Imagine opening an appraisal record six weeks after a good conversation. The note says, ‘Communication needs improvement. Training to be arranged.’ Can either person tell which situation prompted that conclusion, what the training should help with or who was meant to arrange it?

A useful record should make the next conversation easier to pick up. Write enough to preserve the meaning of what was discussed, including the employee’s perspective and the support that was agreed. The aim is a record both people can recognise and use.

Keep the context that explains the point

Start with the work. Which responsibility or development priority were you discussing? What has changed since the previous conversation? A short explanation gives the examples that follow somewhere to belong.

If responsibilities have expanded, record that change. If an agreed opportunity to practise has not happened, record the obstacle and who will address it. Be selective about personal information. Often, the useful detail is the adjustment or support needed; a lengthy account of someone’s private circumstances adds little to the development record.

Describe the example before drawing a conclusion

Broad labels leave room for very different interpretations. ‘Lacks confidence’ could describe hesitation in meetings, unfamiliarity with a task or a manager’s impression. Describe what you observed, then make clear whose interpretation follows.

Consider this hypothetical replacement for the vague communication note: ‘In two recent project handovers, the receiving team needed clarification about the next task. We discussed adding an owner and due date to each handover. The employee explained that the existing template has no space for either.’

That version gives the next discussion something concrete to return to. It also preserves a relevant explanation. Where you disagree, record the difference accurately. You can agree a useful next step while still seeing parts of the situation differently.

Make the commitments easy to find

An action needs an owner. If the employee will try a different approach, say what they will try and where. If their manager will arrange time, obtain a resource or remove an obstacle, make that commitment equally visible.

For our handover example, the record could continue: ‘The employee will use the revised handover template on the next two projects. Their manager will agree the template with the receiving team by Friday. At our next check-in, we will look at one handover together and discuss what still needs clarifying.’

The review is proportionate to the issue. There is no need to create a separate evidence collection exercise when an ordinary piece of work can support the conversation.

Check the record while the conversation is fresh

Leave time to read back the main points. Ask whether the wording reflects what each person meant and whether any commitment is missing. Offer a clear way to flag a correction after the meeting, particularly if one person drafted the notes.

Record strengths with the same care as development needs. A specific example of something that worked well helps someone understand what to repeat. It also gives future conversations a fuller account of their contribution.

If an old action remains open, check that it is still relevant before carrying it into the next record. Add a dated update explaining its current position. A postponed training session, for example, may need a new date or a different learning option. The record should show that you have considered this, so unfinished actions do not become permanent background text.

Before saving, try one final check: if you opened this record next month, would you understand the issue, recognise both perspectives and know what you had promised to do? If a sentence does none of those jobs, consider whether it needs to be there.

Explore practical guidance for your next development conversation.

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