How to Raise a Performance Concern With a Direct Report in English

The conversation is harder in a second language for a specific reason: the words themselves carry weight, before you've said anything about the person. Say too little, and the conversation gets rescheduled next month for the same reason. Say too much, and you've implied a verdict you haven't reached yet.

Too vague:

"I wanted to check in — how do you feel things are going?"

Too final:

"This isn't working. I don't think you're a fit for this role."

More useful:

"I want to raise a performance concern. The last two releases had error rates above what we agreed on. I need to see that stabilize over the next month — can we set a plan for how you'll get there?"

That version names a fact, states what's expected, and asks for a path forward. It does not hide the seriousness, and it does not decide the outcome in the same sentence.

Say "performance concerns," not "feedback," when that's what it is

"Performance concerns" and "feedback" are not interchangeable. Feedback is routine and ongoing — praise, correction, and coaching on specific pieces of work. "Performance concerns" signals something more: a pattern the manager has decided is worth naming directly, and possibly documenting. Calling a real, repeated pattern "some feedback" can make a direct report miss how seriously you mean it. Calling one rough week "performance concerns" can make a minor issue sound like the start of a formal process it isn't.

Too soft for a real pattern:

"Just a bit of feedback on the last few sprints."

Accurate:

"I want to raise a performance concern about the last few sprints, not just give quick feedback."

Useful phrases:

• "I want to raise a performance concern about [specific pattern]."
• "This has moved past routine feedback — I want to name it as a concern."
• "This is one piece of feedback, not a performance concern yet — but I want you to hear it."

For the boundary between this phrase and a formal process, see What Does 'Performance Concerns' Mean at Work?.

Name the fact, not the character judgment

A performance concern lands better when it points at an observable result, not at the person's attitude, intelligence, or effort in general.

Character judgment:

"You don't seem to care about quality anymore."

Named fact:

"The last two releases had error rates above our agreed threshold — 4% and 6%, against a 2% target."

Useful phrases:

• "The concern is [specific, measurable thing], not [general trait]."
• "Looking at [the last N weeks/releases/deals], here's what I'm seeing: [fact]."
• "I want to separate what happened from what I think it means — here's what happened."

A named fact gives the direct report something to respond to. A character judgment gives them something to defend against instead.

State the impact, then the expectation

A fact alone can sound like a complaint with no direction. Naming what the fact affects, and what needs to change, turns it into something actionable.

Incomplete:

"The error rate is a problem."

Complete:

"The error rate is a problem because it's driving support tickets up and delaying the next two releases. I need to see it back under 2% within a month."

Useful phrases:

• "This matters because [concrete impact] — not just as a number."
• "What I need to see is [specific, measurable expectation] by [timeframe]."
• "The bar here is [expectation], and right now we're at [current state]."

Stating both parts — why it matters, and what "better" looks like — is what separates a performance concern from a vague complaint.

Ask for a plan, not just a promise

Closing the conversation with a general promise ("I'll do better") gives neither person anything to check later. Closing it with a plan gives both people a shared reference point for the next conversation.

Weak close:

"Okay, I'll try to be more careful."

Useful close:

"What would help you hit that target — more review time, a different process, something else? Let's check in again in two weeks and look at the numbers together."

Useful phrases:

• "What would help you get there?"
• "Let's set a specific check-in point — [date] — and look at [the metric] together."
• "I want this to be something we're working on together, not just something I'm watching."

This does not soften the concern. It gives the conversation a next step that both people can point back to.

A practical structure

Combine the parts into one clear statement:

"I want to raise a performance concern about [pattern]. Specifically, [fact]. This matters because [impact]. What I need to see is [expectation] by [timeframe]. What would help you get there, and can we check in on [date]?"

Example:

"I want to raise a performance concern about the last two releases. The error rate came in at 4% and 6%, against our 2% target. That's driving support volume up and pushing back the next release. I need to see it under 2% for the next release. What would help you get there — more review time, pairing on the riskier changes, something else? Let's check the numbers again in two weeks."

A realistic 1:1 dialogue

Manager: I want to raise a performance concern before it becomes a bigger issue. The last two releases had error rates at 4% and 6%, against our 2% target.

Direct report: I knew the last one wasn't great. I didn't realize it had come up twice in a row.

Manager: It has, and that's why I want to name it directly rather than let it sit as informal feedback. This matters because it's driving support tickets up and pushing the next release back. I need to see it under 2% again.

Direct report: That's fair. I think the rushed review before the deadline was part of it.

Manager: That's useful to know. What would help — more review time built in, or pairing on the riskier changes?

Direct report: Pairing on the riskier changes would probably help most.

Manager: Let's do that for the next release, and check the numbers together in two weeks.

The manager names the concern once, clearly, and does not repeat it as a threat. The direct report gets a fact and a fair chance to respond to it.

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: Calling it "feedback" when it's really a concern

Too soft:

"Just wanted to give you a bit of feedback on the last sprint."

More accurate:

"I want to raise this as a performance concern, not just quick feedback — this is the second sprint in a row."

If a direct report should understand that a pattern is being tracked, "feedback" undersells it.

Mistake 2: Naming the concern without a fact behind it

Vague:

"I've had some concerns about your performance lately."

Specific:

"My concern is the error rate on the last two releases — 4% and 6%, against a 2% target."

A concern without a named fact leaves the direct report guessing what actually happened.

Mistake 3: Turning one concern into a verdict

Overstated:

"This isn't working out. I don't think this is the right role for you."

Scoped to what's actually known:

"I want to raise a performance concern and set a clear expectation for the next few weeks. Let's see how it goes from there."

A single performance concern is not the same conversation as not the right fit or a performance improvement plan. Naming a concern early, with a clear expectation, is what can prevent the conversation from reaching that point — and it's also a different, less final conversation than either one.

Practice scenarios

Practice raising a performance concern in situations like:

• a direct report's second missed deadline in a row, after one earlier informal comment
• a quality or error-rate pattern that's starting to affect other people's work
• a concern you need to name clearly without deciding the outcome in the same conversation
• a direct report who pushes back on whether the pattern is really there

Useful practice phrases:

• "I want to raise a performance concern about [pattern]."
• "The concern is [specific fact], not [general trait]."
• "This matters because [impact]. What I need to see is [expectation] by [timeframe]."
• "What would help you get there, and can we check in on [date]?"

Lyra Practice gives managers realistic performance-concern scenarios, with feedback on whether the conversation names a fact and a next step — not just a feeling.

A performance concern is not an accusation and not a verdict. It is a specific, factual signal that something needs to change, said clearly enough that the other person knows exactly what to do next.

Return to English for Managers for more language on delegation, feedback, priorities, and execution.

Lyra Practice helps advanced non-native English professionals learn the nuance of high-value workplace expressions and practice using them in realistic scenarios, so their English sounds natural, precise, and senior at work. Try Lyra Practice.