What are some techniques to deliver clear and actionable feedback in Executive Coaching?

The most important thing is that the feedback is received and accepted by the coachee, no matter how clear or actionable. This starts with the coach demonstrating that they deeply understand the coachee's story, context, and motivations. Coachees are more coachable when they feel that they are heard.

Establish Trust and Rapport: Open Dialogue: Ensure open, honest, and non-judgmental communication. Confidentiality: Reassure that discussions and feedback are confidential. Supportive Environment: Create a safe and supportive environment. Be Specific and Objective: Concrete Examples: Provide specific instances to illustrate feedback. Avoid Generalizations: Steer clear from vague statements and generalities. Continuous Follow-up and Support: Progress Tracking: Regularly track and discuss progress towards goals. Adjustment: Modify plans as per changing circumstances and learning. Continuous Support: Provide ongoing support and resources.

Starts with Building trust with the coach. Ensuring a safe space for the conversation to happen. Coach determines the objective by asking pertinent questions. Coachee needs to define the 'How can I" understanding and expressing the impact of the action, the stakeholders involved in the process and finally "what would change"

The feedback is particular, achievable, and concentrated on the worker's performance. Additionally, it's uplifting and pleasant. The employee is now aware of the steps they need to take to enhance their abilities and performance.

Make sure the feedback is relevant to the coachee's current goals and situations. For example, ask about projects, presentations or other events that the coachee is involved with in the next month. What skills does the person think s/he needs to learn to be more effective in these situations? Executives, just like other coachees, are busy people, so make the feedback practical and usable in the near future.

I firmly believe that what the coachee learns through feedback is not determined by what the coach conveys, but by the questions the coach poses. Even when the session is solely dedicated to feedback, it's advisable for the coachee to speak for more than half of the allotted time. A session, no matter how meticulously the coach prepares it with a specific story and intended impacts, may not provide significant learning for the coachee. In the end, feedback shouldn't be directed only by the coach; it should be a joint endeavor between the coach and the coachee.

Asking open-ended questions helps the client create their own insights and awareness. Rather than giving them advice, coaches encourage clients to explore other possibilities with no attachment to a specific outcome.

Open-ended questions are foundational to the coaching experience. When we invite coachees to explore under the surface, they uncover thoughts and layers they might not have otherwise noticed. Looking deeper creates an internal environment for growth. Open-ended questions also communicate that the coach is guiding/trusting the coachees to arrive at their own conclusions, creating a higher level of ownership. Here are a few more examples of starting open-ended questions: What, how, when, where, in what way, what if, suppose, to what extent, under what circumstances, tell me more, walk me through, clarify your thoughts on; phrases that don't require a yes or no answer.

By definition, the word “open” is an invitation to explore new ideas. 1 | A coach uses curiosity to ask open-ended questions to welcome a client to explore thoughts, feelings, and reflections. 2 | By tapping into their intuition, a coach knows just the right open-ended question to ask to evoke a thoughtful insight from the client. 3 | As an active listener to the client’s responses, the coach shares inspired feedback and partners with the client to create an action plan based on the client’s goals. 4 | The entire process creates a flow state and has the potential to create meaningful results.

Open-ended questions are very useful for understanding another person's perspective. If you want to take this to another level then I recommend learning about Clean Language and the power this has as an aide for getting out of your own head and into your coachee's. If you are into coachee-centric coaching then this will take you places standard coaching models can only dream of.

The best way to me is to keep relaying back the positives coming from the coachee and their situations throughout the session. Ensuring at least 5 minutes at the end of the session to give feedback in the most affirmative way. Receiving feedback from the coachee opens them up and then are more willing to receive. Instead of a broad feedback, keeping it precise and delivered in multiple separate points is very helpful.

As coaches, our role is to assist individuals in recognizing the opportunities within each situation. This doesn't entail avoiding difficult realities, but it does involve guiding them through the information and facilitating their understanding to the point where they can identify a way forward.

I follow Carl Rogers' approach to working with individuals, which is having unconditional positive regard for the individual seated across from us. When people are met in this way, they have the conditions from which to blossom. That way, when you give them positive feedback on a presentation they gave, it's coming from a place of positive regard for them as a person rather than an evaluation or judgment of their performance and value. This makes all the difference for clients and helps them develop resilience, curiosity, and playfulness in their development journeys.

I use the GROW models alongside positive reinforcement. I al find open ended questions help people and is more solution minded. I also use ‘I like, I wish, I wonder’ The goal for me is having the employe leave these meeting motivate and with resources to help them

Positive feedback - or in other words, focusing on the high-light reel is a great way to reinforce behavior you want to see more of. Make sure to focus on SPECIFIC behaviors though as something like "good job" might make someone feel good, but it won't tell the person what was good. Instead something that points out a behavior "when you responded it was direct, clear, and immediate" ensures the person knows what to do again.

As a coach, we must keep in mind the goals of the session and the wider vision for our coachee. If we are providing feedback that is not relevant to the goals and outcomes that the coachee is looking to achieve, then we are impacting our effectiveness as an executive coach.

Inspired by Kim Scott's concept, I've observed that striking a balance between caring personally and challenging directly is key in executive coaching. Start with positive feedback, followed by areas of improvement, and end on another positive note. This technique, while sometimes seen as formulaic, can soften the blow of critical feedback, making it more digestible. After providing feedback, involve the coachee in brainstorming potential solutions. This collaborative approach has often yielded more commitment to actionable change in my coaching sessions. One practice I've found invaluable is to ask coachees for feedback on how the feedback was delivered. This reflexivity ensures a continuous improvement in the coaching process.

Feedback could be event, incident or experience specific and totally I unconnected to a specific goal. A coachee may also seek feedback at times outside of being goal focused. For me the relationship is what is important and feedback is part of the honest and constructive process that forms that.

Feedback should always be aligned with goals! If they're not aligned with goals, then it's very easy for such feedback to be a projection or an evaluation. The goals of any coaching relationship lay the foundation for all that is exchanged within that relationship. Feedback beyond that scope should only be given if requested by the client, appropriate for the coach, and helpful for the client's development and flourishing.

I believe that a great coach should consistently provide positive feedback and ask open questions based on our observations. It's not about favouring one technique over the other, but rather the ability to utilise them all simultaneously and be attentive to what we notice. Goal alignment should always be at the forefront. The only instance where I would delay giving feedback is when the client is under stress. In such cases, a more empathetic approach is required to create an environment where they will eventually become receptive to feedback. Timing is crucial.

In my experience, the effectiveness of 'follow-up' sessions is just as critical as motivating the coachee to create a clear and actionable plan. The coach should inspire the coachee to develop their own follow-up strategy and define the outcomes they wish to achieve ahead of the session.

Supporting coachees in crafting their own action plans not only promotes self-sufficiency but also ensures that the feedback translates into meaningful progress. By fostering a collaborative environment and helping them set clear goals and deadlines, you empower individuals to reach their full potential and drive positive change. This approach transforms feedback into a tool for tangible and sustainable results.

While it's important to address past behaviours and performance, effective feedback also looks forward. Encouraging the executive to reflect on the feedback and asking open-ended questions shifts the focus from the past to actionable steps for future development. It empowers the executive to take ownership of their growth and change.

Creating action plans in coaching sessions is like having a roadmap for newly emerging leaders. It’s about setting clear, doable goals - like, say, having regular check-ins with their team to boost communication. This not only gives them a clear path to follow but also makes them accountable for their own progress. By planning, doing, and then looking back to see what worked and what didn’t, they get to learn and tweak their approach continuously. Action plans help translate those coaching talks into real, on-the-ground changes, steering them towards becoming better leaders. They must bring back something from their action in the next session.

Encouraging action plans can be elevated by incorporating an element of foresight and adaptability. Coaches can guide coachees to formulate action plans that are not rigid but adaptable to the inevitable uncertainties and changes in the business.

Feedback should be structured in such a way that the coachee does not feel judged or compelled. Many times it so happens that a coach is worried more about how the coachee is going to react to a piece of information, especially the sensitive ones. At such times empathy, active listening and genuine concern work. It is afterall the safe space for the coachee to explore.

It’s essential to remember - it’s never about the person, but rather about the actions. We’re all here to grow, right? So, when giving feedback, I zone in on specific behaviours that can be tweaked or enhanced, not the personality. I’m a firm believer that every piece of feedback should be a stepping stone to improvement. So, after discussing the “what,” we roll up our sleeves and map out a clear, straightforward action plan. It's like giving the coachee a GPS to navigate through the improvement journey, turn by turn. Cool, isn’t it?

Not giving feedback to your client can rob them of an opportunity to grow and observe their behaviour through another lense. By not engaging in the feedback process, a coach steps out of the 'I am fine, you are fine' model which can result in a power shift in the relationship (from equals to parent-child as observed in Transactional Analysis)

The most effective way to deliver feedback that results in positive change starts with a self assessment by the coachee. Great feedback starts with open-ended, objective, solution oriented questions?? 1-How do you think that (call/meeting) went? 2-What did you feel went well? 3-What, if anything, did you find difficult or challenging? 4-What, if anything, could you have done differently? 5-What, if anything, can you improve or change in order to achieve better results the next time? Using 'if anything' in a question keeps it neutral. Now that you know what they observed & thought, it's time to share your observations; the things they missed is the coaching moment. Can I share some things I noticed that will help you achieve your goals?

Feedback is the most effective facet of any coaching process. When managed well, it has a profound impact. Use Kubler Ross Cycle to manage the Coaching participant's change journey. It is an effective model to bring awareness and change. Also, ensuring that feedback is based on objective evidence or a valid and reliable psychometric instrument provides a higher level of acceptance.