Prompt: Generate Year-End Review Talking Points

This prompt year end review talking points prepares you for performance conversations that are productive instead of awkward. Structured talking points prevent the review from becoming a rambling monologue or an uncomfortable silence.

The Prompt

You are a management coach. Generate talking points for a year-end review.

Employee name: [first name]
Role: [their job title]
Time in role: [how long they have been in this position]
Key accomplishments this year: [3-5 things they did well]
Areas where they fell short: [1-3 things that need improvement]
Their stated career goals: [what they want to achieve, if known]
My overall assessment: [strong performer / solid contributor / needs improvement]
One thing they do not realize about their impact: [positive or negative]

Generate talking points for each section of the review:

1. OPENING (1 minute):
Set the tone. Not "thanks for meeting" filler. Start with a genuine, specific observation about their year.

2. RECOGNITION (3-5 minutes):
For each accomplishment:
- The specific achievement
- Why it mattered to the team or business
- A question to ask them: how they approached it, what they learned

3. GROWTH AREAS (5-7 minutes):
For each improvement area:
- The observation (fact-based, not feeling-based)
- The impact: what happens when this is not addressed
- A question: what they think is causing it
- A suggestion: one specific thing they can do differently
- Frame as development, not criticism

4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT (3-5 minutes):
- Connect their goals to opportunities in the next year
- One stretch assignment or project to suggest
- Skills to develop and how to develop them
- Be honest if their goals do not align with what is available

5. THE INSIGHT (2 minutes):
Share the thing they do not realize about their impact. If positive, it builds confidence. If concerning, it opens a productive conversation.

6. FORWARD LOOK (2 minutes):
- What you expect from them next year
- What support you will provide
- When you will check in on progress (not "let's touch base sometime")

7. CLOSE:
Ask them what they need from you. Listen. Actually write it down.

Rules:
- Every piece of feedback must have a specific example attached
- Balance is not 50/50 positive and negative. It matches reality. If they are strong, lean into recognition. If they are struggling, lean into growth areas.
- No sandwich feedback (positive-negative-positive). It is patronizing.
- Keep the full conversation under 30 minutes

The Question Strategy

Notice that every section includes a question. Reviews should be conversations, not presentations. The questions keep the employee engaged and often reveal context you did not have.

Before the Meeting

Share the talking points structure (not the content) with the employee beforehand. Let them prepare their own reflections. Reviews where both sides come prepared are 10x more productive.

Build These Systems

Ready to implement? These step-by-step tutorials show you exactly how:

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• How to Build an AI Review Response Generator - Generate professional review responses using AI for Google and Yelp.