Performance Management and Coaching Flashcards

A supervisor only remembers the last two weeks of an employee's work when completing an annual review. This is an example of:

Answer: Recency bias

Recency bias occurs when evaluators overweight recent events and underweight performance from earlier in the review period.

During a coaching session, an employee becomes emotional and defensive. The supervisor should:

Answer: Acknowledge the employee's feelings and give them a moment before continuing

Acknowledging emotions before proceeding shows empathy and helps the employee feel heard, which makes them more receptive to feedback.

Which of the following is a characteristic of SMART performance goals?

Answer: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound

SMART goals include clear criteria for success, realistic expectations, relevance to the role, and a defined deadline.

A supervisor rates all employees as 'average' to avoid conflict or favoritism. This is called:

Answer: Central tendency error

Central tendency error occurs when supervisors avoid high or low ratings, clustering all evaluations in the middle of the scale.

What is the primary role of feedback in the coaching process?

Answer: To provide information that allows employees to adjust and improve their performance

Coaching feedback functions as a performance mirror, giving employees the data they need to understand gaps and make targeted improvements.

Which action BEST demonstrates that a supervisor values employee development?

Answer: Regularly discussing career goals and providing stretch assignments

Supervisors who actively discuss career aspirations and provide growth opportunities signal that employee development is an ongoing priority, not an annual event.

When should corrective feedback be delivered?

Answer: As soon as possible after observing the performance issue

Timely feedback is more actionable and credible; delaying it until a formal review reduces its impact and can allow problems to worsen.