Every Monday, I write a post related to my leadership playbook. Last week, I wrote a post on how to write meaningful performance reviews for technical teams. This is Part 2 of it. Enjoy!

Using 1:1 Notes for Authentic Reviews

The best performance reviews I’ve written come from detailed 1:1 notes throughout the review period. Here’s my system:

Weekly 1:1 tracking:

• Specific technical achievements
• Growth areas addressed
• Challenges overcome
• Peer feedback received
• Career development discussions

Quarterly compilation:

• Patterns of growth or concern
• Progression against development goals
• 360-degree feedback integration
• Future opportunity identification

The Promotion-Focused Review

When I wrote promotion recommendations for my reports, I learned that promotion reviews need different elements:

The Promotion Framework:

1. Current Level Mastery: Evidence they’ve mastered their current role
2. Next Level Demonstration: Examples of already operating at the next level
3. Growth Trajectory: Clear path for continued development
4. Organizational Need: Why the promotion serves business goals

Example: “Marco has consistently demonstrated Senior Engineer capabilities while officially at mid-level level. His technical leadership on our microservices migration, including architecture design, cross-team coordination, and mentoring junior engineers, shows he’s already operating at Senior level. Promoting him recognizes current reality and positions him to take on even greater technical leadership challenges.”

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

The Sandwich Approach: Don’t bury important feedback between compliments. Be direct about both strengths and development areas.

Recency Bias: Don’t focus only on recent work. Good reviews cover the entire review period.

Comparison Trap: Don’t compare engineers to each other. Compare them to their role expectations and growth trajectory.

Generic Language: Avoid vague terms like “good,” “solid,” or “needs improvement.” Use specific, observable behaviors.

Making Reviews Actionable

The best performance review is useless if it doesn’t lead to action. Every review should end with:

For the Employee:

• 2-3 specific development goals for the next period
• Resources or support needed to achieve those goals
• Career trajectory discussion and next steps

For the Manager:

• Commitment to specific support (training, stretch assignments, mentoring)
• Timeline for follow-up discussions
• Connection to team/organizational goals

The Long-Term Impact

Well-written performance reviews become career development tools. Engineers I’ve managed still reference specific feedback from reviews years later. The review becomes a shared reference point for growth conversations and career planning.

More importantly, investing time in thoughtful reviews builds trust. When engineers see that you truly understand their contributions and care about their growth, they’re more likely to stretch themselves and take on challenging work.

Conclusion: Performance reviews aren’t paperwork. They’re one of the most powerful tools you have for developing your team. Make them count.

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What elements have you found most effective in technical performance reviews? How do you balance honest feedback with career development? Share your approaches in the comments.

Read my related posts on writing better performance reviews and leveraging AI to do this job efficiently and effectively.