Free Year-End Review Guide for Remote Teams and Virtual Assistants

TL;DR: This guide provides a structured template for conducting year-end reviews for remote teams and virtual assistants, utilizing the GROW framework to assess goals, relationships, growth opportunities, and well-being. It emphasizes the importance of clarity and communication in remote work, offers a step-by-step recipe for effective reviews, and highlights the benefits of celebrating wins and addressing challenges. Implement these practices to enhance team collaboration and set actionable goals for the upcoming year.

FREE: Download the infographic and worksheet below

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This guide is designed as a template for running year end or year start reviews. Think of it as a recipe you can adjust to taste. Use the whole process if you want a structured framework, or pick and choose the parts that fit your team. If you are new to reviews, start slow by trying just the prep sheet and a short call. If you already have a process, use these steps to supplement and strengthen what you are doing.

This is not just theory. This review recipe worked for our team. We tested and adjusted it over the years. When we skipped reviews, year-end felt chaotic. Expectations shifted without clarity, and frustrations built up. But once we tried even a simple version of this process, things changed. Misunderstandings dropped, clients felt heard, and our team felt more valued. That's why we're sharing this: it actually worked in practice.

Why Year-End Reviews Matter More Than Ever

Remote work depends on clarity and trust. Without these annual, structured reviews, teams can easily slip into miscommunication and lose focus. These reviews create a safe space for team members to voice their needs and give leaders a way to reduce turnover by aligning goals with what truly matters.

When I worked as a VA, we had no reviews at first. Each year ended with shifting expectations and constant guessing, which led to frustration and missed opportunities. Once we introduced even a simple review, just a short call to share wins and set a couple of goals, misunderstandings dropped and I felt valued and heard. Even a basic review can transform how a team works together.

What Do You Review: The GROW Framework

A review is not just about vague impressions. It should cover specific areas that matter to both the worker and the client or leader. Use the acronym GROW to guide the conversation:

• G – Goals and Performance: Deliverables completed, deadlines met, quality of work, measurable ROI, and whether processes supported success

• R – Relationships and Collaboration: Responsiveness, clarity in communication, ability to work across time zones, and overall satisfaction from clients or teammates

• O – Opportunities for Growth: New skills gained, training completed, areas for improvement, and ideas for innovation or stretch goals

• W – Wellbeing and Sustainability: Signs of burnout, workload balance, morale, and whether the team feels supported and valued

By reviewing these four areas, you ensure the conversation is balanced. It is not just about what went wrong, but also about what went right and how the team can continue to grow together. You are also free to review other topics that do not fall into this framework or expand it with additional elements that fit your team’s unique needs.

The Recipe for a Productive Review

A good review is structured but flexible. Think of it as a recipe with clear ingredients, simple steps, and a satisfying outcome.

Step 1: Prepare in Advance

Send a short prep email a few days before. Ask team members to note their wins, challenges, and priorities for the next cycle. Provide a shared doc so contributions are organized and visible.

Examples of prep notes:

• Wins: “Completed the new onboarding guide ahead of schedule,” “Handled 20 client requests with zero errors.”

• Challenges: “Struggled with overlapping deadlines,” “Need clearer instructions for design tasks.”

• Priorities: “Improve turnaround time on reports,” “Learn advanced Notion features,” “Balance workload to avoid late nights.”

Step 2: Choose the Format

Small teams can use a group call so everyone hears context and wins together. Larger teams may need short one‑on‑ones first, followed by a group wrap‑up. For client–VA setups, one‑on‑one is usually best.

Step 3: Start the Call with Positivity

Start by sharing wins. Leaders go first to model openness and set a constructive tone. Make clear the purpose is learning and progress, not blame.

Step 4: Run the Agenda

The agenda should focus on the wins, challenges, and priorities that the team prepared in advance. These are then arranged into the GROW framework to ensure they are properly categorized. Click below to download the worksheet

GROW Review Worksheet.pdf

Download PDF • 107KB

• Wins: Discuss each win by giving a clear “well done.” Place it under the right pillar.

  • For example, a performance win under Goals and Performance, a teamwork win under Relationships and Collaboration, a skill win under Opportunities for Growth, or a morale win under Wellbeing and Sustainability.

• Challenges: Review each challenge by giving constructive feedback on what needs to be improved. Categorize challenges into the relevant GROW pillar so the team sees where issues are arising.

• Priorities: Turn each priority into an actionable step for the future. These become the “what to do to make things better” items, aligned with the GROW pillars to keep Goals and Performance, Relationships and Collaboration, Opportunities for Growth, and Wellbeing and Sustainability balanced.

By structuring the agenda this way, the review becomes a clear summary of prep work, organized into GROW, and every item gets either recognition, feedback, or a forward‑looking action.

Step 5: Follow Up Quickly

Send a one‑page summary within 24 hours. Capture wins, gaps, and agreed goals with owners and deadlines. Share it in a visible place (e.g., Slack or Notion) and schedule the first check‑in.

How to Know Your Review Was Successful

• Immediate signals: Positive tone in follow-up messages, updates made without reminders, and visible interest in new ideas

• Short-term outcomes: Training started, workflows adjusted, and check-ins scheduled and attended

• Medium-term results: Better turnaround times, fewer missed deadlines, and improved morale

• Long-term impact: Higher retention, stronger partnerships, and clear skill growth by the next cycle

Final Call to Action

Do not let another year roll over without clarity. Whether you are a VA, a client, or a remote leader, this review recipe gives you a simple, proven way to celebrate wins, fix friction, and set goals that stick. Start small if you are new, or layer these steps into your existing process. This worked for our team, and it can work for yours. Schedule your first review this week, and you will head into 2026 with focus, energy, and a crew that feels unstoppable.