Planning is the ability to develop and execute effective strategies and plans to achieve specific goals and objectives. This skill requires the ability to anticipate future trends and changes in the business environment and adjust plans accordingly. Effective planning involves collaboration with team members and other departments to ensure that everyone is working towards shared goals. Good planners are proactive in identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions to increase efficiency and effectiveness. They are also able to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.

Performance Review Questions: Planning Skills

1. What were the employee’s goals and objectives for the performance period?
2. Did the employee meet, exceed, or fall short of these goals and objectives?
3. What specific tasks or projects did the employee work on during the performance period?
4. Did the employee complete these tasks or projects on time and within budget?
5. Did the employee collaborate effectively with team members and other departments?
6. Did the employee receive positive feedback from colleagues, customers, or supervisors?
7. Did the employee demonstrate a willingness to learn and improve their skills?

Once you have answered these questions, you can use the following guidelines to determine the appropriate rating:

• 5 – Outstanding: The employee consistently exceeded expectations and demonstrated exceptional performance in all areas of their job.
• 4 – Exceeds Expectations: The employee consistently met or exceeded expectations and demonstrated strong performance in most areas of their job.
• 3 – Meets Expectations (Acceptable): The employee met expectations and demonstrated satisfactory performance in all areas of their job.
• 2 – Needs Improvement: The employee fell short of expectations and demonstrated unsatisfactory performance in some areas of their job.
• 1 – Unacceptable: The employee consistently fell short of expectations and demonstrated unacceptable performance in most areas of their job.

Related: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills

2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)

Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples for Planning Skills

5 – Outstanding

Example Phrases

• Consistently exceeds expectations in planning and executing tasks
• Demonstrates exceptional foresight and ability to anticipate potential obstacles
• Develops comprehensive plans that consider all possible scenarios and outcomes
• Initiates and leads successful projects that are completed on time and within budget
• Proactively identifies opportunities for improvement and implements effective solutions
• Creates detailed action plans with clear milestones and measurable objectives
• Expertly allocates resources to maximize efficiency and productivity
• Demonstrates outstanding ability to coordinate multiple complex projects simultaneously
• Shows exceptional skill in developing contingency plans and risk management strategies
• Consistently creates innovative solutions to streamline processes and procedures
• Masterfully balances short-term needs with long-term strategic objectives
• Exhibits superior organizational skills in planning and scheduling
• Demonstrates remarkable ability to adapt plans when circumstances change
• Successfully implements strategic initiatives that drive organizational success
• Creates highly effective workflows that enhance team productivity
• Shows exceptional ability to prioritize tasks and manage time efficiently
• Develops sophisticated planning systems that others adopt as best practices
• Consistently delivers results that exceed stakeholder expectations
• Demonstrates outstanding capacity to plan for and manage change
• Creates comprehensive project roadmaps that ensure successful outcomes

Example Paragraph

“[Employee Name] consistently demonstrates outstanding planning skills. Their ability to anticipate potential obstacles and develop comprehensive plans that consider all possible scenarios and outcomes is exceptional. They have initiated and successfully led multiple projects that were completed on time and within budget. [Employee Name] is proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing effective solutions, which has resulted in significant improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of their team.”

4 – Exceeds Expectations

Example Phrases

• Consistently develops and executes effective plans
• Demonstrates strong ability to anticipate potential obstacles and develop contingency plans
• Takes initiative to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions
• Successfully leads projects to completion on time and within budget
• Collaborates effectively with team members to achieve shared goals
• Creates well-structured action plans with clear objectives and timelines
• Efficiently allocates resources to meet project requirements
• Shows strong ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Develops thorough risk management strategies
• Regularly creates solutions to improve processes and procedures
• Effectively balances short-term and long-term planning objectives
• Demonstrates strong organizational skills in project planning
• Shows good ability to adapt plans when faced with changes
• Successfully implements team initiatives that drive results
• Creates effective workflows that improve team efficiency
• Shows strong ability to prioritize tasks and manage deadlines
• Develops reliable planning systems that benefit the team
• Consistently delivers results that meet stakeholder expectations
• Demonstrates strong capacity to plan for organizational changes
• Creates detailed project plans that lead to successful outcomes

Example Paragraph

“[Employee Name] consistently exceeds expectations in their planning skills. They develop and execute effective plans that demonstrate a strong ability to anticipate potential obstacles and develop contingency plans. They take initiative to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions, which has resulted in significant improvements in their team’s performance. They have successfully led multiple projects to completion on time and within budget, while collaborating effectively with team members to achieve shared goals.”

3 – Meets Expectations (Acceptable)

Example Phrases

• Develops and executes plans that meet project requirements
• Identifies potential obstacles and develops contingency plans
• Collaborates effectively with team members to achieve shared goals
• Completes projects on time and within budget
• Demonstrates a willingness to learn and improve planning skills
• Creates adequately structured action plans with defined objectives
• Manages resources appropriately to meet basic project needs
• Shows satisfactory ability to handle multiple tasks
• Develops acceptable risk management approaches
• Implements standard processes and procedures effectively
• Maintains an appropriate balance between short and long-term goals
• Demonstrates adequate organizational skills in planning
• Adapts plans as needed when circumstances change
• Successfully implements routine team initiatives
• Creates workable workflows for team tasks
• Shows acceptable ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Maintains reliable planning systems
• Delivers results that generally meet expectations
• Demonstrates sufficient capacity to plan for change
• Creates adequate project plans to achieve intended outcomes

Example Paragraph

“[Employee Name] consistently meets expectations in their planning skills. They develop and execute plans that meet project requirements and demonstrate an ability to identify potential obstacles and develop contingency plans. They collaborate effectively with team members to achieve shared goals and have completed multiple projects on time and within budget. They demonstrate a willingness to learn and improve their planning skills, which is an important quality for continued growth and development.”

2 – Needs Improvement

Example Phrases

• Struggles to develop and execute effective plans
• Fails to anticipate potential obstacles and develop contingency plans
• Requires significant guidance and support to complete projects on time and within budget
• Demonstrates a lack of initiative in identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions
• Has difficulty collaborating effectively with team members to achieve shared goals
• Often creates incomplete or poorly structured action plans
• Shows inconsistent ability to manage resources effectively
• Struggles to handle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Develops inadequate risk management strategies
• Has difficulty implementing standard processes and procedures
• Often fails to balance short-term and long-term objectives
• Demonstrates poor organizational skills in planning
• Shows resistance to adapting plans when circumstances change
• Struggles to implement basic team initiatives
• Creates inefficient workflows that hinder team productivity
• Shows limited ability to prioritize tasks effectively
• Maintains unreliable planning systems
• Often delivers results that fall short of expectations
• Demonstrates inadequate capacity to plan for change
• Creates incomplete project plans that lead to missed objectives

Example Paragraph

“[Employee Name] needs improvement in their planning skills. They struggle to develop and execute effective plans and fail to anticipate potential obstacles and develop contingency plans. They require significant guidance and support to complete projects on time and within budget. They also demonstrate a lack of initiative in identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions. They also have difficulty collaborating effectively with team members to achieve shared goals, which is a critical aspect of successful planning.”

1 – Unacceptable

Example Phrases

• Consistently fails to develop and execute effective plans
• Does not anticipate potential obstacles or develop contingency plans
• Requires constant supervision and support to complete projects on time and within budget
• Demonstrates no initiative in identifying areas for improvement or implementing solutions
• Does not collaborate effectively with team members to achieve shared goals
• Creates no structured action plans or project timelines
• Shows complete inability to manage resources effectively
• Unable to handle multiple tasks or responsibilities
• Makes no attempt to develop risk management strategies
• Fails to implement basic processes and procedures
• Shows no understanding of short-term versus long-term planning
• Demonstrates no organizational skills in planning
• Refuses to adapt plans when circumstances change
• Consistently fails to implement any team initiatives
• Creates chaos through lack of workflow planning
• Shows no ability to prioritize tasks or meet deadlines
• Maintains no planning systems whatsoever
• Never delivers results that meet basic expectations
• Shows complete inability to plan for any change
• Creates project plans that consistently lead to failure

Example Paragraph

“[Employee Name] is unacceptable in their planning skills. They consistently fail to develop and execute effective plans and do not anticipate potential obstacles or develop contingency plans. They require constant supervision and support to complete projects on time and within budget. They demonstrate no initiative in identifying areas for improvement or implementing solutions. They do not collaborate effectively with team members to achieve shared goals, which is a critical aspect of successful planning. Immediate action is required to address these deficiencies and improve their performance. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions should be scheduled to monitor progress and provide ongoing support and guidance. If there is no improvement in their planning skills, further disciplinary action may need to be taken. “