Coaching & Employee Development Flashcards

A high-performing employee tells their team leader they feel unchallenged and bored. The BEST developmental response is to:

Answer: Explore opportunities for expanded responsibilities or cross-functional projects

Expanding scope through new responsibilities or cross-functional work re-engages high performers without losing their institutional knowledge.

Which element is MOST critical when giving corrective feedback during coaching?

Answer: Focusing on specific observable behaviors rather than personality traits

Behavioral feedback is actionable and less threatening than personality judgments, making it more likely to produce change.

Situational coaching suggests that a team leader should adjust coaching style based on:

Answer: The employee's competence and commitment level for a specific task

Situational coaching tailors support and direction to the employee's development level on the specific task at hand.

An employee completes a task incorrectly after receiving clear instructions. Using a coaching approach, the team leader should:

Answer: Ask the employee to walk through their thought process to identify the gap

Walking through the employee's reasoning helps identify whether the gap is in understanding, skills, or process, guiding better-targeted coaching.

Peer coaching programs within a team are MOST effective when:

Answer: Pairs are matched based on complementary skills and voluntary commitment

Voluntary participation and complementary skill sets ensure mutual value and genuine engagement in peer coaching relationships.

A team leader who coaches from a 'growth mindset' perspective believes that employee abilities:

Answer: Can be developed through effort, feedback, and learning

A growth mindset holds that intelligence and abilities are expandable, which underpins the belief that coaching can produce meaningful development.

Which situation represents the BEST use of directive coaching versus facilitative coaching?

Answer: Use directive coaching when a safety risk requires immediate behavior correction

Safety or compliance situations require direct instruction to prevent harm; facilitative coaching is inappropriate when speed and compliance are critical.