Upward Review Examples: 50 Phrases for Reviewing Your Manager
Upward reviews give employees a real voice in how leadership is working. Here are 50 ready-to-use phrases to help you give your manager honest, constructive feedback.
Upward Review Examples: 50 Phrases for Reviewing Your Manager
Most of us have sat through a performance review where our manager holds all the cards. They assess us, rate us, and send us on our way. But what about the other direction? How often do employees get a structured, meaningful chance to say: here is what is working, here is what is not, and here is how you could lead us better?
That is exactly what upward reviews are for. And when they are done well, they can genuinely change how a team functions.
What Is an Upward Review?
An upward review is feedback given by employees about their manager. It might be part of a formal 360 degree review process, or it might be a standalone survey. Either way, the idea is simple: the people who work most closely with a manager are often best placed to comment on how well that manager communicates, supports growth, sets direction, and builds a healthy team environment.
This is not about airing grievances or scoring points. Done properly, upward feedback gives managers insight they genuinely cannot get from above. Senior leaders see outputs and results. Direct reports see the day to day reality of how someone actually leads.
Why Upward Feedback Matters (More Than Most Companies Realise)
There is solid evidence that good feedback, flowing in all directions, strengthens engagement and improves performance. Upward reviews specifically help to surface issues that might otherwise stay hidden until they become serious: communication breakdowns, unrealistic workloads, unclear priorities, or a team culture that is quietly deteriorating.
Perhaps more importantly, upward reviews send a signal to employees that their experience matters. When people see their feedback taken seriously and acted upon, trust grows. And trust, as any decent manager knows, is the foundation of a high performing team.
The problem is that many organisations still treat performance reviews as a one way street. That is a missed opportunity, and frankly, it is a bit outdated.
How to Write Upward Feedback That Actually Helps
Focus on Behavior, Not Personality
The golden rule of useful feedback: comment on what someone does, not who they are. "You are disorganised" is hard to act on and easy to dismiss. "In the last two sprints, deadlines and task ownership were unclear, which made it difficult to prioritise" is specific, fair, and actionable.
Use the SBI Model
The Situation Behavior Impact framework is worth knowing. Describe the situation, the specific behavior you observed, and the impact it had. For example: "In last month's planning meeting, when priorities shifted without explanation, I found it difficult to know where to focus and had to rework my schedule." That is a lot more useful than "You keep changing your mind."
Balance Positive and Constructive Comments
A good upward review is not a list of complaints. Start by acknowledging what your manager does well. Add one or two areas where things could improve. Close with something forward looking. This structure keeps the feedback constructive and avoids the kind of one sided venting that managers will naturally become defensive about.
Be Specific
Vague praise and vague criticism are both equally useless. "You're a great manager" tells someone nothing. "Your support during the Q3 product launch helped me handle senior stakeholders for the first time, and I grew a lot from that" tells them something they can build on.
50 Upward Review Phrases, Organised by Category
The phrases below are designed to be adapted. They are starting points, not scripts. Add your own context, reference specific projects, and adjust the wording to match your voice and your relationship with your manager.
A. Communication and Listening
1. "You clearly communicate goals and expectations, which helps me understand how my work contributes to the bigger picture." 2. "I appreciate how you share context and rationale behind decisions so the team understands the why, not just the what." 3. "You create space in meetings for everyone to speak, which makes it easier for me to contribute ideas and concerns." 4. "You listen carefully and ask clarifying questions before responding, which makes me feel heard and respected." 5. "Your regular updates on priorities and changes help reduce confusion and keep the team aligned." 6. "At times, I receive conflicting instructions from different stakeholders; it would help if you could clarify priorities and key decisions earlier in the process." 7. "When plans change, more advance notice and context would help me adapt without needing to rework as much." 8. "I would value more opportunities to discuss feedback in real time, rather than waiting for formal review cycles." 9. "I appreciate your transparency about challenges and trade offs; it builds trust and encourages open dialogue." 10. "Your calm, clear communication during stressful moments helps keep the team focused and grounded."
B. Coaching, Support, and Development
11. "Thank you for regularly sharing specific, actionable feedback that helps me improve my work and build new skills." 12. "You show genuine interest in my development and proactively offer opportunities that stretch my abilities." 13. "Your guidance during complex projects has helped me feel more confident taking on new responsibilities." 14. "I appreciate that you make time for one to one conversations where we can talk about my goals and growth." 15. "You recognise my strengths and encourage me to use them in ways that benefit both the team and my career." 16. "I would benefit from more regular feedback between review cycles so I can adjust more quickly." 17. "It would be helpful to have clearer development plans and next steps so I know what to focus on to progress." 18. "Sometimes I am unsure whether my performance is meeting your expectations; more specific examples from you would help." 19. "Your willingness to mentor and share your experiences has been a key factor in my growth this year." 20. "You encourage me to take ownership of my learning while still being available when I need guidance."
C. Clarity, Prioritisation, and Direction
21. "You set clear goals and success criteria, which makes it easier for me to focus on what matters most." 22. "Your ability to break down large objectives into manageable steps helps the team stay organised and productive." 23. "When priorities shift, you explain the reasons and help us re sequence work, which reduces frustration." 24. "I appreciate how you align our team's goals with wider business priorities so we understand our impact." 25. "Sometimes priorities feel unclear or change late in the process; aligning on the top three priorities earlier would help me plan my time." 26. "I would find it useful to have more clarity on what great looks like for certain projects so I can better meet your expectations." 27. "When multiple stakeholders are involved, clearer ownership and decision making from you would help reduce confusion." 28. "Your structured approach to planning gives me confidence that we are working on the right things at the right time."
D. Recognition and Motivation
29. "You consistently recognise individual and team achievements, which makes me feel valued and motivated." 30. "Your positive feedback after challenging projects helps me see the impact of my work." 31. "I appreciate that you highlight both results and the effort behind them, not just final outcomes." 32. "You celebrate wins in a way that brings the team together and boosts morale." 33. "More regular recognition, even for smaller milestones, would help maintain motivation during longer projects." 34. "At times, constructive feedback can outweigh positive feedback; a more balanced approach would help me stay confident while still improving." 35. "Your encouragement during setbacks helps me stay resilient and keeps the team focused on solutions." 36. "You take time to acknowledge contributions in front of others, which builds a strong sense of appreciation and team spirit."
E. Workload, Well Being, and Work Life Balance
37. "You show respect for work life boundaries, which helps me maintain sustainable performance over the long term." 38. "I appreciate how you check in on workload and redistribute tasks when someone is overloaded." 39. "Your flexibility around schedules and personal commitments has made a positive difference to my well being." 40. "Sometimes the volume of work and timelines feel challenging; collaborating on realistic deadlines would help reduce stress." 41. "It would help to discuss priorities more often so that we can decide together what to de prioritise when new work appears." 42. "You model healthy boundaries yourself, which makes it easier for the team to look after their well being." 43. "Your openness to talking about stress and burnout creates a safe environment to raise concerns early."
F. Decision Making, Ownership, and Accountability
44. "You make timely decisions and explain your reasoning, which helps the team move forward with confidence." 45. "You involve the team in key decisions, which makes me feel trusted and included." 46. "I appreciate that you hold the team accountable in a fair and consistent way." 47. "When issues arise, you focus on solutions rather than blame, which encourages honest discussions about risks and mistakes." 48. "At times, responsibilities and ownership across the team feel blurred; clearer delegation from you would help improve accountability." 49. "I would value more explicit follow through on agreed actions so that important decisions do not lose momentum." 50. "Your willingness to own your mistakes and share what you have learned sets a strong example of accountability for the team."
Making the Most of These Phrases
Adapt Them to Your Situation
These phrases are templates, not finished comments. The best upward feedback connects to real situations. Instead of "You support my development," try something like: "Your decision to give me ownership of the client onboarding project in Q1 helped me develop stakeholder skills I had been trying to build for over a year." That kind of specificity is what turns good feedback into great feedback.
Pair Ratings with Written Comments
If your review form uses a rating scale, do not stop there. A score of 3 out of 5 on communication tells your manager very little. A short written comment explaining what is behind that rating is where the real value is. Ratings show patterns across a team; written comments explain what is driving them.
Use Your Review to Start a Conversation
The best upward reviews do not end when you click submit. They open a door. If your manager is genuinely receptive, use your comments as a starting point for your next one to one. Frame things as shared problem solving: "How can we make our planning meetings work better for everyone?" is a much easier conversation to have than "Your planning meetings are not working."
A Note on Psychological Safety
Here is the honest reality: upward reviews only work if people feel safe giving them. If employees fear that honest feedback will come back to bite them, they will write vague, inoffensive comments that tell the organisation nothing useful.
If you are an HR leader or manager reading this, that is worth taking seriously. Confidential, aggregated feedback and clear evidence that it leads to action are what build the kind of trust that makes upward reviews genuinely valuable.
If you want to make upward reviews and self assessments easier for your whole organisation, Perform Review is built for exactly that. The platform helps employees and managers produce high quality, professional self and peer assessments with AI assistance, making the whole review process faster, fairer, and a lot less painful than staring at a blank text box hoping for inspiration.