Translate a Workplace Performance Review Into What Your Manager Is Actually Saying

Performance reviews are written by managers who have been told what they can and cannot say. The result is a document full of carefully worded observations that are not always clear about whether they are praise or concern. This translates yours: what each comment actually means, what the coded phrases indicate, and what the review is telling you about where you stand and what to do next.

Performance reviews are written in HR-compliant language that can make it hard to know whether you are being praised, warned, or managed out. Translate the performance review feedback below into plain English.

For each section or comment, identify: what the language is actually saying about your performance; whether the feedback is positive, neutral, or a concern being raised cautiously; any phrase that functions as coded language for a specific problem; and what the review implies you should do differently in the next six months. End with an overall plain-language summary: what the review is actually telling you about where you stand.

[paste the performance review or key sections here]