COACHING FOR IMPROVEMENT

Conduct a coaching for improvement discussion when:

Ask: What support does the person or team need to take responsibility for improvement? Advice? More coaching? Help in removing barriers? Create clear accountability. Make sure the person(s) understands what he or she is responsible for doing to improve and knows what resources and support you will provide. Keep an eye on progress to identify support needs and encourage people to ask if they need more support.

IDENTIFY NEED

Observe performance Measure results

Someones performance is falling below acceptable levels relative to quality, quantity, cost, or timeliness. Someones work habits, poor approach to work, or behavior is negatively affecting performance, morale, or job satisfaction.

COACH

PROVIDE SUPPORT

Encourage responsibility Provide resources Remove barriers

When you provide feedback:

Day-to-day feedback Formal discussion

To prepare for a coaching for improvement discussion, think through:

When you conduct the discussion:

What the person is doing and how its affecting results. Ways to keep in touch with future performance and measure results. How youll use Key Principles to address personal needs and tendencies. How to balance seeking and telling.

Specifically describe the problem and its impact. Seek or share natural consequences. Keep responsibility for improvement with the person or team. Dont leave without a plan detailing specific actions and how progress will be tracked and measured.

Use STAR to ensure that feedback is specific and complete. Relate the persons Actions and/or Results to the performance measures you agreed to during your improvement discussion. Ask open-ended questions to encourage self-feedback. Dont save feedback to deliver later. Immediate feedback has the greatest impact. Offer sincere positive feedback too.

Development Dimensions International, Inc., 2003. Revised 2006.