Best Examples of Performance Review Template Examples for Teamwork

If you’re searching for practical, real-world examples of performance review template examples for teamwork, you’re probably tired of vague phrases like “works well with others.” You want language you can actually drop into a review form, and you want it to reflect how teams work in 2024–2025: hybrid schedules, cross-functional projects, and collaboration that happens as much in Slack and Zoom as in a conference room. This guide walks through specific, ready-to-use examples of performance review template examples for teamwork that you can adapt for your own forms, whether you’re in HR, a people manager, or a team lead writing peer feedback. We’ll cover different performance levels (exceeds, meets, needs improvement), different roles (individual contributors, managers, project leads), and different contexts (remote, hybrid, in-person). The goal is simple: give you clear, honest wording that actually helps people grow, not just survive another annual review cycle.
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High-Impact Examples of Performance Review Template Examples for Teamwork

Let’s start where most managers actually need help: concrete wording. Below are examples of performance review template examples for teamwork that you can copy, tweak, and paste directly into your forms.

Each example is written so it can stand alone as a comment or be combined into a rating-based template.


Examples for “Exceeds Expectations” in Teamwork

These are the best examples for high performers who consistently elevate the team.

Individual contributor – cross-functional collaboration
“Consistently builds strong working relationships across product, engineering, and customer success. Proactively shares context, documents decisions, and brings the right stakeholders into discussions early. As a result, cross-functional projects ship faster and with fewer handoffs or rework.”

Remote or hybrid teammate – communication and alignment
“Maintains high visibility and alignment in a distributed environment. Uses written updates, clear agendas, and follow-ups to keep the team informed. Anticipates misunderstandings in remote communication and clarifies before issues escalate, which improves trust and reduces friction.”

Team player who mentors others
“Actively mentors newer team members by pairing on tasks, reviewing work constructively, and sharing practical tips. This support shortens onboarding time and raises the overall quality of team output without needing constant manager involvement.”

Project lead – team outcomes and morale
“Leads project teams in a way that balances accountability with psychological safety. Encourages honest discussion of risks, invites disagreement, and ensures everyone understands decisions. Team members report feeling heard and supported, which contributes to higher engagement and on-time delivery.”

Conflict management standout
“Regularly spots tension early and facilitates productive conversations between teammates. Focuses on shared goals rather than blame, helping the group move from disagreement to action. This approach reduces recurring conflicts and keeps projects on track.”

You can frame these as part of a rating-based template, for example of a summary field:

Teamwork Rating: Exceeds Expectations
Consistently strengthens team performance through proactive communication, mentoring, and conflict resolution. Examples include leading cross-functional launches, supporting new hires, and facilitating difficult conversations that protect delivery timelines.

That last line gives you a structure: rating statement plus specific examples of performance review template examples for teamwork that justify the rating.


Examples for “Meets Expectations” in Teamwork

Not everyone is a star collaborator, and that’s fine. You still need clear, fair language that recognizes solid teamwork.

Reliable teammate – day-to-day collaboration
“Works cooperatively with colleagues, shares information when asked, and responds to requests in a timely manner. Participates in team discussions and supports agreed-upon decisions, contributing to a stable and predictable team environment.”

Contributor in hybrid teams
“Attends team meetings regularly, comes prepared, and follows through on assigned action items. Uses shared tools (project boards, documents, chat channels) consistently, which helps maintain visibility into work across locations and time zones.”

Peer support and knowledge sharing
“Willingly supports teammates during busy periods and shares relevant knowledge when requested. Provides feedback that is generally constructive and respectful, helping maintain positive working relationships.”

Cross-team collaboration – functional partnerships
“Collaborates effectively with partner teams when work requires coordination. Clarifies requirements, negotiates timelines, and adapts to feedback, contributing to smooth handoffs between groups.”

Here’s a template-style summary using these phrases:

Teamwork Rating: Meets Expectations
Demonstrates consistent, reliable collaboration with teammates and partner groups. Examples include sharing information through standard channels, supporting peers during peak workloads, and contributing constructively in meetings.

This kind of language is direct, fair, and avoids inflating performance while still recognizing dependable teamwork.


Examples for “Needs Improvement” in Teamwork (Clear but Respectful)

This is where many managers get stuck. You need to be specific without being inflammatory. The following examples of performance review template examples for teamwork focus on observable behavior, not personality.

Limited collaboration or siloed work
“Often works independently without keeping teammates informed of progress or blockers. This can lead to duplicated effort and last-minute surprises for the team. Needs to increase proactive communication and alignment with relevant stakeholders.”

Communication that harms team effectiveness
“Occasionally uses abrupt or dismissive language in written and verbal communication, which can discourage others from asking questions or sharing ideas. Needs to focus on tone and clarity to maintain constructive relationships.”

Resistance to feedback or shared decisions
“Frequently challenges team decisions after they have been made, rather than raising concerns during the decision-making process. This behavior slows execution and can create confusion about priorities. Needs to address concerns earlier and support agreed-upon plans.”

Struggles in cross-functional work
“Has difficulty adapting to the needs and working styles of partner teams. Missed or unclear handoffs have led to rework and delays. Needs to clarify expectations up front and confirm shared understanding throughout the project.”

A template-style summary might look like this:

Teamwork Rating: Needs Improvement
Inconsistent communication and misaligned expectations have negatively affected team coordination. Examples include limited status updates, unclear handoffs, and resistance to decisions after they are finalized. Needs to adopt more proactive, solution-focused collaboration habits.

Notice how each example of feedback points to behavior and impact, which aligns with research from organizations like the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) on effective performance conversations.


Template Sections: How to Structure Teamwork in Your Review Form

Now that you’ve seen several examples of performance review template examples for teamwork, let’s talk structure. Most modern review forms break teamwork into a few core dimensions. You can build fields around these areas and plug in the examples above.

Collaboration and Relationship-Building

This section evaluates how well someone works with peers, managers, and partner teams.

Example template prompt:

Collaboration & Relationships
Describe how this employee contributes to team relationships and cross-functional collaboration. Consider communication style, willingness to support others, and ability to build trust.

Here you can reuse earlier examples like:

  • “Consistently builds strong working relationships across teams and functions.”
  • “Often works independently without keeping teammates informed of progress or blockers.”

Communication Within the Team

With hybrid and remote work now standard in many industries (as documented in data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), clarity of communication is a key part of teamwork.

Example template prompt:

Team Communication
Evaluate how effectively this employee communicates with teammates in meetings, written channels, and informal settings.

Possible comments:

  • “Maintains high visibility through clear written updates and timely responses in shared channels.”
  • “Occasionally uses abrupt or dismissive language, which discourages open discussion.”

Contribution to Team Goals and Outcomes

This section focuses on whether the person helps or hinders the team’s ability to deliver.

Example template prompt:

Contribution to Team Outcomes
How does this employee contribute to the team’s ability to meet goals, deadlines, and quality standards?

Examples include:

  • “Takes ownership of shared goals and adjusts priorities to support team deadlines.”
  • “Missed or unclear handoffs have resulted in rework for partner teams.”

Supporting Team Culture and Inclusion

Research from organizations like Harvard Business School highlights the impact of inclusive behaviors on team performance. Your template should capture that.

Example template prompt:

Team Culture & Inclusion
Describe how this employee contributes to an inclusive, respectful, and psychologically safe team environment.

Examples of performance review template examples for teamwork in this area:

  • “Encourages quieter team members to share their views and gives credit publicly for others’ ideas.”
  • “Sometimes interrupts others or dominates discussions, which can limit diverse input.”

Role-Specific Examples of Performance Review Template Examples for Teamwork

Teamwork doesn’t look the same for a senior manager as it does for a junior analyst. Here are real examples tailored to different roles.

For Managers and People Leaders

High-performing manager
“Creates clear norms for how the team collaborates and communicates. Regularly shares context from leadership, invites feedback, and adjusts processes based on team input. Team engagement scores and retention indicate a healthy, collaborative environment.”

Manager needing improvement
“Tends to make decisions in a small group and share them late with the broader team, which limits buy-in. Needs to involve the team earlier in discussions and communicate decisions and rationale more transparently.”

For Project or Product Leads

Effective project lead
“Coordinates complex, cross-functional efforts by aligning priorities, clarifying ownership, and documenting decisions. Anticipates dependencies between teams and addresses them before they become blockers.”

Lead needing improvement
“Relies heavily on informal communication, which leaves some stakeholders without the information they need. Needs to adopt more structured updates and shared documentation so all teams stay aligned.”

For Individual Contributors

Strong team contributor
“Actively participates in team ceremonies, contributes thoughtful questions, and shares learnings from their work. Willingly adjusts tasks to balance workload across the team when priorities shift.”

IC needing improvement
“Focuses primarily on individual tasks and is less engaged in team discussions. Needs to increase participation in planning, retrospectives, and knowledge sharing to better support collective outcomes.”

These role-based examples of performance review template examples for teamwork help you avoid one-size-fits-all language that doesn’t match the person’s actual responsibilities.


If your performance review templates haven’t changed since 2019, they’re probably out of sync with how teams work now. When updating your forms, consider these current trends:

Hybrid and remote collaboration
Many organizations continue to operate in hybrid or fully remote modes. Effective teamwork now includes:

  • Clear written communication across time zones
  • Use of shared tools (project management boards, shared docs, chat)
  • Respect for different schedules and boundaries

You can reflect this by adding prompts like: “Describe how the employee uses digital tools to support team alignment and visibility.”

Psychological safety and well-being
There is growing attention to psychological safety and mental health at work, supported by research from organizations such as the American Psychological Association. Teamwork templates should capture whether someone:

  • Encourages open discussion and dissenting opinions
  • Avoids blame and focuses on problem-solving
  • Respects workload and boundaries of teammates

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in teamwork
Teamwork is no longer just “gets along with others.” Many companies now evaluate how employees:

  • Include diverse perspectives in decisions
  • Avoid interrupting or talking over others
  • Give credit fairly and visibly

You might add a prompt like: “Provide examples of how this employee supports an inclusive team environment.”

Data-informed performance management
Organizations increasingly use engagement surveys and 360 feedback to understand teamwork quality. Your template can reference these inputs, for example:

“Consider peer feedback and any relevant engagement survey results when evaluating this employee’s teamwork.”

Aligning your wording with these trends makes your examples of performance review template examples for teamwork more relevant to how collaboration actually happens today.


FAQ: Examples of Performance Review Template Examples for Teamwork

Q: What are some simple examples of teamwork comments I can use in a review?
A: For positive performance, you might write: “Consistently shares information, supports teammates during busy periods, and contributes to a respectful team environment.” For mixed performance: “Generally collaborates well but needs to provide more timely updates on project status to avoid surprises.” These short phrases are easy to plug into most performance review templates.

Q: Can you give an example of a teamwork goal to include in a performance review?
A: A clear, measurable teamwork goal might be: “Over the next six months, provide weekly written status updates to the project team, and proactively flag risks at least two weeks before key deadlines.” This turns a teamwork concern (poor communication) into a concrete behavior change.

Q: How do I adapt examples of performance review template examples for teamwork for remote employees?
A: Emphasize written communication, responsiveness, and use of digital tools. For instance: “Uses shared project boards to keep work visible, documents decisions in writing, and responds to teammates within agreed-upon timeframes.” These are real examples that reflect how remote teamwork actually functions.

Q: What’s an example of constructive feedback on teamwork that isn’t harsh?
A: You might say: “Has strong technical skills but sometimes focuses on individual tasks at the expense of team coordination. Encouraging earlier communication about blockers and dependencies would help the team plan more effectively.” This balances recognition with a clear development area.

Q: How many teamwork questions should a performance review template include?
A: Many organizations use three to five focused prompts on teamwork: collaboration with peers, cross-functional work, communication style, contribution to team culture, and support for inclusion. Within those prompts, you can reuse the best examples of performance review template examples for teamwork from this guide so managers aren’t starting from scratch.


Use these examples of performance review template examples for teamwork as a starting point, then adjust the tone and detail to fit your culture. The more specific and behavior-focused your language, the more useful your reviews will be for both employees and managers.

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