2. Coaching and Providing Feedback for Improved Performance
Chapter 17
Coaching and Providing Feedback for Improved Performance
“Good management consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.”
~ Ron Zemke

3. Chapter Objectives
Identify characteristics of effective coaches and feedback.
Help others set and achieve goals.
Utilize techniques and strategies to coach others with whom you work.
Praise someone for giving extra effort.
Give constructive feedback without making the recipient feel defensive.
Let others know you are open to receiving constructive feedback.
Give yourself feedback and check these perceptions with others.

4. What is Coaching?
Coaching is a means for managers to provide their employees with guidance, insight, and encouragement through frequent interactions in order to improve their work performance.
Coaching conveys a set of beliefs, values, and vision and enables goal setting and action steps for the realization of extraordinary results.
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.”
~ Harvard Educator Timothy Gallwey

5. The Importance and Benefits of Coaching
Coaching reduces employees’ fears related to their (and others’) status in the organization.
Coaching enables workers to feel they are part of the organization rather than used by it.
Effective coaching endorses rather than diminishes people’s skills and abilities.
Coaching helps people overcome personal obstacles to their success.
When used in team settings, coaching improves team communications and provides a structure for managing conflict.
Coaching behaviors encourage others to coach.

6. Skills and Characteristics of Effective Coaches
A desire to bring out the best in others’ performance
Ability to give constructive and positive feedback
Honesty and trustworthiness
Willingness to NOT assign blame
Good communication skills
A parallel style of thinking and acting
Responsibility and accountability
Constructive conflict management
A personal level of caring

7. Effective Coaching Behaviors
Coaching sessions require managers to use face-to-face discussions of performance problems.
Effective coaches do not legislate quality; they model it.
Effective coaches and their sessions contain high levels of supportive behaviors and moderate levels of initiating or problem-solving behaviors.
Successful coaches use supportive behaviors far more frequently than unsuccessful coaches.

8. Effective Coaching Behaviors (continued)
Supportive behavior categories:
Verbal
Tangible
Active
The best coaches ask questions that enable the employee to discover how to improve.
Successful coaches challenge employees and stimulate resolutions.
The best sessions are those in which the coach plans, prepares, and rehearses prior to the coaching session.

9. Supportive Coaching Behaviors
Collaboration regarding solutions to problems.
Help and assistance through training and resources.
Concern over the employee’s needs and objectives.
Empathy for the employee and attention to obstacles and problems.
Expressions of the value of the employee and his or her contribution to work.
Acceptance of responsibility in situations.
Interaction that provides time for the employee to air his or her feelings.

10. Initiating Coaching Behaviors
Feedback and analysis of issues and concerns.
Clarification of leader expectations and requirements.
Exploration of impact and effects of employee’s actions.
Action planning around solutions and desired changes.
Seeking commitment to the action plan.
Clarification of positive and negative consequences connected to future action and plans.

11. Counseling
Counseling is used to address personal or attitudinal problems rather than those related to an individual’s ability (or lack thereof).
Directive counseling methods include:
Probing
Questioning
Discussing specific problems and possible solutions
The nondirective approach involves being a good listener and sounding board.
Seldom should a manager get involved in counseling an employee.

12. Helping Others Set Goals
A major component of coaching is helping others set goals.
The organization’s environment must be conducive to individual growth and development in the context of organizational goals.
Goals you set for yourself are more likely to be achieved when they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable and attainable, realistic, and time bound).
Effectively helping others to set goals is a key element in managerial coaching.

13. Five Steps for Helping Others Set Goals
Prepare
Clarify
Decide
Commit
Participate

14. What is Feedback?
Information that enables individuals or groups to compare actual performance with a given standard or expectation.
Involves offering your perceptions and describing your feelings in a nonjudgmental manner and supplying data that others can use to examine and change behaviors.
Assists in goal setting and performance improvement.
Provides direct information about how you are performing and how to direct your future efforts in terms of corrective action.

15. Importance of Job Feedback in Organizations
Seasoned employees are expected to give feedback to new employees or team members on company expectations and requirements.
Knowledge of effective feedback mechanisms can reduce the strain caused by having to continually train new people.
Feedback mechanisms allow employees to:
Share progress toward goals
Relay current problems
Inform management about how they feel about their jobs, co-workers, and the organization in general

16. Importance of Feedback for Individuals
Greatly benefits those with whom you work.
Shows us how others perceive us.
Provides us with information needed to change our behaviors and attitudes, to be more efficient and effective.
By asking for feedback we:
Demonstrate our commitment to improve and our dedication to do things right.
Signal a desire to remain involved with an organization in a longer and more meaningful capacity.
Build and enhance our esteem.

17. Sources of Feedback Others The task Itself Self
Interacting with others provides input about how we are doing.
The task Itself
When developing project plans, it is a good idea to build in mechanisms for evaluating the progress of the project and the people responsible for getting the work done.
Self
Our own thoughts and perceptions can be good sources of feedback, although it is difficult for us to be completely objective when self-evaluating.

18. Characteristics of Effective Feedback
1. Specific
7. Timely
2. Nonpersonal
8. Frequent
3. Work related
9. Purposeful
4. Documentable
10. Constructive and balanced
5. Descriptive
11. In the appropriate setting
6. Nonprescriptive
12. Interactive

19. Benefits of Giving, Getting, and Asking for Effective Feedback

20. Challenges in Providing Feedback
Managers are uncomfortable giving negative feedback and discussing performance weaknesses.
Employees tend to have an inflated view of their own performance.
Feedback is sometimes closer to criticism than to legitimate information that can help employees gauge their performance.
As organizations have downsized and increased spans of control, managers have less time available to provide effective feedback to greater numbers of employees.

21. Tips for Preparing and Leading a Feedback Session
Prepare a script
Examine your motives
Ask for input
Offer help, support, and suggestions
Clarify expectations and specify next steps

22. Tips for Receiving Feedback
Keep an ongoing performance folder
Evaluate your own progress on a regular basis
Let someone know if a change in your personal circumstances is affecting your work

23. Asking for Feedback
Demonstrate you are open to continual change and learning
Learn why you are not getting the feedback
Assess why you want feedback before you request it
Regular feedback is useful
Ask for suggestions on how you can improve

24. Summary
Coaching is an effective way to facilitate personal and organizational performance improvement and success.
By providing feedback and support, coaches let individuals and groups know how they are doing so they can determine whether to modify current strategies, actions, and behaviors.
Despite the benefits of coaching and giving feedback, many lack the skill and confidence to do so effectively.