> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gowindmill.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Review stages and schedule

> Choose review stages and set the cycle schedule.

## Choose review stages

* **Self review:** Employees review their own work.
* **Upward feedback:** An assigned person, such as a direct report, gives feedback about the reviewee.
* **Peer feedback:** Reviewees nominate peers, and approved peers give feedback.
* **Manager review:** The assigned manager reviews the employee and prepares the final review.

A cycle can have several self, upward, and peer stages. It can have only one manager stage.

## Set the review period and stage dates

The **review period** is the period of work that people should review. It is not a submission deadline. The review period must end before the review stages start.

Each stage has one start time and an optional deadline. A peer stage has two sets of dates: one for peer nominations and one for peer feedback. Peer feedback cannot start before peer nominations start.

## Overlap review stages

Review stages can overlap. For example, peer feedback can stay open after self reviews start.

Managers can start their reviews before all other feedback is submitted. Windmill warns you when the manager stage starts before another stage is due to end, but the warning does not stop you from creating the cycle.

## Choose a time zone

* **One time zone:** The stage starts at the same moment for everyone, based on the time zone you choose.
* **Each participant's local time:** The stage starts at the same local time for each person. People in different time zones start at different moments.

Stage deadlines use the same time-zone setting as the start time.