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Effective Coaching

Some Effective vs Ineffective Coaching Skills:

 

Using the following chart and the Parent/Adult/Child model to assist your group in giving feedback to the “coach” in each of your role-play scenarios:

 

EFFECTIVE COACHING BEHAVIOR INEFFECTIVE COACHING BEHAVIOR
Coached as soon as possible. Waited too long after the problem arose.
Coached privately, if the environment permits. Coached in front of others.
Asked permission to interrupt. Interrupted, or began giving feedback before having attention
Announced intentions – I want to give you some positive feedback, or I want to speak to you about an area of concern. Stayed with one form of feedback. Jumped right in. Started with positive feedback, to then follow up with negative.
Related feelings about the behavior using “I” mesasges. Use “you” messages. “You should, you have to” – using Controlling Parent language.
Ask open-ended, non-judgmental questions. Say something like, “I don’t see how that possibly could have happened,” or make some other opinion to the employee.
Focused on only one behavior to improve. Relayed a long list of behaviors to correct.
Focused on specific job-related behaviors. Was non-specific and unclear (especially when talking about “attitude” changes or being a “team player”).
Said how the customer, other team member, or organization was affected (facts). Said nothing about how the customer, other team members, or organization was affected, or expounded on your opinions about the behavior.
Said specifically what to do differently and set a check back date. Gave no direction or check-back date.
Avoid judgmental statements using words like “should have,” “what were you thinking,” “have to,” and “right/wrong.” Let the employee know just how shocked, outraged you are. Give your opinions about the “inappropriateness” of their behaviors.
Let the message be absorbed and allow the person to respond. You might even ask them to say what they think the behavior change or task is that you’d like them to complete. TELLING. Dump all the information on the employee, do not let them respond.
Uses neatral terms like “possible misconduct, workplace issue.” Uses judgmental words like “inappropriate behaviors,” “attitude problem,” or “serious misconduct.”
Effectively elicits specific, measurable, actionable facts from the employee. Allows employees to express obtuse statements which cannot be effectively quantified.