Coaching for Coaching for Improved PerformanceImproved Performance

The Zimmer WayThe Zimmer Way

Performance CoachingPerformance Coaching

Athletic Coaches Must Coach Athletic Coaches Must Coach ConstantlyConstantly

Performance Coaching Focuses On Performance Coaching Focuses On Effective Job Behaviors and ActivitiesEffective Job Behaviors and Activities

Performance Coaching Is Positive and Performance Coaching Is Positive and Emphasizes What People Are Doing Emphasizes What People Are Doing RightRight

Purpose and Goals of Purpose and Goals of Performance Coaching Performance Coaching

The Goals Of Performance Coaching:The Goals Of Performance Coaching:– To encourage people and teamsTo encourage people and teams– To show people and teams how to build on To show people and teams how to build on

their strengthstheir strengths– To heighten people’s and teams’ To heighten people’s and teams’ self-self-

esteemesteem and and self-confidenceself-confidence– To enhance cooperation, participation To enhance cooperation, participation

within and among departmentswithin and among departments– To stop and correct inappropriate behaviorTo stop and correct inappropriate behavior

Purpose of Performance Purpose of Performance coachingcoaching

– To Build Trust Between Management and To Build Trust Between Management and Team MembersTeam Members

– To Reduce Fear and Increase Risk Taking To Reduce Fear and Increase Risk Taking and Innovation (Security Nurtures and Innovation (Security Nurtures Creativity)Creativity)

Purpose of Performance Purpose of Performance coachingcoaching

– To Align Individual and Team Goals To To Align Individual and Team Goals To Organizational GoalsOrganizational Goals

– To Get People To Realize That Their Self To Get People To Realize That Their Self Interests and the Organization’s Interests Interests and the Organization’s Interests Are Inextricably Bound TogetherAre Inextricably Bound Together

– To Establish Consequences For Continued To Establish Consequences For Continued Inappropriate BehaviorInappropriate Behavior

Performance Coaching Performance Coaching

All Departments Should Conduct All Departments Should Conduct Performance CoachingPerformance Coaching– Department managers for their Department managers for their

departments (several managers if the departments (several managers if the department is large)department is large)

– Higher management for department Higher management for department managersmanagers

The Multiple Roles Of The Multiple Roles Of Performance CoachingPerformance Coaching

DevelopmentalDevelopmental EvaluativeEvaluative DefensiveDefensive IndoctrinationalIndoctrinational

Coaching AvoidanceCoaching Avoidance

Most Managers Would Rather Avoid Most Managers Would Rather Avoid the Anger, Anxiety and Discomfort the Anger, Anxiety and Discomfort Involved.Involved.

Timing Of Performance Coaching Timing Of Performance Coaching Sessions Should Be Based On Sessions Should Be Based On Associate’s, Not Manager’s, NeedsAssociate’s, Not Manager’s, Needs

Coaching MeetingsCoaching Meetings

Quarterly Departmental Goal-Setting Quarterly Departmental Goal-Setting and Strategy Sessionsand Strategy Sessions

Quarterly Individual Performance Quarterly Individual Performance Coaching and Performance Agreement Coaching and Performance Agreement SessionsSessions– Frequent, daily if possible, feedbackFrequent, daily if possible, feedback

Conducting Performance Conducting Performance Coaching SessionsCoaching Sessions

Managers Must Know Enough About a Managers Must Know Enough About a Job To Understand How It Should Be Job To Understand How It Should Be DoneDone

Managers Must Observe On-The-Job Managers Must Observe On-The-Job Behavior (It’s Like Watching Game Behavior (It’s Like Watching Game Tapes)Tapes)

Reactions To Coaching Reactions To Coaching SessionsSessions

People Often React Defensively To People Often React Defensively To What Are Perceived To Be Negative What Are Perceived To Be Negative CommentsComments

Don’t Use the Sandwich ApproachDon’t Use the Sandwich Approach Criticism Causes People To Become Criticism Causes People To Become

Defensive:Defensive:– Transfer blame to others (“not my fault”)Transfer blame to others (“not my fault”)

Many People Are DefensiveMany People Are Defensive

– Ambivalent About Improvement NeedsAmbivalent About Improvement Needs– See Coaching As a Threat To Self-Esteem See Coaching As a Threat To Self-Esteem

(Especially Highly Ego-Centered Talent Or (Especially Highly Ego-Centered Talent Or Creative People)Creative People)

Often people see it as a threat to independenceOften people see it as a threat to independence Outright denialOutright denial

Games People PlayGames People Play

– Most Common Rationalization Games:Most Common Rationalization Games: ““Yeahbut”Yeahbut” ““I’ll try”I’ll try”

– Trying Doesn’t Cut It, Doing What You’re Trying Doesn’t Cut It, Doing What You’re Supposed To Cuts ItSupposed To Cuts It

““That’s great, but what exactly are going to do That’s great, but what exactly are going to do to solve the problem. Tell me in steps 1, 2 and to solve the problem. Tell me in steps 1, 2 and 3.”3.”

Improvement MemosImprovement Memos

– If an Associate Exceeds Expectations, If an Associate Exceeds Expectations, Write a Memo To Upper ManagementWrite a Memo To Upper Management

– If an Associate Is Not Meeting Standards, If an Associate Is Not Meeting Standards, Have Him Or Her Write An Improvement Have Him Or Her Write An Improvement Or Performance Agreement OutlineOr Performance Agreement Outline

Performance Coaching Performance Coaching don’tsdon’ts Yearly Performance Evaluation Or Yearly Performance Evaluation Or

Review Sessions:Review Sessions:– Once-a-year reviews at salary review Once-a-year reviews at salary review

times are worthless, counterproductivetimes are worthless, counterproductive– Coaches who reviewed players once a Coaches who reviewed players once a

year would be lose all their games and year would be lose all their games and their jobs their jobs

Performance Coaching Do’sPerformance Coaching Do’s

Quarterly Departmental Goal-Setting Quarterly Departmental Goal-Setting Sessions:Sessions:– Department’s mission, objectives, and Department’s mission, objectives, and

strategies are narrowed down to key strategies are narrowed down to key activitiesactivities

– Department discusses and jointly agrees Department discusses and jointly agrees on objectives, strategies, and activitieson objectives, strategies, and activities

– Participation in setting objectives leads to Participation in setting objectives leads to a department’s commitmenta department’s commitment

Performance Coaching Do’sPerformance Coaching Do’s

Brief, Frequent (Daily If Possible) Brief, Frequent (Daily If Possible) Feedback Sessions:Feedback Sessions:– People need continual encouragement and People need continual encouragement and

reinforcement of the good things they doreinforcement of the good things they do– Must be open and honestMust be open and honest– ““What can I do to help?”What can I do to help?”

How to provide FeedbackHow to provide Feedback

Phrases To Use:Phrases To Use:– ““I know you want to improve, and if it’s OK I know you want to improve, and if it’s OK

with you, I have a few suggestions.”with you, I have a few suggestions.”– I know you like to do a good job. Here are I know you like to do a good job. Here are

some things for you to think about that some things for you to think about that might help you do it a little better.”might help you do it a little better.”

How to provide FeedbackHow to provide Feedback

• ““Be Tough On Standards, Not On Be Tough On Standards, Not On People” - Tom PetersPeople” - Tom Peters

• When Giving Feedback, Give Positive When Giving Feedback, Give Positive Feedback First, Then Discuss Feedback First, Then Discuss Opportunities for ImprovementOpportunities for Improvement

Who Conducts Performance Who Conducts Performance Coaching Sessions:Coaching Sessions:

All Managers, All Team MembersAll Managers, All Team Members Associates Need Feedback More Than Associates Need Feedback More Than

Contact With Top ManagersContact With Top Managers They Need It DailyThey Need It Daily

Unleash Associates’ Unleash Associates’ Motivation To Improve:Motivation To Improve:

Management Hires, Coaches, and Management Hires, Coaches, and Communicates Values and ObjectivesCommunicates Values and Objectives

If There Is a Problems, It Is Usually If There Is a Problems, It Is Usually Management’sManagement’s– ““There are no bad soldiers, only bad There are no bad soldiers, only bad

generals” - Napoleongenerals” - Napoleon

Establishing ConsequencesEstablishing Consequences

Consequences Laid Out In Advance. If Consequences Laid Out In Advance. If People Do A, B Will Happen. It’s Their People Do A, B Will Happen. It’s Their Choice.Choice.

Coaching Is Encouragement, Support – Coaching Is Encouragement, Support – Yes; But It Doesn’t Work Unless There Yes; But It Doesn’t Work Unless There Are Meaningful ConsequencesAre Meaningful Consequences– If you hold on to ineffective people too If you hold on to ineffective people too

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

Discipline Without Discipline Without PunishmentPunishment

Performance Problems Can Be Divided Performance Problems Can Be Divided Into Three Categories:Into Three Categories:– AttendanceAttendance– PerformancePerformance– ConductConduct

Discipline Without Discipline Without PunishmentPunishment

Traditional Discipline Systems (Old Traditional Discipline Systems (Old School)School)– Step 1 - Verbal reprimandStep 1 - Verbal reprimand– Step 2 - Written warningStep 2 - Written warning– Step 3 - Suspension without pay/ Step 3 - Suspension without pay/

probation/final warningprobation/final warning– Step 4 -TerminationStep 4 -Termination

Discipline Without Discipline Without PunishmentPunishment

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

Discipline Without Discipline Without PunishmentPunishment

In In Discipline Without PunishmentDiscipline Without Punishment, It’s , It’s Up To Associates To Change On Their Up To Associates To Change On Their OwnOwn– There has been enough discussion, they There has been enough discussion, they

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

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

– Dismissal is a failure Dismissal is a failure

Be A CoachBe A Coach

Who Watches Game Films Every Day Who Watches Game Films Every Day and Gives Feedback One-On-One and Gives Feedback One-On-One Every DayEvery Day– Not once a yearNot once a year

Who’s Motivation Is To Teach the Team Who’s Motivation Is To Teach the Team How To WinHow To Win– Teach to win, not to avoid a lossTeach to win, not to avoid a loss– Without playing himself/herselfWithout playing himself/herself