# 11 Claude Skills That Run Your Annual Review Cycle

> Free performance review templates as Claude skills: review forms, self-reviews, manager prep, a growth matrix and growth memos for a full review cycle.

11 free Claude Skills (Agent Skills) by Pauline Bertry, Polar Bear. For Claude Code, Claude.ai and Claude Desktop.

- Page: https://meet-polar-bear.com/skills/review-cycle-pack
- Download: https://meet-polar-bear.com/skills/review-cycle-pack.zip
- Source: https://github.com/polar-bear-org/claude-skills/tree/main/packs/review-cycle-pack
- License: Free to use inside your company, not for resale.
- For: founders, people ops, HR leads, managers, employees

## Install

**Claude Code** — two lines, every skill in the pack at once:

```
/plugin marketplace add polar-bear-org/claude-skills
/plugin install review-cycle-pack@polar-bear-skills
```

**Claude.ai / Claude Desktop** — download https://meet-polar-bear.com/skills/review-cycle-pack.zip and upload each skill from its `install/` folder under Settings → Customize → Skills.

**Manually** — copy `packs/review-cycle-pack/skills/*` from https://github.com/polar-bear-org/claude-skills into `~/.claude/skills/` or a project's `.claude/skills/`.

## The 11 skills

### 1. Cycle setup (`cycle-setup`)

Guided setup: which Project to create, which files to add, and a test run of the first skill. Everyone runs this first.

Say: "run cycle-setup", "set up my review cycle", "how do I get started", "my skills aren't triggering"

### 2. Cycle planner (`cycle-planner`)

Builds the cycle calendar, team-context.md, and this year's company-direction.md.

Say: "run cycle-planner", "plan our review cycle", "when should we do reviews", "plan review season"

### 3. Growth matrix builder (`growth-matrix-builder`)

Drafts a v1 growth matrix: levels and competencies, and what each one actually looks like.

Say: "run growth-matrix-builder", "build our growth matrix", "create career levels", "define competencies", "what does senior mean here"

### 4. Review form builder (`review-form-builder`)

Creates the self-review and manager review forms, eight questions maximum.

Say: "run review-form-builder", "create our review form", "what should we ask in reviews"

### 5. Comms drafter (`comms-drafter`)

Writes the kickoff memo, the manager briefing, every reminder, and the wrap-up, in your tone.

Say: "run comms-drafter", "write the kickoff email", "announce the review cycle", "draft a reminder"

### 6. Cycle retro (`cycle-retro`)

Closes the cycle and turns what happened into next year's improved plan.

Say: "run cycle-retro", "the review cycle is done", "what should we change next year"

### 7. Review prepper (`review-prepper`)

One session per direct report: the evidence sheet and the forward-looking growth memo.

Say: "run review-prepper", "help me prepare Maria's review", "I need to write reviews for my team", "build the growth memo"

### 8. One on one companion (`one-on-one-companion`)

Briefs a manager before every conversation, the weekly 1:1 and the review conversation alike, and digests the transcript afterwards.

Say: "run one-on-one-companion", "prep my 1:1 with [name]", "I'm meeting Maria in an hour", "what should I ask today"

### 9. Brag doc keeper (`brag-doc-keeper`)

Logs an employee's wins during the year, so review season has material.

Say: "run brag-doc-keeper", "log a win", "add this to my brag doc", "note what I did this week"

### 10. Self review prepper (`self-review-prepper`)

Interviews an employee about their year and drafts the self-review with them.

Say: "run self-review-prepper", "help me write my self-review", "I don't know what to write about my year"

### 11. Growth navigator (`growth-navigator`)

Reads the growth matrix with the employee, finds their aspiration, and builds a personal growth profile.

Say: "run growth-navigator", "what does the next level mean", "am I ready for senior", "help me figure out where I want to grow"