Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the performance report
• Part 2 of 3: Creating meaningful content
• Part 3 of 3: Using effective language
• Tips

Do you have to write a performance report? Many positions require this, and often these are self-assessments where you are asked to report what you have been doing throughout the year. You may have been instructed to write a report on a meeting instead. Knowledge of how to properly write such a report can make a big difference whether you are perceived as successful or not.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the performance report

1. Start with a summary paragraph. Summarize the overview at the top of the evaluation. Inform readers of the overall performance.
   • You may be writing a performance report for a non-profit organization. You can summarize successes such as having organized successful events for stakeholders, gained industry recognition, and expanded a customer base.
   • You don't have to clutter the summary with details. Here you summarize the most important points. You provide an overview. Try not to make the report too long. Two pages is a good rule of thumb, unless the employer has a specific wish. Ask your employer to see if there is a recommended format.
2. Provide details to support each point of the summary. Now you need to justify the main points in the summary at the beginning, with details later in the report.
   • Use a text outline. Organize different areas in their own paragraphs and use sub-points under each heading. For example, one of your paragraphs may be called "Organized Events".
   • Under such a headline, you can post (with bullet points or letters) a brief summary of each event, its purpose, and how it helped the group's mission. Be specific here.
3. Use a professional format. Do not collect the report. You want the report to look well-organized, in a professional font and on nice paper.
   • Create a title and center it at the top of the page. Use bold subheadings to organize information.
   • Provide the basic information at the top of the report. Present the dates to which the evaluation relates and the name and title of the person who created it.
4. Keep a log for the entire period in question. It gets a lot easier if you keep track of progress as it happens.
   • Keep a diary or folder where you keep track of your performance during the evaluation period. This will make your life a lot easier when it comes time to write the report.
   • Failure to do so may result in forgetting important achievements that occurred at the beginning of the period.

Part 2 of 3: Creating meaningful content

1. Remind people of your performance goals and expectations. You need to remind people what the goals were at the beginning of the evaluation period. What were the objectives? What are the expectations of the task? If you don't know, have your employer provide it.
   • Then explain how they were achieved by showing actual numbers. The point is to compare what your activities or results were against the original projects.
   • For example: if you have raised more money than expected, this will come across positively to investors or superiors. However, if you do not provide a benchmark, it is more difficult to assess whether and to what extent it has been a success.
2. Provide footage. Include a few graphs or charts if you think they help the reader evaluate the data you're presenting.
   • Remember, some readers will only skim the report because they are likely to be busy. Visual aids can therefore often convey your point a bit more effectively.
   • However, don't bombard the reader with too many graphs. Select one or two graphs that emphasize the main points.
3. Focus on CAR. This technique helps you to document your performance. It stands for Challenge, Action and Results. This will help you organize your performance.
   • View the challenge of the assignment. Then outline the action you took to address the problem, then document your results. For example, let's say you are a manager at a restaurant. You could write: Challenge - The lines got too long around dinner time at night, increasing customer complaints by 10 percent. Action - Deploy a waitress an hour earlier to increase the number of employees during busy hours. Result - Complaints from customers about long waiting times decreased to two, a decrease of 80 percent.
   • The main point is to be specific here. Overall achievements like "I'm a team player" don't make much sense because anyone can say things like that. The key is to link results to core issues and demonstrate success through data and specifications.
4. Indicate your methodology. If your program involved some form of data collection, it is a good idea to briefly explain the methodology you used.
   • Let readers know the reason for the chosen research method. Explain the benefits and results of the survey. Why was this a credible method? For example, use the restaurant scenario to explain why it makes sense to use complaints as a methodology.
   • Explain what the research data means and what you tried to achieve with the research.
5. Focus on you performance. To fine-tune the achievements you want to present, think about where you are most proud of during that period. Maybe it was your calming effect on concerned visitors. Maybe it was coaching others. Don't throw too much detail in front of readers.
   • Another method you can use to do this is the STAR method. This method consists of briefly describing a situation and task, the action you took to achieve it, and the results you achieved. As with the CAR method, the goal here is to link problems to results and explain how you achieved them.
   • Focus on things like difficulty, uniqueness, first time, high visibility, meeting deadlines, innovation and the scope and impact of your work.
   • An example of this is to explain that when you started as a branch manager, annual employee turnover was 35 percent. You implemented an employee satisfaction survey, set up employee mentorship and started a weekly staff meeting. As a result, staff turnover has dropped to 15 percent. As this example shows, the performance doesn't have to be overly verbatim as long as it provides the correct links.
6. Explain your worth. Don't just say what your results are, but also explain why these performances are of value to the organization.
   • For example, let's say you started holding staff meetings. And then? What value has that created for the organization? Think about it carefully. If there is no concrete value, you may have to emphasize something else.
   • If staff meetings helped boost employee morale, as evidenced by a drop in sick days (which saved the employer money), then you've demonstrated your worth.
7. Proofread the report before submitting it. You defeat the purpose of a completion report if you turn in something disjointed that is unprofessional.
   • Proofread the report for grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. Leave the report overnight and read it again the next morning. Do not write the report at the last minute.
   • Print a hard copy and check it for errors during proofreading. Sometimes a person's eyes become so attached to the computer screen that obvious errors are no longer noticed.

Part 3 of 3: Using effective language

1. State negative things in a positive way. If there is something where you have not met expectations, it is better not to avoid it. Don't make it the central focus of the report, but focus on it.
   • Treat the areas where you haven't fared so well with positive language. For example, focus on the concrete steps you are taking to address the problem, instead of focusing on the blame or apology.
   • Don't blame others in a performance report. Stay focused on what you did. Stay positive. Focus on the things that you or your group did well. Determine the areas you can emphasize.
2. Use numbers and statistics. If you can be very specific, your answers will seem more believable. Where possible, substantiate what you say with something measurable.
   • General superlatives such as "excellent" or "reliable" don't make much sense. Telling someone you had "an excellent year" is something anyone can say.
   • Remember this phrase: Don't tell, show it. Rather than telling people you had an excellent year, show them your achievements through details and data. Rather than saying you're good at customer relationships, quote the results of customer satisfaction surveys, letters you've received, and a decrease in customer complaints.
   • Usage figures. Saying that you managed a large number of employees does not mean much if it is not clear how large that number was. Use numbers to express the size of a budget and outline the size of the tasks.
3. Always tell the truth. Do not exaggerate. Do not lie. If you are caught in a lie, you could be in big trouble.
   • The other problem with lying, even through an obvious omission, is that you will eventually lose confidence and not be able to improve yourself.
   • Rather show an honest assessment of the evaluation period, with both weaknesses and positive points. Address the weaknesses. Just find a positive way to do that.
4. Give others the recognition they deserve. Many business and technical writing courses advise against using the pronoun "I". In some cases you can do this in a performance report.
   • For example, you can say, "I hired 100 people." However, don't forget the other people who contributed to the successes. Consult the team (if applicable).
   • You get extra points if you don't come across as arrogant. Vary the sentence structure so that each sentence does not begin with the word "I".

Tips

• Never take an angry note in a performance report. It almost always pays to stay positive.
• Use professional, formal language.