By Gaurav Singhal —

1.2. Performance Review Red Flags: When Your Manager’s Feedback Suggests Trouble

1.2. Performance Review Red Flags: When Your Manager’s Feedback Suggests Trouble

Sometimes, “Great work!” isn’t Great news.
Here are the warning signs to catch early—and what to do next.

What are the biggest red flags in manager feedback?

  • Only generic praise (“Good job”), never specifics.
  • The focus of feedback keeps changing every few months (no clear goals or moving targets).
  • No specific examples for praise or improvement.
  • Silence, vague answers, or missed 1:1s after you ask for support or feedback.

What might these signals mean?

  • Your manager may not be tracking your work.
  • There's a lack of clarity around the team's direction and priorities.
  • You’re at risk of being overlooked for growth or unfairly evaluated.

Strategic Questions for Feedback and Growth

  • “Can you share a concrete example from this cycle?”
  • “What should I focus on this quarter to exceed expectations?”
  • “How would you measure success for my role?”
  • “Could we schedule monthly check-ins to keep feedback flowing?”

If you repeatedly get nowhere, consider escalating to HR or a skip-level manager. Keep your own win log as protection.