How To Give a Negative Performance Review: 90 Examples for 2026

Giving a negative performance review is one of the most challenging responsibilities managers face.

Distributed teams, hybrid schedules, evolving roles, and higher expectations around transparency and fairness mean that poorly delivered feedback doesn’t just fall flat–it can damage trust, engagement, and retention.

At the same time, avoiding difficult conversations isn’t an option. Employees need clear, honest feedback to improve, grow, and understand what success looks like in their role.

The difference between feedback that motivates improvement and feedback that creates resentment often comes down to how it’s delivered, not whether it’s delivered at all.

The principles below are designed to help managers deliver negative performance feedback in a way that is clear, fair, and constructive. Each principle includes guidance on how to frame feedback, along with examples of what not to say and what to say instead. Together, they provide a practical framework for turning uncomfortable conversations into productive ones—while maintaining accountability, respect, and forward momentum.

A Simple Example of Why Words Matter

If you're at all skeptical about the power of words in employee performance reviews, take a minute to consider these two examples giving the same feedback with different phrases.

Example A: “Our last product had 56% more bugs than usual. What do you think we can do to ship a less buggy product next time?”

Example B: “You were much more careless with the last product and it was much buggier than normal. Find a way to fix it next time.”

Which one sounds more effective?

That's right, example A.

Words matter, plain and simple. Let’s look at some ways to make feedback more effective by hitting the right notes in your performance appraisals.

1. Focus On the Job, Not the Person

Negative feedback should always focus on observable behaviors, decisions, and outcomes—not personal traits or character judgments. When feedback feels personal, employees are more likely to become defensive or disengaged. Keeping the conversation anchored in the work itself makes the feedback fairer, more actionable, and easier to accept.

Bad examples

• “You’re unreliable.”
• “You’re just not a team player.”
• “You’re careless with your work.”

Good examples

• “Several deadlines were missed this quarter without advance communication.”
• “In team discussions, there were multiple instances where follow-ups weren’t completed.”
• “The final deliverables contained errors that required rework before submission.”

2. Be Specific

Vague feedback leaves employees guessing about what needs to change and how success will be measured. Specific feedback—grounded in concrete examples, metrics, or timeframes—removes ambiguity and sets a clear path forward. In modern performance systems, specificity also reinforces fairness and consistency across reviews.

Bad examples

• “You need to improve your communication.”
• “Your performance hasn’t been strong.”
• “This work isn’t meeting expectations.”

Good examples

• “Project updates were often shared after deadlines, which limited the team’s ability to respond.”
• “In the last two client reviews, key action items were missing from the summary.”
• “Quality issues appeared in three of the last five deliverables.”

3. Consider Questions Over Statements

Questions invite reflection, ownership, and problem-solving, while statements can feel directive or judgmental. By asking thoughtful questions, managers encourage employees to engage with the feedback and contribute to solutions. This approach supports growth-oriented conversations rather than one-sided critiques.

Bad examples

• “You’re not managing your time well.”
• “You need to be more proactive.”
• “You’re not prioritizing correctly.”

Good examples

• “What factors are making it difficult to manage competing deadlines right now?”
• “What would help you surface risks earlier in the process?”
• “How are you currently prioritizing tasks when everything feels urgent?”

4. With Positives, Stick to Process. With Negatives, Stick To Progress.

Positive feedback is most effective when it reinforces the behaviors and processes that led to success. Negative feedback, on the other hand, should emphasize progress and improvement rather than dwelling on what went wrong. This balance helps employees repeat what works while staying focused on forward momentum.

Bad examples

• “Good job hitting the goal.”
• “You missed the mark here.”
• “That didn’t go well.”

Good examples

• “Your consistent use of sprint planning helped you deliver on time—keep that process in place.”
• “This outcome didn’t meet expectations, so let’s focus on what we’ll do differently next time.”
• “What adjustments can help improve results in the next cycle?”

5. Connect Personally Where You Can

Sharing relevant experiences or acknowledging shared challenges can humanize feedback and build trust. When done thoughtfully, personal connection signals support without shifting focus away from performance. This is especially important in hybrid and remote environments, where feedback can otherwise feel impersonal.

Bad examples

• “I never had this issue when I was in your role.”
• “This shouldn’t be hard.”
• “You’re overthinking it.”

Good examples

• “I’ve faced similar challenges balancing priorities—what’s been hardest for you?”
• “I remember struggling with this early on; what support would be most helpful?”
• “This is a common growth area, and it’s something we can work through together.”

6. Get Serious but Don’t Get Mean

Clear accountability and empathy are not mutually exclusive. Managers should communicate the seriousness of performance issues without resorting to harsh language or assumptions about intent. Respectful, direct feedback maintains dignity while reinforcing expectations.

Bad examples

• “You clearly don’t care.”
• “This is unacceptable.”
• “You keep messing things up.”

Good examples

• “This issue needs to be addressed to meet the expectations of the role.”
• “The impact here is significant, and we need to see improvement.”
• “Let’s talk through what needs to change and how we’ll measure progress.”

7. Anchor Feedback to Outcomes and Impact

Effective negative feedback explains why an issue matters, not just that it exists. By tying feedback to business outcomes, team efficiency, or customer experience, you remove subjectivity and make the conversation harder to dismiss. This also helps employees prioritize what to fix by understanding the real-world consequences of their actions.

Bad examples

• “This approach just doesn’t work for me.”
• “Your delays are frustrating.”
• “You’re slowing the team down.”

Good examples

• “When the report was delivered late, the leadership team didn’t have the data needed for their planning meeting.”
• “Because the requirements weren’t finalized, engineering had to rework two features, which pushed the release back a week.”
• “When updates aren’t shared proactively, stakeholders make decisions without the full picture.”

8. Separate Capability Gaps from Effort Gaps

Not all performance issues stem from lack of effort, and treating them as such can erode trust. Managers should distinguish between skill gaps, unclear expectations, competing priorities, and execution issues before delivering feedback. This clarity allows you to respond with the right support—whether that’s coaching, training, or realignment—rather than frustration.=

Bad examples

• “You’re not strong in this area.”
• “You just need to try harder.”
• “This should be easy by now.”

Good examples

• “This seems less about effort and more about clarity on expectations—let’s reset what ‘done’ looks like.”
• “The output suggests there may be a skills gap around data analysis; would training or peer review help?”
• “You’re putting in the time, but the approach isn’t producing the intended results—let’s adjust the method.”

9. Address Patterns, Not Isolated Incidents

Negative performance feedback should be based on recurring behaviors or outcomes, not isolated mistakes. Calling out patterns demonstrates fairness and reinforces that the review reflects sustained performance over time. It also helps employees recognize trends they may not see when focusing on individual events.

Bad examples

• “That meeting didn’t go well.”
• “You dropped the ball last week.”
• “This task wasn’t handled correctly.”

Good examples

• “Over the past three months, deadlines have been missed on four separate projects.”
• “Across multiple presentations this quarter, the executive summary has lacked clear recommendations.”
• “This isn’t a one-time issue—we’ve seen similar gaps in the last few releases.”

10. Make Expectations Explicit (Don’t Assume Alignment)

Many performance issues arise not from poor execution, but from misaligned or unstated expectations. Managers should clearly articulate what success looks like before evaluating performance against it. Explicit expectations reduce ambiguity, improve accountability, and make feedback feel constructive rather than arbitrary.

Bad examples

• “This isn’t what I expected.”
• “You should already know this.”
• “That’s not how we do things here.”

Good examples

• “The expectation for this role is weekly stakeholder updates; that wasn’t consistently happening.”
• “For senior-level work, we expect recommendations, not just analysis.”
• “Going forward, success in this area means X, Y, and Z—does that feel clear?”

11. Calibrate Feedback to Role and Level

Performance standards should scale with seniority, responsibility, and scope of influence. What’s acceptable learning behavior for a newer employee may signal a performance issue for someone in a more advanced role. Calling this out explicitly helps employees understand how expectations evolve as they grow.

Bad examples

• “This isn’t strong enough.”
• “I expected better.”
• “You’re missing the mark.”

Good examples

• “At your level, we expect you to anticipate risks rather than react to them.”
• “For someone in a leadership role, this decision should have included cross-team input.”
• “This would be solid execution for a newer hire, but we need more strategic depth from this role.”

12. Focus on Forward-Looking Change, Not Retroactive Judgment

The goal of negative feedback is improvement, not blame. Managers should frame conversations around what needs to change next, rather than replaying past mistakes in detail. This forward-looking approach keeps discussions productive and signals confidence in the employee’s ability to improve.

Bad examples

• “This shouldn’t have happened.”
• “You handled that wrong.”
• “That was a mistake.”

Good examples

• “Next time a project scope changes, how will you confirm alignment before proceeding?”
• “Going forward, what checkpoints can we add to catch this earlier?”
• “What would you do differently if a similar situation came up again?”

13. Be Clear About Severity and Priority

Employees need to understand how serious an issue is in order to respond appropriately. Vague or softened language can unintentionally minimize important feedback. Clear prioritization helps employees focus their energy on the issues that matter most to their performance and role stability.

Bad examples

• “Just something to keep in mind.”
• “This is kind of an issue.”
• “You may want to work on this.”

Good examples

• “This is a key improvement area for the next review cycle.”
• “This issue is impacting team performance and needs to change.”
• “Addressing this is a priority for continued success in this role.”

14. Distinguish Autonomy from Alignment

Modern roles emphasize autonomy, but autonomy without alignment can create downstream issues. Managers should reinforce that independent decision-making still requires shared context, communication, and buy-in. This ensures initiative strengthens the organization rather than fragmenting it.

Bad examples

• “You went rogue on this.”
• “You didn’t follow directions.”
• “You did your own thing.”

Good examples

• “The initiative showed ownership, but it diverged from agreed priorities.”
• “More alignment upfront would have prevented rework later.”
• “Autonomy works best when assumptions are validated early with stakeholders.”

15. Normalize Course Correction (Without Lowering the Bar)

Performance improvement should be positioned as an expected part of growth, not a personal failure. At the same time, managers must reinforce that standards remain firm and progress is required. This balance keeps feedback motivating while maintaining accountability.

Bad examples

• “This keeps happening.”
• “I don’t know how many times I can say this.”
• “We’ve talked about this before.”

Good examples

• “We’ve discussed this previously, so now the focus is on consistent follow-through.”
• “This is an area where improvement is expected, not optional.”
• “Let’s define what success looks like and how we’ll measure progress.”