Performance Coaching and Discipline Without Punishment

Performance Coaching• Athletic coaches must coach constantly• Performance coaching focuses on effective job

behaviors and activities• Performance coaching is positive and

emphasizes what people are doing right

Performance Coaching• The goals of performance coaching:

– To encourage people and teams– To show people and teams how to build on their

strengths– To heighten people’s and teams’ self-esteem and

self-confidence– To enhance cooperation and participation within

and among departments– To stop and correct inappropriate behavior

– To build trust between management and team members

– To reduce fear and increase risk taking and innovation (security nurtures creativity)

– To align individual and team goals to organizational goals

– To get people to realize that their self interests and the organization’s interests are inextricably bound together

– To establish consequences for continued inappropriate behavior

Performance Coaching• All units in an organization should conduct

performance coaching– Department managers for their departments

(several managers if the department is large)– Higher management for department managers

The Multiple Roles Of Performance Coaching

• Developmental• Evaluative• Defensive• Indoctrinational

Coaching Avoidance• Most managers would rather avoid the anger,

anxiety, and discomfort involved• Timing of performance coaching sessions

should be based on associate’s, not manager’s, needs and timing

Coaching Meetings• Quarterly departmental goal-setting and

strategy sessions– If not more often in a highy competitive business

• Quarterly individual performance coaching and performance agreement sessions– Frequent, daily if possible, feedback

Conducting Performance Coaching Sessions

• Managers must know enough about a job to understand how it should be done

• Managers must observe on-the-job behavior (it’s like watching game tapes)

Reactions To Coaching Sessions• People often react defensively to what are

perceived to be negative comments• Don’t use the sandwich approach

– Criticism-praise-criticism

• Criticism causes people to become defensive:– Transfer blame to others (“not my fault”)

Many People Are Defensive– Ambivalent about improvement needs– See coaching as a threat to self-esteem (especially

highly ego-centered talent or creative people)• Often people see it as a threat to independence• Often people are in outright denial

Games People Play– Most common rationalization games:

• “Yeah, but”• “I’ll try”

– Trying doesn’t cut it, doing what you’re supposed to cuts it

• “It’s good that you’re trying hard, but what exactly are going to do to solve the problem. Tell me in steps 1, 2 and 3.”

Improvement Memos– If an associate exceeds expectations, write a

memo to upper management– If an associate is not meeting standards, have him

or her write an improvement or performance agreement outline

• Keep management informed

Performance Coaching• Yearly performance evaluation or review

sessions:– Once-a-year reviews at salary review times are

worthless and counterproductive– Coaches who reviewed players once a year would

be lose all their games and their jobs

• Quarterly departmental goal-setting sessions:– Department’s mission, objectives, and strategies

are narrowed down to key activities– Department discusses and jointly agrees on

objectives, strategies, and activities– Participation in setting objectives leads to a

department’s commitment

• Brief, frequent (daily if possible) feedback sessions:– People need continual encouragement and

reinforcement of the good things they do• Need “atta boys”

– Must be open and honest– “What can I do to help?”

Feedback• Phrases to use:

– “I know you want to improve, and if it’s OK with you, I have a few suggestions.”

– I know you like to do a good job. Here are some things for you to think about that might help you do it a little better.”

• “Be tough on standards, not on people” - tom peters

• When giving feedback, give positive feedback first, then discuss opportunities for improvement

Who Conducts Performance Coaching Sessions:

• All managers, all team members• Associates need feedback more than contact

with top managers• They need it weekly

Unleash Associates’ Motivation To Improve:

• Management hires, coaches, and communicates values and objectives

• If there is a problems, it is usually management’s– “There are no bad soldiers, only bad generals” -

Napoleon

Establishing Consequences• Consequences laid out in advance. If people

do A, B will happen. It’s their choice.• Coaching is encouragement, support – yes;

but it doesn’t work unless there are meaningful, understood consequences– If you hold on to ineffective people too long,

you’re being unfair to your organization and, more importantly, to effective performers

Discipline Without Punishment• Performance problems can usually be divided

into three categories:– Attendance– Performance– Conduct

• Traditional discipline systems:– Step 1 - Verbal reprimand– Step 2 - Written warning– Step 3 - Suspension without pay/ probation/final

warning– Step 4 -Termination

• Discipline Without Punishment– Level 1 - Oral reminder– Level 2 - Written reminder– Level 3 - Decision-making leave (paid)– Level 4 - Termination

• In Discipline Without Punishment, it’s up to associates to change on their own– There has been enough discussion, they know the

consequences– Paid leave puts the onus on them– Managers should view DWP as a technique for

saving people. Each step is an opportunity to correct a problem.

– Termination is a failure

Be a Coach

• Who watches game films every day and gives feedback one-on-one every day– Not once a year

• Who’s motivation is to teach the team how to win– Teach to win, not to avoid a loss– Without playing himself/herself