Sample guidance

Situation

A useful performance review connects a stated value to what a person actually did and the effect it had.

Main guidance

A useful performance review connects a stated value to what a person actually did and the effect it had. Start with a specific situation, describe observable words or actions, and explain the impact on the work or people involved. Separate what you observed from what you assume about someone’s motives. For example, if encouragement is a team value and a teammate missed a deadline, name the missed commitment and its consequences, then recognize specific strengths and discuss what would help the person follow through next time. A review should be honest about both contribution and growth. End with clear expectations, an agreed next step, and a follow-up point so the conversation leads to action rather than a label. Hypothetical application example A manufacturing shift manager is reviewing a team leader’s performance. Manager: “One of our values is ownership. Last Tuesday, you spotted a labeling error, stopped the affected order, and brought the right people together. That protected the customer and gave the next shift accurate information.” Team leader: “I wanted to fix it before it left the building.” Manager: “That is ownership in action. There is also a growth area: twice this month, your handoff report arrived after the next shift started, so they had to reconstruct the status. What got in the way?” Team leader: “I leave the report until the last ten minutes.” Manager: “Let’s reserve fifteen minutes before handoff. I’ll arrange coverage while you finish it. We’ll review the next two weeks of reports together on Friday the 23rd.”

Why it matters

Values become credible in reviews when they are tied to observable behavior, impact, and a fair next step—not guesses about character or intent.

Put it into practice

1. 1.Choose one value and one recent, specific situation that shows it—or shows a gap.
2. 2.Write down only what you observed, the impact, and any relevant strengths; mark assumptions as questions to explore.
3. 3.Agree on one action, the support needed, and when you will revisit progress.

Reflection questions

• Which value can you anchor in a specific observed situation?
• What expectation and follow-up will make this review accountable and fair?

Situation

When immediate requests crowd out important team priorities.

Main guidance

Stephen Covey’s urgency-and-importance framework offers a practical way to talk about competing demands: some work is urgent and important, some important but not urgent, some urgent but less important, and some neither. The point is not to label people’s work from a distance; it is to make tradeoffs visible. Teams often protect important work only after immediate requests have filled the calendar. Stephen Covey’s big rocks metaphor makes this concrete: schedule the important priorities first, then fit smaller requests around them. Instead, agree on a few meaningful priorities, put time for them on the schedule first, and identify which requests can be delegated, delayed, or declined. Leaders have a special responsibility to resolve conflicting assignments and protect the focus they ask the team to maintain. Revisit the plan when reality changes, rather than treating every new request as an automatic priority.

Why it matters

Put important work on the calendar deliberately, then help the team make honest choices about what will wait.

Put it into practice

1. 1.In a weekly planning check, sort current work by urgency and importance using Covey’s four-quadrant lens.
2. 2.Schedule protected time for the most important work that is not yet urgent; name what will be paused or delegated.
3. 3.Ask where assignments conflict, resolve ownership, and review the plan midweek for changed conditions.

Reflection questions

• Which important priority keeps being crowded out by urgent requests?
• What will you pause, delegate, or decline to protect time for that priority?

Situation

What a team celebrates helps members see what counts as success.

Main guidance

What a team celebrates helps members see what counts as success. If recognition focuses only on individual wins, people may learn to compete for attention. Make room to acknowledge shared effort: the person who coordinated handoffs, the colleague who offered help, and the group that delivered on its mission together. Celebrate contributions honestly; encouragement should not hide a missed commitment or require people to pretend that a difficult season is easy. A leader can recognize progress while still naming what needs to improve. The goal is not constant positivity. It is to direct attention toward the behaviors and shared purpose that help people work well together, then reinforce those behaviors consistently.

Why it matters

Celebrate cooperation and mission-aligned effort without using praise to avoid candor or accountability.

Put it into practice

1. 1.At the next team check-in, name one result that depended on people working together.
2. 2.Recognize specific contributions across roles, including the less visible work that enabled the result.
3. 3.Pair the celebration with an honest next step if a standard or commitment still needs attention.

Reflection questions

• What does your team learn about success from what you celebrate?
• How can you acknowledge shared effort while still naming a commitment that needs attention?