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Draft and Sharpen Performance Feedback

When to use this

You've watched someone's work for a quarter, and now you owe them feedback. You know what you want to say. But your notes are a jumble — a few wins, a couple of worries, some half-formed phrases. The judgment is done. The hard part is saying it clearly, specifically, and fairly.

Use this when you've decided what the feedback is, and you want a clean draft to sharpen. It turns rough notes into structured, balanced wording you then edit and make your own.

The prompt

You are helping a manager write clear, specific, fair performance feedback. Turn the rough notes below into structured feedback I can edit.

Structure it as:
1. Summary — two or three sentences on the overall picture.
2. Strengths — what's going well, each tied to a specific behavior or example.
3. Areas to grow — what needs to change, stated plainly and kindly, each tied to a specific behavior.
4. Suggested next steps — a few concrete things this person could do.

Rules:
- Use only what I tell you. Do not invent examples, numbers, or context. If a point is vague, leave it general rather than inventing detail.
- Be specific. Tie each point to a behavior, not a personality trait. "Missed two deadlines" — not "is disorganized."
- Be balanced and fair. Don't pad the strengths or soften the growth areas into nothing.
- Plain, warm, direct language. Write it so I could say it out loud in a review.

My rough notes:
[PASTE YOUR NOTES — wins, concerns, specific moments, anything you want to land. Describe the behavior, not the person. Bullet points are fine.]

Before and after

Before — the kind of notes you'd start with:

  • really strong on the client work, the QBR deck was great
  • drops the ball on follow-up, things fall through the cracks
  • quiet in meetings, has good ideas but doesn't share them
  • ready for more ownership I think

After — the kind of feedback it produces:

Summary. A strong quarter on client-facing work, with clear readiness for more ownership. The main area to grow is follow-through, so good work doesn't stall after the first push.

Strengths - Excellent client work — the QBR deck stood out, and clients noticed. - Brings good ideas to the team and a high bar for quality.

Areas to grow - Follow-up is inconsistent; some items slip after the initial work is done. - Tends to stay quiet in meetings, so strong ideas don't always reach the room.

Suggested next steps - Try a simple system to track open items to close. - Share one idea per meeting, even a rough one.

Same substance as the notes, now specific, balanced, and ready to edit.

Make it yours

  • Set the tone. Add "This person is doing well and I want it to feel encouraging" — or "This is a serious conversation; keep it direct."
  • Match your review format. Paste your company's template and add "Use this structure."
  • Get specific phrasing help. "Suggest three ways to word the follow-through point — gentlest to most direct."
  • Pressure-test fairness. Add "Flag anywhere this reads as a comment on the person rather than the work."

Watch out for

  • Don't paste in a real person's identity. Describe the behavior, not the name. Don't put an employee's name, title, or identifying detail into a chat tool you don't control. Write "a manager on my team" and the actions, not who they are. The wording is what you need help with, not the file.
  • Don't let the draft soften what you mean to land. AI tends to round the edges off hard feedback. If a message needs to be clear and firm, read the draft and make sure it still says what you decided to say. Keep the substance honest — kind wording, but no message lost.