Coaching to Improve Performance

1. Make sure your comments are intended to help the recipient. 2. Speak directly and with feeling. 3. Describe what the person is doing and the effect the person is having. 4. Don’t be threatening or judgmental. 5. Be specific, not general (use clear and recent examples). 6. Give feedback when the recipient is open to accepting it. 7. Check to ensure the validity of your statements. 8. Include only things the receiver can do something about. 9. Don’t overwhelm the person with more than can be handled.

EXHIBIT 10.2 Guidelines for Giving Effective Feedback.4

or not working and then change those actions to become more effective.5 Effective feedback alone can increase performance and positive personal development.6 There are a number of reasons why. First, feedback can induce a person who previously had no goals to set some, and goals act as motivators to higher performance. Second, where goals exist, feedback tells people how well they’re progressing toward those goals. Third, favorable feedback is a positive reinforcement. Fourth, if feedback indicates inadequate performance, this knowledge may result in increased effort or suggest ways to improve performance. Fifth, feedback often induces people to raise their goal sights after attaining a previous goal. Finally, providing feedback conveys that you care how they’re doing.7 The application of feedback in the coaching, counseling, and mentoring processes involves four actions in the following sequence:8 Describing observed behaviors and the results. Assessing the impact of the observed behaviors in terms of organizational vision and goals. Predicting the personal consequences for the person involved if no changes take place. Recommending changes for improving behavior. The characteristics of effective feedback are summarized in Exhibit 10.2.

Coaching to Improve Performance

Coaching is the ongoing process of helping people improve their performance. A coach analyzes performance, provides insight into how to improve, and offers the leadership, motivation, and supportive climate to help achieve that improvement. As a coach, your job is to provide instruction, guidance, advice, and encouragement. There are three general skills that you can apply to help others generate breakthroughs in performance.9 1. Seek ways to improve performance. A coach continuously looks for opportunities to expand peoples’ performance capabilities. How? By ongoing observations of the other person’s behavior, by asking questions (“Why do you do a task this way?”), by listening to understand the other person’s perspective, and by respecting the other person’s individuality and crafting unique improvement strategies. 2. Create a supportive climate. Effective coaches reduce barriers to development and facilitate climates that encourage performance improvement. How? Through active listening to promote free and open exchange of ideas. By empowering others to implement appropriate ideas that they suggest. By being available for assistance, guidance, or advice if asked. By being positive and upbeat to provide encouragement. By never using threats of punishment for poor performance. Threats only create fear and inhibition. By focusing on mistakes as learning opportunities. By validating peoples’ efforts with rewards when they succeed.