A manager’s worksheet for a prepared performance review.

1. Fix the review period and the expectations that applied

Write the start and end dates at the top of the worksheet. Add the responsibilities and objectives that were actually agreed for that period. Include changes in role, workload, manager or priorities, with their dates. This gives every example a reference point.

If an expectation emerged late, record when it was communicated. Ask how the change was understood and what support followed. A new responsibility may need its own discussion before it can be assessed sensibly. OPM’s guidance on developing performance standards is a useful reference for making expectations observable and identifying who can judge the work. Apply the standards established by your organization.

2. Gather examples across the period

Start with permitted work records and notes from earlier check-ins. Find examples of contributions, difficult work, collaboration and development. A recent incident may deserve attention, while a review of the earlier period can reveal work that is easier to overlook.

For each example, record the task, what the employee did, the observed effect and an appropriate source reference. Identify whether you witnessed it, read a work record or heard it from another person. Keep shared results separate from the action you are attributing to the employee. If a claim depends on somebody else’s account, mark the question you need to check.

3. Prepare space for the employee’s perspective

Ask the employee to prepare with the same period and responsibilities in mind. Offer the existing performance review questions guide as a starting point. Tell them which work you want to discuss and give them time to add an example or correct the context.

Read their account before finalizing the discussion agenda. Mark differences as questions. You might ask, “You describe a change in the handover process. Which part did you introduce, and what did the next shift notice?” UC Berkeley’s preparation guidance gives both manager and employee an active role. Your brief should help that dialogue happen.

4. Work through a fictional example

This example is fictional. Morgan manages a retail team and is preparing a review with Sam, a senior colleague. Sam says they made collection handovers easier. Morgan remembers a smooth weekend and initially writes, “Improved collection performance.”

The worksheet reveals a narrower account. Sam added an outstanding-order field to an approved handover note. Morgan saw it used during one weekend. A second colleague says it helped identify an open order, while another says an ownership field remained unclear. Collection volume and staffing also changed that month.

Morgan prepares to recognize Sam’s concrete contribution, ask how the field was used across shifts and discuss whether they could help refine the ownership instruction. The worksheet preserves the contribution without assigning an unverified business result.

5. Choose the conversations that need the meeting

Use the evidence rows to select a manageable agenda. Include a contribution to recognize, an important difference in perspective, a challenge that needs discussion and a possible development priority. Write the question you want to ask beside each item.

Replace broad labels with the event you can describe. If your note says “needs better communication,” identify the information, audience and occasion you mean. Then ask for the employee’s account. If you have no example, record the gap and decide how to obtain appropriate context. This preparation also shows where the manager needs to clarify expectations or remove an obstacle.

6. Prepare a support commitment and follow-up

Draft one possible development action in the language of the work. Describe the task the employee could practice, what they would do and who can observe it. Add the opportunity, information or coaching you will provide. Leave room to change the action during the discussion.

For Morgan and Sam, that could mean reviewing the handover field with the incoming shift lead, trying the approved revision and checking whether open orders have an identifiable owner. The follow-up should examine an actual example. Acas recommends keeping a written record and continuing feedback between formal reviews. Share the agreed record through your organization’s normal process.

7. Check the worksheet before sharing it

Read each statement as if the employee asked, “What is this based on?” Check dates, wording, source access and whether the example belongs to the agreed period. Keep open questions visible. If a formal concern arises, use the relevant organizational process and involve the appropriate HR support.

The worksheet is a preparation aid. The manager still needs to hear the employee’s account and apply the organization’s review process. Store only the information needed for that purpose, in the approved location. Share a version appropriate for the people who will receive it.