Coaching Discussion Model
,The purpose of the coaching discussion is to redirect the employee’s behavior. You want the employee to stop inappropriate behavior and start demonstrating appropriate behavior. It is a two-way process, a discussion. The intended purpose is for the employee to be engaged in a discussion as well. In fact, the employee should be talking more than the supervisor or the manager. Using the following six steps of the Coaching Discussion Model will make your coaching discussions effective.
Step One: Help the Employee See the Existing Problem
This is the most important step of the entire coaching discussion. If the employee does not agree there is a problem, then the supervisor actually has two problems to deal with: (1) the inappropriate behavior and (2) the employee not thinking the inappropriate behavior is a problem.
Step One is a difficult area for supervisors. Many lack a feeling of competence in this area. Without preparation, this beginning can be difficult; therefore, many supervisors want to just skip over this step. But, if the employee does not agree there is a problem, he or she will probably lack the motivation to improve behavior.
The types of questions we could ask to gain agreement in this area include:
“What is/are the result(s) of this behavior (nonperformance)?”
“What impact does this behavior have on other employees/departments?
“What would happen if all employees did this behavior?”
“What would happen if I (the supervisor/manager) ignored this behavior indefinitely?”
“Do you know how many times you have done this behavior in the last_______?”
“What impact does this behavior have on our customers?”
“I am puzzled why you don’t perceive this as a problem, so can you elaborate?”
If the employee is still unwilling to admit there is a problem by answering any of the above questions, you may need to move to the second stage of questioning.
“What will happen if you continue with this behavior?”
When the employee responds with, “You could write me up or suspend me,” you can then respond with:
“You are right. And if you continued with this behavior, after I documented this problem or suspended you, what else could I do?”
A second question you may try is, “Do you think I can decide to let you continue this behavior?”
If the employee states that you can decide to allow the behavior to continue indefinitely, you can respond with:
“You are wrong. As a supervisor, I am responsible for seeing that (the area of concern you are discussing) is not a problem in our department/ company.”
The employee’s comments could activate some of the following responses:
“You could suspend, demote, inhibit my promotion, put something in my personnel file, fire me…”
Your response could be:
“You are right, because I need someone in that position who will do (describe the behavior) what needs to be done.”
Some of these questions and responses in this second round sound threatening. If the consequences are realistic—that the employee could be suspended or fired—and if he or she is unwilling to change his or her behavior, it is important that the employee understands the consequences of his or her own behavior.
Step Two: Clarify the Cause of the Problem
Once the employee clearly sees that there is a problem, you can begin to ask “why.” The employee may have an idea why the problem is occurring. The employee may know something you don’t know. Do not assume that you already know the cause of the problem. Make sure you ask for input and ideas. It is more likely that the person doing the job will have an understanding of why the job is not being done right. This person is also more likely to have good solutions to the problem. As a supervisor, you just need to ask—and then listen.
Step Three: Mutually Discuss
Alternative Solutions
Once you have gained agreement that a problem exists and you have clarified the cause of the problem, you are ready to move to solutions. You can say to the employee, “Now that we agree there is a problem, what do you think you can do differently to solve the problem?” Make sure to focus on the word differently, because if the employee keeps on doing the same behaviors, he or she will keep getting the same results. It is important that the supervisor lets the employee generate solutions.
Step Four: Mutually Select an Alternative(s)
Do not waste time in Step Three debating which alternative is feasible. If you criticize an alternative an employee shares, the employee will stop sharing. In Step Four, you are now ready to pick an alternative. Once again, the best method to select an alternative is by asking questions. Ask the employee which alternative he or she thinks will work best—and why? Let the employee think it through and let the employee pick the solution.
Step Five: Follow-Up
Make sure to follow up with employees to see how they are doing. Many supervisors make the mistake of not following up to ensure that the agreed-upon action has been taken. The employee will often change the behavior immediately after the performance improvement discussion. But, because there is no recognition for the improved performance, the employee slips back to inappropriate behaviors. Two months later, the supervisor sees the negative behavior again and assumes that there has been no change. If the employee has not modified his or her behavior, the new problem becomes that the employee did not do what he or she agreed to do.
Step Six: Recognize Achievement
When It Occurs
If you want the improvement to continue, the key is to recognize it—no matter how small! Recognize the employee’s progress. Then, ask the employee what can be done to bring the next round of improvement to an even higher level.
This model is successful in handling the majority of employee-related problems. If you adequately plan for the discussion, you will have positive results. In the rare instances where an employee is still not willing to improve the behavior—even after the discussion—the Corrective Action Feedback Model then becomes appropriate.