LESSON 3: Leveraging feedback and coaching to impact performance.

Lesson Overview: This lesson will educate learners on the importance of feedback and coaching
in the performance management process. Learners will be instructed on the principles and
practice of coaching and the difference between feedback and coaching. Learners will apply
knowledge by completing selected activity which depicts performance management challenges.
The second part of the lesson will inform learners of the concepts of crucial conversations and
provide tools for keeping conversations on track during performance management efforts.
Materials:

The Right Way to Give Feedback video by Daniel Goleman

Coaching Employees from Management Fundamentals video with Britt Andreatta
Coaching for Performance: Growing Human Potential and Purpose handout by John
Whitmore
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High Job Aid handout by
Joseph Grenny

Physical Resources

Training Room
Projector
Laptop and guest network access for corporate network
Whiteboard and accessories (markers, erasers, etc.)

Lesson Standards: N/A, corporate learning environment

Lesson Objectives:
3) Given a selected scenario and using rules which differentiate feedback and coaching; learners
will discriminate between (select) applying feedback or coaching to address performance issues
with 100% accuracy (as compared to correct response for each scenario).
4) Given a selected handout and job aid which detail principles of managing critical
conversations, learners will describe (list) 3 common barriers to effective coaching conversations
with 67% accuracy (as compared to list of possible responses).
Time: 1.5 hours
Pre-instructional activities: Instructor will open the course by asking learners to define
feedback, coaching, mentoring, and counseling and to compare and contrast the terms. Upon
completion of this exercise, learners will watch a brief video on how to provide feedback. For
the second part of this lesson, instructor will open with a brief video on crucial conversations.
Upon completion of the video, learners will be asked to describe the toughest conversation they
needed to have and what struggles they encountered.

Creating Meaningful Dialogue:

Draw a table on the whiteboard with four columns, label column 1 as Action; label
column 2 as Definition; column 3 as Similarities; and column 4 as Differences. Write in
the action items below under the column 1 heading of Action. Ask learners to define the
listed items below while you record their responses on the whiteboard. Then ask them to
compare and contrast them, recording their responses in the similarities and differences
columns.
o Feedback
o Coaching
o Counseling
o Mentoring
Ask learners why it is important to differentiate between the action items listed above.

Content presentation: Instructional delivery will leverage a projector for visual reinforcement
of key points. Videos from subject matter experts in the fields of employee coaching and
effective communication will provide learners perspective and expertise in the concepts being
presented.
Key Points to Discuss:

Principles of Effective Conversations:

o Focus on what is really desired.
o Look points in the conversation where it is becoming "crucial".
o Make it safe through establishing mutual purpose.
o State your path. Separate fact from story.
o Move to action.

Learner Participation: Facilitated discussion will be used to allow learners to bring forward
real life examples from their own performance management experiences. An intentional effort
will be made to ensure learners are engaged in meaningful dialogue related to the examples and
key points. Learners will use a selected scenario and case study to apply concepts of this lesson.
Assessment: At conclusion of first section of instruction, learners will be provided a selected
scenario depicting a performance management challenge and learners will discriminate (select)
between whether feedback or coaching is appropriate, with 100% accuracy (as compared to
correct response for each scenario). At conclusion of second section of instruction, learners will
be provided a selected handout and job aid which detail principles of managing critical
conversations. Learners will identify (list) 3 barriers to effectively discussing the performance
issues with the employee, with 67% accuracy (as compared to list of possible responses).
Questbase for Assessment Completion: Direct learners to log in to their Questbase accounts
and complete assessment, per included instructions.

Follow-through activities: Learners will apply knowledge from this lesson in subsequent
lessons. Learners will apply concepts from this lesson in order to manage performance issues in
the workplace effectively.