1. Coaching and Providing Feedback for Improved Performance
Chapter 10:
Coaching and Providing Feedback for Improved Performance

2. What is Coaching?
Coaching is a means for managers to provide guidance, insight, and encouragement to their employees for improved work performance through frequent interactions.
Coaching conveys a set of beliefs, values, and vision and enables goal setting and action steps for the realization of extraordinary results.

3. 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.

4. The Importance and Benefits of Coaching
Coaching helps people overcome personal obstacles hindering their success.
When used in team settings, coaching improves team communications and provides a structure for managing conflict.
Coaching behaviors encourage others to coach.

5. 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

6. Skills and Characteristics of Effective Coaches
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 don’t 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.

8. Effective Coaching Behaviors
Successful coaches use supportive behaviors far more frequently than unsuccessful coaches. Supportive behavior categories:
Verbal
Tangible
Active

9. Effective Coaching Behaviors
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 counseling session.

10. 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.

11. Supportive Coaching Behaviors
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.

12. 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.

13. Initiating Coaching Behaviors
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.

14. 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.

15. Helping Others Set Goals
Incorporate goal setting into the coaching activity to motivate employees to set a new course or direction.
The organization’s environment must be conducive to individual growth and development in the context of organizational goals.

16. Helping Others Set Goals
Goals set for yourself are more likely to be achieved when they are SMART.
Goals should be challenging, yet realistic.
Employees should establish and update goals periodically.
Commitment to goals will vary directly with the amount of participation and input from the employee in setting the goals.

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

18. 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.

19. Importance of Job Feedback in Organizations
Seasoned employees give feedback to new employees or team members, ensuring that employees experience many aspects of the business and become successful at teaching, coaching, and mentoring others.
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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Benefits of Giving Feedback
Ensures that individuals focus on meeting organizational goals and objectives
Reinforces positive and effective actions and behaviors
Provides corrective action of ineffective or problematic behaviors

23. Benefits of Getting Feedback
Builds our confidence by reinforcing our strengths
Directs us toward areas needing improvement
Helps us understand our blind spots – weaknesses of which we’re unaware

24. Benefits of Asking for Feedback
Demonstrates our commitment to improve
Demonstrates our dedication to doing things right
Shows our commitment to continued service in an organization

25. 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.
Managers are afraid of the reaction they might get when delivering negative feedback to some employees.
As organizations have downsized and increased spans of control, managers have less time available to provide effective feedback to greater numbers of employees.

26. 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

27. 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

28. Asking for Feedback
Demonstrate you’re open to continual change and learning
Learn why you’re not getting the feedback
Assess why you want feedback before you request it
Ask for suggestions on how you can improve