performance goals for problem solving

12 SMART Goals Examples for Problem Solving

Everyone should aim to develop their problem-solving skills in life. It’s critical for career growth and personal development. That’s why establishing SMART goals is a valuable tool for achieving success and reaching desired outcomes.

This article will provide SMART goals examples for effective problem solving. Gaining inspiration to pursue these goals can help you become more organized and effective in problem-solving situations.

Table of Contents

What is a SMART Goal?

The SMART framework is an amazing way to establish practical goals . For those unaware, SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.

Still confused? SMART goals are:

• Specific: Accomplishing goals starts with defining them and how they will be achieved. The more detailed your goals for problem solving, the greater the likelihood you have of meeting them.
• Measurable: Having a quantifiable goal is a crucial SMART component. Tracking your progress makes modifying or adjusting the path forward easier if needed. You’ll also have a tangible way to determine whether or not your objectives have been met.
• Attainable: Try to decide on what is realistically possible before pursuing goals. If possible, break down your overarching goal into smaller objectives that fall within your current capabilities. Setting too high or unrealistic expectations cause you frustration and even giving up on your aspirations altogether.
• Relevant: You must align your actions with your core values . Hence, take some time to reflect on how you want your goals to reflect your interests and values.
• Time-based: Success doesn’t come without hard work and dedication, so you should have a specific timeline when working toward your dreams. You will stay organized and motivated throughout the journey when you set a deadline.

In today’s world, being able to identify and solve problems using analytical skills can’t be undervalued. Following the 5 SMART criteria above will allow you to achieve better results with fewer resources.

Here are 12 examples of SMART goals for better problem solving:

1. Define the Problem

“I’ll create a plan to define and describe the problem I’m trying to solve by the end of two weeks. This will allow me to identify the exact issue that needs to be addressed and develop an effective solution promptly.”

Specific: The goal outlines the task of defining and describing a problem.

Measurable: You can measure your progress by creating a plan after two weeks.

Attainable: The statement is within reach because it requires critical thinking and planning.

Relevant: Defining an issue is required for enhanced problem solving.

Time-based: There is a two-week timeline for accomplishing this goal.

2. Analyze Root Cause

“I will take the time to thoroughly analyze the root cause of a problem before I attempt to come up with a solution. Before jumping into a solution, I’ll consider the possible causes and try to figure out how they interact with each other.”

Specific: The SMART goal outlines what will be done to analyze the root cause of a problem.

Measurable: You could measure how often you take the time for analysis.

Attainable: This is realistic because taking the time to do a thorough analysis is possible.

Relevant: Gaining a better understanding of the root causes of a problem can lead to more effective solutions.

Time-based: You’ll follow this process every time you solve a problem, so this goal is ongoing.

3. Be Willing to Collaborate With Others

“For the duration of 10 months, my goal is to be willing to collaborate with others to find the best solution for any problem at hand. I want to be open to exchanging ideas and listening to the opinions of others so that we can solve our problems efficiently.”

Specific: The person must proactively strive to collaborate with others.

Measurable: You can keep track of how often you collaborate monthly.

Attainable: This is feasible because it requires only the willingness to collaborate and exchange ideas.

Relevant: Collaboration allows you to find better solutions and grow your network.

Time-based: You have 10 months to pursue this particular target.

4. Evaluate Alternatives

“I will review and evaluate at least three alternative solutions to the problem by the end of this month. I’ll evaluate the costs and benefits of each solution, prioritize them based on their potential effectiveness and make my recommendation.”

Specific: You will need to review and evaluate three alternative solutions.

Measurable: Count how many alternative solutions you listed.

Attainable: With enough time and effort, anybody can review and evaluate multiple solutions.

Relevant: This is related to problem solving, which can advance your professional career .

Time-based: You have one month for goal achievement.

5. Implement Action Plan

“To ensure that my action plans are implemented effectively, I will create a timeline with concrete steps and review it every two weeks for the 6 months ahead. I want all aspects of my plan to take place as scheduled and the process is running smoothly.”

Specific: The aim is to create a timeline and review it every two weeks for 6 months.

Measurable: The person can compare their timeline to the actual results and ensure that every aspect of the plan takes place as scheduled.

Attainable: This goal is achievable if the individual has the time, resources, and support.

Relevant: Realize that implementing an action plan applies to problem solving.

Time-based: Success will be reached after 6 whole months.

6. Ask the Right Questions

“I’ll learn to ask the right questions by reading two books on effective questioning strategies and attending a workshop on the same topic within the next quarter. This will allow me to get to the root of any problem more quickly.”

Specific: The goal states what to do (read two books and attend a workshop) to learn how to ask the right questions.

Measurable: You can check your progress by reading the books and attending the workshop.

Attainable: This is a reasonable goal and can be met within the given time frame.

Relevant: Asking the right questions is key to solving any problem quickly.

Time-based: Goal completion should be accomplished within a quarter.

7. Be More Flexible

“I will seek opportunities to be more flexible when problem solving for the following 8 months. This could include offering creative solutions to issues, brainstorming ideas with colleagues, and encouraging feedback from others.”

Specific: This SMART goal is explicit because the person wants to become more flexible when problem solving.

Measurable: Check how often and effectively you follow the three action items.

Attainable : This goal is achievable if you dedicate time to being more open-minded.

Relevant: Flexibility is integral to problem solving, so this goal is highly relevant.

Time-based: Eight months is the allotted time to reach the desired result.

8. Brainstorm Solutions

“I want to develop a list of 5 potential solutions by the end of this month for any problem that arises. I’ll brainstorm with my team and research to develop the options. We’ll use these options to evaluate the most feasible solution for a specific issue.”

Specific: You should come up with a list of 5 potential solutions with your team.

Measurable: Actively count how many potential solutions you come up with.

Attainable: This goal can be achieved with research and collaboration.

Relevant: Brainstorming solutions help you evaluate the best option for a certain issue.

Time-based: You should strive to meet this goal by the end of the month.

9. Keep a Cool Head

“When encountering a difficult problem, I will strive to remain calm and not rush into any decisions. For three months, I’ll take a few moments to pause, gather my thoughts and assess the situation with a clear head before taking action.”

Specific: The person identifies the goal of remaining calm when encountering complex problems.

Measurable: It is possible to measure success in terms of how long it takes to pause and assess the situation.

Attainable: Taking a few moments before taking action is realistic for most people.

Relevant: Keeping a cool head in difficult situations is beneficial for problem solving.

Time-based: This SMART statement has an end date of three months.

10. Don’t Make Rash Assumptions

“I will no longer make assumptions or jump to conclusions without gathering facts. I’ll strive to be more open-minded when finding solutions to problems and take the time to consider all perspectives before making a decision.”

Specific: The goal is explicit in that individuals aim to be open-minded.

Measurable: You can evaluate how often assumptions are made without gathering facts or considering all perspectives.

Attainable: Anyone can take the time to consider different perspectives before making a decision.

Relevant: This is suitable for those who want to be more mindful and make better decisions.

Time-based: Since the goal is ongoing, you will pursue it on a daily basis.

11. Take Responsibility

“I will take responsibility for all my mistakes and be open to constructive criticism to improve as a professional by the end of the next quarter. I’ll also learn from my mistakes and take steps to ensure they’re not repeated.”

Specific: The statement is evident in that you will take responsibility for all mistakes.

Measurable: Progress towards this goal can be measured by how well you respond to constructive criticism.

Attainable: This is possible since the person is willing to learn and improve with constructive criticism.

Relevant: Taking responsibility for your mistakes is an important skill, making this an appropriate goal.

Time-based: You have one quarter to complete the SMART goal.

12. Let Your Creativity Flow

“I want to explore the range of my creative problem-solving abilities and come up with solutions for difficult situations. To do this, I’ll take a course in creative problem solving and apply the principles I learn to practical scenarios within two months.”

Specific: You will take a course in creative problem solving and apply the principles learned to practical scenarios.

Measurable: By enrolling in the course, you can monitor your learning progress over time.

Attainable: The goal should be realistic concerning time and resources.

Relevant: Recognize that creativity is vital in many industries.

Time-based: You should ideally reach this goal after two months.

Final Thoughts

Setting SMART goals is a fantastic approach to solving any problem. They provide a clear structure for breaking down complex tasks into manageable chunks and encourage goal-oriented thinking.

While SMART goals may not work for every situation, they can offer a valuable framework for solving complex issues. Thus, it’s beneficial to experiment with this tool to develop problem-solving strategies tailored to individual needs.

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31 examples of problem solving performance review phrases

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You're doing great

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Tips to improve

Use these practical examples of phrases, sample comments, and templates for your performance review , 360-degree feedback survey, or manager appraisal.

The following examples not only relate to problem-solving but also conflict management , effective solutions, selecting the best alternatives, decision making , problem identification, analyzing effectively, and generally becoming an effective problem-solving strategist. Start using effective performance review questions to help better guide your workforce's development. 

Problem solving appraisal comments: you're doing great

• You always maintain an effective dialogue with clients when they have technical problems. Being clear and articulate makes sure our customers' faults are attended to promptly.
• You constantly make sure to look beyond the obvious you never stop at the first answer. You’re really good at exploring alternatives. Well done!
• Keeping the supervisors and managers informed of status changes and requests is important. You’re really good at communicating the changes to the projects at all times. Keep it up!
• You stay cool and collected even when things aren’t going according to plan or up in the air. This is a great trait to possess. Well done!
• You’re excellent at giving an honest and logical analysis. Keep it up! Effectively diagnosing complex problems and reaching sustainable solutions is one of your strong points.
• Your ability to ability to make complex systems into simple ones is truly a unique skill to possess. Well done!
• You often identify practical solutions to every roadblock. You’re a real asset to the team! Great job.
• You always listen actively and attentively to make sure you understand what the exact problem is and you come up with solutions in an effective manner.
• You have an amazing ability to clearly explain options and solutions effectively and efficiently. Well done!
• When driving projects, you can shift to other areas comfortably and easily. making sure the project runs smoothly. Great job!

Problem solving performance review phrases: you should think of improving

• You always seem too overwhelmed when faced with multiple problems. Try to think of ways to make problems more manageable so that they can be solved in a timely and effective manner.
• Avoiding conflicts constantly with people is not a good idea as you will only build up personal frustration and nothing will be done to remedy the situation. Try to face people when there are problems and rectify problems when they occur.
• Don’t allow demanding customers to rattle your cage too much. If they become too demanding, take a step back, regulate your emotions , and try to make use of online support tools to help you rectify problems these tools can help a lot!
• It’s necessary that you learn from your past mistakes . You cannot keep making the same mistakes , as this is not beneficial to the company.
• You tend to ask the same questions over and over again. Try to listen more attentively or take notes when colleagues are answering!
• Providing multiple solutions in an indirect and creative approach will allow you to be more effective at problem-solving . if you struggle with this typically through viewing the problem in a new and unusual light.
• You fail to provide staff with the appropriate amount of structure and direction. They must know the direction you wish them to go in to achieve their goals .
• You need to be able to recognize repetitive trends to solve problems promptly.
• You tend to have problems troubleshooting even the most basic of questions. As a problem solver and customer support person, it’s imperative that you can answer these questions easily.
• Read through your training manual and make sure you fully understand it before attempting questions again.

Performance review tips to improve problem solving

• Try to complain less about problems and come up with solutions to the problems more often. Complaining is not beneficial to progression and innovation.
• As a problem solver, it’s important to be able to handle multiple priorities under short deadlines.
• You need to be able to effectively distinguish between the cause and the symptoms of problems to solve them in an efficient and timely manner.
• Try to anticipate problems in advance before they become major roadblocks down the road.
• Try to view obstacles as opportunities to learn and thrive at the challenge of solving the problem.
• Remember to prioritize problems according to their degree of urgency. It's important that you spend the majority of your time on urgent tasks over menial ones.
• When putting plans into place, stick to them and make sure they are completed.
• When solving problems, try to allocate appropriate levels of resources when undertaking new projects. It is important to become as efficient and as effective as possible.
• Try to learn to pace yourself when solving problems to avoid burnout . You’re a great asset to the team and we cannot afford to lose at this point.
• Meeting regularly with your staff to review results is vital to the problem-solving process.
• Staff that has regular check-ins understand what it is that is required of them, what they are currently achieving, and areas they may need to improve. Try to hold one-on-one meetings every week.

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

How a performance review template improves the feedback process

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23 Examples of Employee Performance Goals for 2023

Performance goals are an essential tool that managers use to ensure the success of their teams and organizations. They create a clear vision of what is expected from each employee. They encourage productivity, foster accountability, and create opportunities for employees to show their strengths. Setting these benchmarks is integral for the overall performance and productivity of the organization, bridging the gap between individual responsibility and collective goals.

By setting performance goals, managers can help their employees eliminate confusion from the workspace because employees can get specific directions on what they need to accomplish. Giving these goals as directions can also create a basis for feedback and evaluation. Along with providing direction, the goals provide tangible measures for success. 

But, what are some examples of goals that a manager should give to his or her employees?

In this article, we present example goals for a variety of employee skills, including the following:

• Collaboration
• Professional growth
• Self-management
• Soft skills 
• People management
• Problem-solving
• Creativity 

We also present examples of goal methodologies, including:

• SMART Goals

Locke and Latham’s 5 Principles

• Goal Pyramid

When combined, these examples help you develop goals that are both focused on unique skills that an employee should master, while also adhering to tried and true goal methodologies. 

PerformYard brings goals and performance management into one platform. Learn More

Examples of Collaboration Goals

Collaboration fosters unity in the workplace and creates opportunities for the best work to be completed because many individuals are working together to complete a common objective. Collaboration performance goals can lead to a workspace that is better equipped to succeed with coworkers around them. In essence, collaboration performance goals can leverage the power of collective intelligence and drive the organization toward shared success.

Setting a collaboration performance goal begins with clearly defining what successful collaboration looks like in the specific context of your organization or team. It should involve metrics that quantify aspects of teamwork, such as the number of joint projects completed, frequency of interdepartmental meetings, or the quality of cooperative output. To meet this goal, the team could engage in activities like team-building exercises and joint decision-making activities that foster cooperation.

Examples of collaboration goals could include:

• "Increase the number of joint projects between different departments by 20% over the next quarter to promote interdepartmental communication and cooperation."
• "Implement bi-weekly collaborative problem-solving sessions to boost innovative thinking and strengthen team unity."
• "Improve team satisfaction scores by 15% in the next employee survey by fostering a more cooperative and supportive team environment."

Examples of Professional Growth Goals

Professional development performance goals are critical because they emphasize the importance of ongoing learning and skill enhancement in the workplace. Such goals can help individuals to remain competitive in their roles, increase job satisfaction, and facilitate career progression. In addition, these goals contribute to the company's success as employees are growing their skill sets, performing their jobs more effectively, and adapting to changes in the job requirements.

Setting a professional development goal involves identifying specific skills or knowledge areas that the employee needs to improve or acquire. It could be based on job requirements, future career aspirations, or feedback received during performance evaluations. The employee could engage in various activities such as attending workshops, undertaking online courses, seeking mentorship, or working on projects that develop the required skills to achieve these goals. 

Examples of professional development goals could include:

• "Complete an advanced certification course in data analytics within the next six months to enhance decision-making skills in the role."
• "Attend at least two industry conferences in the next year to stay updated with the latest trends and practices."
• "Seek and engage in a mentorship program with a senior leader in the organization over the next quarter to gain insights and guidance for career growth."

Examples of Self-management Goals

Setting self-management goals is crucial because they encourage employees to take ownership of their responsibilities and performance. These goals cultivate independence, initiative, and personal accountability so that the office can run smoothly with fewer exact directions or guidelines from the manager. Managers should always be guiding employees to improve their work; however, no one knows someone’s weaknesses better than oneself.

A self-management goal could be set by identifying specific areas of improvement, such as time management, task prioritization, or stress management. Meeting this goal would require consistent practice and potentially the adoption of new strategies or tools. For example, someone aiming to improve their time management might begin using a digital planner or download performance management software.

Examples of self-management goals could include:

• "Improve time management by breaking each workday into strategic time blocks for specific tasks, aiming to reduce overtime hours by 15% over the next two months."
• "Enhance stress management by incorporating mindfulness techniques into daily routine, to decrease stress-related sick leaves by 20% in the next quarter."
• "Boost productivity by developing a system for prioritizing tasks, targeting a 10% increase in completed projects within deadlines over the next six months."

Examples of Soft Skills Goals

Soft skills goals in the workplace are important because they focus on interpersonal skills that are crucial for smooth and helpful communication in the workplace. These skills, which include communication, emotional intelligence, and adaptability, are often transferable across different roles and industries. They can enhance an employee's ability to work well with others, navigate workplace challenges, and contribute positively to the organizational culture. 

A soft skills goal can be set by identifying specific behaviors or attributes that an employee wants to develop or improve. If an employee struggles to be kind or understanding in high-stress situations, there are ways to artificially curate scenarios in which he or she can hone those skills. Other examples are activities such as workshops, role-playing exercises, or seeking coaching or mentorship. These resources could help the employee reach his or her soft skills goal. 

Examples of soft skills goals could include:

• "Improve public speaking and presentation skills by attending a public speaking workshop and presenting at least once per month at team meetings."
• "Enhance emotional intelligence by participating in an emotional intelligence training program and practicing active listening and empathy in daily interactions."
• "Develop stronger problem-solving abilities by leading a project that involves complex planning and decision-making, aiming to deliver the project successfully and receive positive feedback from the team."

Examples of Problem-solving Goals

Problem-solving goals are of paramount importance in the workplace. They encourage employees to develop and utilize their critical thinking skills to overcome challenges and obstacles. In tight deadlines or other high-stress situations, these goals could be crucial for enhancing productivity or contributing to better decision-making. 

Setting a problem-solving goal involves identifying specific challenges that an employee often encounters in which they need to adapt quickly to succeed. Achieving this goal may require the employee to undertake specific training, such as workshops on critical thinking or creativity, or to gain more experience in tackling complex projects or tasks.

Examples of problem-solving goals could include:

• "Enhance analytical problem-solving skills by completing a relevant online course and successfully applying the learned techniques to at least two significant work-related problems in the next three months."
• "Reduce the average time to resolve customer complaints by 25% over the next quarter by developing and implementing a new customer service protocol."
• "Improve creative problem-solving skills by leading a project that requires innovative solutions, aiming for a successful project completion and positive feedback from the project team within six months."

Examples of Creativity Goals

Creativity performance goals in the workplace are essential because they promote innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. These goals empower employees to challenge the status quo, explore new ideas, and feel free to be transparent with coworkers. They can lead to the development of new products, services, or processes, offering competitive advantages to the organization. 

Setting a creativity goal involves identifying opportunities for innovative thinking within an individual's role or team. It may require the encouragement of risk-taking, brainstorming sessions, or providing time and resources for creative pursuits. Meeting these goals could involve participating in workshops or courses that foster creativity, seeking inspiration from diverse sources, or regularly dedicating time to brainstorming and ideation. 

Examples of creativity goals could include:

• "Generate at least three new ideas each month for improving the team's workflow or processes."
• "Develop and implement an innovative solution to a longstanding departmental challenge within the next six months."
• "Participate in a creative thinking workshop and apply learned techniques in daily work, aiming to contribute at least two innovative ideas for team projects in the next quarter."

Examples of Goals for New Employees

Setting goals and staying consistent with those goals are both important, but for some employees, setting these goals can be even more challenging. For new employees, it can be difficult to see goals that should be completed because there is no context for what you need to do. If you are a new employee and are having difficulty seeing goals that you should meet, consider using these examples as guidelines:

• "Familiarize yourself with the company's products, services, and key processes within the first month of employment."
• "Build relationships with all team members and key stakeholders by arranging introductory meetings or informal catch-ups within the first two weeks."
• "Complete all onboarding training modules and demonstrate understanding of your role and responsibilities by the end of the first month."
• "Contribute to your first team project or task, demonstrating understanding of job responsibilities and alignment with team objectives within the first three months."
• “Purposely and intentionally go out and seek advice and feedback from a manager to see what else you could be doing or accomplishing.”

The SMART Goal Methodology

SMART is an acronym that represents a framework for creating effective goals. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. When setting performance goals, using the SMART methodology ensures that objectives are clear, realistic, and capable of making a tangible impact.

Specific goals are well-defined and clear about what is to be achieved, avoiding vagueness. Measurable goals can be quantified or evaluated, allowing for clear tracking of progress and ultimate success. Achievable goals are realistic, taking into account resources, constraints, and abilities. Relevant goals align with broader team or organizational objectives, ensuring the work contributes to larger goals. Lastly, Time-Bound goals have a specific deadline or timeframe, which adds a sense of urgency and helps motivate progress. SMART goals make sure to emphasize the achievability and realistic possibility that the goal can be completed. With SMART goals, employees can become more motivated because they feel that the goals are doable and still significant. 

The OKRs Methodology

OKR is an acronym for Objectives and Key Results, a popular goal-setting framework that helps organizations set, track, and achieve their goals. Objectives are broad, qualitative descriptions of what you want to achieve. Ideally, they are significant, concrete, action-oriented, and inspiring. Key Results, on the other hand, are a set of specific, measurable, and time-bound metrics that gauge the achievement of the objective. They are quantifiable, achievable, and lead to objective grading.

OKRs work on multiple levels. At the organizational level, they provide a clear direction and help to align all departments towards common goals. At the team level, they promote focus and coordination, encouraging each team to work together towards their Key Results. At the individual level, they offer clarity on what each employee needs to accomplish and how their work contributes to the overall objective. OKRs can display a comforting, optimistic, and general approach while still assessing the barebones requirements of certain goals. When used effectively, OKRs can significantly improve the performance, alignment, and engagement of both teams and individuals.

Locke and Latham's goal-setting theory is one of the most influential and practical theories in organizational psychology, focusing on the impact of goal-setting on individual performance. Their theory is built around five key principles: clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity.

The clarity principle emphasizes the need for goals to be clear and specific, avoiding ambiguity. Specific, well-defined goals are easier to understand and act upon. The challenge principle suggests that goals should be challenging yet attainable. Challenging goals stimulate effort, persistence, and ambition. Commitment relates to the level of personal investment and motivation toward the goal. Greater commitment often leads to higher effort and determination to reach the goal.

The feedback principle stresses the importance of providing feedback on progress toward goals. Feedback allows individuals to adjust their effort, strategies, and actions to better align with the goal. Task complexity is the final principle. It cautions that if a task is highly complex, individuals need sufficient time and resources to practice or learn about the task to avoid becoming overwhelmed. This may require setting short-term sub-goals to support the ultimate goal. Incorporating these five principles when setting goals can significantly enhance motivation and performance.

The BHAG Goals Methodology

BHAG, an acronym for "Big Hairy Audacious Goal," is a term coined by business consultants James Collins and Jerry Porras in their book Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies . BHAGs are very different from other typical types of performance goals. A BHAG is a long-term goal that changes the very nature of a business's existence. BHAGs are bigger, bolder, and more powerful than regular long and short-term goals. They typically take a 10-30 year commitment, but they are exciting, tangible, and something everyone just "gets" without any further explanation.

A BHAG is meant to shift how a company sees itself and instills a sense of purpose and urgency, stimulating progress and acting as a unifying focal point for a team effort. This bold goal might appear to be outside of what the team can currently achieve, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. It requires the organization to stretch beyond its comfort zone and rethink how it operates. While not all BHAGs are achieved, they inspire organizations to rise to the challenge and achieve more than they thought possible, acting as a driving force behind major strategic and operational changes.

The Goal Pyramid Methodology

The Goal Pyramid is a visual representation that helps individuals and organizations hierarchically structure their goals. The pyramid starts from the top with the main goal and cascades down to smaller, more actionable steps. This approach provides a clear roadmap toward achieving the main goal, as each level in the pyramid is a stepping stone toward the next one.

At the top of the pyramid is the main goal or the overarching objective, which is typically broad and long-term. This could be an individual's personal goal or an organization's strategic objective. As you move down the pyramid, the goals become more specific, achievable, and time-bound, acting as milestones on the way to achieving the main goal. These could include medium-term goals, short-term goals, and daily actions or habits. The Goal Pyramid helps to break down the journey toward the main goal into manageable steps, making the process less overwhelming and more achievable. It enables individuals and organizations to see how everyday actions contribute to broader objectives, enhancing motivation and providing a sense of progress.

‍ Additional Aspects to Consider

Keeping track of performance goals is a crucial part of ensuring they are met. It allows for adjustments to be made along the way, keeps individuals and teams focused, and provides a clear picture of progress toward the goal.

One effective way to track performance goals is by regularly reviewing them. Going back weekly or monthly can greatly assist employees in accomplishing their goals. This act is essential for goal completion because it keeps the goals at the forefront of your attention. Additionally, employees should do these check-ins on their own instead of exclusively waiting for their performance reviews. Keeping this schedule can help organization and productivity.

A tool that can help employees organize and track performance goals is performance management software like PerformYard. This type of software provides a central place to define, track, and review goals. It often includes features for setting specific, measurable, and time-bound goals, assigning them to individuals or teams, and tracking progress. Additionally, the software can often generate reports and visualizations that provide a clear picture of how well the goals are being met.

PerformYard can facilitate ongoing feedback and communication regarding the goals that are set after a performance review. This feedback allows for a more communal and unified set of goals that are important for the whole organization to keep track of. Furthermore, using performance management software can set the alignment of individual and team goals with the larger organizational objectives. This facilitation provides a clear line of sight from everyday tasks to the overall mission of the organization.

The tools to streamline your performance management process.

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SMART Goals: The Comprehensive Guide for 2024

Employee goal setting: the only guide you'll ever need.

How to write performance goals: 100 sample phrases

Well-written performance goals help energize employees and point them in right direction. They help managers conduct more effective performance reviews . Here are 100 phrases to adapt, from 2600 Phrases for Setting Effective Performance Goals by Paul Falcone as well as additional performance goal phrases that may help you to provide more useful feedback to struggling team members.

Encourage initiative

Many employees lack the initiative to take on new tasks or complete assignments without the need for micromanaging. To encourage initiative: “Seek ways to assume responsibilities beyond your current job description.”

Using these performance review phrases in their evaluation may spur improvement:

• Complete tasks without frequent supervision.
• Focus on the ability to think creatively.
• Complete projects without ongoing direction.
• Attend training to develop necessary planning skills.
• Discover ways to think outside the box and be more decisive.
• Learn how to adapt to stressful situations.
• Proactively learn new skills.
• Develop work prioritization skills.
• Avoid taking professional criticism poorly.
• Proactively research new work techniques or tools.

Require punctuality

Every team has at least one member who is frequently late or flaky. To require punctuality: “Be on time for all meetings, which shows you respect your colleagues’ time.”

Also, try these performance review phrases during an evaluation with an employee who struggles with punctuality:

• Regularly arrive on time.
• Respond to correspondence and phone calls within the expected time frame.
• Maintain production schedules.
• Meet the company standards for attendance and punctuality.
• Returns on time from breaks.
• Focus on punctuality.
• Stay on schedule to avoid disciplinary action.
• Commit to time management.
• Respect the time and responsibilities of others.
• Be reliable whenever possible.

Foster a better attitude

Some employees struggle with having an appropriate attitude at work. To foster a better attitude: “Ensure that your tone, body language, and other nonverbal cues convey the proper respect and attitude toward others.”

These additional performance goal phrases might help:

• Refrain from publicly criticizing coworkers.
• Maintain a positive attitude to promote productivity.
• Support team morale through the attitude displayed.
• Avoid team tension by maintaining a positive attitude.
• Welcome new employees to drive improved morale.
• Keep work and home life separate as much as possible.
• Develop skills to manage stressful situations well.
• Provide constructive criticism to coworkers.
• Cooperate with others to foster team spirit.
• Focus on solving problems.

Improve communication

To improve communication : “Anticipate what your manager will need to know and provide that information.” For managers: “Keep team members informed of each other’s actions.”

Here are some performance review phrases to use if communication is a weakness for the employee:

• Communicate expectations effectively.
• Facilitate group discussions.
• Improve written and verbal skills.
• Focus on developing communication skills .
• Communicate thoughtfully during meetings.
• Avoid inappropriate language.
• Communicate with proper personnel regarding issues.
• Speak up in team meetings.
• Provide timely project updates.
• Avoid misunderstandings by communicating proactively.

Spur creativity

Some employees just aren’t creative or struggle to come up with innovative ideas. To spur creativity: “Build relationships among peers that foster collaboration and discussion of new ideas.”

Try using these phrases in employee feedback when creativity is lacking:

• Consider new ideas, particularly when your current thinking isn’t working.
• Be flexible enough to implement new concepts.
• Develop an interest in creative approaches.
• Adapt new solutions.
• Take risks, especially when there are obvious benefits.
• Try new things to increase productivity.
• Facilitate brainstorming and out of the box thinking.
• Develop innovations and new ideas.
• Bring creative ideas to fruition.
• Encourage team creativity by listening to new ideas.

Boost customer service

Employees who lack a customer service mindset can be detrimental. To boost customer service: “When we lose a customer, follow up to discover what we could have done differently.”

You can also try incorporating these performance goal phrases during the next review:

• Manage customer issues efficiently.
• Refrain from violating company policies when communicating with customers.
• Adapt customer service scripts when communicating.
• Avoid becoming frustrated.
• Use sales techniques to offer additional products and services.
• Be aware of customer call times.
• Escalate complex customer issues when necessary.
• Focus on building customer rapport.
• Be perseverant when solving problems.
• Support customers by actively listening.

Diversity in the workplace is more important than ever. To nurture diversity: “Appreciate the unique perspective, skills, and experience that each person brings to the team.”

This feedback might help encourage change:

• Make an effort to understand the perspectives of others.
• Avoid offensive jokes and disrespectful actions.
• Value diversity of thinking.
• Discourage harassment, bullying, and poor behavior.
• Participate in the implementation of diversity initiatives.
• Engage in diversity events.
• Drive positive change.
• Show empathy toward marginalized people.
• Proactively determine if current policies and procedures support diverse employees.
• Accept diverse viewpoints.

Improve planning

The ability to create and follow a plan can be learned. To improve planning : “Begin projects by identifying all the resources required, including staff, funding, materials, and other support.”

These performance goal phrases may help poor planner improve:

• Develop organizational skills .
• Create a course of action for projects without supervision.
• Prepare in advance for meetings.
• Complete tasks promptly.
• Meet deadlines.
• Analyze project requirements and develop strategies.
• Keep files and materials organized.
• Utilize planning tools.
• Establishes realistic strategies.
• Maintain the big-picture view and avoid getting lost in the details.

Promote better listening

Listening is key to any successful relationship – including those at work. To promote better listening: “Show by asking open-ended questions that you are engaged in conversations.”

You can also use these phrases in employee feedback :

• Intently listen to directions.
• Listen to and acknowledge customer feedback.
• Concentrate on discussions.
• Listen to guidance from leadership .
• Develop active listening skills .
• Be concerned with what colleagues say.
• Take the time to process what is said by others.
• Participate in conversations.
• Avoid interrupting others.
• Eliminate personal bias so discussions are not misinterpreted.

Foster leadership

Leadership qualities are needed at all levels of an organization. To foster leadership : “Discover the problems that prevent team members from performing at the highest possible levels.”

Use these performance review phrases to give feedback:

• Develop leadership qualities through training and self-improvement.
• Become a source of inspiration to others.
• Avoid openly criticizing team members, provide feedback privately.
• Actively reward employee achievements.
• Practice patience.
• Focus on delegating appropriate tasks.
• Attend leadership training.
• Accept and process constructive criticism.
• Avoid micromanaging your staff.
• Make decisions and commit to them.

Editor’s Note: Helping your employees write strong performance goals is extremely helpful when it comes time to sit down for performance reviews . The goals will help guide the appraisal and give you specific employee responsibilities and metrics to evaluate during the performance meeting.

If you’re looking for more assistance with the appraisal process, we’ve created a packet of checklists and forms to help you make the most of your reviews. Performance Review Documents will give you the tools you need to focus on every aspect of the performance review , from preparing and conducting the appraisal to following up after it’s completed.

With these FREE documents, you’ll improve the consistency and reduce the subjectivity of your performance reviews to help you build and maintain a successful organization. Get the FREE documents now.

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Employee performance goals & examples: The ultimate guide

Research shows that employees with clear performance goals are over three times more likely to be committed to their company and over six times more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work than those without measurable goals. The best work performance goal examples align with larger organizational objectives, making this effect even stronger. Employees who understand how their goals contribute to the bigger picture are an impressive ten times more inspired and motivated to take action at work than those who don’t. (1)

However, according to recent Leapsome data, a third of employees are unhappy with the current performance goal-setting and measurement process at their companies. (2) 

Defining ambitious, aligned, and achievable employee performance goals is no simple task. If you focus too much on organizational or team-level objectives, you’ll end up focusing on performance metrics that aren’t really under your employees’ control. Going too far in the other direction will leave you with work performance goals that don’t move the needle on the company’s strategic aims. 

The most effective way to empower your team members for success is by working together to establish goals that are both impactful and realistic.

This article will show you how to do just that. We’ll discuss what makes a great employee performance goal and share our top eight examples of performance goals for employees. Let’s get started.

1. BI Worldwide , 2021

2. Leapsome Workforce Trends Report , 2023 ‍

🌟 Want to help your employees reach their full potential?  Use our best-practice question template to run performance reviews that enable and empower your people. 👉 Download now  

Definition of performance goals 

Performance goals are strategic objectives that guide employees towards fulfilling the requirements of their role and contributing to team and company success. Individual performance goals are tailored to each employee, serving as a roadmap for what they’re expected to accomplish within a specific timeframe.

It’s generally best to define performance goals in collaboration with the relevant employees. By involving them in the process, you can co-create effective, realistic objectives that they’re invested in. Setting good business goals for employees builds a culture of accountability and excellence, where every team member understands their role in the bigger picture and strives to perform at their best.

There are slightly different definitions of performance goals according to different models.  ‍

The OKR framework breaks goals into objectives (clear, inspiring statements of what the employee should aim to accomplish) and key results (measurable outcomes that show progress toward the objective). 

Let’s look at two individual performance objectives examples with relevant key results:  ‍

Employee objective:

• Develop my leadership skills over the next 6 months

Example key results: 

• Mentor two colleagues and get positive feedback on my mentorship skills from them in my next 360 review .
• Lead two company-wide presentations by the end of Q3 ‍
• Deliver an exceptional customer experience in 2024
• Proactively engage five customers per month on new offerings and solutions by end of Q2
• Get a customer satisfaction score of 5 out of 5 for 80% of my customers by end of Q3 ‍

John Doerr, author of Measure What Matters , highlights the importance of clear, numbers-driven key results:  “Key results benchmark and monitor how we get to the objective. Effective KRs are specific and time-bound, aggressive yet realistic. Most of all, they are measurable and verifiable. As prize pupil Marissa Mayer would say, ‘It’s not a key result unless it has a number.’”

SMART goals 

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives.  

A SMART performance goal example: 

Onboard 35 new paying clients (specific) as measured in the CRM tracking system (measurable) based on current sales capacity increasing 10% quarterly (achievable) to contribute towards the company’s client acquisition goals (relevant) by the end of Q4 2024  (time-bound).

Below, we’ll go more in-depth on how to use SMART goals to map out exactly how, when, and why you’ll achieve your objectives. ‍

How to set performance objectives

Great performance goals help employees feel connected with their company’s mission,  boost engagement rates, prioritize employee development and communicate expectations effectively. They are also essential for defining fair performance improvement plans (PIPs).

Use the steps below to set strong goals for work performance. ‍

1. Collaborate with employees

Setting up effective, realistic goals is no easy task, but collaborating with employees will make the process a lot easier — and your results, more powerful. 

Whether you’re dealing with a departmental or individual conversation, an employee’s contribution to goal setting is invaluable. Collaboration lets employees discover how their actions contribute to their company’s long-term growth , increasing autonomy and ownership.

But collaboration on performance goal setting shouldn’t be limited to delegation. When employees have been actively engaged in establishing objectives, both team and individual goals have higher chances of being met. If you need help, our guide on setting team goals will walk you through the process. ‍

2. Align your objectives with your company mission

It would be pretty ironic if you owned a startup that wanted to revolutionize the world of data but didn’t give employees a work environment suitable for creativity, innovation, and change.

If your company wants to promote open communication and a flat hierarchy, your top goals should be things like: 

• For management roles  — Become a people-centric leader
• For teams — Take on regular collaboration initiatives  ‍
• For individuals — Level up communication skills

Ideally, each employee’s personal goals should focus on their own development, while team goals should be tied to the company’s overarching mission. For example, Leapsome’s mission is to make work more fulfilling for everyone. That determines what our company stands for and how we run it.

Employees also feel more motivated when they understand how they fit into the big picture. Leapsome’s Goals & OKRs module can help you align your company mission with individual performance objectives, promoting transparency and accountability throughout the organization. ‍

3. Focus on growth

Some of your best talent is sitting there just waiting to excel. And if you don’t support their growth, they’ll move on and excel somewhere else. 

Performance objectives don’t only benefit the business: they should help employees grow within their organizations — enriching the company itself. 

Growth should be the primary focus of any performance objective, especially when job searchers rank career growth opportunities as one of their top criteria when looking for a new position. That statistic shows that you risk losing your best talent to competitors if you don’t focus on employee development. 

But you must equip your people with the right skill sets to help them grow. And a career progression framework is perfect for that. It allows you to map out the skills and qualities your employees need to progress in their roles, which you can regularly check in on during performance evaluations .

4. Make your performance objectives SMART

Remember that SMART means specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. 

Here’s an example of how to make a goal SMART. 

Take a general goal:

❌ Increase productivity  ‍ [vague & not measurable]

Then, add a timeline and a clear metric for success:  

🚀 Improve productivity by increasing the average number of high-priority tasks completed each week by 10% by the end of February [specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, time-based]

You can then get even more granular by defining related success metrics (e.g., reduced project time, error rates, efficiency goals) and how exactly your employee should work to achieve the goal (e.g., completing a particular training or implementing a new project management system).  ‍

📆 Pro tip: Make sure you’re setting realistic timelines, keeping in mind that larger, transformational goals often require multiple milestones to reach completion. Break annual performance goals into quarterly and monthly targets to keep your larger objectives on track.  For example, yearly goals for employees like “Increase personal sales rate 20% by December 2023” could be subdivided into quarterly targets (“Generate five qualified sales opportunities from leads contacted in Q1”) and monthly targets (“Schedule two demo meetings each week”). 

5. Build cascading goals

Let’s consider another goal-oriented example. A C-level team is pushing to increase revenue by 10% over the upcoming quarter. But what does that mean for each team and individual at the company? Would simply increasing everyone ’s output (and workload) by 10% (e.g., HR hiring 10% more people) help achieve that? Probably not.

This imaginary C-level team needs to work on cascading goals to get where they want to be.

Developing cascading goals is the process of structuring goals and promoting alignment at all levels in the organization. With cascading goals, plans at the leadership level trickle down and shape the objectives of all other company employees. When that happens, you get measurable and attainable individual goals that align with the company’s mission.

🎯 Let’s build unifying goals your team can get behind Leapsome is the tool you need to build successful goal cycles and align your whole team behind your company mission. 👉 See it in action

Overview: 8 examples of performance goals

Goal setting isn’t a create-and-forget exercise. Performance objectives are designed to motivate employees to do better and help managers and companies invest in their growth. Setting and measuring employee performance goals is a key tactic to increase team efficiency, help companies grow, and encourage employees to prosper in their careers. 

Here are our top eight employee objectives and goals examples:

• Collaboration  — Employees offering their support to colleagues to help increase efficiency ‍
• Professional development  — Employees upskilling and furthering their careers within the company ‍ ‍
• Self-management  — Follows the “manager of me” concept in which employees are their own primary managers ‍ ‍
• Soft skills — Determine how employees communicate and collaborate with other colleagues ‍
• ‍ People management — Teaches employees how to motivate others, make themselves heard, and be better team players ‍ ‍
• Problem-solving — Encourages employees to resolve issues that come up both individually and with their team ‍
• ‍ Creativity & innovation — Prompts employees to be creative in their solutions and encourages participation ‍
• ‍ Communication — Enables employees to effectively communicate tasks, procedures, and deadlines ‍

👉 Customize the eight key goal areas above according to your company’s requirements and the skills you’d like individual employees to develop.

Examples of measurable employee goals & objectives

Use our examples of goal setting for employees to inspire you and your team members. If you’re asking team members to set their own goals, it’s especially important to give them sample performance goals so they’re clear on the approach and level of detail expected. 

We’ll talk you through why each example is important, and give you actionable tips and employee goal ideas you can implement right away in your organization‍. ‍

1. Employee goals examples for collaboration

Collaboration is essential for all teams and departments and directly impacts employee motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction. With collaboration and teamwork, employees also become more innovative and better problem solvers.

But since collaboration isn’t an easily measurable performance objective, we suggest assigning employees collaborative tasks and measuring success based on communication, legibility, and effective collaboration. ‍

💡 Example of a collaboration objective If the collaboration between your sales and marketing teams is limited and inefficient, suggest specific ways they could work together, like:  • Exchanging weekly reports • Marketing and sales managers sitting in on at least three cross-departmental meetings each month • Collaborating on a specific upcoming project or internal initiative

2. Employee goals examples for professional development

A striking 87% of millennials (the largest generation in the workforce) rate learning and development opportunities as important to them at work. As an employer, that’s great news; after all, your people want to do their jobs well and grow — all they need from you is a helping hand.

Incorporating development goals into performance reviews in a meaningful, growth-oriented way can help. In general, setting up professional development goals and ensuring employees follow through on them ensures they know you’re invested in their future. This ups engagement, retention, and productivity, which is a true win-win situation. ‍

💡 Example of a professional development objective Imagine your new social media marketing hire mentioned they’d like to learn more about performance marketing.  A great professional development goal would be encouraging your new hire to choose a course they’re interested in — or perhaps you already have a learning path available that caters to that development need.

3. Employee goals examples for self-management

Self-management can include anything from employees taking ownership of a project to adapting to changes at work and managing deadlines without getting sidetracked by distractions. By practicing self-management skills, employees consistently show up ready to give their best effort and take on the day.

‍ Self-management can help boost productivity, improve performance, and achieve professional and personal goals. For managers, it also means not micromanaging — and instead, letting employees flourish. Self-management means developing self-awareness and helping employees feel successful in their roles. ‍

💡 Example of a self-management objective Employees who struggle with deadlines but generally work efficiently may have issues with time management. A great self-management goal could be learning how to prioritize.

4. Employee goals examples for soft skills

Generally speaking, no one wants to work with an unempathetic person who doesn’t communicate with team members. Fortunately, soft skills can often be learned. 

Goal setting for soft skills should ensure that employees invest time and effort to optimize how they relate to and communicate with their colleagues. ‍

💡 Example of a soft skills objective Consider asking your employees to put together individualized, three-month action plans that can help them become better communicators.  As an example, you may manage an employee that excels at working autonomously but struggles to work just as effectively in a team. By keeping track of their own learning progress throughout their journey, they can learn to identify their shortcomings and work on them.

5. Employee goals examples for people management

Gone are the days when people management was a skill necessary only for leadership. Now, it goes beyond managerial tasks and also encompasses fruitful collaboration, the ability to motivate peers, and communication across teams. 

Setting goals for better people management means encouraging all employees to be open to receiving and giving constructive feedback and giving credit when it’s due.  ‍

💡 Example of a people management objective Encourage your employee to head one or more projects each quarter.

6. Employee goals examples for problem-solving

Problem-solving is a skill that’s as useful when a crisis strikes as it is in day-to-day life. A good problem solver is an analytical thinker and creative doer who will save their company time and money in the long run.

💡 Example of a problem-solving objective Ask each member of the finance team to come up with three problems they face in their day-to-day work and how to overcome them in a detailed plan. Their specific goal could be to develop an actionable plan in Q3 and implement it by the end of Q4.

7. Employee goals examples for creativity & innovation

By nurturing innovation and creativity in-house, companies empower their employees to contribute improvements, tackle challenges, and maintain a competitive edge. 

Creativity shouldn’t be restricted to jobs conventionally associated with design and ideation — it’s important in every role. Creativity can be a marketing team figuring out new ways to A/B test emails or a product manager effectively helping different teams communicate. Innovation at work can be as simple as adopting a more efficient way to run meetings . Giving employees those kinds of opportunities in the workplace helps them feel valued and appreciated. ‍

💡 Example of a creativity and innovation objective If your website isn’t performing as well as you’d like, you could ask the marketing team to propose different versions of the homepage’s copy. By challenging your employees to come up with multiple solutions instead of the one best solution , you’re encouraging them to think outside the box and develop creative thinking skills.

Pro tip: When setting creativity and innovation goals for new hires, begin with learning-focused objectives. As they gain experience, transition towards measurable outcomes and contributions.  New employee goals could include: First 30 days — Collaborate with a senior colleague on at least two brainstorming sessions, contributing a minimum of three innovative ideas during each session. ‍ First 90 days — Propose, develop, and execute one small creative improvement to an existing product or process, and set a clear KPI (e.g. achieving a 10% increase in efficiency). ‍ First 6 months — Lead an innovation project aimed at overhauling a work process, developing a new feature, or launching a new marketing initiative, and define a clear goal for the project (e.g. increase customer satisfaction scores by two points).

8. Employee goals examples for communication

Actively working towards better communication improves productivity and relationships at work. The 7 Cs of communication is a great framework for setting clear goals and improving communication skills for teams and individuals. 

Effective communication at work looks like: 

• Clear communication without ambiguity
• Good relationships between individuals, teams, and departments
• Clear deadlines
• Effectively communicated tasks 
• Positive changes with reinforcement 
• Knowledge shared  across teams ‍

💡 Example of a communication objective Encouraging employees to take initiative in team meetings and prompt colleagues to speak up is a great communication performance objective. To take things a step further, Leapsome’s surveys are an excellent tool for employees to share their opinions anonymously and communicate easily.

Better performance goal setting for a stronger team

Setting goals for work performance requires a strategic, collaborative approach and a commitment to tracking progress and following through is crucial. With the right tools, continuous goals and performance management can be both effortless and effective.

With customizable, expert-backed templates, and AI-powered features, Leapsome’s Goals module simplifies the process of setting employee performance goals and OKRs. Goal trees show every team member how their individual targets contribute to team objectives and company goals. Leapsome’s goal analytics visualize and track performance goals so employees can own their progress and managers get a clear sense of how the team is performing and where support may be needed. You can also link professional development goals with our Competency Framework feature to promote a growth-oriented company culture.  

Our Goals module integrates seamlessly with our Learning , Meetings , Reviews , and Surveys tools, so you can easily follow up on goals at every stage of your workflow and increase their impact. 

Leapsome’s tools for setting and achieving performance goals unite your teams around a shared vision of success. ‍

🧐 Take the guesswork out of assigning performance objectives Leapsome’s frameworks and tools help employers create and track high-impact performance objectives that boost productivity and align with your company’s mission. 👉 Start improving performance now

Leapsome Team

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How to Write Good Employee Performance Goals (with Frameworks & Examples)

Did you know that, according to 2023 Gallup data, a staggering 70% of employees are disengaged , costing companies in the U.S. up to $550 billion annually in lost productivity? 

This startling figure underscores a critical yet often overlooked aspect of management—effective goal-setting. 

Especially for people-centric remote leaders like yourself, setting and tracking well-aligned goals is not just a strategic move to accomplish company goals.

It also helps your team be more meaningfully productive – making working with you a positive experience.

Drawing from my experience working this way and insights from researchers and thought leaders, I will answer frequently asked questions.

I’ll also share five frameworks for writing employee performance goals, including over twenty examples tailored to managing hybrid and remote teams. 

Whether you're crafting goals for the first time or looking to improve your skills, I'm here to help.

What are Employee Performance Goals?

According to SHRM, employee performance goals “establish objectives to be achieved over a period of time and create the performance criteria an employee will be evaluated against.”

The HR association delineates four types of goals: 

• Job description goals are based on a pre-established set of job duties and are expected to be accomplished continuously until the job description changes. 
• Project goals are set for a particular project objective and may change as projects are completed. 
• Behavioral goals are based on specific behaviors and are expected to be accomplished continuously. These goals are focused on how things need to be accomplished. 
• Stretch goals are especially challenging goals that are set to expand the knowledge, skills, and abilities of high-potential employees.

Remember, no matter which type, all employee performance goals are milestones to gauge and inspire progress in your team's journey toward personal growth and business success.

Benefits of Great Employee Performance Goals

While they may take some time to write, we can get a lot out of writing great goals as managers.

A 2023 Gallup research study shows that people feel increasingly disconnected from their workplaces’ mission and purpose. 

This number is even lower in exclusively remote workers compared to other working models. 

The lack of alignment to the company's mission amongst remote employees can challenge your people's sense of purpose, make them less engaged, and lower performance.

Often, improving engagement is simply a matter of making the work itself more meaningful. 

Assuming that someone chose your company and team because the mission and vision are compelling, great performance goals can easily improve engagement. 

Principles for Winning Employee Performance Goals

Great employee performance goals have a few things in common:

• They link short-term and longer-term
• They highlight the impact someone will make when achieving them
• They connect to someone’s intrinsic motivations

Linking short-term and long-term goals

A study by "The Change Doctor" Michelle Rozen, a psychology doctorate holder and keynote speaker, shows that only 6% of people achieve New Year's goals. 

Michelle found that most people stopped trying to achieve their goals in February, and most resolutions had disappeared by June.

But, some do achieve their goals.

The secret? 

As suggested by the paper, it’s all about strategically balancing high, long-term objectives and specific, short-term targets, focusing on immediate tasks to fuel progress toward overarching ambitions.

Highlighting people’s impact

A second study by organizational psychologist Adam Grant additionally speaks to the importance of making an impact. 

In "Emphasizing Impactful Work,” Adam explains that understanding the social value of one's work can significantly boost performance. 

When employees are aware of their roles’ tangible impact —such as lifeguards reminded of their critical role in saving lives—there is a notable increase in commitment and hours worked, exceeding 40% in some cases. 

This underscores the importance of aligning employee tasks with clear, impactful goals to enhance dedication and job performance.

Connecting to intrinsic motivations

Another way to make performance goals a motivating proposition is by going beyond what the company wants and looking at team members’ intrinsic long-term motivations.

As Dr. Jolene Church , a business strategist and executive coach, emphasized in her Forbes article , employee goals that link to one's dreams can set the stage for employee engagement, loyalty, and driving performance within your organization.

This will keep people going, even when times get tough.

Frameworks for Winning Employee Performance Goals

We love a good framework, don’t we? Well, we’re spoiled for choice with five major frameworks for winning employee performance goals.

These frameworks allow you to set goals in the most practical way. 

For example, SMART goals help people focus their efforts with a clear “guide” to achieve goals. 

But sometimes, you might want to set HARD goals for your high-performing talents. 

These are the five frameworks, all with different approaches to setting performance goals:

SMART Framework

The SMART framework helps you create clear and achievable goals . Hence, you can be more motivated to achieve.

The framework dates back to 1981, when George Doran , a consultant and former Director of Corporate Planning for Washington Water Power Company, popularized it in the article “ There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management goals and objectives ." 

“SMART” stands for:

• Specific: Is the goal as detailed as possible?
• Measurable: What are the metrics to quantify progress?
• Achievable: Considering the available resources and constraints, is the goal realistic and attainable?
• Relevant: Does the goal align with your or the company’s long-term objectives?
• Timebound: Is there a specific timeframe within which you have to achieve the goal?

An example of a SMART goal:

If you need to increase your website traffic, write your goal statement as follows: 

“Increase website traffic to 10,000 visitors by the end of November by producing three SEO-optimized articles weekly and building seven external backlinks.”

This goal is specific, measurable (10,000 visitors), achievable (it highlights how to get there), relevant, and timebound (by the end of November.)

When you want to assign tasks with clarity, SMART goals allow you to pinpoint who is responsible for what by when. 

It’s a go-to method for setting straightforward, easily understood goals aligned with daily tasks and responsibilities. 

Why choose SMART?

SMART goals are particularly effective for projects requiring clear, well-defined targets and tasks that benefit from specific deadlines and criteria. 

They are ideal for setting short-term objectives or when you need to establish straightforward milestones that are easy to track and measure.

OKR Framework

The OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework is a great way to set and communicate clear goals that align with individual achievements and the company’s vision. 

It involves setting broad objectives. Then, they are broken down into specific, measurable key results. 

Originated by Andy Grove , the co-founder and CEO of Intel, and popularized by companies like Intel and Google, OKRs are about setting ambitious goals that push the boundaries of what’s considered achievable, encouraging innovation and growth. 

In his book “ High Output Management ," from almost three decades ago, Grove discussed the necessity to link important results to objectives, which give OKRs their significant influence today.

• Objective (qualitative goals) aims at pushing the company forward. 

Answering questions like, “ What do you want to achieve?” and “Why do you want to achieve them?” makes your goals significant and action-inspiring.

• Key Results (quantifiable measures) are to track the achievement of these goals. 

They should be specific and time-bound when it comes to execution. Ask yourself, “How will you know when you have achieved the goal?”

An example of an OKR goal:

To implement OKRs, start by defining broad objectives for your team that align with the company’s mission.

For example, if you need to secure investor funding for 2024, an objective might be to increase sales revenue by 15% by the end of the third quarter.

Then, determine key results that measure progress toward this objective, such as a 5% increase in sales and five new key prospects for each sales executive every month from now.

In his HBR article , Jeff Gothelf, an award-winning author and consultant, suggested that OKR would best be applied at the team level.

Meaningful goals are not merely the output of individual work but the outcome of how those works interact.

Why choose OKRs?

OKRs encourage a bottom-up approach, allowing team members to define their goals in alignment with the broader objectives. 

This empowerment leads to more engaged employees and realistic goals. So that you can instill a sense of ownership among the team while evoking growth and innovation toward the company’s missions.

The “objectives” factor in the OKR framework allows you to aim for the moon. As Rick Klau, the co-founder and CEO at Onsemble and former Partner at Google Ventures, said at the Google Ventures Startup Lab Workshop: “The “sweet spot” for an OKR grade is .6 — .7; if someone consistently gets 1.0, their OKRs aren’t ambitious enough.”

“The “sweet spot” for an OKR grade is .6 — .7; if someone consistently gets 1.0, their OKRs aren’t ambitious enough.” - Rick Klau, former Partner at Google Ventures

Locke and Latham's Goal-Setting Theory

We need a little push in order not to become stagnant. As the saying goes, "Get comfortable with feeling challenged. It means you're growing." 

Locke and Latham’s Goal-Setting Theory is rooted in the premise that challenges lead to growth. And the most effective goals are both specific and challenging . 

This theory taps into the human psychological side —what goals get you pumped and determined to perform well?

Edwin A. Locke and Gary P. Latham are the best-known academic researchers on goal-setting. In their 2002 report “ Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation ,” which summarized their 35 years of research, Locke and Latham explained that goals are not just about what is to be achieved but also about the motivational factors that drive the achievement process.

According to Locke and Latham’s theory, if you know what you need to do, and it’s a bit of a challenge, you’ll likely do a better job.

The theory outlines five key moderating factors of a goal that play a role in enhancing performance:

• Clarity - As every framework will tell you, goals should be crystal clear so there's no confusion about what's expected. Apply the SMART elements to write clear goals. But also ensure your team understands and agrees with these goals. 
• Challenge - Set goals that make your team stretch their skills. They should be tough enough to nudge people out of their comfort zones and get the gears turning.
• Complexity - Challenging tasks require higher-level skills and strategies. Your team member might need time to expand their knowledge and discover appropriate approaches for complex tasks. As a manager, you can lend support by providing the necessary resources and breaking down those difficult goals into smaller, doable steps. 
• Commitment - As said, ensure your team is aligned with the goals to enhance their commitment. Sharing your care for their career aspirations and explaining the work's impact will significantly help. 
• Feedback - Don't forget to loop back regularly. It's a chance for prompt reflection and adjustment. You can do it in your weekly team check-ins or one-on-one meetings.

This theory isn’t just a framework; it’s a dynamic cycle of setting, pursuing, learning, and achieving that deeply engages and develops your people.

An example of a goal following Locke and Latham’s Theory:

Instead of just aiming for "better customer service," a goal following Locke and Latham's theory might be to "Achieve an average customer satisfaction score of 90% in November by implementing a new feedback system and responding to customer inquiries within 24 hours." 

This goal is clear and challenging as it sets a high benchmark for work quality. 

They might need to break down the goal into smaller tasks, such as developing the feedback system, training others on new protocols, and setting a schedule to ensure timely responses.

Then, have weekly check-ins to ensure the goal is on track. 

This could involve reviewing the customer satisfaction scores by weeks, discussing challenges in responding to inquiries within the stipulated time and adjusting strategies as necessary.

Why choose Locke and Latham’s Goal-Setting Theory?

Locke and Latham’s approach is beneficial when you want to foster a culture of continuous improvement and engagement. As they said, “Goals have an energizing function. High goals lead to greater effort.”

“Goals have an energizing function. High goals lead to greater effort.” - Locke & Latham

It’s not merely a goal-setting formula but is designed to engage employees deeply in their personal and professional development. 

Applying this theory, you can expect good goal statements and mechanisms that motivate the team to strive for committed targets.

30-60-90 Day Framework

When training for a marathon, you don’t start by running 26 miles on the first day, right? You build up to it. You build technique and endurance for longer distances each time.

That’s also the beauty of the 30-60-90 Day Plan:

• In the first 30 days, you learn the ropes—getting to know your team, the company culture, and the tools that'll make you shine.
• The following 30 days are for making moves, setting off those little fireworks that get everyone nodding, “Yeah, he/she got this.”
• Then, the last 30 days are when you hit your stride. You pitch new ideas, lead initiatives, and set new benchmarks for what “good” looks like.

The 30-60-90 Day Plan is an effective framework for setting and achieving performance goals over a set timeframe. 

It’s designed to provide a structured approach for new hires, role changes, or project kickoffs, focusing on gradual progression and building momentum.

• New hires need to understand everything deeply before meaningfully contributing values to the team.
• Team members undergoing role changes must realign their skills and integrate into new responsibilities to ensure a smooth transition.
• Project kickoffs require teams to align on objectives, establish clear roles rapidly, and set the pace for successful collaboration and timely completion of milestones.

An example of Goals in the 30-60-90 framework:

Imagine a sales analyst just joined your team. You can design performance goals tailoring to their role as follows: 

In the first 30 days, the main focus is fully understanding the client database.

After that, the focus will shift towards reaching clients and building good relationships. 

By day 90, they should be able to analyze client data to propose new engagement strategies.

This way, you give the new hires the time they need to get up to speed and incremental milestones to showcase their growing competence and contributions.

Check out our detailed guide on the 30-60-90 Day Plan (Free Template, Examples, & Plan Generator)

Why choose 30-60-90.

Setting employee performance goals within the 30-60-90 Day framework gives you a clear runway for what you must accomplish and when. 

Also, it allows you to see early wins come in. Nothing beats that rush of crossing a finish line. It boosts morale and keeps the momentum going, which is super important when you’re not in an office together daily.

Statistics show that employees with a structured start experience 62% greater productivity .

They're happier and more productive, and obviously, they make the team stronger.

The framework goes beyond getting the job done. It’s about giving your team a clear path to run on, with signposts along the way to ensure they're not just moving but moving up!

HARD Framework

According to Locke and Latham, goals must stretch our abilities to improve performance. 

In 2010, Mark Murphy, the founder of LeadershipIQ and McGraw-Hill international bestsellers, published his HARD goal-setting methodology in his book “ Hard Goals: The Secret to Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be .”

The HARD framework is like the personal trainer for your team's goals—tough, but totally worth it! 

“HARD” stands for: 

• Heartfelt - Emotionally invest in your goal. When goals matter on a personal level, work feels more than just a to-do list.
• Animated - Imagine yourself achieving the goal, becoming what you dream of. Tell your people what success looks like, or better yet, try the “Us in the Future” workshop to let them envision where you could be together three or five years from now.
• Required - Note down specific reasons to achieve your goal. When everything's coming up roses—clients are thrilled, projects nail it, recommendations are flying in—you love your job. What about times when things go wrong? Frequently, we stare at the loads of tasks or negative feedback and wonder, "Why am I doing this?" That's when the "Why" behind what we're doing keeps us trying harder for the urgent steps towards bigger goals.
• Difficult - Create challenges people are eager to overcome (not the impossible!)

An example of a HARD goal:

Suppose a team member is passionate about environmental conservation and aims to make the company more eco-friendly. 

In that case, they can have a performance goal to reduce the office's paper usage by 50% in the next year by implementing digital reporting and communication systems. 

This goal aligns with both their values and the company's commitment to sustainability, which can enhance its brand image. 

Visualizing the office with fewer printers and filing cabinets, a real-time dashboard showing the amount of paper saved, and a digital archive of reports accessible to all team members can keep them motivated and focused on the project.

Why choose HARD?

The HARD framework can motivate one to reach long-term, ambitious goals.

You might need it when you're not just looking for progress but the transformation. 

This could be during significant changes, like pivoting strategies, or when the market is shifting and you need to innovate quickly.

As Mark Murphy said : “HARD goals make people stronger, more courageous, and more confident to go after bigger and better things.”

“HARD goals make people stronger, more courageous, and more confident to go after bigger and better things.” - Mark Murphy

Best Employee Performance Goals Examples

Your employee performance goals do not come from thin air. 

The process looks like this:

• Identify the big-picture objectives of your company and team
• Distill them into individual goals that resonate with, challenge, and grow each team member
• Tailor these goals to fit within the framework that best suits the situation

Let’s examine examples of employee performance goals, grouped into three key categories: productivity and competency, workplace engagement, and personal development goals.

Productivity and Competency Goals

First and foremost, productivity and competency are the most concrete and crucial factors in evaluating employee performance. It directly reflects the impact of your work.

1. Improve your KPIs

Objective: Exceed monthly social media KPI.

Goal statement: At the end of this month, I will decrease the Cost per Million Impressions by 8% and decrease the Cost per engagement by 5%. For each month, I will set my KPI increase by 10%.

Action items: 

• Evaluate 3-month content quality.
• Shortlist winning campaign.
• Create a more engaging tagline.
• Conduct A/B testing.
• Distribute more budget for winning campaigns.

2. Product development

Objective: Expand the company’s portfolio.

Goal statement: Launch a new product prototype by January 2024.

Action items:

• Conduct market research and pitch to managers.
• Clarify the brief and expectations.
• Conduct consumer interviews.
• Build a digital prototype and get feedback from your team.

3. Project management

Objective: Every project in 2023 needs to be the winning one. 

Goal statement: Lead 2 projects to achieve at least 120% KPI in the last quarter of 2023. 

• Understand your team dynamics to manage effectively. 
• Manage the expectations of different stakeholders.
• Actively apply your problem-solving skills.

Want to break it down into smaller steps? Head to our AI-power Action Plan Generator, type in your goals, and receive the complete list of actionable tasks.

4. Consumers’ satisfaction

Objective: Understand users' thoughts about our services.

Goal statement: Increase 5-star reviews on Google by 20% in the first quarter of 2024.

• Curate the consumers’ database.
• Conduct a customer survey.
• Launch a big campaign at the beginning of the year.

5. Planning skills

Objective: Create an impactful strategic plan.

Goal statement: Develop a market trend forecast and strategic planning for 2024 with 70% accuracy. 

• Analyze the market report in your industry in the last 5-10 years.
• Document all the new activities that are happening in the market.
• Take into consideration your company’s long-term goals, competitors, and resources.

Workplace Engagement Goals

As a company, performance should be measured by business task completion and the engagement level of its people.

​​“Connect the dots between individual roles and the goals of the organization. When people see that connection, they get a lot of energy out of work. They feel the importance, dignity, and meaning in their job.” - Ken Blanchard and Scott Blanchard, “ Do People Really Know What You Expect from Them? ,” Fast Company

6. Company branding

Objective: Increase the visibility and credibility of the company.

Goal statement: Attend five conferences as a key speaker. Send press releases to 20 publishing houses and get featured on at least three.

• Pitch yourself or other experts in your company to speak at critical events in your industry.
• Expand your network.
• Focus on brand exposure on social media and official news outlets.

7. Understand the system

Objective: Understand and align with the company’s vision.

Goal statement: Read every press release, interview, and most remarkable company projects in the last 3-5 years. 

• Create a database to store the company’s resources.
• Take note of notable quotes and statements.
• Evaluate how your work can fit into the company’s strategy.

8. Increase collaboration

Objective: Create more collaboration with different departments in the company.

Goal statement: Initiate at least two big projects collaborating with other teams in the next six months. 

• Learn about the company’s one-year plan to find suitable projects. Initiate new ideas if appropriate.
• Proactively reach out to relevant departments to see how you can help.

9. Practice leadership

Objective: Be a good manager.

Goal statement: I can help my intern become an official executive in 6 months and a senior executive in 1 year. 

• Craft a 30-60-90 Day plan for your intern.
• Schedule themed training sessions.
• Provide career orientation sessions.

Personal Growth Goals

Each member has to grow for a company and a team to grow. 

Integrating your team members’ personal growth into the performance goals is more meaningful and effective.

10. Improve negotiation skills

Objective: Sharpen negotiation skills.

Goal statement: I want to be responsible for at least one company’s pitch next month and ensure the Return On Investment (ROI) is 200%.

• Watch a TED talk every day before bed.
• Breakdown on how the ROI can be achieved. Prepare at least three options.
• Prepare the presentation script.
• Rehearse with the team and get feedback.

11. Time management

Objective: Manage time more effectively.

Goal statement: I want to complete my tasks one day before deadlines, in order of urgency. Saturday is for my family and me-time.

• Create Eisenhower matrix to prioritize your tasks into: (1) Do first, (2) Schedule, (3) Delegate, (4) Don’t do.
• Update and review your calendar with detailed deadlines for the week. Set one-day prior reminders.
• Use a timesheet template to keep track of what you have done.
• Turn off work application notifications (Slack, email, Whatsapp, etc.) on Friday and re-activate them when the work week begins.

12. Networking

Objective: Build relationships with key figures in the industry.

Goal statement: I will attend four conferences/networking events monthly and get at least five new contacts each.

• Map out key events and conferences in your industry in the next three months.
• Register and log in to the events you want to attend in your calendar.
• Prepare your elevator pitch. 

13. Increase visibility

Objective: Be on the radar of higher-level managers.

Goal statement: By the year-end party, the country director should remember my name, and we can discuss what I have accomplished.

• Track your notable works and achievements.
• Note down initiatives you have for the company’s growth.
• Conduct a skip-level meeting with the Country Director.
• Attend every Happy Friday.

14. Boost employability

Objective: Learn different technical tools.

Goal statement: Be efficient in Figma design and Google Analytics by the end of 2023.

• Find relevant courses to enroll.
• Apply what you are learning to your daily tasks.
• Ask an expert in your team. Observe how they work with the tools and offer to help. ‍

15. Sharpen communication skills

Objective: Improve communication skills at work.

Goal statement: Minimize misunderstandings while working on projects. In the following three projects, my emails should be clear to everyone.

• Gather feedback from your team on how you can do better in writing emails or delivering task guidelines.
• Take note of what works and does not work whenever you receive an email from clients or higher management.

16. Public speaking

Objective: Be a charismatic public speaker.

Goal statement: Be the MC for the Year-end Party.

• Take note attentively whenever you attend a public presentation.
• Practice the posture.
• Start with being a meeting facilitator in your team. 

17. Problem-solving

Objective: Be more sensitive and quicker in problem-solving.

Goal statement: Directly working with clients on at least one project every two months.

• Attend high-level meetings and note how your managers respond to crises.
• Initially, consult with a senior or manager before sending your solutions to the clients.
• Ask “What if,” and consider possible scenarios and recommended responses.

18. Showcase creativity

Objective: Do new things and be creative.

Goal statement: Give at least three different approaches for every pitch for every project in 2023.

• Start every brainstorming session with no concrete limits on budgets or authority. Narrow down from there.
• Always ask, “How about.”
• Research the market trends and the existing solutions in the industry.

19. Emotional Intelligence

Objective: Be professional in my work and never let my emotions get out of hand.

Goal statement: Be an emotionally stable manager who can keep calm in every situation and not take work matters personally.

• 15-minute team emotional check-ins every morning.
• 10-minute breathing exercise every night.
• Practice putting yourself in others’ shoes. 
• Do not personal attack under any circumstances.

20. Well-being and psychological safety

Objective: Take care of my own and my team's well-being.

Goal statement: I want to create a work environment where every team member feels comfortable voicing their opinions and has enough time for their personal life.

• Do a workload check-in by one-on-one meetings or biweekly timesheets.
• Share resources on where and how your team members can seek professional mental support.
• Establish a non-tolerance policy for discrimination at work.

Final Thoughts

While everyone knows the importance of goal-setting, only a minority can make it work. 

To achieve holistic growth, employee performance goals should focus on business objectives and the team's engagement and personal development. 

Pick a framework that fits your situation and needs – SMART or HARD goals? Shall it be in the 30-60-90-day framework? Or to be reinforced with Locke and Latham’s theory? 

Let’s have good employee performance goals that drive you and the team to better performance.

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Performance review phrases for employee evaluation (with examples)

The purpose of employee performance reviews is to evaluate an employee’s work performance, provide feedback on strengths and areas for improvement, set goals for future development, and foster communication and alignment between employees and management regarding expectations and objectives. The important thing is to communicate feedback in a way that is objective as possible and easy for employees and managers to understand . This list of performance review phrases will help you conduct evaluations fairly and effectively .

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Performance review comments example

Phrases for employee strengths and weaknesses, performance review career goals examples.

PHRASES FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

• Collaboration performance review comments
• Teamwork performance review comments
• Professionalism and Commitment phrases
• Attendance performance review comments
• Productivity and Quality of Work phrases
• Adaptability performance review comments
• Communication Skills/Interpersonal skills phrases
• Innovation and Creativity performance review comments
• Accountability performance review comments
• Customer Focus and Customer Satisfaction phrases
• Decision making and problem solving phrases
• Dependability and Reliability performance review comments
• Integrity performance review comments
• Flexibility performance review comments
• Leadership and Management performance review comments
• Initiative performance review comments
• Job knowledge performance review comments
• Planning and Organization performance review comments
• Time Management performance review comments
• Attitude performance review comments

Performance review closing comments

• Do performance reviews with software ✅

There are many different types of employee performance reviews , using a variety of performance management tools such as a 9-box grid . Another type of review employs 360 degree feedback which is a common feature of continuous performance management .

The way the phrases listed in this article could be used are demonstrated in the performance review comment example below:

During an annual employee performance review , a manager might provide a comment such as “John consistently demonstrates exceptional problem-solving skills, effectively resolving complex challenges.” This comment serves as an example of John’s strength in problem-solving and can be used to highlight his positive contributions and areas of expertise within the team. Additionally, it can serve as a basis for discussing specific accomplishments and areas for further development during the performance review discussion.

Employee strengths and weaknesses can be gauged in a performance review through objective metrics, self-assessment, manager evaluation, 360-degree feedback, performance appraisal forms, behavioral interviews, and skill assessments. These methods provide a comprehensive understanding of an employee’s performance, helping to identify areas of excellence and areas needing improvement.

When phrasing employee strengths and weaknesses during a performance review, it’s important to be specific, objective, and constructive. Here are some tips:

• Be Specific: Use concrete examples and evidence to support your assessments rather than generalizations.
• Focus on Behaviors: Describe observable behaviors and actions rather than making assumptions about personality traits.
• Use Positive Language: Frame strengths positively to acknowledge achievements and motivate further development. For weaknesses, use constructive language that emphasizes opportunities for improvement.
• Provide Context: Consider the employee’s role, responsibilities, and the organization’s goals when evaluating strengths and weaknesses.
• Offer Support: For weaknesses, suggest strategies for improvement and offer resources or training opportunities to help the employee develop.
• Balance: Recognize that every employee has strengths and weaknesses, and aim to provide a balanced assessment that acknowledges both.
• Remove bias: Removing bias from reviews involves objectively evaluating employees’ performance based on measurable criteria and avoiding subjective judgments or preconceived notions.

Take a look at the following examples on how employee strengths and weaknesses can be phrased during a performance review cycle.

Performance review strength

Example Phrases for addressing employee strengths:

• “Sarah consistently demonstrates strong leadership skills by effectively guiding her team to achieve project milestones ahead of schedule.”
• “Tom’s exceptional communication skills foster a positive team dynamic and enhance collaboration across departments.”
• “Lisa’s attention to detail ensures accuracy and precision in all her work, contributing to the high quality of deliverables.”

Performance review weakness

Example Phrases for addressing employee weaknesses:

• “While John excels in technical skills, he could benefit from improving his time management to meet project deadlines more consistently.”
• “While Rachel demonstrates creativity in problem-solving, she occasionally struggles with accepting feedback and incorporating it into her work.”
• “David’s excellent interpersonal skills could be further enhanced by actively seeking out opportunities to mentor junior team members.”

Now that you know how to conduct performance reviews and phrase feedback in a way that is useful to employees and managers, read through the examples below to find the phrases you need for all situations.

Although performance reviews can be stressful for managers and employees alike, they provide an excellent opportunity to connect with employees and understand their career aspirations . By engaging in these discussions, managers can gain valuable insights into employees’ goals and preferences, helping to align organizational objectives with individual development paths . This proactive approach fosters a supportive and collaborative work environment, ultimately benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.

Performance review phrases collaboration

Giving employees feedback on collaboration is crucial. It helps improve teamwork, resolves conflicts, and builds trust. Feedback also guides continuous learning and ensures everyone is working towards the same goals.

Use these phrases to give employees constructive performance review feedback on collaboration.

Meets or Exceeds Expectations

• Demonstrates assistance to coworkers with tasks, even if outside direct responsibility.
• Consistently aids coworkers facing task difficulties.
• Effectively promotes cooperation to ensure team productivity and meet deadlines.
• Displays willingness to offer assistance.
• Receives constructive criticism positively.
• Ensures assignments are followed through and followed up with.
• Volunteers to aid other teams in meeting their goals.
• Readily shares information and resources with colleagues.
• Strives to understand diverse perspectives and find common ground.
• Recognizes and credits others’ contributions.
• Facilitates constructive conflict resolution by considering all sides.
• Treats all colleagues equally regardless of role or level.
• Keeps others informed of progress for collaborative input.
• Demonstrates flexibility in reaching mutually beneficial agreements.
• Respects others’ time by communicating delays and being punctual.
• Supports team decisions even when differing from personal viewpoints.
• Assists in the integration of new coworkers and their role understanding.
• Identifies opportunities for effective coworker collaboration.
• Promotes unity around shared goals.
• Considers multiple viewpoints when evaluating alternatives.
• Facilitates cooperation across departments and organizational boundaries.
• Aids in orienting newcomers to workplace norms and policies.
• Takes initiative to maintain positive working relationships.
• Shows active interest in coworkers’ work and offers assistance.
• Expresses appreciation for contributions to team success.
• Maintains an open mind and reevaluates assumptions.
• Acknowledges personal limitations and involves others as needed.
• Prioritizes team needs over personal preferences.
• Shares credit and deflects praise onto coworkers.
• Makes an effort to connect with coworkers beyond work responsibilities.
• Advocates for the team’s interests when interacting with other groups.
• Helps foster an environment conducive to cooperation and mutual support.
• Brings out the best in coworkers through respect, support, and positivity.
• Integrates cooperation and collaboration into regular work approach.

Below Expectations

• Demonstrates unwillingness to collaborate and prefers solitary work.
• Unwilling to assist coworkers, even upon request.
• Professional in work but hesitant to offer advice to others.
• Demonstrates reluctance to work with others.
• Least likely to offer assistance when needed.
• Adapts to new tasks effectively but fails to communicate with and train others.
• Withholds information and resources rather than sharing.
• Dismisses others’ viewpoints without consideration.
• Takes credit for joint work without acknowledging contributions.
• Tends to argue rather than seek consensus.
• Fails to make an effort to understand perspectives different from own.
• Shows favoritism towards certain coworkers.
• Keeps teammates uninformed about progress and plans.
• Unwilling to compromise on issues important to others.
• Misses deadlines without communicating delays appropriately.
• Undermines group decisions that don’t align with preferences.
• Fails to help new coworkers or ensure they understand their roles.
• Fails to identify ways for coworkers to work together effectively.
• Allows disagreements to divide the team rather than unite them.
• Considers only personal perspective rather than multiple viewpoints.
• Fails to facilitate cooperation between departments.
• Fails to help orient newcomers or introduce workplace standards.
• Does little to build positive relationships with coworkers.
• Uninterested in others’ work and does not offer assistance.
• Fails to acknowledge others’ contributions to success.
• Closedminded and does not rethink assumptions.
• Takes on too much personally rather than involving others.
• Prioritizes selfinterests over team needs.
• Takes credit for self and does not recognize others.
• Detached from coworkers outside of work responsibilities.
• Does not represent team interests to other groups.
• Fosters an individualistic rather than cooperative culture.
• Fails to bring out the best in coworkers.
• Cooperation is not a regular part of work approach.

Performance review teamwork phrases

During a performance review cooperation and teamwork are among the most important qualities that need to be evaluated. Check out these performance review comments on teamwork and choose the ones to ask employees during your next evaluation period.

Performance review phrases for teamwork

Meets expectations

• Shows a high level of team spirit, readily cooperating with team members to get the job done.
• Respects every team member.
• Works well with others.
• Always helps out to achieve the goals of the group.
• Has a great willingness to help fellow teammates.
• Is a good team member, very cooperative and helpful in times of need.
• Actively participates in team discussions and shares workload.
• Respects different opinions and encourages open dialogue.
• Maintains harmonious relationships and resolves conflicts constructively.
• Acknowledges contributions of others and praises the success of teammates.
• Shares knowledge and resources willingly to help teammates succeed.
• Maintains transparency and keeps teammates informed of progress and issues.
• Respects deadlines of other departments and coordinates effectively.
• Respects commitments to teammates and delivers on assigned responsibilities.
• Maintains a collaborative approach and shares credit for team achievements.
• Seeks feedback to improve and respects feedback from other team members.
• Motivates teammates during difficult periods and boosts team morale.
• Respects team norms and establishes a cooperative working environment.
• Values different skills and backgrounds that teammates bring to projects.
• Is flexible and willing to take on additional responsibilities as required.
• Respects team boundaries and does not overstep limits of other roles.
• Is respectful towards teammates and uses polite, considerate language.
• Supports team decisions respectfully.

Below expectations

• Does not have a good relationship with team members and sometimes refuses to accept their opinion.
• Is not consistent in supporting teammates.
• Does not understand how to share tasks with others.
• Is more suitable to an individual-focused environment than a group-work environment.
• Does not know how to cooperate with colleagues in the team to achieve targets.
• Is reluctant to share work and seeks individual recognition over team achievements.
• Argues with teammates and does not respect different opinions and views.
• Fails to keep teammates informed of progress and roadblocks in a timely manner.
• Takes credit for team successes but blames others for failures or mistakes.
• Lacks flexibility and is unwilling to help teammates facing workload issues.
• Plays politics within the team and fails to establish trust and cooperation.
• Does not respect team norms and creates disruptions through unprofessional conduct.
• Fails to value different skills and backgrounds of teammates.
• Does not acknowledge efforts of others and is reluctant to praise teammates.
• Argues with feedback and disrespects suggestions from other team members.
• Discusses team matters outside inappropriately and damages confidentiality.
• Lacks commitment to team goals and allows personal needs to hamper collaboration.
• Is inflexible and unwilling to take on additional responsibilities as required.
• Fails to establish rapport with teammates and comes across as arrogant.
• Lacks initiative in resolving conflicts constructively and damages team harmony.

Performance review phrases professionalism

Professionalism isn’t just a quality; it’s also an attitude. A professional attitude can make working together much easier. Because of this, professionalism may also be evaluated during a review. In addition to phrases to evaluate professionalism in the workplace, this list also contains commitment performance review phrases.

Meets or exceeds expectations

• Demonstrates self-motivation and strives to complete all tasks on time.
• Exhibits perfectionism, persisting until achieving excellent results.
• Displays significant interest in the job, constantly generating new ideas.
• Possesses a high level of professional knowledge in the field.
• Takes initiative and continuously seeks ways to improve work.
• Maintains a positive attitude even during challenging times.
• Takes pride in work and aims for high-quality outcomes.
• Stays updated with ongoing learning in the field.
• Approaches problems with care, diligence, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Consistently delivers work exceeding role expectations.
• Demonstrates passion for the profession and enthusiasm for work.
• Represents the organization professionally in all interactions.
• Pays meticulous attention to detail and rectifies errors.
• Assumes responsibility for work and refrains from making excuses.
• Manages time effectively to meet all deadlines.
• Proactively seeks to improve processes and find efficiencies.
• Maintains professional composure under pressure.
• Dedicates efforts to serving organizational goals and priorities.
• Exhibits high organization, ensuring well-documented work.
• Proactively anticipates problems and develops solutions.
• Takes on additional responsibilities voluntarily.
• Willing to work extra hours when needed to complete tasks.
• Maintains a high-quality portfolio of work achievements.
• Seeks feedback to enhance skills and performance.
• Sets an example of excellence motivating high performance.
• Demonstrates leadership and mentors less experienced colleagues.
• Displays full commitment to the organization’s success.
• Pursues continuous expansion of expertise in the field.
• Fails to fulfill required duties.
• Takes excessive breaks and shows reluctance in duties.
• Often attempts to leave the workplace early.
• Shows little genuine interest in the job.
• Punctuality and appearance are lacking.
• Misses deadlines and avoids responsibility.
• Produces sloppy work not meeting quality standards.
• Makes excuses for errors or problems.
• Resists feedback and lacks initiative.
• Knowledge in the field is outdated or insufficient.
• Represents the organization unprofessionally.
• Fails to anticipate issues, leaving problems for others.
• Avoids extra responsibilities and passes work to others.
• Unwilling to work additional hours when necessary.
• Ineffective in documenting or organizing work.
• Demonstrates lack of dedication to organizational goals.
• Disorganized, losing or misfiling important documents.
• Displays a negative attitude impacting others.
• Lacks punctuality, missing meetings or appointments.
• Portfolio lacks substance and accomplishments.
• Closed to feedback and unwilling to improve.
• Shows lack of passion for the profession or field.
• Fails to set a positive example for others.

Performance review phrases attendance

Recognizing employees for their punctuality and consistent attendance is crucial. Positive phrases may include highlighting their on-time arrivals, reliability in meeting deadlines, and adherence to company policies. This acknowledgment fosters a culture of reliability and contributes to a smooth workflow.

Attendance and punctuality performance review sample

Here’s a sample performance review comment addressing attendance and punctuality:

“Jane consistently maintains excellent attendance and punctuality, setting a reliable example for the team. Her consistent presence ensures that team meetings start promptly and deadlines are met without delay. Jane’s dedication to punctuality greatly contributes to the smooth operation of our department.”

Employee performance review phrases attendance

• Performance is always reliable, following the work schedule well.
• Manages the schedule efficiently, fully completing all assigned tasks for the week.
• Sets a standard with perfect attendance.
• Exemplifies an ideal employee, arriving and leaving on time, and taking breaks as scheduled.
• Arrives fully prepared to tackle responsibilities every day.
• Demonstrates reliability with no attendance concerns.
• Punctual for work and meetings.
• Always arrives prepared for work.
• Notifies managers well in advance of planned time off.
• Makes arrangements for coverage during absences.
• Present and engaged during scheduled working hours.
• Arrives early to prepare and stays late to complete work.
• Adheres strictly to scheduled start and end times daily.
• Always ready to start work promptly.
• Schedules personal appointments outside working hours.
• Coordinates schedules with coworkers to avoid disruptions.
• Exemplifies attendance standards.
• Ensures task coverage during absences with contingency plans.
• Always on time for shifts, meetings, and deadlines.
• Impeccable attendance and punctuality year after year.
• Committed to being present and productive during work hours.
• Optimizes schedule for productivity and availability.
• Takes initiative to swap shifts as needed.
• Reliable in unpredictable or emergency situations.
• Attendance sets a motivating standard.
• Communicates availability and schedule clearly.
• Exemplary attendance record with no issues.
• Demonstrates inconsistent attitude negatively affecting the team.
• Follows appropriate schedule but often returns late from off-site activities, impacting coworkers.
• Fails to meet punctuality standards.
• Does not respond to communications promptly.
• Frequently late for work, not adhering to attendance policy.
• Takes unapproved time off or exceeds allotted leave.
• Frequent absences or lateness without advance notice.
• Leaves early or takes extended breaks without permission.
• Unpredictable schedule disrupts coworkers’ work.
• Fails to make arrangements during absences, causing workload pile-up.
• Misses deadlines and appointments due to poor time management.
• Regularly late to meetings and appointments.
• Tardiness and absenteeism set negative example.
• Frequently unavailable during scheduled hours.
• Takes unscheduled days off with short notice.
• Requires excessive supervision and follow-up due to inconsistent schedule.
• Fails to adhere to attendance and punctuality policies.
• Unpredictable whereabouts and availability.
• Inconsistent response to communications.
• Inconsistent schedule disrupts operations.
• Attendance record shows repeated issues.

Performance review comments quality of work

Providing employees with feedback about productivity and quality of work is essential for their professional growth and contribution to organizational goals. By using performance review phrases tailored to productivity and quality of work, managers can offer specific guidance and set clear expectations, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence in the workplace.

Productivity and quality of work performance review examples

• Detail-oriented approach ensures consistently high-quality work.
• Maintains a high level of accuracy consistently.
• Upholds a good standard of productive work.
• Takes on new responsibilities independently.
• Demonstrates a strong grasp of job responsibilities.
• Ensures accuracy in all tasks.
• Attends to every detail in assigned tasks.
• Valued for high-quality, accurate performance.
• Developed [program/initiative] yielding [x] results.
• Improved output/production by [x]%.
• Surpassed start of year goals by [number].
• Delivers consistent, reliable results for clients/customers.
• Completes tasks efficiently well before deadlines.
• Initiates process improvements for increased efficiency.
• Minimizes rework or corrections in work.
• Sets a high standard with work performance.
• Maintains meticulous records and documentation.
• Finds innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Work product exceeds role requirements.
• Completes extra tasks beyond normal duties.
• Receives consistent praise from customers/clients.
• Achieves results exceeding performance targets.
• Delivers work on time and within budget.
• Solutions are well-conceived and enduring.
• Rarely achieves monthly performance targets.
• Produces a higher defect rate compared to peers.
• Work does not meet required output standards.
• Demonstrates low knowledge of required work procedures.
• Reluctant to take on new responsibilities.
• Struggles to concentrate on work.
• Unaware of job requirements.
• Unreliable quality of work.
• Fails to check work thoroughly before submission.
• Unable to perform job without assistance.
• Lack of concentration leads to high error rate.
• Work doesn’t pass inspection by team members.
• Overlooks task details.
• Misses key task requirements.
• Fails to meet basic quality standards.
• Work requires excessive corrections.

Performance review phrases adaptability

Providing employees with feedback about adaptability is crucial because it helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement in navigating changes and uncertainties within the workplace. By acknowledging adaptability through feedback, employees are encouraged to embrace new challenges, learn from experiences, and develop resilience, ultimately contributing to their professional growth and the overall success of the organization.

• Maintains a calm and composed demeanor under stressful situations.
• Acknowledges and recognizes proposals for change.
• Promptly tackles changes while completing assignments.
• Welcomes criticism to improve the business.
• Willing to explore more effective business methods.
• Adjusts approach when facing obstacles.
• Considers different perspectives before deciding on action.
• Incorporates feedback to improve work methods.
• Remains open-minded towards new ideas and suggestions.
• Readily accepts additional responsibilities when needed.
• Flexible enough to take on varied tasks.
• Adapts communication style to different personalities.
• Makes necessary adjustments to changing priorities.
• Alters approach based on unique situation demands.
• Tailors solutions according to target audience.
• Reworks procedures in response to shifting business needs.
• Modifies plans readily with new information.
• Fine-tunes methods to optimize performance.
• Varies problem-solving techniques for differing issues.
• Adjusts easily to new teams and working environments.
• Alters traditional methods for more effective options.
• Diversifies skill set through ongoing training.
• Reconsiders solutions in response to changing needs.
• Tweaks established processes with new developments.
• Modifies deadlines and timelines to accommodate changes.
• Reworks content for various presentation formats.
• Streamlines operations by refining ineffective practices.
• Upgrades skills continuously to stay ahead of changes.
• Slow to confront changes.
• Unwilling to accept even minor changes.
• Easily confused about “out of plan” changes.
• Unwilling to accept last-minute changes.
• Struggles adjusting to unexpected obstacles.
• Resists considering different viewpoints.
• Fails to incorporate constructive criticism.
• Dismisses new ideas without proper evaluation.
• Declines additional responsibilities outside scope.
• Struggles shifting between diverse tasks.
• Uses a rigid communication approach.
• Difficulty adjusting to shifting priorities.
• Applies a one-size-fits-all solution method.
• Struggles tailoring solutions for different audiences.
• Slow to modify procedures in response to changes.
• Fails to update plans with new information.
• Does not fine-tune methods for better performance.
• Uses a standardized problem-solving approach.
• Difficulties adjusting to new teams and environments.
• Clings to outdated methods despite better options.
• Fails to expand skillset through ongoing learning.
• Slow to reconsider solutions that no longer fit.
• Uses a one-size-fits-all communication style.
• Resists tweaking processes for new developments.
• Does not refine strategies in line with market changes.
• Teaches all learners uniformly regardless of needs.
• Inflexible about deadlines and timelines.
• Presents content in a rigid format.
• Clings to ineffective practices rather than streamline.
• Fails to upgrade skills to adapt to changes.

Performance review communication skills comments

Providing employees with feedback about communication is essential as it enhances teamwork, collaboration, and organizational effectiveness. Through performance review comments on communication and interpersonal skills, managers guide employees to understand how their communication impacts work relationships . By using performance appraisal communication skills examples and evaluation phrases, managers help employees improve their ability to convey ideas, resolve conflicts , and foster positive relationships.

Performance review phrases communication skills

• Communication skills, both verbal and written, are highly effective.
• Friendly communicator, building rapport with every division in the company.
• Positive attitude and willingness to listen are highly appreciated.
• Regularly gives constructive feedback.
• Makes new employees feel welcome.
• Provides accurate and timely information, both written and orally.
• Actively listens to others.
• Involves others in problem-solving.
• Provides clear instructions and expectations.
• Accepts criticism, is open to new ideas, and handles conflict constructively and diplomatically.
• Articulates ideas in a clear and organized manner.
• Communicates effectively with all levels of staff.
• Establishes rapport easily with both internal and external contacts.
• Shares credit and recognizes others’ contributions.
• Gives and receives feedback professionally and productively.
• Builds strong working relationships across departments.
• Expresses empathy when listening to others.
• Facilitates discussions to reach agreement.
• Communicates appropriately for each audience and situation.
• Addresses concerns respectfully and seeks mutually agreeable solutions.
• Presents information compellingly to different groups.
• Encourages open dialogue and the sharing of perspectives.
• Mediates disagreements constructively to find common ground.
• Maintains an approachable demeanor to foster collaboration.
• Keeps others informed proactively through regular updates.
• Clarifies expectations to ensure shared understanding.
• Negotiates diplomatically to reach mutually agreeable solutions.
• Fosters an environment of trust and respect among colleagues.
• Expresses disagreement respectfully and proposes alternative options.
• Welcomes diverse viewpoints and new ideas from all levels.
• Facilitates cooperation across teams to accomplish goals.
• Connects people to build new relationships and opportunities.
• Keeps an open door to address any staff concerns constructively.
• Makes others feel heard by paraphrasing their perspectives.
• Brings people together, finds common ground, and moves discussion forward productively.
• Acknowledges others effectively to build morale and engagement.
• Resolves interpersonal issues diplomatically to maintain cohesion.
• Keeps an even temper when under pressure or during disagreement.
• Fails to communicate with team members effectively.
• Must improve foreign language skills.
• Not adept at documenting verbal communication.
• Should work on this skill over the next 90 days.
• Should communicate project status updates more frequently.
• Seen as unapproachable by many coworkers.
• Needs to work on listening to others.
• Works well with own team but has an “us” against “them” mentality towards others within the company.
• Struggles articulating ideas clearly.
• Fails to communicate effectively across levels.
• Difficulty establishing rapport externally.
• Takes credit individually rather than recognizing others.
• Gives feedback in an unproductive manner.
• Lacks strong working relationships across departments.
• Does not show empathy when others speak.
• Does not facilitate discussions to reach agreement.
• Uses inappropriate communication style.
• Fails to address concerns respectfully to find solutions.
• Presents information poorly to different groups.
• Discourages open dialogue and sharing of perspectives.
• Handles disagreements in an unconstructive manner.
• Maintains an unapproachable demeanor.
• Fails to provide regular updates proactively.
• Lacks clarity on expectations.
• Negotiates in an adversarial rather than cooperative spirit.
• Fosters an environment lacking trust and respect.
• Expresses disagreement disrespectfully.
• Discourages diverse viewpoints and new ideas.
• Fails to facilitate cooperation across teams.
• Does not connect people to build opportunities.
• Inaccessible to address staff concerns.
• Does not acknowledge others’ perspectives.
• Moves discussions in an unproductive direction.
• Fails to acknowledge others effectively.
• Loses temper during disagreement or pressure.

Performance review phrases for innovation and creativity

Providing employees with feedback about innovation and creativity is crucial for fostering a culture of innovation within the organization. By acknowledging and encouraging innovative thinking through feedback, employees are motivated to generate new ideas, solve problems creatively, and drive positive change. This feedback helps employees understand the value of their innovative contributions and reinforces a culture that values creativity, ultimately leading to improved organizational performance.

Creativity performance review phrases

• Demonstrates the ability to develop creative solutions to solve problems.
• Thinks outside the box to find the best solutions to particular problems.
• Regularly contributes suggestions on how to improve company processes.
• Constantly searches for new ideas and ways to improve efficiency.
• Has launched creative initiatives such as [specific example].
• Creates breakthrough and helpful ideas in meetings.
• Trusted for a helpful and creative solution when facing difficulty.
• A creative individual who often finds effective solutions to problems.
• Develops innovative concepts for new products and services.
• Approaches challenges with an imaginative mindset.
• Generates fresh perspectives on existing problems.
• Encourages the team to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions.
• Fosters a culture of creativity and innovation within the team.
• Recognizes and rewards creative thinking and innovation within the team.
• Provides opportunities for the team to develop creativity and innovation skills.
• Collaborates with the team to generate new and innovative ideas.
• Willing to experiment with new approaches or ideas, enabling the team to innovate.
• Seeks out new and innovative solutions to problems.
• Receptive to feedback or suggestions from the team regarding creative solutions.
• Prioritizes creativity and innovation in the team’s goals and objectives.
• Invests in training or development programs to enhance the team’s creativity and innovation skills.
• Provides a safe and supportive environment for the team to take creative risks.
• Encourages the team to challenge the status quo and think outside the box.
• Recognizes and appreciates the value of creative thinking and innovation in achieving business goals.
• Proactive in seeking out new and innovative opportunities for the team.
• Provides the necessary autonomy and freedom for the team to explore creative solutions.
• Empowers the team to take ownership of their creativity and innovation efforts.
• Recognizes and addresses barriers that may hinder the team’s ability to be creative and innovative.
• Provides the necessary support and resources for the team to implement creative solutions.
• Fosters a culture of experimentation and learning from failure.
• Adapts to changing circumstances and finds creative solutions to new challenges.
• Consistently comes up with fresh and innovative ideas to improve business operations.
• Inspires the team to think creatively and embrace new ideas.
• Balances creativity with practicality to find effective solutions.
• Skilled at identifying opportunities for innovation and implementing them successfully.
• Encourages a collaborative approach to problem-solving, leading to creative solutions.
• Communicates complex ideas in a clear and creative manner.
• Passionate about exploring new ideas and finding innovative solutions to problems.
• Does not encourage the team to find creative solutions.
• Demonstrates a lack of interest in contributing creative or innovative ideas.
• Has a difficult time thinking “outside of the box” and creating new solutions.
• Tends to act before thinking, causing problems when pushing untested or unexamined ideas forward too quickly.
• Discourages creative solutions from the team.
• Rarely considers new and innovative ideas from the team.
• Shows little interest in exploring creative solutions to problems.
• Tends to stick to traditional methods instead of exploring new and innovative approaches.
• Not open to new ideas and tends to shut down creative suggestions from the team.
• Lacks the ability to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions.
• Does not value creativity and innovation in the team.
• Resistant to change and new ideas, limiting the team’s ability to innovate.
• Does not provide the necessary resources or support for the team to be creative and innovative.
• Does not foster a culture of creativity and innovation within the team.
• Not willing to take risks or try new things, hindering the team’s ability to innovate.
• Does not encourage the team to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions.
• Does not recognize or reward creative thinking and innovation within the team.
• Does not provide opportunities for the team to develop creativity and innovation skills.
• Does not collaborate with the team to generate new and innovative ideas.
• Not willing to experiment with new approaches or ideas, limiting the team’s ability to innovate.
• Does not seek out new and innovative solutions to problems.
• Not receptive to feedback or suggestions from the team regarding creative solutions.
• Does not prioritize creativity and innovation in the team’s goals and objectives.
• Does not invest in training or development programs to enhance the team’s creativity and innovation skills.
• Does not provide a safe and supportive environment for the team to take creative risks.
• Does not encourage the team to challenge the status quo and think outside the box.
• Does not recognize or appreciate the value of creative thinking and innovation in achieving business goals.
• Not proactive in seeking out new and innovative opportunities for the team.
• Does not provide the necessary autonomy and freedom for the team to explore creative solutions.
• Does not empower the team to take ownership of their creativity and innovation efforts.
• Does not recognize or address barriers that may hinder the team’s ability to be creative and innovative.
• Does not provide the necessary support and resources for the team to implement creative solutions.

Accountability performance review phrases

Providing employees with feedback on accountability encourages responsibility, trust, and high performance, contributing to your company’s success.

Performance review accountability

In performance reviews, accountability is crucial for assessing employees’ reliability and commitment to their roles . Feedback on accountability evaluates their ability to take ownership of their work, meet deadlines, and fulfill commitments. It reinforces the importance of responsibility and reliability while setting clear expectations for future performance. By recognizing instances of accountability and addressing areas for improvement, managers cultivate a culture of trust and integrity within the organization, ultimately leading to improved employee engagement and productivity.

• Demonstrates responsibility by assisting team mates with their tasks willingly.
• Takes full accountability for actions and never avoids responsibility.
• Assists coworkers promptly in response to workload changes.
• Offers assistance to others proactively.
• Volunteers assistance even when not expected.
• Displays empathy towards others’ needs.
• Strives to foster a positive work atmosphere.
• Shows awareness of external environmental needs.
• Efficiently utilizes time consistently.
• Welcomes feedback on work openly.
• Takes ownership of tasks from start to finish autonomously.
• Identifies when additional help is needed and finds solutions without compromising quality or deadlines.
• Acknowledges mistakes as opportunities for growth.
• Considers impacts of actions and decisions on others.
• Leads by example with a strong work ethic.
• Maintains integrity and earns trust through consistent demonstration of competence.
• Respects organizational hierarchy while contributing innovative ideas.
• Finds purpose in work beyond self-interest.
• Considers multiple perspectives and builds consensus before deciding on solutions.
• Gives credit to others and shares team accomplishments.
• Meets commitments reliably while adapting plans to new information.
• Maintains a positive, solution-oriented mindset under stress.
• Advocates for process improvements based on objective data.
• Builds cooperative relationships across departments to enhance coordination.
• Leads with compassion and mentorship.
• Remains solutions-focused under pressure.
• Admits gaps in knowledge and seeks guidance.
• Approaches conflicts with empathy, fairness, and good faith.
• Holds self to high standards with diligence.
• Focuses on completing tasks before moving to new priorities.
• Proactively leads and anticipates challenges.
• Sets vision and strategy while empowering others.
• Fosters a growth culture where all contribute.
• Maintains a learning mindset to optimize outcomes.
• Fosters collaboration for maximum impact.
• Frequently shifts responsibility onto others.
• Reluctant to acknowledge failures.
• Struggles with accepting responsibility.
• Often makes excuses for failure.
• Blames processes and policies for shortcomings.
• Resists feedback that challenges assumptions.
• Takes credit for team accomplishments while avoiding blame.
• Focuses on others’ mistakes rather than supporting improvement.
• Fails to follow through on commitments.
• Makes excuses for missed deadlines.
• Acts entitled and resistant to additional responsibilities.
• Avoids owning up to subpar work.
• Plays the blame game instead of resolving issues constructively.
• Lacks self-awareness and initiative.
• Needs constant supervision and prompting.
• Becomes defensive when standards are enforced.
• Acts entitled when asked to improve.
• Lacks ownership over projects.
• Misses obvious problems.
• Avoids difficult conversations and decisions.
• Fails to acknowledge missteps.
• Lacks attention to detail and quality.
• Acts entitled when given feedback.
• Lacks initiative and ownership.
• Plays the victim rather than taking responsibility.

Performance review customer focus

Providing employees with feedback about customer focus is crucial as it reinforces the importance of prioritizing customer needs and customer satisfaction . This feedback aligns employee behavior with organizational goals, empowers employees to understand the impact of their interactions on customer experiences, and improves customer retention and business outcomes.

Performance review phrases for customer focus

• Demonstrates skill in finding the right approach with any client, even the most critical.
• Maintains politeness and friendliness with customers, avoiding interruptions during conversations.
• Commits to fulfilling promises made to clients without fail.
• Prioritizes the comfort and convenience of clients.
• Goes above and beyond job requirements consistently to satisfy customers.
• Exhibits proficiency in working with clients, receiving no complaints from them.
• Handles difficult customers gracefully.
• Achieves consistently high marks on customer satisfaction surveys.
• Provides consistent, quality service to all customers.
• Follows up with customers promptly.
• Ensures customers are accurately informed, making an extra effort to do so.
• Actively listens to customers, seeking to understand their needs and preferences.
• Responds to customer inquiries promptly and professionally.
• Takes ownership of customer issues and diligently works to resolve them.
• Anticipates customer needs and offers proactive solutions.
• Demonstrates empathy and understanding when customers express frustration.
• Maintains a positive attitude even when dealing with challenging customers.
• Takes responsibility for customer outcomes and aims to exceed expectations.
• Builds rapport and trust with customers through consistent high-quality service.
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to changing customer needs.
• Possesses a deep understanding of the products or services provided to customers.
• Seeks feedback from customers to improve service and product offerings.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date records of customer interactions and needs.
• Responds to customer complaints urgently and resolves them quickly.
• Proactively identifies and addresses potential customer issues.
• Exhibits patience and persistence in resolving complex customer issues.
• Stays informed about competitors and industry trends to better serve customers.
• Can handle everyday customer service situations but lacks flexibility and knowledge in complex issues.
• Needs to reduce average time per call, especially when it is high.
• Handles phone customer service well but struggles with face-to-face interactions.
• Receives consistently low marks in customer satisfaction surveys.
• Needs improvement in active listening skills.
• Attendance and participation in customer service training sessions are lacking.
• Frequently passes challenging issues to others instead of addressing them personally.
• Demonstrates frustration with clients who ask questions.
• Struggles with difficult customers, often deferring to a supervisor.
• Lacks initiative in finding solutions to challenging customer issues.
• Displays impatience or irritation with customers who have complex needs.
• Fails to take ownership of customer issues and often passes them to others.
• Lacks timely and effective follow-up with customers.
• Shows a lack of empathy and understanding with dissatisfied customers.
• Communicates poorly with customers, leading to misunderstandings.
• Does not take responsibility for customer outcomes and tends to blame external factors.
• Provides inconsistent service quality to customers.
• Fails to anticipate customer needs or proactively offer solutions.
• Does not seek or utilize customer feedback for improvement.
• Neglects to maintain accurate records of customer interactions.
• Responds slowly to customer complaints and does not resolve them promptly.
• Lacks patience and persistence in resolving complex customer issues.
• Lacks understanding of products or services offered to customers.
• Fails to adapt to changing customer needs.
• Does not maintain professionalism in high-pressure situations.
• Lacks understanding of the importance of customer service.
• Fails to proactively address potential customer issues.
• Does not take customer feedback seriously or use it for improvement.
• Fails to fulfill commitments made to customers, leading to dissatisfaction.
• Shows reluctance to learn and improve in customer service skills.

Performance review phrases decision making

Providing employees with feedback about problem-solving and decision-making skills is essential for fostering innovation and efficiency. By acknowledging strengths and addressing areas for improvement, feedback empowers employees to develop critical thinking and sound judgment, leading to better problem resolution and increased productivity. Use these performance review phrases tailored to decision-making and problem-solving to provide employees with specific and actionable feedback .

Performance review phrases problem solving

• Skillful at analyzing situations and working out solutions.
• Clearly defines problems and seeks alternative solutions.
• Demonstrates decisiveness in difficult situations.
• Makes sound, fact-based judgments.
• Carefully analyzes issues and explores different resolutions.
• Demonstrates creativity and innovation in problem-solving.
• Prioritizes competing demands and makes tough decisions.
• Displays good judgment and critical thinking skills.
• Identifies root causes of problems and addresses them effectively.
• Considers all factors before determining the best course of action.
• Thinks through potential consequences before finalizing plans.
• Objectively weighs pros and cons to arrive at well-reasoned conclusions.
• Solicits input from others to gain diverse perspectives.
• Maintains composure under pressure and makes level-headed choices.
• Approaches issues with an open mind to find optimal solutions.
• Thinks creatively to tackle challenging problems.
• Learns from past experiences to improve decision making.
• Breaks large problems down into manageable pieces.
• Balances the bigger picture with important details.
• Gathers relevant facts from reliable sources.
• Adapts decisions based on new information.
• Finds practical solutions within constraints.
• Evaluates outcomes and adjusts as needed.
• Foresees potential obstacles or consequences.
• Balances risks and potential benefits in decision making.
• Draws logical conclusions based on evidence.
• Considers diverse viewpoints to develop plans.
• Prioritizes and tackles important issues first.
• Remains open to new information and perspectives.
• Re-evaluates solutions against goals and refines as needed.
• Anticipates second and third order effects of choices.
• Applies overly complex approaches to problem-solving.
• Struggles with difficult problems.
• Avoids awkward situations.
• Loses focus when faced with complexity.
• Makes hasty decisions without considering factors.
• Fails to acknowledge flaws in reasoning.
• Makes inconsistent decisions without rationale.
• Does not re-evaluate choices when needed.
• Fails to consider implications of decisions.
• Does not gather sufficient information.
• Allows emotions to cloud judgment.
• Rejects contradictory input.
• Becomes flustered under pressure.
• Approaches issues with closed mind.
• Focuses on single solutions.
• Fails to see broader implications.
• Does not learn from past errors.
• Makes excuses for unsuccessful solutions.
• Avoids responsibility for consequences.
• Jumps to conclusions without facts.
• Struggles to break problems down.
• Loses sight of overarching goals.
• Relies on anecdotes over data.
• Fails to re-examine assumptions.
• Does not establish evaluation criteria.
• Ignores potential challenges.
• Struggles to prioritize effectively.
• Fails to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Proposes unrealistic solutions.
• Rushes through decisions without analysis.

Performance review phrases for dependability

Providing employees with feedback about dependability is crucial for maintaining trust and efficiency within the organization. It reinforces the importance of reliability and meeting deadlines , helping employees understand how their performance impacts team dynamics and productivity. By addressing areas needing improvement, feedback empowers employees to enhance their dependability and contribute more effectively to organizational success, fostering a culture of accountability and reliability.

Performance review phrases reliability

• Willing to work overtime until the project is finished.
• The go-to person if the task absolutely must be completed by a given time.
• Dependable and turns in good performance each day. Never fails to impress.
• Shows faithful commitment to getting the job done, consistently performing at or above expectations.
• Known for dependability and willingness to do what it takes.
• Can be counted upon for steady performance.
• Consistently demonstrates solid performance in all aspects of work.
• Handles projects conscientiously from start to finish.
• Meets deadlines reliably and completes work within expected timeframes.
• Follows through consistently and honors commitments.
• Accepts responsibility for tasks and sees them through to completion.
• Maintains a consistent level of quality and effort in all duties.
• Work is thoroughly done right the first time with few errors.
• Can be counted on to handle important tasks independently.
• Punctual and dependable in attendance and timekeeping.
• Keeps others informed of progress and potential delays.
• Maintains focus and follows through to the end of projects.
• Colleagues trust that work assigned will be done reliably.
• Accountable and takes ownership of responsibilities.
• Performance level remains consistent even under pressure.
• Maintains composure and continues working steadily.
• Proactive in preventing delays or issues with deadlines.
• Work habits demonstrate discipline and dependability.
• A rock others can lean on in times of heavy workload.
• Performance level is unwavering despite distractions.
• Delivers on commitments with consistent effort and quality.
• Cannot depend on him. Better to assign tasks to someone else.
• Productivity is not as good as coworkers’.
• Very loyal but cannot be depended on. An irresponsible person.
• Demands reliability from others, but not from himself.
• Energy, drive, and performance levels are inconsistent and unpredictable.
• Makes promises that aren’t kept.
• Guarantees deadlines will be met, but consistently misses them.
• Reliable when it suits him, constantly needs reminders for disliked tasks.
• Work quality and effort levels vary unpredictably.
• Does not demonstrate consistent ownership of responsibilities.
• Makes excuses when failing to follow through on commitments.
• Others cannot rely on him to manage important duties independently.
• Work is error-prone, quality is not maintained.
• Easily distracted or sidetracked from tasks.
• Productivity decreases significantly under normal pressure.
• Unreliable and inconsistent in following instructions.
• Does not take initiative or demonstrate accountability.
• Struggles to multi-task or manage deadlines effectively.
• Colleagues cannot depend on tasks being done right the first time.
• Becomes overwhelmed and makes poor choices when busy.
• Struggles to maintain focus and follow projects through.
• Misses important details and fails to deliver quality work.
• Does not keep others informed of progress or delays.
• Work cannot be depended on to meet professional standards.
• Easily distracted by unrelated tasks or personal matters.

Performance review phrases integrity

Providing employees with feedback about integrity is crucial for upholding trust and ethical standards within the organization. It reinforces the importance of honesty, transparency, and adherence to organizational values, helping employees understand the impact of their actions on the workplace culture and reputation. Addressing any integrity concerns empowers employees to uphold ethical standards and contribute to a positive work environment, fostering honesty and trustworthiness throughout the organization.

Performance appraisal phrases for integrity

• Very honest, never abusing company benefits for personal purposes.
• Highly principled, treating all coworkers equally, regardless of gender, age, or any other factor.
• Has the ability to resolve disputes with clients and partners peacefully.
• Discourages gossip or other negative discourse at the workplace, forming a good working climate.
• Understands legal responsibility to the company very well.
• Strong sense of integrity underlies all dealings with vendors.
• Makes decisions that consistently reflect a strong commitment to acting reputably.
• Never shares confidential company information with outsiders without proper authorization.
• Reports any violations of company policies or code of conduct witnessed.
• Handles all customer complaints with empathy, respect, and care.
• Takes responsibility for own mistakes and learns from them.
• Gives credit to colleagues for their contributions and does not take sole credit for teamwork.
• Leads by example with high ethical standards in all dealings.
• Honest and transparent in all communication with management and peers.
• Handles conflicts of interest appropriately and does not let personal interests influence professional decisions.
• Respects privacy and protects sensitive information of customers, partners, and the company.
• Makes well-considered decisions keeping long-term interests of stakeholders in mind.
• Takes a principled stand against unfair treatment or discrimination.
• Acts with utmost integrity in all internal and external interactions.
• Takes responsibility for ensuring team follows the company code of conduct.
• Leads by setting an example of high ethical values in day-to-day work.
• Honest and transparent in documenting work progress and results.
• Takes initiative to clarify and understand expectations to avoid misunderstandings.
• Respects and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Handles sensitive information with discretion and does not misuse authority or access.
• Truthful and factual in preparing any documents and records.
• Leads by personal example of ethical and lawful conduct.
• Occasionally made misleading statements that needed correction.
• Accusations from customers of being untruthful.
• Integrity does not seem to rank particularly highly on priorities.
• Expects integrity from others, but doesn’t always display it himself.
• Demonstrates acceptable levels of integrity only intermittently.
• Showed several recent lapses in integrity.
• Violates company standards and expectations regarding employee integrity.
• Cost the company customers and money because of disingenuous behavior.
• Integrity seems flexible when it suits purposes.
• Lack of integrity undermines effectiveness and damages credibility.

Performance review phrases flexibility

Feedback on flexibility in performance reviews is important as it encourages employees to adapt to change and new ideas. It helps create a culture of innovation and agility in the organization. Ultimately, addressing flexibility promotes individual growth and organizational success.

• Ready to make new and carefully considered decisions if the situation has changed and the previous actions have become inappropriate.
• Ready to work extra hours if urgent and essential issues must be solved by the end of the day.
• Strong and confident but at the same time open-minded. Always ready to consider proposals from colleagues.
• Always stays aware of market changes to be able to react immediately. This awareness helps the company develop and flourish.
• Shows initiative and is flexible when approaching new tasks.
• Ready to consider new perspectives and adjust views if compelling counterarguments are presented.
• Willing to take on additional responsibilities outside normal role when the team needs support.
• Adapts smoothly to changing priorities and demands without becoming frustrated or overwhelmed.
• Remains open to alternative solutions even after committing to a particular course of action.
• Embraces diverse viewpoints and values the unique perspectives of all team members.
• Receptive to feedback and uses it constructively to strengthen performance.
• Transitions between tasks seamlessly thanks to ability to stay focused yet flexible.
• Brings a versatile skill set to each new challenge and finds innovative ways to add value.
• Tailors approach based on the unique needs of diverse clients and stakeholders.
• Readily takes on different roles to ensure all work gets done to a high standard.
• Handles unforeseen complications calmly and creatively without compromising quality or deadlines.
• Maintains a high level of performance despite unpredictable demands and shifting company priorities.
• Embraces change proactively and sees it as an opportunity rather than a disruption.
• Finds the upside in difficulties and uses challenges to strengthen adaptability.
• Approaches each new task with an open and inquisitive mindset rather than rigid preconceptions.
• Does not excel at activities which require a high degree of flexibility.
• Can change point of view without analyzing or defending it. Should be more certain about proposals.
• Tends to resist activities where the path is unknown.
• Becomes uptight when the plan changes.
• Not comfortable when the agenda changes unexpectedly.
• Prefers sticking to a set routine and gets uneasy with unexpected deviations.
• Adapting to new situations does not come naturally and would benefit from being more open to change.
• Gets stuck in rigid thinking and has difficulty considering alternative perspectives.
• Shows reluctance to adjust approach even when presented with a better option.
• New information that contradicts preconceptions can make defensive rather than open-minded.
• Last-minute changes can frustrate as likes advance preparation and scheduling.
• Tendency to get stuck in rigid ways of thinking instead of considering different perspectives.
• Adjusting to alternative solutions requires more effort than sticking to original idea.
• Shows reluctance to modify strategies even when circumstances change.
• Openness to alternate viewpoints is an area that can further develop for improved flexibility.
• Demonstrates rigidity in thinking patterns and could benefit from strengthening adaptability skills.
• Going outside prescribed processes to get work done can be challenging.

Performance review for leadership

Providing employees with feedback about leadership skills during performance reviews is essential for their career growth and the organization’s success. This feedback helps employees understand their strengths and areas for improvement in leading teams and projects, aligning their behavior with organizational goals and values. By addressing any gaps in leadership capabilities, feedback empowers employees to enhance their skills and positively impact team performance, fostering a culture of effective leadership within the organization .

• Distributes resources in an appropriate manner depending on the priority of assignments.
• Establishes a corporate culture of reliability and caring.
• Is ready to share information and knowledge for the common development of all staff.
• Is very helpful when mentoring entry-level staff getting used to their jobs.
• Creates a culture of dialogue.
• Recognizes staff for a job well done.
• Allocates tasks appropriately based on the prior assignments.
• Understands people and the different ways to motivate them to get the job done.
• Provides constant coaching and guidance to employees.
• Cultivates an atmosphere of teamwork and cooperation.
• Leads by example with integrity and strong work ethic.
• Empowers staff to take initiative within clear guidelines.
• Encourages open communication up and down the chain.
• Provides regular constructive feedback and coaching.
• Celebrates both individual and team achievements.
• Makes oneself available as needed for guidance.
• Helps staff set and pursue career development goals.
• Delegates appropriately based on competencies.
• Gives credit to staff for accomplishments.
• Removes obstacles to allow staff to excel.
• Provides stretch assignments for growth opportunities.
• Leads with a vision that inspires commitment.
• Empowers staff to find innovative solutions.
• Cultivates an inclusive environment of respect.
• Confuses the employees through different directions and guidance.
• Rarely shows appreciation for good performance.
• Fails to explain procedures to subordinates clearly. Lacks the qualifications to be an effective mentor.
• Gets frustrated easily with new team members and fails to offer any support.
• Often impatient and unhelpful.
• Sends mixed signals to the team regarding goals and day-to-day activities.
• Rarely shows any recognition to the team.
• Sets unreasonably high expectations for the team.
• Provides inconsistent direction without clarity.
• Does not recognize contributions publicly.
• Lacks patience when explaining procedures.
• Appears unsupportive of new staff questions.
• Shows irritation easily instead of calm guidance.
• Sends conflicting cues about priorities.
• Sets unrealistic targets without resources.
• Does not cultivate an atmosphere of trust.
• Delegates poorly without clarity on expectations.
• Does not connect staff to learning opportunities.
• Lacks vision and fails to inspire commitment.
• Plays favorites within the team.
• Shows lack of interest in staff development.
• Fails to build an inclusive work culture.
• Lacks integrity and consistency in leadership.
• Is unavailable and unapproachable as needed.

Performance review comments initiative

Providing feedback on initiative during performance reviews is important because it encourages employees to take action and contribute ideas. It helps create a culture where employees feel empowered to drive progress and innovation . Ultimately, addressing initiative promotes success for both individuals and the organization.

• Doesn’t wait for instructions, shows initiative to find new tasks.
• Requires minimal supervision, shows initiative independently.
• Goal-oriented, sets own priorities to accomplish job.
• Takes initiative in overcoming obstacles and finding resolutions.
• Considered best person in group for innovative ideas and effective working methods.
• Never minds taking on new tasks, even the most difficult ones.
• Consistently looks for ways to add more value through continuous improvement.
• Willingly takes on additional responsibilities outside core job scope.
• Proactively seeks out new challenges and stretches continuously.
• Takes ownership and drives tasks from start to finish without needing oversight.
• Solves problems independently before escalating issues.
• Identifies needs and opportunities others may miss and acts quickly.
• Leads by example, inspires others through high levels of self-motivation.
• Identifies and implements efficiencies to optimize performance.
• Initiates collaborative relationships for mutual benefit.
• Takes on additional work during peak periods without needing to be asked.
• Approaches challenges with a can-do attitude, finds solutions independently.
• Identifies and acts on opportunities for organizational improvement.
• Proactively manages workload and workstreams with little supervision.
• Implements best practices to continuously raise performance.
• Takes ownership of projects, driving them proactively.
• Applies skills to new areas for organization’s benefit.
• Builds strong internal and external working relationships proactively.
• Contributes innovative ideas at team meetings and discussions.
• Takes on stretch assignments eagerly to accelerate learning and growth.
• Drives continuous improvement initiatives independently.
• Implements new processes or systems for enhanced effectiveness.
• Pitches in to help others complete their work as needed.
• Takes actions independently to advance organizational priorities and strategy.
• Seems too difficult for him to do job on his own.
• Poor abilities to establish priorities and courses of action for self, lacks planning and follow-up skills to achieve results.
• Needs close supervision when performing assignments.
• Doesn’t seek out opportunities to learn and grow within role.
• Passively waits to be told what to do rather than driving tasks proactively.
• Lacks motivation, relies heavily on external direction.
• Fails to identify needs and opportunities for improvement.
• Does not look for ways to add more value or take on additional responsibilities.
• Avoids or is slow to take on new challenges and stretch assignments.
• Escalates issues prematurely rather than solving problems independently.
• Struggles to work independently, not self-starting.
• Lacks proactive, solution-oriented approach to tasks and challenges.
• Fails to identify opportunities for process improvements.
• Relies on others to identify additional work needed during peaks.
• Lacks can-do attitude, depends on others to solve problems.
• Ineffective at independent time management and workload prioritization.
• Does not initiate implementation of industry best practices.
• Lacks ownership over projects, depends on significant oversight.
• Rarely contributes innovative ideas or suggestions proactively.

Employee performance review comments job knowledge

Giving employees feedback about job knowledge during performance reviews is essential to ensure they have the skills needed for their roles . It reinforces the importance of continuous learning and staying updated on industry trends. Addressing job knowledge promotes competence, growth, and excellence within the organization.

Performance review job knowledge phrases

• Possesses perfect knowledge and skills useful for the job.
• Has deep knowledge of products and particular characteristics of company’s products.
• Takes available opportunities to increase knowledge of relevant job skills.
• Completes assignments accurately and efficiently.
• Maintains up-to-date level of professional and technical knowledge.
• Demonstrates knowledge of job on a daily basis.
• Always applies new knowledge to work and keeps up with changes in field.
• Has excellent grasp of technical aspects of role.
• Seeks out opportunities for continuous learning and skills development.
• Demonstrates expertise when answering questions from others.
• Applies specialized skills and knowledge effectively to all tasks.
• Troubleshoots issues efficiently using in-depth product understanding.
• Keeps well-informed of best practices and emerging standards.
• Delivers work to expert level through extensive learning.
• Takes advantage of all training opportunities provided.
• Shares knowledge and expertise willingly with others.
• Learns quickly and applies new skills independently.
• Stays well-informed on industry news and competitor offerings.
• Contributes insights based on in-depth knowledge and research.
• Provides expert guidance to others regularly.
• Enhances knowledge continuously through self-study.
• Makes complex topics easily understood for others.
• Recommends process improvements based on leading practices.
• Mentors less experienced team members effectively.
• Incorporates feedback to enhance skills and performance.
• Cannot fulfill duties due to lack of necessary knowledge of job.
• Not as knowledgeable about job and its requirements as expected.
• Doesn’t know key fundamentals of job, always asks for other people’s instruction.
• Repeatedly asks same questions about job duties, does not retain important information.
• Skill set does not meet requirements for job.
• Not taking advantage of available learning resources to expand job knowledge.
• Relies too heavily on others rather than developing greater self-sufficiency.
• Learning plan needed to strengthen job knowledge and skills.
• Consistently demonstrates lack of understanding of job requirements and expectations.
• Job knowledge falls short of what is necessary to perform duties effectively.
• Frequently makes mistakes due to inadequate knowledge of job.
• Struggles to keep up with demands of job due to limited understanding of its complexities.
• Has not demonstrated necessary proficiency in job duties despite attempts to improve performance.
• Has not shown significant improvement in job knowledge since hire date.
• Frequently requires assistance from colleagues to complete tasks within job knowledge.
• Appears to have limited understanding of company’s policies and procedures.
• Has not demonstrated ability to apply job knowledge to real-world situations.
• Lacks necessary training and experience to perform job duties effectively.
• Has not demonstrated understanding of importance of job duties to company’s success.
• Consistently fails to meet expectations set for job performance.
• Struggles to keep up with changes in industry due to limited job knowledge.
• Has not shown initiative to improve job knowledge or seek additional training.

Planning and organizing performance review phrases

Giving feedback on planning and organizing during performance reviews helps employees work more efficiently . It reminds them to set goals, prioritize tasks , and manage time effectively. Improving these skills leads to better results for the organization.

Meets or exceed expectations

• Demonstrates good organizational and planning skills.
• Adheres to deadlines and meets production benchmarks.
• Prioritizes tasks effectively based on importance and urgency.
• Allocates sufficient time and resources to complete projects according to deadlines.
• Schedules work systematically and maintains detailed work plans.
• Anticipates risks and roadblocks in advance to plan contingencies.
• Delegates tasks based on skills and workload of team members.
• Monitors progress regularly and makes adjustments to plans proactively.
• Maintains organized documentation, records, and reports on ongoing work.
• Schedules important meetings to ensure timely coordination and progress.
• Plans budgets effectively and completes projects within allocated cost estimates.
• Manages time efficiently and completes tasks as scheduled without delays.
• Establishes standard operating procedures for efficient task completion.
• Plans for potential emergencies and contingencies in advance.
• Schedules work in a manner that prioritizes quality over quantity.
• Ensures proper coordination between different teams and departments.
• Maintains a calendar of important dates and deadlines to track progress.
• Schedules work in a manner that balances multiple ongoing projects.
• Plans and schedules work to achieve objectives within given timeframes.
• Prioritizes new tasks based on strategic organizational goals and objectives.
• Schedules tasks for optimum resource utilization and efficiency.
• Finds it difficult to plan an action without instruction.
• Fails to resolve problems in a timely manner.
• Finds it challenging to determine priorities among competing demands on time.
• Has trouble planning work schedule around deadlines and commitments.
• Requires frequent supervision to stay on track and complete tasks.
• Gets easily distracted and has difficulties managing interruptions.
• Fails to anticipate resource requirements and bottlenecks in advance.
• Struggles to adapt plans when priorities change or issues arise.
• Finds it hard to delegate tasks and monitor progress independently.
• Does not maintain documentation and records work updates properly.
• Has difficulties coordinating with others and sharing status updates.
• Lacks attention to detail and often misses important planning steps.
• Unable to estimate time requirements accurately for projects.
• Does not consider quality standards while scheduling work.
• Fails to identify and mitigate risks proactively in project plans.
• Unable to adapt to changes in priorities or scope without issues.
• Struggles to think ahead and anticipate future planning requirements.
• Unable to allocate budgets effectively for projects and tasks.
• Requires reminders to schedule important client or vendor meetings.

Performance review phrases time management

Giving feedback on time management during performance reviews helps employees work more efficiently and meet deadlines. It reminds them to prioritize tasks and manage their workload effectively. Improving time management skills leads to better performance and outcomes for the organization.

Performance review time management phrases

• Performs tasks with dedication and always accomplishes them on time.
• Demonstrates the ability to manage various tasks and complete them punctually.
• Uses time effectively to address both major and minor responsibilities weekly.
• Divides time logically to achieve set goals.
• Sets clear priorities and objectives to remain focused on important tasks.
• Prioritizes tasks and efficiently completes them within given timeframes.
• Prepares detailed schedules and accurately estimates task durations.
• Avoids distractions to maximize productivity.
• Allocates sufficient buffer time for contingencies and revisions.
• Multitasks effectively without compromising work quality.
• Periodically re-evaluates schedules and adjusts timelines proactively.
• Delegates tasks appropriately for optimal workload distribution.
• Regularly monitors progress against schedules and deadlines.
• Consistently completes tasks on time and manages time effectively.
• Respects others’ time and fulfills commitments as promised.
• Transparently shares status and challenges regarding timelines.
• Manages time effectively, even when faced with unexpected challenges.
• Highly organized and effectively manages time to meet all deadlines.
• Unable to manage time effectively, repeatedly missing project deadlines.
• Needs to improve time management skills for better efficiency.
• Should create weekly work plans to optimize task performance.
• Struggles to complete tasks due to ineffective time management.
• Takes excessive time to complete tasks, requiring better weekly planning.
• Fails to prioritize tasks and loses focus on critical assignments.
• Underestimates task durations.
• Procrastinates and delays tasks until the last minute.
• Easily distracted by social media or non-work related activities.
• Lacks planning and scheduling skills to manage work effectively.
• Ineffective in delegating tasks.
• Fails to communicate proactively about delays or missed deadlines.
• Does not set clear objectives or priorities for work.
• Unable to estimate realistic timelines for tasks and projects.
• Does not regularly monitor progress against schedules and deadlines.
• Disregards others’ time and frequently misses commitments.
• Does not take ownership of work and blames external factors for delays.

Performance review phrases attitude

Providing feedback on attitude during performance reviews is important for a positive workplace . It emphasizes the value of teamwork and productivity, helping employees understand how their behavior affects colleagues and the organization’s culture .

• Builds an atmosphere of trust within the team.
• Cheerful attitude uplifts others in his presence.
• Never complains about the job or colleagues.
• Focuses on the positives when dealing with problems.
• Enthusiastically motivates other team members.
• Finds opportunities to praise others for their efforts and accomplishments.
• Maintains a positive outlook even during stressful times.
• Energy and optimism are contagious.
• Makes others feel valued and respected.
• Looks for solutions rather than dwelling on problems.
• Smile and friendly manner create a pleasant work environment.
• Finds the good in every situation.
• Positivity raises the morale of those around him.
• Makes others feel heard and encourages open communication.
• Optimism is contagious and lifts the spirits of colleagues.
• Looks for lessons in failures and mistakes.
• Encouragement and support motivate others to do their best.
• Brings a sense of fun to work.
• Finds ways to acknowledge others for their efforts regularly.
• Friendly demeanor puts others at ease.
• Expresses appreciation for colleagues and their contributions.
• Enthusiasm is contagious and inspires hard work.
• Focuses on shared goals and teamwork rather than individual accomplishments.
• Positivity makes him a pleasure to work with.
• Finds ways to learn from both successes and failures.
• Can-do attitude boosts productivity.
• Makes others feel their contributions are valued.
• Upbeat manner keeps the team working together harmoniously.
• Language and voice level can be inappropriate.
• Tends to trigger problems between coworkers.
• Displays an overly sensitive and pessimistic personality, focusing too much on negatives.
• Talks negatively about other team members.
• Needs to focus on the positive aspects of the job and team.
• Complaints undermine team morale.
• Dwells excessively on problems rather than seeking solutions.
• Contributes to tension and friction within the team.
• Often has troubles with coworkers, easily angered and argumentative.
• Pessimism saps the energy of colleagues.
• Finds fault easily and fails to acknowledge others’ efforts.
• Takes criticism too personally and becomes defensive.
• Blames others and refuses to accept responsibility for mistakes.
• Lacks tact and consideration in interactions.
• Needs to control temper and attitude, avoiding strong reactions to negatives.
• Fails to acknowledge colleagues’ good work.
• Irritability negatively impacts morale and team cohesion.
• Criticism of colleagues breeds resentment and mistrust.
• Sees setbacks as personal failures rather than learning opportunities.
• Complaints and criticisms distract from productive discussions.
• Contributes more problems than solutions.
• Lacks emotional control and self-awareness in interactions.
• Focuses excessively on minor issues rather than larger goals.

Ending a performance review with closing comments is an opportunity to summarize key points, express appreciation, and set expectations for the future.

Here’s how you could do it:

“Thank you for your dedication and commitment throughout this review process. Your hard work and achievements are greatly valued and appreciated. As we move forward, I encourage you to continue building on your strengths and addressing areas for improvement. Thank you again for your contributions to our team.”

For a simple, yet effective method of employee evaluation, download this free 9 box grid template or this free 360 degree feedback template .

Performance evaluation software

Conducting performance reviews can consume a significant amount of your valuable time and require considerable effort to ensure efficiency. Consequently, they are often overlooked or not taken seriously. However, they are among the most useful tools for enhancing workforce productivity and fostering teamwork, thereby sustaining the organization in the long term.

The most effective way to conduct performance reviews is through HR (human resources) software. Factorial, an HR software solution , offers a comprehensive set of performance management tools and analytics . To learn more about how Factorial can streamline your HR processes by centralizing them in a single platform —rather than scattered across spreadsheets, emails, and paperwork— book a demo to chat with an HR product specialist by clicking the banner below or the button in the top right corner!

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Blog · SMART Goals

October 16, 2019

Top 10 Employee Performance Goal Examples for 2020

Employee performance goal examples can not only help you with your position but can also help you develop your employability. What should you focus on in 2020?

by Dominika Cechova

Setting employee performance goals and objectives is a common practice in most of the organizations. We have explained the importance and best practices of setting SMART goals in our essential guide as well as we created templates to make setting employee goals easier for you and brought examples for specific industries such as marketing and nursing . With the new year just behind the corner and time for annual performance reviews we collated a list of employee performance goal examples to improve your employability in 2020 .

You as an employee, should set goals aligned to the organizational objectives of the business you are working for as well as set personal development goals that will help your professional development in a long term. Goal setting can positively contribute to your employee motivation, performance in your current position and set you up for success in the future.

According to Thomas Frey, Executive Director of the DaVinci Institute; “ The average person entering the workforce in 2030 will have to plan to reboot their skills eight to 10 times throughout their working life. ”

Considering the dynamic fast-changing nature of the society in the 21st century this may come as no surprise to you. The technological development is not only driving innovation across various industries but also redefining the workplace environment and skills employers demand.

With new year behind the corner we have decided to explore what are the essential skills in 2020 and what SMART goals you should set, in order to develop or improve these skills.

Top 10 skills for 2020

The job market is constantly changing. Based on our research, these are the fundamental skills for 2020 to develop or improve to excel in your carreer:

With that in mind, we created a list of easily measurable, time bound employee examples of performance goals to set for you;

1. Creativity

Creativity continues to gain importance for employers, and thus for you as an employee to be successful in your career. Everyone is creative to an extent and in their own ways. There are proven ways how you can improve your creativity and creative thinking. Some of them are as simple as walking, picking up a new skill or even doing nothing at all!

Creativity performance goals examples

• Go for a 30-minute walk (not listening to music or podcasts, primarily focusing on your surroundings) 3 times a week during a lunch break or after work (alternatively walk to work) in the next 3 months.
• Pick up a new hobby or dedicate couple of hours to a hobby you already have and love by the end of Q4.
• Unplug and spend time away from any kind of technology during the weekend by the end of Q4.
• Practice pattern recognition through reading detectives/studying art or math/solving sudoku for 2 hours once a week until the end of Q4.

2. Complex problem solving

Complex problem solving is closely related to your creativity as well as analytical and logical thinking. It also remains one of the skills that differentiate humans from robots. You can improve your problem-solving skills through various techniques such as focusing on a solution rather than the problem itself.

Complex problem solving goals examples

• When struggling to solve a problem list out as many solutions as you can think of until the end of Q4.
• Develop a step by step process used when tackling a problem using techniques such as 5 whys, language that creates possibility or asking solution-oriented questions by the end of Q4.
• Learn how to think laterally to improve problem solving skills using articles, podcast and available materials by the end of 2019.

3. Cognitive flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is defined as “ a unique cognitive ability that is linked to resilience and the ability to deal with unpredictable change. ” Some people are born with better cognitive flexibility than others but do not worry. There are ways how to enhance it for everyone including self-awareness, physical exercise and changing up your routines. Physical exercise makes your body release feel-good chemicals (dopamine, serotonin, opioids, endorphins and endocannabinoids) that enable your body - and brain to learn. Additionally, changing your routines promote metal flexibility as they make your brain adapt quickly to new stimuli.

Cognitive flexibility objectives examples

• Spend 15-30 minutes a day on self-reflection or “brain dump” to record and reflect your experiences until the end of Q4.
• Exercise for at least 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week until the end of 2019.
• Change the way you commute to work-cycle, walk a different way until the end of Q4.
• Once a week get out of your comfort zone and surround yourself with people unlike you through networking, events etc. until the end of Q4.

4. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is one’s ability to process emotions (both their own and other’s) and come to sound decisions based on that. It is crucial skill for collaboration and working effectively as a part of a team especially considering customer service among others.

Emotional intelligence goal examples

• Twice a week practice self-awareness through devoting 30 minutes to self-reflection, noting down your feelings and experiences, reflecting on your behavior and how you can move from there in the next 3 months.
• Practice active listening and paying attention to non-verbal details in communication during team meetings and one on ones in the next 3 months.
• Improve your interpersonal and communication skills dedicating an hour to gain knowledge from books, articles, podcasts, talks etc. in the next 3 months.

5. Transdisciplinary skills

Having understanding of an organization from different perspectives and understanding the alignment between different departments is progressively imperative in businesses.

Transdisciplinary skills objectives examples

• Every two weeks have a knowledge-sharing coffee date with a colleague from different department to understand their responsibilities and how their contribute to the overall performance of the business in next 6 months.
• Once a month shadow a colleague from a different department for a half a day to understand their responsibilities in the next 6 months.
• Start a monthly lunch and learn event in your company to gain better understanding of the business by the end of the month.

6. People management

Collaboration and teamwork proved to be essential for driving innovation across organizations. Whether you are an employee or a manager, being a team player and having a strong ability to motivate others is fundamental. Therefore, having strong leadership skills and communication skills is a must have in a modern work environment.

People management examples of performance goals

• Practice empathy. Once a week take 30 minutes to put yourself in shoes of your team/direct reports and reflect on how they feel and assess your behavior until the end of Q4
• Ensure to provide your teammates with instant feedback at least once a month until the end of Q4.
• Reward and recognize the efforts and achievements of others. Dedicate time to once a month recognize the work of one of your colleagues over a coffee or send them an encouraging email in the next 6 months.
• Encourage inclusive work culture through making sure to involve everyone and give everyone space to express their ideas and opinions.

7. New media and virtual communication

New media and communication channels are constantly emerging in the modern workplace. Over the past years we have seen growth in the number of remote workers, collaborative spaces and use of various communication and productivity apps such as Slack and Trello as well as video conference calls. Therefore, it is essential to be literate with these new tools and how to filter through the information and prioritize what is important.

New media and virtual communication objectives examples

• Familiarize yourself with the various tools available in the market by the end of the month.
• Outline all the productivity and communication tools used across your organization and ensure to gain strong understanding of them by the end of the month.
• Organize a training for the team to improve their literacy with the tools used across the organization by the end of the quarter.

8. Cross cultural fluency

The increasingly globalized world requires cross-cultural awareness of individuals in order to communicate effectively as well as being able to work collaboratively. Being aware of your own culture as well as respect the culture of others will help you to communicate effectively and work well as a part of a team.

Cross cultural fluency employee goals examples

• Stay focused on the goals and ensure to achieve what you aim to in this quarter.
• Dedicate 30 minutes a week to self-reflection on your collaboration skill in next 3 months.
• Ask for monthly/weekly feedback from your co-workers in the next 3 months.

9. Decision making skills

Having strong decision-making skills is essential for successful leaders. It is a skill that is quite difficult to develop but by being aware of your actions and actively improve your processes you can achieve significant long-term results.

Decision making examples

• Get training in probability by the end of the month.
• When having a difficult decision to make, focus on limiting your subjective perceptions and assess the objective factors. Practice this approach in the next 3 months.
• In the next 3 months do not postpone any difficult decision you have to make.

10. Negotiation skills

Negotiation skills are imperative not only to sales representatives but to every individual in a business. It is a skill through which a mutual agreement in a realm of professional and personal life is achieved. Strong negotiation skills help you to improve relationships and reach common ground in case of a confrontation. Negotiation is also essential for career progression and achieving your goals. There is really no reason why you should not strike to gain strong negotiation skills.

Negotiation skills performance goals examples

• Get a negotiation training by the end of Q4.
• Find a negotiation skills coach in your organization or from your personal network and establish monthly/weekly meeting with them by the end of 2019.
• Stay on top of latest practices through listening to podcast, reading books or news in the next 6 months.

You might have realized that in the employee performance goals examples above a number of them include self-reflection. Self-awareness and reflection is a key for every individual to grow personally and professionally. It allows you to determine your strengths as well as areas you should improve. Moreover, the beauty of the skills and goals above is that they closely relate to each other. For example, improving emotional intelligence will also help you boost your decision making skills and people management. Or by improving your active listening skills you also contribute to your negotiation and people management skills . If you still crave some inspiration you can find more SMART goals examples here .

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How to Set Smart Goals for Improve Problem-Solving Skills?

Developing problem-solving skills is essential for personal and professional success in today’s fast-paced and complex world. From finding innovative solutions to challenges in the workplace to resolving personal conflicts, individuals who possess strong problem-solving skills can effectively navigate any situation.

Smart goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals that can help individuals and teams to develop problem-solving skills.

In this article, we will explore the significance of setting SMART goals for problem solving skills and provide strategies and examples for achieving these goals.

By incorporating the SMART goal framework, individuals can effectively develop their problem-solving skills and achieve personal and professional goals.

Table of Contents

What Are Problem Solving Skills And Types Of Problem-Solving Skills?

Problem-solving skills are identifying and solving problems through critical thinking , creativity, and communication. There are several problem-solving skills, including analytical, creative, and social-emotional skills.

• Analytical Skills involve analyzing information, identifying patterns and relationships, and drawing logical conclusions. These skills are essential in science, engineering, and mathematics.
• Creative Problem-solving Skills include thinking outside the box and creating innovative solutions to complex problems. These skills are important in design, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
• Social-emotional Problem-solving Skills involve understanding and managing emotions, communicating effectively, and working collaboratively to solve problems. These skills are essential in interpersonal relationships and fields such as counseling, teaching, and healthcare.

Smart Goals For Problem Solving Skills

SMART goals are a framework for setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. This goal-setting approach is designed to increase the likelihood of success by creating clear and actionable targets. The five components of a SMART goal are as follows:

• Specific: Goals should be clear and specific, with a defined outcome that can be measured.
• Measurable: It needs to be quantifiable to track and evaluate progress.
• Achievable: Given available resources and constraints, goals should be realistic and attainable.
• Relevant: Goals must align with broader objectives and priorities and contribute to overall success.
• Time-Bound: They should have a clear deadline or timeline for completion.

What Are The Different Strategies And Actions To Achieve Smart Goals?

There are several strategies and actions that are taken to achieve SMART goals related to developing problem-solving skills, such as:

• Practicing Alternative Solutions: One way to develop problem-solving skills is to practice generating alternative solutions to a problem. This is done through brainstorming sessions, where individuals or teams come up with multiple solutions to a problem, evaluate their feasibility, and select the best one.
• Developing Analytical Skills: Analytical skills are critical to effective problem-solving. To develop analytical skills, individuals practice breaking down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts and analyzing each part in detail to identify patterns, trends, and potential causes.
• Improving Communication Skills: Effective communication is essential for effective problem-solving. Individuals improve their communication skills by actively listening, asking open-ended questions, and seeking feedback to ensure they understand the problem and potential solutions.
• Setting Measurable Goals: To achieve SMART goals, it’s important to set specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant objectives for the problem. This involves defining clear metrics to track progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Taking Action: SMART goals require action. Individuals should identify specific tasks and activities that need to be taken to achieve their objectives. It includes creating an action plan that outlines the steps required to achieve the goal, assigning responsibilities to team members, and monitoring progress over time.
• Seeking Feedback: Regular feedback is essential for achieving SMART goals. Individuals should seek feedback from colleagues, supervisors, or other stakeholders to ensure they are on track to achieving their objectives and identify areas for improvement.

What Are The Challenges In Achieving Smart Goals And How To Overcome Them?

Setting SMART goals is an effective way to achieve success in both personal and professional settings. However, many people struggle to achieve their SMART goals due to a variety of challenges that arise. In this part, we will explore challenges in achieving SMART goals and provide strategies for overcoming them:

Lack Of Motivation

People struggle to stay motivated when pursuing their goals. This happens if the goal is not meaningful enough or they feel overwhelmed by the steps needed to achieve it.

Try to find inspiration and motivation by visualizing the result of achieving your goal, breaking the goal down into smaller, more manageable tasks, finding an accountability partner, or finding ways to make the process more enjoyable.

Lack Of Resources

Achieving a goal requires resources such as time, money, or support from others. If these resources are not available or limited, achieving the goal is harder. Consider alternative solutions, seek advice or mentorship from experts in your field, look for opportunities to learn and acquire new skills, and find ways to make the most of your resources.

Unexpected Obstacles

Even with careful planning, unexpected obstacles derail progress toward a goal. This could be a change in circumstances or an external factor that affects progress.

Prioritize your tasks and responsibilities, create a schedule or routine that allows you to dedicate time to working towards your goal, find ways to eliminate distractions and optimize your workflow, and delegate tasks when possible.

Unrealistic Goals

It is not achievable if a goal is too ambitious or unaligned with a person’s abilities or resources. This leads to frustration and disappointment. Reassess your goal and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that it is achievable and aligned with your resources and capabilities. Refine your goal and create a detailed plan of action that clearly outlines the steps you need to take to achieve it.

Why Incorporating Smart Goals In Employee Performance Goals Is Important?

Incorporating SMART goals into employee performance goals is essential because it provides a clear framework for employees to understand what is expected of them and how their performance will be evaluated.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, and they help employees focus on achieving outcomes aligned with organizational objectives.

By setting SMART goals, employees can improve their skills and competencies, increase motivation and engagement, and contribute to the organization’s success.

SMART goals provide a basis for ongoing feedback and coaching, which can further enhance employee performance and development.

How Do Incorporating Smart Goals Benefit Both Employees And Employers?

Using SMART goals in employee performance goals benefits employers by improving productivity, profitability, and overall business success. By setting clear and achievable employee goals, companies can improve their bottom line, create a more positive work environment, and retain valuable talent.

It also helps align employee goals with the organization’s broader goals, ensuring everyone is working towards the same objectives. SMART goals help employees in various ways. It gives them a sense of direction and purpose, increasing their motivation and engagement.

It also helps them to stay focused on their priorities and enables them to measure their progress and achievements. SMART goals identify personal and professional development areas and provide a roadmap for success.

Incorporating SMART goals in employee performance goals also helps create a culture of accountability and transparency. Employees are more likely to take ownership of their work and be accountable for their actions when they have clear and measurable goals to achieve. It also helps managers to provide constructive feedback and recognition for good work.

We hope after reading this article, you understand smart goals for problem solving skills. Individuals can overcome challenges, improve their problem-solving skills, and succeed by setting SMART goals.

Setting SMART goals is an effective way to develop problem-solving skills . It allows individuals to create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals to help them focus on their desired outcomes, identify potential challenges, and stay motivated throughout the process.

Incorporating SMART goals into employee performance goals can benefit employees and employers by promoting productivity, job satisfaction, and growth. Examples of SMART goals for problem-solving skills include improving analytical skills, enhancing communication skills , and developing social-emotional skills.

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Problem Solving Performance Goals And Objectives

Related Performance Goals

Problem Solving Goals and Objectives Examples

Problem Solving: 40 Useful Performance Feedback Phrases

Problem Solving: Use these sample phrases to craft meaningful performance evaluations, drive change and motivate your workforce.

Problem Solving is the skill of defining a problem to determine its cause, identify it, prioritize and select alternative solutions to implement in solving the problems and reviving relationships.

Problem Solving: Exceeds Expectations Phrases

• Actively listens when others are talking and seek clarification on issues not well understood.
• Seeks to brainstorm on problems to try to find the right solutions.
• Evaluates all possible solutions and chooses the one that will deliver the best results.
• Knows how well to collaborate with others to find solutions to problems.
• Knows how to resolve any outstanding client issues and problems amicably.
• Communicates views and thoughts in a very distinct and understandable manner.
• Is decisive when it comes to making decisions and sticks by the decisions made.
• Gathers all the necessary facts and information first before making any decision.
• Monitors all outcomes of all actions undertaken to take full responsibility for any problem.
• Breaks a problem down before starting to analyze it in a more detailed manner.

Problem Solving: Meets Expectations Phrases

• Is always open-minded and readily accepts what others have to contribute.
• Has an inquisitive nature and tries to analyze all that is happening around.
• Always asks the right questions and raises any relevant issue when necessary.
• Keeps things calm even when required to make quick decisions under high pressure.
• Communicates or articulates issues in an obvious and concise way that people can easily understand.
• Shows strong level-headedness when assessing situations and coming up with solutions.
• Tries to be accommodative of other people's views and accepts them easily.
• Always portrays enough knowledge of the problem and its feasible solutions.
• Shows the willingness to change tact whenever the conditions change.
• Creates opportunities to evaluate and implement the decisions that are arrived at properly.

Problem Solving: Needs Improvement Phrases

• Not willing to be accommodative of other people's ideas and opinions.
• Does not know how to present a problem in ways that people can understand.
• Finds it difficult to articulate issues in a clear and understandable manner.
• Not decisive and assertive when it comes to coming up with solutions.
• Does not take the time to listen keenly to what others have to say or contribute.
• Always in a hurry to make decisions and does not think things through.
• Does not always monitor the decisions made to ensure that they have a positive impact.
• When faced with a high-pressure problem, does not maintain a cool head to be able to solve it properly.
• Not willing to collaborate with other people to come up with solutions to problems.
• Does not manage client-related issues in a professional manner and customers are left unsatisfied.

Problem Solving: Self Evaluation Questions

• How well do you solve issues and are you confident in your abilities?
• Give an instance you solved a problem, and it was successful.
• Give a situation that you solved a problem, and it was unsuccessful.
• How well do you accommodate other people ideas and opinions when trying to solve a problem?
• How do you manage high-pressure situations that require fast and urgent attention?
• Do you involve other people when trying to solve any particular problem?
• How well do you brainstorm before setting out to solve a problem?
• Do you research well enough to get proper facts and information?
• Are you in most cases conversant with what the problem is before you solve it?
• How well are you keen on everything that is happening around you?

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Self Evaluation Comments for Problem Solving (30 Examples)

By Status.net Editorial Team on May 19, 2023 — 9 minutes to read

Self-evaluation is an essential aspect of professional development. It helps you to identify areas of improvement and measure your progress towards achieving your goals. By evaluating your problem-solving skills, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and take steps to improve your performance.

Problem Solving Self-Evaluation Comments Examples

• I was able to identify the root cause of the problem and develop a solution that addressed it effectively.
• I was able to think outside the box and come up with a creative solution to a complex problem.
• I was able to collaborate effectively with my team members to solve a challenging problem.
• I was able to prioritize tasks and allocate resources efficiently to solve a problem within a tight deadline.
• I was able to remain calm and composed under pressure while solving a critical problem.
• I was able to analyze data and information to identify patterns and trends that helped me solve a problem.
• I was able to communicate clearly and effectively with stakeholders to understand their needs and solve their problems.
• I was able to adapt to changing circumstances and adjust my problem-solving approach accordingly.
• I was able to learn from my mistakes and apply those lessons to future problem-solving situations.
• I was able to use critical thinking skills to evaluate multiple options and select the best solution to a problem.
• I was able to break down a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts and solve each part individually.
• I was able to identify potential obstacles and develop contingency plans to overcome them while solving a problem.
• I was able to leverage my technical expertise to solve a problem that required specialized knowledge.
• I was able to use my creativity and innovation to develop a unique solution to a problem.
• I was able to gather and analyze feedback from stakeholders to continuously improve my problem-solving approach.
• I was able to use my leadership skills to motivate and guide my team members towards a successful problem-solving outcome.
• I was able to effectively manage competing priorities and still solve a problem within the given timeline.
• I was able to use my communication skills to explain complex technical solutions to non-technical stakeholders.
• I was able to use my analytical skills to identify patterns and trends that helped me solve a problem more efficiently.
• I was able to use my problem-solving skills to identify opportunities for process improvements and implement them successfully.
• I was able to use my research skills to gather information that helped me solve a problem more effectively.
• I was able to use my project management skills to break down a large-scale problem into smaller, more manageable tasks.
• I was able to use my negotiation skills to reach a mutually beneficial solution to a problem.
• I was able to remain objective and unbiased while evaluating potential solutions to a problem.
• I was able to use my attention to detail to identify small but critical issues that were contributing to a larger problem.
• I was able to use my interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with stakeholders and work collaboratively towards a solution.
• I was able to use my problem-solving skills to find a solution that balanced the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• I was able to use my persistence and determination to keep working towards a solution even when faced with obstacles.
• I was able to use my time management skills to prioritize tasks and allocate my time efficiently while solving a problem.
• I was able to use my empathy and understanding of others’ perspectives to develop a solution that met everyone’s needs.

Improving Problem Solving Skills

To become a better problem solver, you need to develop critical thinking skills, effective communication skills, prioritize tasks, and use brainstorming techniques. Here are some tips to help you improve your problem-solving skills:

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze a situation, identify problems, and come up with creative solutions. To develop critical thinking skills, you need to:

• Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask questions to clarify the problem or gather more information.
• Challenge assumptions: Don’t accept things at face value. Question assumptions and look for evidence to support them.
• Evaluate evidence: Look for evidence that supports or contradicts your assumptions. Evaluate the quality and reliability of the evidence.
• Consider alternative perspectives: Try to see the problem from different angles and consider alternative solutions.

Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication is essential for problem-solving because it helps you:

• Understand the problem: Good communication skills help you clarify the problem and understand what is expected of you.
• Collaborate with others: Effective communication skills help you work with others to find solutions.
• Express your ideas clearly: Clear communication helps you convey your ideas and solutions to others.

To improve your communication skills, you need to:

• Listen actively: Listen to others and try to understand their perspective.
• Speak clearly: Speak clearly and concisely to avoid confusion.
• Use nonverbal cues: Pay attention to body language and other nonverbal cues to understand what others are saying.

Prioritizing Tasks

Prioritizing tasks is essential for effective problem-solving because it helps you:

• Focus on the most important tasks: Prioritizing helps you focus on the tasks that will have the most significant impact.
• Manage your time: Prioritizing helps you manage your time more effectively.
• Avoid procrastination: Prioritizing helps you avoid procrastination by breaking down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

To prioritize tasks effectively, you need to:

• Identify the most important tasks: Identify the tasks that will have the most significant impact.
• Break down large tasks: Break large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.
• Set deadlines: Set deadlines for each task to help you stay on track.

Brainstorming Techniques

Brainstorming is a technique used to generate creative ideas and solutions. To brainstorm effectively, you need to:

• Generate a lot of ideas: Don’t be afraid to come up with as many ideas as possible, even if they seem silly or unrealistic.
• Encourage creativity: Encourage creative thinking by allowing everyone to contribute ideas.
• Avoid criticism: Don’t criticize or judge ideas during the brainstorming process.

To brainstorm effectively, you can use techniques like mind mapping, free writing, or group brainstorming sessions.

Time Management and Productivity

Managing time effectively.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to problem-solving is managing your time effectively. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details and lose track of the big picture. To avoid this, set specific goals and deadlines for yourself. Make a to-do list and prioritize your tasks based on their importance and urgency. Use a timer or a stopwatch to keep track of how much time you spend on each task, and try to minimize distractions as much as possible.

For example, if you’re working on a project that requires a lot of research, set a goal to finish the research phase by the end of the day. Break the research down into smaller tasks, such as reading a certain number of articles or books, and set deadlines for each task. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re making progress towards your goal.

Overcoming Overwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed is a common problem when it comes to problem-solving. When you’re faced with a complex problem, it’s easy to feel like you don’t know where to start. To overcome this, break the problem down into smaller, more manageable parts. Identify the key issues or questions that need to be addressed, and focus on one at a time.

For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem with a product or service, start by identifying the key issues that are causing the problem. Once you’ve identified these issues, break them down into smaller, more manageable parts. Focus on one issue at a time, and come up with a plan to address it. Once you’ve addressed all of the key issues, you’ll have a better understanding of the problem as a whole, and you’ll be better equipped to come up with a solution.

Being Proactive

Being proactive is an important part of problem-solving. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, take a proactive approach and try to anticipate potential problems before they occur. This will help you stay ahead of the curve and avoid potential roadblocks.

For example, if you’re working on a project with a tight deadline, don’t wait until the last minute to start working on it. Instead, start working on it as soon as possible, and set specific goals and deadlines for yourself. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re making progress towards your goal. Additionally, be proactive in identifying potential roadblocks or issues that could arise, and come up with a plan to address them before they become a problem.

Performance Review and Goal Setting

Setting objectives.

When preparing for a performance review, it’s important to set specific objectives that will guide the conversation. Start by reflecting on your current role and responsibilities, and consider areas where you could improve or grow. These objectives should be measurable and achievable, and should align with your personal and professional goals.

For example, one objective might be to improve your communication skills by attending a workshop or taking an online course. Another objective might be to take on more leadership responsibilities within your team or department.

Measuring Performance

During the performance review, your manager will likely evaluate your progress towards meeting your objectives. It’s important to come prepared with concrete examples of how you’ve worked towards your goals, as well as any challenges or obstacles you’ve faced.

For example, if your objective was to improve your project management skills, you might share how you’ve successfully led a project from start to finish, or how you’ve implemented new tools or processes to streamline your workflow. If you’ve faced challenges, be honest about what went wrong and what you learned from the experience.

Creating an Action Plan

After reviewing your performance, you and your manager should work together to create an action plan for the next review period. This plan should include specific goals and objectives, as well as a timeline for achieving them. It’s also important to identify any resources or support you may need to reach your goals.

For example, if your objective is to improve your technical skills, you might discuss opportunities for additional training or mentorship. If your goal is to take on more leadership responsibilities, you might discuss ways to gain experience through shadowing or cross-functional projects.

Overall, the performance review and goal setting process is an important opportunity to reflect on your progress and set a course for future growth and development. By setting specific, measurable objectives and working collaboratively with your manager, you can ensure that you’re on track to achieve your personal and professional goals.

When writing self-evaluation comments, it is important to be honest and objective. Avoid making exaggerated or false claims about your abilities or achievements. Instead, focus on specific examples that demonstrate your skills and accomplishments.

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