Our software allows our clients to change the text within the system - and all of our clients have more than a preference about whether their process is called performance appraisal, performance review of performance evaluation.  I guess mostly it is history and people become used to a particular term.  But, just for a moment I was thinking through which one is the one I would use.

I concluded I didn't like any of them!  First I think they are all backward looking and that is only a part of the process.  Second, appraisal and evaluation are too hard - they make me, the appraisee, a subject of the appraiser.  Generally, they are limiting - not describing the whole of the process or document but just a small part of it.  

I actually like "performance discussion".  But, I suspect that is too soft and doesn't imply the importance (do tell me if this blog post sounds like something from Goldilocks.)

I'm off on a search for terminology around this document and process.  Is performance discussion the best I can come up with?

Brendan