Performance Review Template - How to Prepare for Reviews as a Leader

A performance review isn’t just a meeting on the calendar or an HR requirement.
Done well, it becomes one of the most powerful tools a leader has: a moment to align expectations, celebrate growth, identify gaps, and set a clear direction for the months ahead.

A good performance review template helps structure the conversation – but what really matters is how you use it: how well you prepare, the examples you bring, your grasp of your team’s skills and behaviors, and how you connect all this to the broader goals of the company.

This article is a practical guide / agenda to preparing for reviews in a way that elevates both the conversation and your leadership.

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Example Review Agenda: A Practical Conversation Structure

Below is a full example of what a meaningful review conversation can look like.
It’s not a script - it’s a natural flow that helps you navigate results, behaviour, motivation, collaboration, and future development. Each step includes example questions you should think of.

1. Follow-up on goals from the previous review

What was completed? What didn’t move forward? Why?

2. General reflection on the past year

How did the year feel from the employee’s perspective?
What worked well? What was difficult or unclear?

3. Feedback - both ways

Share specific, example-based feedback.
Invite their feedback about the team, processes, collaboration, and leadership.

4. How they feel in their current project

Is the work engaging?
Do they feel they’re growing?
Are they challenged enough?

5. Use of self-development time

Are they actively upskilling?
If yes - in what areas?
If not - what’s blocking them?

6. Collaboration with others

How do they see their relationships and cooperation within the team and across the company?

7. What they learned this year

What new skills or behaviours did they gain?
What was missing or could have helped them grow faster?

8. Technical competencies & project performance

How do they evaluate their current technical skills?
Where did they progress? Where do they see gaps?

9. Soft skills & behaviours

Communication, ownership, teamwork, leadership, decision-making - what helped, and what needs improvement?

10. Engagement in company-wide initiatives

Were they involved in internal improvements, knowledge sharing, mentoring, or cross-team collaboration?

11. Growth opportunities in the project

Do they have tasks that stretch their abilities?
Is the project aligned with their development direction?

12. What they want to focus on next year

Skill-based goals, career direction, new responsibilities, areas of interest.

13. Collaboration with their manager

What works well?
What could the manager do differently to support them?

14. Approach to learning & staying relevant

What technologies or skills are they exploring?
How intentionally are they developing?

15. Leadership potential

Are they interested in mentoring or leading others?
Could they support new joiners or interns?

16. Encouraging constructive criticism

Invite them to critique the organisation openly.
Do they feel part of the company?
What would improve their sense of belonging?

17. Strategic perspective

Where do they think the company is heading?
Which initiatives stood out?
What issues or opportunities do they see?

18. Development plan & goals for the next year

Define 2–8 clear, realistic, measurable development goals tied to both business and personal direction.

19. Finances

Salary discussion should come last - once both sides have full context.

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How to Prepare for a Performance Review as a Leader

1. Start with real, concrete examples

Avoid general impressions like “you’ve improved your communication.”
Collect specific situations:

• project moments,
• decisions made,
• challenges handled,
• behaviours observed.

This brings fairness and clarity. It also builds psychological safety - people know you’re evaluating actions, not assumptions.

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2. Treat the template as a map, not a script

A solid performance review template usually includes:

• achievements,
• challenges,
• behaviours,
• collaboration,
• future goals,
• and development areas.

Use it to give the meeting structure, but don’t let it restrict the conversation.
The best reviews feel guided - not mechanical.

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3. Connect the review with a light skill gap analysis

A review shouldn’t only reflect on the past.
It should also look forward.

Take time to assess:

• Which skills are strong?
• Which skills limit future opportunities?
• What behaviours need strengthening?
• What will the team need 6–12 months from now?

You can use a simple skill gap analysis template or your internal tools.
This transforms a review from “what happened” to “what’s next.”

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4. Build a clear, realistic skill development plan

A development plan shouldn’t be a vague wishlist.

It should answer:

• What exactly needs to improve?
• How will we measure progress?
• What support is needed?
• Which projects or responsibilities can drive that growth?
• What’s the timeline?

This becomes the practical output of the review - the bridge between potential and performance.

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5. Use tools that support clarity and long-term thinking

You don’t need a huge HR stack, but you do need tools that help you:

• track goals and progress,
• understand skill trends,
• gather insights over time,
• support the talent development framework you’re building.

Whether it’s a light performance review tool, a spreadsheet, or a full talent management platform, the point is the same: Your tools should support your strategy, not just collect data. If you're looking for a lightweight tool, feel free to check out Matricsy with our Free plan.

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6. Remember that a review is a strategic moment

A performance review is more than an evaluation.
It’s a conversation about:

• your team’s future,
• your organisation’s priorities,
• and the skills your business will rely on next.

When you treat reviews this way, they stop being a formality and become a leadership tool:
a way to grow people, retain talent, and steer the company in the right direction.