tends not to listen and is intent on people accepting his point of view
9. _____ is standoffish and  gives the impression of “superiority” to those around him.
10. _____ is brusk  in giving direction and crude with her feedback.
11. _____ does not appreciate how happy team members can affect his own job performance and continually upsets those around him.
12. ______ has left a wake of bad relationships in his career path.
13. ______ seems to shrink when (s)he’s around others and does not cultivate good relations with her co-workers.

 Positive Performance Review Phrases

Managerial Style

1. _____is very professional with his employees and manages them well.
2. _____has a difficult situation with the team he manages, yet he has turned them around in excellent fashion.
3. _____’s team performs well; he is well-respected and they all speak highly of him.
4. ____ is  a high performer and leads a team of high performers. His leadership has contributed to very high productivity from this department.
5. If _____ were a coach, he would be considered a “player’s coach.” He understands his team and how to motivate them to high performance.
6. _____ manages his team well and receives good performance from them.
7. _____ is an effective manager and understands how to supervise his employees to meet expectations.
8. Though _____  had a rough start, she ended the year well with her team turning in the best performance of all the groups.
9. _____ is in a difficult situation: he inherited a team that frankly was a mess. In short order, he turned the team around to one of our best performers.
10. _____ has received good feedback from his team and his managers.
11. _____ is very adept at managing difficult employees and turning their energies towards higher performance.

Negative Performance Evaluation Phrases

Managerial Style

1. ____ does not cope very well with managing employees. His employees consistently complain of unreasonable expectations. Bill needs to improve his acceptance of a reasonable work-personal life balance.
2. _____does not always relate well with his employees and this shows in the group’s lack of effort.
3. _____has not made the transition from co-worker to manager very well. He has a difficult time separating his personal relationships with professional ones.
4. _____does not understand how to set team goals and manage his team to achieve them. He seems to always be in “survival mode” without focusing on the goals necessary to move his team forward.
5. ______has difficulty understanding his team member’s different personalities and relating to them.
6. _____is a decent task manager, but has had difficulties in setting a vision with his team.
7. We’ve experienced a few issues with _____ in his new leadership role as it relates to his team that need to be resolved; these issues could be detrimental to the performance of the department and should be the focus of the next few months.
8. _____ understands how to handle difficult employees and manage a high maintenance staff, yet we continue to have above average turnover on his team. This year, we need to focus on what issues are causing such high turnover.
9. _____ has not been very successful in managing her staff to high performance.
10. _____is a good supervisor, but has had difficulty managing his staff to high productivity.
11. _____does not understand the intricacies of managing a high performance team; he needs to focus on creating cohesion amongst the group.
12. _____ was a great individual performer; she is having difficulty transitioning into her managerial role.
13. _____ has a tendency to play favorites and has had complaints about not treating all employees equally.

 Positive Performance Evaluation Phrases

Teamwork Skills

1. _____ manages his relationships with his co-workers, managers, and employees in a professional manner.
2. _____ is the consummate team player.
3. _____contributes to the success of the team on a regular basis.
4. _____has always been impressed with the ability to work well with others, but this year, he has really shined in this area. _____ one of those team members anybody would be proud to have on their team
5. Whenever a large project comes in, _____ is always one of the first to volunteer to help to get the job done.
6. _____continually contributes to the success of those around her, which makes her an invaluable employee
7. _____ always focuses to achieve the goals of the group, as well as the organization
8. _____ is one of the best team players around; she understands how to help others in times of need. Their success in her success.
9. Our company is composed of many teams and ______’s ability to work with and understand the teams’ inter-dynamics has been very beneficial to the firm.
10. _____ isn’t concerned about who gets the credit, just that the task gets accomplished.
11. _____has a great willingness to help his fellow teammates.

Negative Performance Review Phrases

Teamwork Skills

1. ____ holds on to too much and does not delegate to his team effectively.
2. _____ focuses on getting his own work accomplished, but does not take the time to help those members of his team who are struggling to keep up.
3. _____ is inconsistent in supporting his teammates.
4. _____ was very good at teamwork when he was a member of the team; now that he is in a supervisory role, _____ has not transitioned effectively and does not help hisa team be successful.
5. _____relies on his own knowledge and abilities without asking others for help and their expertise.
6. _____is a team player most of the time, but get frequent complaints with his follow through when other teammates need help.
7. _____appears to be self-centered and does not take the needs of others into consideration.
8. _____ seems more intent on accomplishing his tasks rather than working as a team and assist others who might need help.
9. _____ comes from a very individual focused work environment to a team focused one and has struggled to adjust.
10. _____ focuses her team on accomplishing individual tasks without thinking about what could be accomplished if the team worked more cohesively together.
11. _____ works well with the team when his projects come due and he needs help; however, once those are accomplished, he doesn’t contribute to helping others on their projects.

 Positive Performance Review Phrases

Technical Skills

1. _____’s technical abilities are very valuable to our success.
2. _____is able to grasp complex technical concepts and explain them in an easy to understand manner.
3. When it comes time to implement new technology, ___________ is the one we turn to
4. In the fast paced world of technology, things always seem to change so rapidly. With some of our systems being old, we rely on ______ expertise to help us in the transition.
5. ______ is good at understanding the technical nature of his job.
6. _____is excellent at absorbing the complexities of his job.
7. _____ deals with very complex topics and discussions, yet always seems to bring it to a level of understanding the rest of us can relate to.
8. Whenever we have a very technical problem, _____ is one of the first people we turn to. Her ability to grasp technology is an asset to our team.
9. _____is an accomplished technician who understands our systems and processes.
10. There are a lot of intricacies to _____ job, yet he makes it all seem so simple.
11. As we implement new technology, _____ is one of the first to pick it up and understand it.

Negative Performance Evaluation Phrases

Technical Skills

1. _____struggles to understanding new technology.
2. Though our systems have been in place for many years and are well documented, _____ seems to have difficulty understanding the technical nuances they present.
3. _____’s understanding of business is very good; however, he does not communicate effectively with his team members
4. _____ needs to continue to improve his technical knowledge through training and self study.
5. _____ needs to improve his technical understanding of his job.
6. _____ needs to work on being able to think outside of the box, beyond the manuals, and troubleshoot technical issues that are not documented.
7. It has become obvious that _____does not possess enough technical skills for his role.
8. ______is not as technical as he led us to believe in his resume.
9. _____ should learn the technical concepts required for his position.
10. _____needs to focus on keeping up with and understanding the latest trends and changes in the technology marketplace and be able to advise management accordingly.