Reviews & performance
Prepare for your review conversation
A short worksheet to walk into your review knowing what you want to say and what you need to find out
Before your review, write down the three things you want your manager to hear and the two questions you want answered.
- 20 minutes
- Just you
- Before each review
- Worksheet
Why this can work
A review conversation goes by fast, and without a plan most people spend it reacting. Deciding ahead what you want your manager to hear, and what you need to find out, turns it into a two-way conversation. If the news is unexpected, you still leave with the information you came for.
Read moreHow to prepare for a performance review conversation
You’ll come away with three things to say, two questions to ask, and a plan if it surprises you.
- Write down what you want to say and ask.
Three short sentences, each something you'd be disappointed not to have said: often an outcome you're proud of, something you're working on, and something you want next. Then two questions whose answers would change what you do next year. Questions that look forward give your manager something they can say yes to; questions that argue with the past tend to make people defensive.
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- Plan for a surprise.
Decide now what you'll do if you hear something unexpected: listen, ask for one example, and say you'd like to think about it. Having the words ready makes it much easier to stay steady.
You“That's not what I expected, and I want to understand it. Could you give me an example? I'd like to think it over and come back to it.” - Say early that you've brought a short list.
Near the start, mention the few things you want to cover. It tells your manager you've taken the conversation seriously, and it protects time for your questions.
You“I came with a couple of things I want to make sure we cover, and two questions. Would you like to go through yours first?” - Write down what you heard, the same day.
The rating, the reasons, the answers to your questions, and anything you agreed. Memory of a charged conversation fades and bends quickly.
Good times to repeat it: a few days before each reviewbefore any big conversation about your performancebefore a promotion discussion
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
At many companies it's decided before the conversation, sometimes in a meeting you're not part of. That makes the conversation better for understanding and for shaping next year than for changing the number.
What might make this harder
Let them go first, then say you have two questions before you wrap up. Most managers will make the time if you ask for it plainly.
Questions people ask
How do I prepare for a performance review meeting?
Decide the few things you want your manager to hear and the questions you want answered, and plan what you'll do if something surprises you. Twenty minutes of preparation changes how the conversation goes.
What questions should I ask in my performance review?
Questions about the future work best: what they'd most like to see from you next year, and what would make the case for your next step clearer.
What should I say in my performance review?
An outcome you're proud of, something you're working on, and something you want next. Keep each short, and say them early, before the time runs out.
Is it okay to bring notes to a performance review?
Yes. Notes help you cover what you planned and stay steady if the conversation turns, and most managers take them as a sign you've prepared.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Few conversations at work pack as much into as little time as a review. One person has been preparing it for weeks, the other often walks in cold, and the first thing said tends to decide how everything after it is heard. A little thought beforehand means you're not the one walking in cold.
Going in with three things to say and two questions to ask changes your role in the room. You're no longer only receiving. You have your own reasons for being there, and they don't depend on how the rating landed. If the news is good, you use the time to shape next year. If it isn't, your questions still get answered, and you leave with more than a feeling.
From your manager's side, a prepared employee is usually a relief. Delivering reviews is a skill few managers get much practice at, and plenty find it uncomfortable, especially when the news is mixed. When you arrive calm, with a short list, you make it easier for them to be honest and specific, which is exactly what you want from them.
If your company delivers reviews in writing with no meeting at all, don't wait for a conversation that isn't coming: send your two questions by email and ask for twenty minutes to talk them through. Either way, the point of preparing isn't to win the conversation. It's to change what you walk out with.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Reviews & performance
A few minutes that compound
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.