Coaching for Performance: 5 Key Actions for Leaders
Great leaders don’t just manage, they coach. In today's fast-paced business environment, simply telling employees what to do is not the best approach. To truly unlock their potential and drive performance, leaders need to adopt a coaching mindset. Coaching for performance isn't about giving answers; it's about asking the right questions, empowering employees to discover their own solutions, and nurturing their growth. Done well, coaching leads to higher engagement, better performance, and stronger retention. It’s also a habit, not a one-time event. Leaders who make coaching a daily practice see the best results.
What makes coaching so powerful? When done effectively, it creates a ripple effect of positive outcomes. Employees feel more valued, engaged, and confident in their abilities. They develop new skills, take ownership of their work, and become more proactive in problem-solving. For the organization, this translates to improved performance, increased innovation, and higher employee retention.
Coaching equips individuals with strategies to optimize their performance and induces changes at the fundamental level of thought processes and behaviors. It also enables individuals to break through self-imposed limitations and embrace growth. 1
Michael Bungay Stanier, in The Coaching Habit, emphasizes that coaching is most effective when it becomes a regular part of conversations, not just a formal meeting or a performance review. One of the core principles of coaching he mentions in the book is to "Stay Curious Longer." Resist the urge to jump in with solutions. Instead, ask open and challenging questions that encourage your employees to think critically and explore different perspectives.
So, how can you become a more effective coach? Here are some actionable steps to get you started:
1. Ask More, Tell Less
Many leaders default to giving advice and solving problems for their teams. While this may seem helpful, it creates dependency rather than development. Instead of immediately providing answers, ask questions that encourage employees to think critically.
Stanier suggests using questions like:
What’s on your mind?
What’s the real challenge here for you?
What do you want to see happen?
What’s a small step you can take?
These types of questions encourage deeper thinking and help employees take ownership of their actions. Leaders who ask more and tell less build more capable and confident teams.
2. Coach in the Moment
Coaching and feedback isn’t just for annual performance reviews or scheduled one-on-ones. The best coaching happens in real-time when feedback is fresh and relevant. This could be a quick conversation after a meeting, a follow-up to an interaction with a customer, or a simple check-in during a shift.
Frequent coaching helps employees adjust and improve continuously, rather than waiting months for formal feedback. When coaching becomes part of everyday conversations, it feels natural and supportive rather than punitive. ‘Coaching’ doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be a bad word. Note: it also should not be used to say you are providing feedback, when you’re really just giving direction. Your team will know the difference.
3. Be Specific and Actionable
General feedback like “You need to be more proactive” doesn’t help employees improve. Effective coaching focuses on specifics. Details matter, feedback is a gift (really, it’s not just a saying), and it should be treated as a form of recognition. Here are some examples of being specific versus speaking more vaguely:
Avoid saying: “Great job on that report.”
Instead, say: “The report you submitted was well-organized, and I liked how you highlighted the key takeaways upfront.”
Avoid saying: “You need to be a better communicator.”
Instead, say: “In yesterday’s meeting, I noticed you had great ideas but spoke softly and in general terms. Next time, try projecting your voice to ensure everyone hears and understands you and the message. Check for clarity by asking questions.”
By making coaching actionable, employees understand what they should continue doing and what they should adjust.
4. Listen Like a Coach
Many leaders listen to respond rather than listening to understand. True coaching starts with deep listening, paying attention to what’s being said, how it’s being said, and what’s left unsaid. With this attention to listening, you can also uncover the hidden meaning that can sometimes come with conversation, both individually and in groups. Active listening is about more than hearing the words being spoken, it is also about watching body language and facial expressions. Those all contribute to the message that is being shared.
Here are a few ideas on how you can improve listening as a coach:
Avoid interrupting or rushing to provide advice.
Reflect back what you hear to ensure understanding (e.g., “It sounds like you’re frustrated with how the project is progressing—can you tell me more?”).
Observe body language and tone of voice for more insights.
When employees feel truly heard, they’re more likely to be open to coaching and feedback.
5. Empower, Don’t Rescue
A common leadership trap is trying to “save” employees from challenges by stepping in and solving problems for them. This is the difference between ‘enabling’ behaviors versus truly helping and developing your team. While this might seem helpful, it prevents growth. Instead of rescuing, guide employees to find their own solutions. When an employee faces a challenge, ask:
“What options have you considered?”
“What do you think is the best course of action?”
“How can I support you in moving forward?”
This approach shifts the responsibility to the employee, reinforcing their ability to problem-solve and grow. Coaching is really about empowering others to support themselves. To use the sports analogy, the coach is never the one on the field playing the game. Their role is helping the team perform when it is their time to do so. A coach empowers the quarterback to make decisions on how to run the play, the coach isn’t the one making the play happen.
What coaching isn’t
I think there is an important distinction to be made when real performance management needs to occur. There are occasions when serious discussions need to be had that address specific behaviors that are not acceptable. Coaching should be applied in the early stages when gently steering people who are newer or genuinely unaware of what the standards are. However, when you are beyond that, or a serious rules infraction occurs, then that must be addressed immediately and directly. While many of the same concepts from coaching can occur, when you are addressing the situation head on, that is not a ‘coaching’. You do not want to confuse your team and blend ‘good’ coaching with ‘bad’ coaching. Once the specific behavior or action is addressed, and clarity of the seriousness is established, then you can resume to a more coach-like approach to help get the employee back on track. Each situation will necessitate what that ‘after’ moment looks like, but it is critical to ensure you do not blend ‘coaching’ with what will be seen (and should be) as addressing a serious performance gap.
Bringing It All Together
Effective coaching is about consistency. Leaders who integrate these five habits into their daily leadership approach will create stronger teams and a culture of continuous development. More importantly, coaching should be an ongoing dialogue, not just a formal process tied to performance reviews. When leaders ask more, coach in the moment, provide specific feedback, listen deeply, and empower employees, they set their teams up for long-term success.
For those looking to expand their coaching skills, here are a few more resources:
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier is an excellent resource.
How a Great Coach Can Transform Your Team's Success: You Can Be One Too
Strengthen Your Coaching Impact: Prioritizing Strategies for Success
By refining your coaching habits, you’ll enhance individual performance and create an environment where employees feel supported, engaged, and empowered to grow.
What steps will you take to ensure you are coaching for performance?
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