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Annual Review Reboot: Preparation for End-of-Year Evaluations

Annual Review Reboot: Preparation for End-of-Year Evaluations

Strategic, high-impact review prep for sellers, managers, and company leaders. Post #3

Mort Greenberg
July 23, 2025

Hi,

End-of-year annual reviews aren’t just about looking back, they’re a strategic opportunity to shape what comes next. Yet most businesses treat them as a checklist instead of a competitive advantage. This workshop helps you flip the script.

Whether you’re a seller preparing to advocate for your growth, a manager crafting development paths, or an owner aligning performance with business outcomes, preparing proactively gives you leverage.

When done right, reviews improve retention, drive alignment, and surface ideas that fuel future revenue. This workshop ensures you don’t just survive review season, you use it as a catalyst for clarity, commitment, and customer value.

THE 3-STEP WORKSHOP

Step 1: Build Your Annual Narrative

What to Do:
Create a 1-page story that answers: What did I accomplish this year, and why does it matter?

Break your narrative into three parts:

Key achievements (quantitative + qualitative)
Strategic impact (team, customer, business outcomes)
Lessons learned + areas for growth

Why it Matters:
Strong narratives lead to strong reviews, and open doors. This gives your manager, leader, or board a compelling, data-driven story.

Write Here:
Use bullet points, or write a letter to your future self or team.

Step 2: Map Your Development Delta

What to Do:
Show your growth, and your growth path, with a simple “Before / After” map. You can format it as:

Area	Jan 2024 (Before)	Dec 2024 (Now)	2025 Goal
Presentation skills	Avoided live demos	Led 4 exec calls	Run QBRs solo
Strategic selling	Basic discovery	Led account plans	Coach junior reps
Tools & tech	Basic CRM use	Built reports	Own forecasting

Why it Matters:
People who show progress earn investment. This helps frame your ask, for budget, mentorship, promotion, or headcount.

Step 3: Prepare for a 3-Way Conversation

What to Do:
Design your review talking points using this structure:

What’s working well
Where I/we need support
What I’m excited to build or try next

Use this template for talking points:

Topic	Notes
Wins to celebrate
Areas to support
Ideas for next year

Why it Matters:
Annual reviews should be collaborative, not combative. This makes sure the conversation is grounded in mutual goals.

Tips for Completion + Real-World Examples

Top Tips:

Block off 60–90 distraction-free minutes
Pull relevant performance data, customer feedback, and shout-outs
Share with your mentor or manager ahead of time for input
Keep visuals simple (one-pagers, Before/After tables, OKR check-ins)

Example 1:
A sales manager used this framework to prep for their own review with the VP of Sales. By sharing team win rates, coaching outcomes, and a development delta, they received a promotion offer before the meeting ended.

Example 2:
A startup founder ran this with their 8-person team. Each person presented their Before / After chart and top lessons. It sparked three role changes, two raises, and one new product idea.