CLM Communication & Feedback Techniques 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A high-performing mentee is receiving feedback for the first time in years. Which approach should the mentor prioritize?
- Focus exclusively on areas for improvement to maximize growth
- Balance recognition of strengths with developmental feedback to maintain motivation (Correct answer)
- Avoid developmental feedback to preserve confidence
- Ask the mentee to self-assess first, then only address disagreements
Correct answer: Balance recognition of strengths with developmental feedback to maintain motivation
Balancing affirmative and developmental feedback preserves the motivation of high performers while still creating meaningful growth opportunities.
Question 2: Which listening level involves suspending your own agenda and being fully present to the speaker's words, emotions, and context?
- Level 1 — Internal listening
- Level 2 — Focused listening
- Level 3 — Global or 360-degree listening (Correct answer)
- Level 4 — Analytical listening
Correct answer: Level 3 — Global or 360-degree listening
Level 3 (Global) listening, as defined in Co-Active Coaching, means attending to the whole person — energy, emotion, environment — not just content.
Question 3: When a mentor says, 'It sounds like you're frustrated that your idea wasn't heard in that meeting,' they are using which skill?
- Reframing
- Empathic reflection (Correct answer)
- Motivational interviewing
- Cognitive confrontation
Correct answer: Empathic reflection
Empathic reflection names the emotion the mentor perceives, validating the mentee's experience and inviting confirmation or correction.
Question 4: Which scenario best illustrates 'confirmation bias' undermining feedback quality?
- A mentor gives the same feedback to every mentee regardless of individual differences
- A mentor only notices and reports behaviors that confirm their initial impression of the mentee (Correct answer)
- A mentor confirms feedback with a second observer before delivering it
- A mentor asks the mentee to confirm receipt of written feedback
Correct answer: A mentor only notices and reports behaviors that confirm their initial impression of the mentee
Confirmation bias causes observers to selectively notice and recall information that supports existing beliefs, distorting the accuracy of their feedback.
Question 5: A mentor wants to improve two-way communication in sessions. Which structural change would most directly achieve this?
- Extend session length from 30 to 90 minutes
- Shift from a presentation format to a dialogue format with planned open-ended questions (Correct answer)
- Send a pre-session agenda 48 hours in advance
- Record sessions for later review
Correct answer: Shift from a presentation format to a dialogue format with planned open-ended questions
Structuring sessions as dialogues with open-ended questions actively elicits the mentee's voice rather than positioning the mentor as the primary speaker.
Question 6: What is the risk of delivering only 'positive' feedback to avoid conflict in a mentoring relationship?
- The mentee may become overconfident and stop seeking the mentor's input
- The mentee loses the developmental information needed to identify and close performance gaps (Correct answer)
- The mentor's credibility increases as a safe, supportive figure
- The mentee becomes more open to accepting critical feedback in the future
Correct answer: The mentee loses the developmental information needed to identify and close performance gaps
Withholding constructive feedback deprives the mentee of accurate data about their development needs, ultimately stunting their growth.
Question 7: During a feedback conversation, a mentee says, 'I already know all this.' How should the mentor respond?
- End the session, as the mentee is not ready for mentoring
- Acknowledge the statement, then ask what has prevented them from applying what they know (Correct answer)
- Repeat the feedback more firmly to overcome resistance
- Introduce entirely new feedback topics to regain the mentee's interest
Correct answer: Acknowledge the statement, then ask what has prevented them from applying what they know
Acknowledging the mentee's perception and exploring the gap between knowing and doing shifts the conversation from information transfer to behavioral change.
CLM Communication & Feedback Techniques 4
A high-performing mentee is receiving feedback for the first time in years.
Which approach should the mentor prioritize?