Something to doReviews & performance
Raise a performance concern early
A simple conversation to raise a concern while it's small, and agree together on what better looks like
Why it’s worth your time
Most performance problems get harder the longer nobody mentions them. Waiting feels kind, but it usually means the person hears about it later, when it's bigger and has already shaped what people think of them. A calm, specific conversation early gives them the best chance to fix it.
How to address a performance issue with an employee
You’ll come away with a shared picture of what better looks like, and a date to check in on it.
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
- Check your side first.
Were the expectations ever clear? Is this a pattern or one bad week? Could something be going on for them that you don't know about? Some concerns turn out to be yours to fix, and it's better to find that out before the conversation than during it.
- Write down what you saw and why it mattered.
One specific situation, the behavior, and its effect. Behavior is what a camera would record, not a trait like careless or negative. For example: in Thursday's client call, the numbers hadn't been checked, the client caught two errors, and we spent the next day rebuilding their confidence.
- Say it plainly, then ask for their view.
Keep it short and calm, then actually listen. Their view may change the picture: a tool that broke, or a priority you set that clashed with this one.
You“I want to raise something while it's small. Here's what I saw, and here's why it mattered. I may be missing part of it, so I'd like to hear how it looked from your side.” - Agree on what better looks like, and by when.
Something specific enough that you'd both recognize it, and a date to check in. Then send a short note the same day, so two people don't remember two different conversations.
To: your reportThanks for talking today. Here's what we agreed, so we both have it in writing:
what better looks like, by date. On my side, I'll what you'll do to help.
Tell me if I've missed anything. I'll check in with you on check-in date.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Check in when you said you would.
If it's better, say so specifically. If it isn't, you have a clear, fair basis for the next conversation.
Good moments for this: the first time you notice a patternwithin a few days of a clear missbefore it would surprise them in a review
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
Keep going with Truest
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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
Raised in front of others, a concern lands as a judgment. Raised one-to-one within a few days, it lands as information.
What might make this harder
Let them finish, then return to the one specific example. Defensiveness usually eases once they see this is about one thing, not a verdict on them.
Questions people ask
How do I tell an employee they're not meeting expectations?
Privately and early. Name one specific situation, what they did, and its effect, then ask for their view and agree on what better looks like and by when.
How do I describe a performance problem without making it personal?
Use situation, behavior, impact: describe where it happened, what the person did, and the effect it had. It keeps feedback specific and away from judgments about character, and was developed by the Center for Creative Leadership.
Should I document a performance conversation?
Yes, simply. A short note to the employee afterward, with what you agreed and when you'll check in, helps you both remember the same conversation.
How soon should a manager address a performance problem?
As soon as you see a pattern, or within days of a clear miss. The longer it waits, the bigger it tends to feel to both of you.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Concerns tend to go unsaid for kind reasons. It might be a one-off. They're under pressure. You don't want to discourage them. Meanwhile the concern quietly shapes how you, and often other people, see them. Often, everyone knows except the person it's about.
Two established approaches shape this conversation. The Center for Creative Leadership's situation-behavior-impact model keeps what you say specific: where it happened, what the person did, and what effect it had. Crucial Conversations, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler, adds three habits that are easy to skip: lead with the facts before your conclusions, hold those conclusions tentatively, and genuinely ask for the other person's view. Here's what I saw, here's what I think it means, and here's what we might do is a shape that works for almost any concern.
From your report's side, the worst version isn't hearing a concern. It's discovering months later, in a review or a missed opportunity, that it had been a concern all along. An early, calm conversation is the more respectful option, even though it's the more uncomfortable one.
This isn't the approach for serious misconduct, harassment, or anything with legal or safety implications; those need HR from the start, not a quiet one-to-one. And if the same concern has already been raised clearly a few times without change, you're past early; talk to HR about a more formal process.
Other simple things to consider
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Written by Truest, based on Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model (Center for Creative Leadership) and Crucial Conversations (Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler). Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.