Choosing an Area to Coach to Improve Performance

Picking the right focus area in coaching can be the difference between frustrating, aimless conversations and meaningful, lasting improvements. Whether you're trying to address a gap or tap into untapped potential, the place to begin is simple: What result would you like to see improved?

Start with Observation

Don’t jump to conclusions. What have you actually seen or heard? For example, avoid saying, “They have poor time management.” That’s an interpretation. Instead, note behaviors: missed deadlines, arriving late, constant rushing. Describe specifics, not judgments.

What’s Causing the Gap?

To coach well, you first need to analyze the gap. What’s really behind the performance issue? Consider all possible contributing causes. Then sort them into two categories:

  • Characteristics: Traits, skills, attitudes, and knowledge the team member brings to the job.
  • External Factors: Things outside their control—e.g., unclear processes, systems, or unrealistic workloads.

Review each one and gather evidence to support or counter your assumptions. Sometimes you’ll find that the performance gap is due entirely to external factors. In that case, it’s a management issue, not a coaching one. But if there’s a clear characteristic involved—like weak coordination or communication—then that’s your coaching target.

Example:

In one case, a manager assumed a team member was disorganized. But after observing that the delays were due to back-to-back meetings and shifting deadlines, it turned out the issue was environmental—not personal.

Is It a Strength or a Hindrance?

When a characteristic hinders performance in one area, it might still be useful in another. For example, a person’s high attention to detail might slow them down in fast-paced tasks but help them excel in quality control. You want to improve the way a characteristic shows up—without breaking something that works elsewhere.

Dig for the Full Picture

This part is like the planning stage of a project—the better your analysis, the better your results. When you understand what’s really going on, giving feedback becomes straightforward. You’ll know what to say and have the examples to back it up.

🛠️ Coaching Tip

“If you’re unsure what to coach, start with one recent result that didn’t go as expected. What behavior contributed to it? What characteristic might be behind that behavior? Work backwards from outcomes.”

🧭 Practical Summary: Coaching Area Checklist

  • ✔️ Have I described observed behavior, not assumptions?
  • ✔️ Have I listed both personal traits and external factors?
  • ✔️ Do I have evidence for each assumption I’ve made?
  • ✔️ Have I considered where the characteristic might be a strength?
  • ✔️ Am I focusing on a behavior they can change—not a condition they can’t?

🔗 Related Tools and Resources

Download our Coaching People for Better Performance training material package for editable guides, slides, and coaching tools.

Try the Coaching Skills Self-Assessment to evaluate how you support your team.

Adapted from the book Real Coaching and Feedback by Karen Smart.

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