Teamwork performance review phrases
Good teamwork feedback says who benefited: the teammate who got unstuck, the handoff that got smoother, the new hire who ramped up fast. Below are 33 phrases sorted by rating, with self-evaluation versions, goals and a sample review you can adapt.
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What good teamwork looks like
Teamwork is how someone works with others toward a shared result: sharing credit and load, helping without being asked, and handling conflict in a way that keeps the group moving.
- Shares information and credit
- Steps in when a teammate is stuck
- Disagrees in the room, then commits
- Follows through on promises to others
- Makes new people feel included
Exceeds expectations
For work that sets the standard. Add the specific result after each phrase; that's what makes it believable.
- Steps in when teammates are overloaded, including covering [task] during [period] without being asked.
- Shares credit generously; in the [project] retro, they named specific contributions from every teammate.
- Builds working relationships across teams, which made the handoff between [team] and [team] noticeably smoother.
- Disagrees openly in planning, then fully commits once a decision is made.
- Mentored [name] through their first quarter, and [name] was working independently by [month].
- Is the person others go to when two teams are stuck, and helps each side see the other's constraints.
- Volunteers for the unglamorous work that keeps the team running, like [task].
- Lifts the team in hard stretches without glossing over the problems.
Meets expectations
For solid, reliable work. "Meets expectations" is a good rating, so say that out loud in the conversation too.
- Works well with teammates and contributes to shared goals.
- Shares information and resources with the team.
- Helps colleagues when asked and follows through on commitments to others.
- Respects different viewpoints and works through disagreements calmly.
- Participates actively in team meetings and planning.
- Accepts feedback from peers and acts on it.
- Supports team decisions, even after arguing for a different approach.
- Is reliable in shared work, so teammates know what to expect.
Needs improvement
Pair each one with a specific example and a goal. A needs-improvement line without a next step reads as a verdict.
- Tends to work in isolation on shared projects, so teammates learn about changes late. Sharing progress in the team channel twice a week would help.
- Sometimes holds on to information others need, which slowed [project].
- Can be dismissive of ideas in brainstorms, which discourages others from sharing.
- Has missed commitments to teammates without flagging them in advance.
- Reworks others' contributions instead of giving feedback, which costs time and trust.
- Takes on visible work but is slow to help with routine team tasks.
- Lets disagreements with [team] escalate over email; a quick call would resolve most of them faster.
- Rarely acknowledges others' contributions in public, which teammates have noticed.
Self-evaluation: strengths
First-person versions for your own review. Swap in your real projects and numbers.
- I covered [teammate]'s accounts for three weeks during their leave, and none of their clients missed a deadline.
- I set up a weekly sync with [team], which cut our handoff delays.
- I onboarded two new teammates this year and wrote the guide they used.
- I pushed back on [decision] in planning, then fully backed the final call.
- I made a habit of thanking people by name in our team updates.
Self-evaluation: where you're growing
Name the gap and what you're doing about it. Reviewers trust a self-evaluation that includes one honest growth area.
- I default to doing things myself. I want to ask for help earlier and share work in progress.
- I can get impatient in long planning discussions. I'm working on asking questions before giving my view.
- I'd like to build stronger relationships with [team], since our work overlaps more each quarter.
- I need to flag missed commitments to teammates before the deadline, not after.
Teamwork goals for next period
Goals work when someone else could tell whether they happened.
- Share work in progress on [project] in the team channel at least twice a week.
- Pair with [teammate] on [task] by [date] so the knowledge isn't held by one person.
- Run one cross-team retro this quarter and share three changes both teams agree to.
A sample review paragraph
Behavior, example, impact, then one growth area with a goal. Replace the brackets with specifics from the review period.
[Name] is a dependable teammate who makes the people around them better. During [period], they covered [teammate]'s accounts without being asked, and they mentored [new hire] through their first quarter. They disagree openly in planning and then commit fully. One area to build on: on shared projects they tend to work alone and share changes late. Next quarter, the goal is to post progress on [project] in the team channel twice a week.
How to say it in the review meeting
Teamwork feedback goes wrong when it's about personality. "Be more of a team player" lands as an insult. Talk about a specific habit and its effect on other people.
For praise, name who benefited. People remember "[new hire] got up to speed fast because of you" long after they've forgotten "great teamwork". If you're raising a problem, ask how they see the team first. Sometimes the person working alone feels shut out.
Talk it through with Lauren
The written review is half the job. Here's what it looks like to get the hardest line right by text, the night before.
how do I tell my best engineer he's not a team player without him quitting
skip "team player". it sounds like a character judgment and he'll argue with it
what does he actually do that causes the problem?
rewrites other people's PRs instead of reviewing them. people are getting annoyed
that's the feedback. "When you rewrite PRs instead of reviewing them, the author doesn't learn and feels sidelined. I'd like you to leave comments and let them make the change." concrete, fixable, no label
Get a second read before you send it.
Text Lauren the situation and your draft. She'll help you make it specific and fair, and prep you for the conversation itself.
Hi Lauren! I'm writing a performance review and want help with the teamwork section.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I write for a strong performer who's a poor teammate?
Credit the individual results specifically, then name the team behavior with one example and its effect. Make the goal a habit, like sharing work in progress, not becoming a different person.
How do I show teamwork in my self-evaluation?
Name the people you helped and what changed for them: coverage during someone's leave, an onboarding guide, a cross-team process you fixed. Teamwork is easiest to credit when someone else benefited.
Is it fair to rate remote employees lower on teamwork?
Rate the behavior, not the visibility. Remote teammates often help in writing, in code or document reviews and in async channels. Look there before deciding they aren't collaborating.