45 Areas of Improvement Examples for Performance Reviews

Writing performance reviews is hard enough without staring at a blank page trying to find the right words. Below are ready-to-use examples of areas of improvement, organized by category. Adapt them to fit your employee’s specific situation.

Communication

Clear communication prevents misunderstandings and keeps projects on track. These examples address common communication gaps.

“Providing more frequent status updates would help stakeholders stay informed and reduce last-minute questions.”
“When sharing feedback with colleagues, leading with specific observations rather than general impressions would make the input more actionable.”
“Written communication is thorough but could be more concise. Shorter emails with clear action items would improve response rates.”
“Speaking up earlier in meetings when you have concerns would help the team course-correct before issues grow.”
“Adjusting communication style for different audiences (technical vs. non-technical) would improve cross-team collaboration.”

Time management

Time management issues show up as missed deadlines, rushed work, or uneven workload distribution. Address the pattern, not just individual instances.

“Building buffer time into project estimates would reduce the last-minute rushes we’ve seen on recent deliverables.”
“Prioritizing tasks based on business impact rather than order received would help focus energy on what matters most.”
“Breaking large projects into smaller milestones would make progress more visible and deadlines more manageable.”
“Saying no to lower-priority requests would protect time for the work that has the biggest impact.”
“Starting complex tasks earlier in the day, when focus is highest, could improve output quality.”

Collaboration and teamwork

Collaboration feedback often feels personal. Keep it focused on specific behaviors and their impact on the team.

“Looping in teammates earlier in the process would surface potential issues before they become blockers.”
“When disagreeing with an approach, offering alternative solutions alongside the critique would make the feedback more constructive.”
“Sharing context behind decisions would help teammates understand priorities and reduce friction.”
“Being more available for quick questions would help junior team members move faster on their work.”
“Acknowledging others’ contributions in group settings would strengthen working relationships.”

Leadership and initiative

These apply to both people managers and individual contributors who influence others.

“Taking ownership of problems that fall between teams would demonstrate leadership beyond the immediate role.”
“Delegating more routine tasks would free up time for higher-impact strategic work.”
“Proactively identifying process improvements, rather than waiting for direction, would add more value to the team.”
“Sharing expertise through documentation or informal training would multiply your impact across the organization.”
“Following through on commitments made in meetings would build trust with cross-functional partners.”

Problem-solving and decision-making

Good problem-solvers don’t just identify issues. They propose solutions and know when to escalate.

“Bringing potential solutions when raising problems would make discussions more productive.”
“Gathering input from affected stakeholders before making decisions would improve buy-in and catch blind spots.”
“Escalating blockers earlier would prevent small issues from becoming major delays.”
“Documenting the reasoning behind decisions would help the team learn from both successes and mistakes.”
“Considering second-order effects of decisions would lead to more durable solutions.”

Technical skills and job knowledge

Technical feedback should be specific about the gap and clear about how to close it.

“Deepening expertise in [specific tool/technology] would increase independence on complex projects.”
“Staying current with industry developments would bring fresh ideas to the team’s approach.”
“Improving proficiency with [specific system] would reduce reliance on teammates for routine tasks.”
“Building stronger fundamentals in [skill area] would provide a foundation for more advanced work.”
“Cross-training on adjacent systems would increase flexibility and reduce single points of failure.”

Adaptability and change management

How employees respond to change affects team morale and project outcomes.

“Approaching new processes with more openness would help the team navigate transitions smoothly.”
“Adjusting priorities more quickly when circumstances change would keep work aligned with current needs.”
“Maintaining productivity during ambiguous periods would demonstrate resilience the team can rely on.”
“Helping teammates adapt to changes, rather than just adapting yourself, would strengthen the whole team.”
“Separating concerns about a change from resistance to it would make feedback more constructive.”

Attention to detail and quality

Quality issues compound over time. Address them before they become patterns.

“Adding a final review step before submitting work would catch the small errors that have slipped through recently.”
“Double-checking data sources would prevent the accuracy issues that required rework last quarter.”
“Following established processes more consistently would reduce the exceptions that slow down reviews.”
“Documenting edge cases encountered during projects would help maintain quality as complexity increases.”
“Asking clarifying questions upfront would reduce the need for revisions later.”

Quick reference by category

Category	Common Issues	Example Phrase
Communication	Updates, clarity, audience	”More frequent status updates would help stakeholders stay informed”
Time management	Deadlines, prioritization	”Building buffer time into estimates would reduce last-minute rushes”
Collaboration	Teamwork, availability	”Looping in teammates earlier would surface issues before they become blockers”
Leadership	Initiative, ownership	”Taking ownership of cross-team problems would demonstrate leadership”
Problem-solving	Solutions, escalation	”Bringing potential solutions when raising problems would help discussions”
Technical skills	Tools, knowledge gaps	”Deepening expertise in [tool] would increase independence”
Adaptability	Change response, flexibility	”Adjusting priorities more quickly would keep work aligned with current needs”
Attention to detail	Quality, accuracy	”Adding a final review step would catch small errors”

How to deliver improvement feedback

The examples above are starting points. Effective feedback requires context. When delivering areas of improvement:

Be specific. “Communication needs work” is too vague. “The client was frustrated when the delay wasn’t communicated until the day before launch” gives them something to learn from.

Pair with support. Identifying a gap without offering help isn’t development. It’s criticism. Ask what resources or support would help them improve.

Focus on patterns. One missed deadline might be circumstantial. Three missed deadlines is a pattern worth addressing.

Tools like Windmill help managers write specific, evidence-based feedback by pulling context from work tools throughout the year. Instead of trying to remember what happened six months ago, managers see a record of contributions, feedback from peers, and collaboration patterns. The result is reviews that focus on real examples rather than vague impressions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good areas of improvement for a performance review?

Common areas of improvement include communication skills, time management, collaboration, attention to detail, and adaptability. The best feedback focuses on specific behaviors rather than personality traits and includes actionable suggestions for development.

How do you write areas of improvement in a performance review?

Write areas of improvement by describing the specific behavior, its impact on work outcomes, and a concrete suggestion for development. Avoid vague criticism like 'needs to communicate better' in favor of specific observations like 'status updates to stakeholders would help the team stay aligned.'

What are examples of constructive feedback for employees?

Constructive feedback examples include 'Your technical work is strong, but proactively sharing progress updates would help the team plan more effectively' or 'Consider building in buffer time for complex projects to reduce last-minute rushes.' Good feedback pairs the observation with a path forward.

How do you give negative feedback in a performance review?

Frame negative feedback around behaviors and outcomes, not personality. Use specific examples from the review period, explain the impact, and offer support for improvement. Replace 'You're disorganized' with 'Missing the Q3 deadline affected the client relationship. Let's discuss how to build in more buffer time.'