Starting point in coachingSo you are a leader and a coach – and you need to give someone some feedback. Most people would focus on getting their facts together and thinking about how they are going to give feedback.

That is fine preparation, but it is only half of what you should do, based on what I call “the biggest secret when giving feedback” (here is a short video where I talk about it.).

In short, the secret is that the best way to start giving feedback is to ask the other person what they are thinking first. After all, it is their performance and they will be the ones that have to take action and make changes in the future, right?

So rather than focusing solely on what you are going to say, why not prepare the questions you will ask them as a part of the feedback or coaching session?

Here are some questions to put in your arsenal.

How did it go?

What bothered you?

What were you most pleased by?

What were you proud of?

What do you wish would have gone better?

What do you wish you would have done differently?

What went better than expected?

How else were you surprised?

What would you do differently next time?

What would you repeat?

What is your single biggest opportunity for improvement?

What is your biggest success in this situation?

What feedback do you want from me?

How can I help you now?

Using these questions (or those you create that are like these) will set you up for a much more successful feedback or coaching session, with less stress, less defensiveness, and a much better chance for improvement on the part of the person you are coaching.

And isn’t that what you are hoping for in the coaching session anyway?

Want more articles like this?

Subscribe to any of our e-newsletters to get them delivered directly to your inbox.

Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

Share your thoughts

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}