How can you give feedback to your coachee during change?

Giving feedback to our mentee/coachee is a crucial part of the mentorship because we know that the mentee is facing any kind of issues with their career, time management and lots of things and he chose us to share their thoughts with the trust of this relationship. So it's our duty to understand their point of view and perspective and then we should give our insights that will be helpful and relatable to the mentee/coachee. Active listing plays the most important role in mentorship.

Something I have seen in my experience is how building confidence in a coachee really helps them step into their own decision-making power. They become less insecure and don't second guess the things they know, and instead save those questions for things that stretch their knowledge and understanding of the task at hand. Giving the coachee a chance to sit in their power and accept it can help long-term growth mindset.

Not all people respond well to the sandwich technique, so I like to ask the person how they like to get information- start with the items to work on, or the praise for things done correctly. If they have no preference, I like to start with a small but important compliment or success and then address the possible improvement points. I like to end with the big wins and praise so that the coachee leaves on a positive note and with an upswing in momentum. I've found this can help avoid coachees getting bogged down in the things they need to improve.

During feedback from the coachee is the ideal time to practice active listening to figure out how they best give and receive communication. I make note of the conversation to see if maybe the coachee needs things I may have missed, like periodic and/or random encouragement, recognition of some kind, or maybe even more frequent meetings for feedback. This is an ideal time to create an environment the coachee feels comfortable in and encouraged to ask questions, expand their knowledge, and even discuss mistakes without feeling as if they are being personally called out.

In my experience as a career coach to young professionals, the most important thing to consider when giving feedback is the specific needs of the individual, and their state of mind at the time. Feedback can often be interpreted as negative and personal, and when you're a coach that's the last thing you want! Ideally, you want to get your client into a frame of mind that is receptive to feedback by priming them with examples from yourself first, and then coaching them towards asking for critical feedback. When someone asks for feedback, they're mentally prepared to receive the good and the bad. This allows them to take on the advice and make positive change more easily!