Attention to Detail: Use these sample phrases to craft meaningful performance evaluations, drive change and motivate your workforce.

Attention to Detail is the capacity to achieve a thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing a task.

Attention to Detail: Exceeds Expectations Phrases

  • Shows keenness while exploring the issue or topic at hand as well as issues surrounding it and reasons behind it
  • Has a proactive attitude that focuses on creating ideas for handling daily tasks or correcting issues
  • Is patient and determined to explore a problem and its cause until a proper reasoning has been reached so that it can be resolved accurately
  • Is highly organized; plans effectively in order to avoid confusion when running different projects or performing tasks
  • Limits distractions by trying to work in an area that is conducive to focus and concentrate
  • Maintains a schedule; sets aside a certain amount of time and to devote to specific tasks and projects
  • Avoids overloading oneself with last minute deadlines and large simultaneous projects
  • Accurately analyzes and prioritizes details and catches details missed by other colleagues
  • Keeps a project checklist that covers all the details that might be missed
  • Takes thoroughness to a new level and energizes other colleagues to work carefully

Attention to Detail: Meets Expectations Phrases

  • Takes time to research and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of competing companies
  • Examines technical charts for errors and reviews documents for compliance with established standards
  • Uses day planners, calendars, highlighters, project planning software, resource management software and any other program created to help one stay organized
  • Uses different marketing tools such as online survey tools to discover clients' needs
  • Employs trusted colleagues to look over one's work and offers them the same courtesy
  • Takes short breaks in order to give one a fresh perspective and stay focused throughout the day
  • Reviews work carefully for completeness, accuracy, and mistakes before sending it out
  • Performs repetitious or routine tasks with attention and care and follows the required procedures to ensure all parts of the tasks are complete
  • Creates a detailed work plan that outlines each key job functions and uses it as a guide when one gets distracted or interrupted
  • Plays focus enhancing games that help sharpen one's memory and problem-solving skills

Attention to Detail: Needs Improvement Phrases

  • Has difficulty managing and organizing different tasks, thus, produces unreliable output frequently
  • Frequently forgets one's task and projects and loses track of details on how and when everything needs to come together
  • Easily gets distracted when colleagues talk or phone rings while handling a task thus forgets important details
  • Does not give one's brain time to relax; always hops from one project to the other without considering taking some rest
  • Does not ask for a project's feedback from colleagues before handing it in
  • Has difficulty sticking to own schedule and always keeps on altering it in order to follow a specific rhythm
  • Tends to overlook projects' requirements thus consistently produces documentation that is not reliable
  • Is too tolerant of errors and always falls short of the mark in terms of accuracy and quality
  • Sometimes makes errors that lead to significant problems for the company and other employees
  • Sees the big picture, and overlooks the small picture; focuses on the major points and ignores most others

Attention to Detail: Self Evaluation Questions

  • What techniques do you use to make sure you have the right information about a certain project?
  • Is there a time you identified an error that had been overlooked by a colleague? What did you do to fix it?
  • Describe a time when you were confused by a client's request. What process did you use to clarify things?
  • Have you been in a situation where you had an option to leave the details to others or take care of the details yourself? What did you do?
  • Do you prefer to work with the "details" or the "big picture" of a situation?
  • Are there times you have had difficult experiences working with details at work? How did you go about that?
  • Are there times you have made huge mistakes due to not paying attention to details? What happened?
  • What tools/techniques do you use to check your work? Why do you use these tools/techniques?
  • Can you describe a time when you were able to produce quality work when under pressure? How did you go about ensuring the quality of your work?
  • Have you ever needed to persuade your supervisor or someone above you that they had made a mistake? How did the situation turn out?

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