Direct Report Questions Checklist

A performance review that's just you reading a written assessment out loud isn't a conversation, it's a monologue. The questions you ask are what turn it into something that surfaces what you didn't already know: where they're actually stuck, what they want next, and what you're doing that's getting in their way. These are grouped by what each one is trying to find out.

The Checklist

Work through it in order. Tick things off as you go and your progress is saved on this device, so you can come back to it over the days before the conversation rather than doing it all in one sitting.

1. Start by asking how they'd assess the period themselves

   Opening with their perspective, before yours, tells you fast whether you're about to have an easy conversation or a hard one, and gives them the first word instead of just a reaction to yours.

   • "How would you describe how this period went, in your own words?"
   • "What are you most proud of from the last few months?"
   • "Where do you think you fell short of what you wanted, if anywhere?"

2. Ask what's actually gotten in their way

   People rarely volunteer blockers unprompted, especially ones that might sound like complaints. A direct question gives them permission to name them.

   • "What got in the way of doing your best work this period?"
   • "Was there anything you needed, information, access, support, that you didn't have?"
   • "Is there a project or task that felt like it dragged on longer than it should have, and if so, why?"

3. Ask specifically about your own impact

   This is the question most managers skip, and it's the one most likely to surface something you genuinely didn't know about your own behavior.

   • "What have I done this period that made your job easier?"
   • "What have I done that made your job harder, even if it wasn't intentional?"
   • "Is there anything you've wanted to raise with me but haven't found the moment for?"

4. Ask about how they want to grow, not just what they did

   A review that only looks backward misses the part of the conversation the employee usually cares about most: where this is going.

   • "What skills or experience do you want to build in the next period?"
   • "Where do you see yourself heading over the next year or two here?"
   • "Is there a type of work you'd like more exposure to that you haven't had yet?"

5. Ask how they want to be supported, specifically

   General offers of support get general answers. Asking about specific mechanisms gets you something you can actually act on.

   • "What kind of feedback is most useful to you, and how often do you want it?"
   • "Is there a skill gap you're aware of that you'd want help closing?"
   • "What would make our regular 1:1s more useful to you than they currently are?"

6. Ask about the team and how they experience working on it

   An individual review is also a window into team health, but only if you ask questions that go beyond their own output.

   • "How do you feel about how the team is working together right now?"
   • "Is there anyone on the team whose work you think deserves more visibility than it's getting?"
   • "Is there anything about how we operate as a team that you'd change if you could?"

7. Close with a genuinely open question

   Whatever you planned to cover, leave room at the end for whatever they've been sitting on that none of your other questions reached. If the answer points to something bigger, like a hard conversation you'll need to have later, that's a good moment to think about how you'll approach it rather than reacting on the spot.

   • "Is there anything we haven't talked about that's on your mind?"
   • "Any concerns about the road ahead you want to flag now rather than later?"
   • "What's one thing you'd want me to remember from this conversation?"

That is the whole checklist

Everything above is general by design, so it holds for most people in most companies. The specifics of your own case are the part it cannot cover.