Granted, not everyone may look forward to performance reviews, whether giving or receiving them.
Managers are juggling competing priorities, tight timelines, and the pressure to deliver their reviews effectively in conversations that can impact careers, morale and the team dynamic.
Team members can feel anxious too, wondering if they’ve done a good job. And yet, performance reviews should be one of the most powerful tools you have to:
- Align expectations
- Boost engagement
- Develop your people for what’s next – the impact opportunities.
So why aren’t they led that way more often? And what can managers do differently?
What if performance reviews moved from an “annual sit-down” mandatory event to a continuous development conversation focused on growth?
Why Traditional Performance Reviews Miss the Mark
Even with the best intentions, performance reviews often fall short because:
- Feedback is vague or overly general
- Emotions run high and both sides get defensive
- The conversation is one-sided, with the manager talking at the employee
- “Ratings” overshadow real development opportunities
- Different communication styles clash
Beneath the surface of every performance review conversation is that: people don’t hear feedback purely based on what you say, but on how you say it and how they prefer to receive it.
That’s where DiSC comes in.
- D (Dominance) – Fast-paced, direct, focused on results
- i (Influence) – Social, enthusiastic, focused on relationships and impact
- S (Steadiness) – Patient, supportive, focused on harmony and stability
- C (Conscientiousness) – Analytical, careful, focused on accuracy and quality
No style is “better” than another. Each has strengths and blind spots.
For performance reviews, DiSC gives managers two critical advantages:
- Self-awareness: How does my style show up in review conversations? Where might I come across as too blunt, too vague, too soft, or too critical?
- Leading others: How does their style change what they need from this conversation in order to feel respected, motivated, and clear about next steps?
What If Performance Reviews Actually Worked?
Imagine if every performance review this cycle helped your managers:
- Give feedback that sticks
- Handle conflict with empathy
- Lead meaningful review conversations
That’s not a tall order. With even a basic understanding of DiSC, managers can shift the tone, structure, and delivery of reviews in under an hour of focused preparation.
Using DiSC To Prepare For Performance Reviews
Think of performance review season as a change event: expectations are being clarified, roles and priorities may shift, and emotions are closer to the surface.
DiSC helps managers:
1. Support Teams Through Change
Each DiSC style responds to change differently. In review conversations, that shows up as:
- D-style team members: Want clarity and control. They need to know “What’s the plan?” and “What’s my runway?”
- i-style team members: Feel change through people and relationships. They ask, “How will this affect the team and the energy of our work?”
- S-style team members: Value stability and predictability. Change can feel disruptive or unsettling.
- C-style team members: Need information and logic to buy into change.
2. Prepare For Tough Conversations
Performance reviews sometimes require tough talks around missed goals, behavior issues, or misalignment with role expectations. DiSC doesn’t eliminate that but it does make it far easier to hold difficult conversations.
Managers can ask themselves:
- “Given my style, how might I handle this poorly if I’m not intentional?”
Then they can intentionally share:
- 2–3 concrete examples of behavior or outcomes
- One or two questions that invite the employee into the conversation
- A collaborative path forward, not just a verdict
This is where DiSC shifts the goal from “getting through” a difficult review to building trust through honesty and care.
3. Build Critical Skills Quickly
With a DiSC-based session or self-study, managers can:
- Identify their style and likely blind spots in feedback conversations
- Practice adapting their language and pacing to each DiSC style
- Draft review openings tailored to different team members
- Role-play a tough message with an eye on empathy and clarity
When managers understand themselves and their people through DiSC, performance reviews become less about scripts and more about intentional connection.
Practical DiSC Scripts For Review Conversations
Here are a few simple adaptations managers can use immediately.
With a D-style team member:
- “You’ve made a strong impact on [specific results]. For the next cycle, I’d like us to focus on hitting X and improving Y. Let’s talk about what you need from me to remove obstacles.”
With an i-style team member:
- “You’ve done a great job energizing the team around [example]. I’d love to explore how you can use that same energy while tightening up [specific area]. What ideas do you have?”
With an S-style team member:
- “You’re a steady, reliable presence on this team, especially in [situations]. I’d like to talk about one area where we can stretch a bit together, and I’ll support you as you take that on.”
With a C-style team member:
- “Your attention to detail in [project] has been a real asset. I’ve noticed a few patterns in [area] where we can refine your approach. Let’s walk through the data and set some clear targets.”
Same core message. Different delivery, based on DiSC. That’s what makes feedback more likely to land and lead to real behavior change.
Making Feedback “Stick” After The Review
A meaningful performance review isn’t a single meeting. It’s the start (or reset) of an ongoing coaching conversation. To make feedback stick:
- Translate feedback into 2–3 clear commitments
- Align those commitments with the person’s DiSC style
- Schedule short follow-ups (15 minutes) to revisit progress
- Recognize progress in style-specific ways
If you’re responsible for preparing managers for performance reviews, consider building a short DiSC-based session that helps them:
- Support teams through change
- Prepare for tough conversations
- Build critical skills quickly
A focused 60-minute workshop or micro-learning can:
- Normalize the anxiety managers feel around reviews
- Give them a shared language (DiSC) for talking about style differences
- Equip them with practical scripts and question prompts
- Increase confidence so they walk into reviews with a plan, not just a form
Contact: School@inrshoes.com
Frequently Asked Questions: Manager Readiness and Performance Reviews
Q: How can we assess that new managers are ready to deliver effective performance reviews?
A: It means that managers are properly trained and prepared to conduct effective, fair, and constructive performance reviews — including understanding how to set expectations, deliver feedback, and support employee development.
Q: What should managers do to prepare for a performance review cycle?
Managers should:
- Review organizational goals and how individual performance aligns with them.
- Gather relevant performance data (past reviews, metrics, peer feedback).
- Refresh on feedback best practices — focusing on clarity, fairness, and actionable guidance.
- Plan a review calendar and schedule time proactively to avoid rushed sessions.
Q: What are common pitfalls if managers are not ready for performance reviews?
Potential issues include inconsistent feedback, bias, lack of actionable guidance, employee disengagement, diminished trust, and wasted time because reviews feel unstructured or unfair.
Q: How can organizations support manager readiness for reviews?
By offering manager training programs, providing templates or frameworks for reviews, sharing best-practice guidelines on feedback and goal-setting, and encouraging follow-up conversations post-review.
About Us
In Our Shoes® partners with organizations to design and deliver manager and leadership development, coaching, and employee assessments. Our team has delivered training across industries for directors, managers, and high-potential talent, and is certified in Everything DiSC® facilitation, change management, and AI-enabled learning design.
