The performance review is the most structured element of the performance management process and covers a longer period of time. Feedback skills are tremendously important, and they are invaluable throughout the entire process.

The perfect performance review form has not yet been invented. Most organizations that have performance appraisal systems in place are constantly modifying their form, with an eye to improving it, and keeping it as simple as possible for people to work with. In some cases, this means a couple of pages, and in organizations that are heavily project driven, it can mean 20 pages and more.

There should be room on your form for looking at the past, as a review of the appraisal period, certainly, but there should also be time and space devoted to the future.