Coaching typically focuses on immediate performance issues and skill development, as defined in the OPM "Mentoring and Coaching" guidance ( OPM). This definition narrows the scope of the conversation to actionable, current behaviors rather than long-term career planning or personnel cases. In contrast, a progress review means communicating with the employee about performance compared to the performance standards of critical and non-critical elements, as documented in the eCFR "Performance Management" documentation ( eCFR). Keeping these two concepts distinct prevents the coaching agenda from becoming an informal appraisal.
To maintain this separation, schedule regular development-focused check-ins that are explicitly separate from performance reviews, a practice recommended in the OPM "Performance Management Roadmap" ( OPM). This structural separation ensures that the coaching conversation remains a safe space for skill refinement. Additionally, alongside more formal performance reviews, managers should still talk to employees informally about their performance on a regular basis, according to the Acas "Performance management" guidance ( Acas). This reinforces the idea that informal, regular dialogue is a distinct and necessary component of team management, separate from the formal review cycle.
State the purpose of a seller coaching conversation
The seller coaching conversation serves as a regular, informal check-in to support the seller’s growth and adjust their approach to current challenges. Managers should view this conversation as a development-focused check-in, separate from any formal appraisal process. This narrow focus allows the manager to concentrate on specific, actionable skills rather than broad career trajectories or personnel decisions.
By keeping the coaching agenda free of these formal comparisons, the manager ensures the conversation remains focused on learning and improvement.
The "Performance Management Roadmap" recommends scheduling regular development-focused check-ins that are separate from performance reviews ( OPM). This structural separation helps maintain the integrity of both processes. Furthermore, the "Reviews and appraisals - Performance management - Acas" guidance highlights that managers should talk to employees informally about their performance on a regular basis, alongside more formal reviews ( Acas). This regular informal dialogue is a key component of effective management, distinct from the formal review cycle.
Personnel actions, such as reassignment or removal, are distinct from coaching and follow a separate process. Because these steps are tied to formal appraisal outcomes rather than developmental feedback, they should not appear on the coaching agenda.
To maintain this separation, the manager should prepare for the session by identifying one specific skill or behavior to address. The "Performance Management Roadmap" advises minimizing subjectivity by basing evaluations on evidence, not impressions ( OPM). This means selecting a concrete observed behavior rather than a general impression of the seller’s effort or attitude. The same guidance recommends getting employees involved in the planning process to help them understand organizational goals and what needs to be done ( OPM). Applying this to the coaching context, the manager should invite the seller to contribute to the agenda by identifying their own current challenges or questions before the meeting begins.
The conversation should conclude with a clear, specific next step. The "Reviews and appraisals - Performance management - Acas" guidance emphasizes being specific by being clear about what the employee will actually do ( Acas). The manager should also ask the seller what support or resources they need, as recommended by the "Performance Management Roadmap" ( OPM). This prompt shifts the dynamic from directive to collaborative, ensuring the seller has the tools to execute the agreed practice.
Finally, the manager must document the conversation. The "Performance Management Roadmap" instructs managers to keep records of goals, feedback, reviews, and coaching sessions ( OPM). The "Reviews and appraisals - Performance management - Acas" guidance adds that it is important to keep a written record of what is discussed and share it with the employee afterwards ( Acas).
Prepare a shared agenda from observations and the seller’s questions
Draft a shared agenda before the meeting so both participants reflect on their objectives and priorities. This collaborative approach prevents the conversation from becoming a one-way status update. Instead, it creates a structured space where the seller can bring specific concerns to the table.
The "Reviews - Probation periods - Acas" guidance notes that sharing this information allows the employee to prepare things they want to discuss ( Acas). By sending your observations ahead of time, you give the seller time to formulate questions and context. This preparation step is crucial for a productive dialogue. It shifts the dynamic from a surprise critique to a mutual problem-solving session.
When reviewing the seller’s input, look over the agendas from your direct reports to see if they contain any questions you need the answer to. The "Alignment and Feedback for Team Success" module suggests this practice to ensure you are prepared to address specific inquiries ( Salesforce). This review helps you identify gaps in your own knowledge or areas where you need to consult other stakeholders. It ensures you do not arrive at the meeting unprepared for the seller’s specific needs.
Encourage the seller to lead parts of the conversation. This balance allows the seller to own their development while the manager provides necessary guidance. It respects the seller’s perspective on their own work and priorities.
Before the meeting, edit the page to add discussion topics and questions about anything you're working on. This proactive editing ensures that no important issue is overlooked. It creates a clear roadmap for the conversation.
| Agenda Item | Seller Question | Manager Observation | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
Use specific feedback without guessing motives
Structure your feedback using the SBI framework, which stands for Situation, Behavior, and Impact. This method separates the context, the action, and the result to keep the conversation focused. When giving feedback, emphasize accomplishments, remain empathetic and factual to describe shortcomings, and explore ways to improve together. Allow the receiver time to talk. This approach ensures the seller hears a clear description of the event rather than a vague assessment of their character.
To ground the conversation in objective facts rather than subjective feelings and judgements, listing concrete examples to support your thoughts is essential. Describe the actual, observable behavior. Keep to the facts. Don’t insert any opinions or judgements. This wording test helps you verify that your notes reflect what was seen, not what you think the seller was thinking. Rewrite the note to describe the specific action, such as the number of calls made or the content of a proposal sent.
Never assume someone is not capable of doing their job, or why someone is behaving in a certain way. The only way to know what someone intended is to ask them — and the only way to let a person know their impact is to tell them. This distinction is critical for a coaching conversation. Your role is to state the impact you observed and then ask the seller about their intent. Do not write the motive into the feedback. Instead, leave the intent column blank in your preparation notes until the seller provides their perspective. This prevents the conversation from becoming a debate about hidden thoughts and keeps it focused on observable actions and their outcomes.
Use the following blank worksheet to draft your feedback points before the meeting. Fill in the Situation, Behavior, and Impact columns with factual observations. Leave the Intent Question column for the live conversation.
| Situation | Behavior | Impact | Intent Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
Let the seller identify a practice action and needed support
The seller drives the coaching agenda and is ultimately responsible for the outcome of the coaching engagement, as documented in the Career Development guidance on opm.gov. This structure ensures the conversation remains focused on the individual’s specific needs rather than a top-down directive. When you get employees involved in the planning process, it helps them understand the goals of the organization, what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and how well it should be done, according to the Performance Management Roadmap on opm.gov. By involving the seller in this planning, you shift the dynamic from evaluation to collaboration.
Your role as a coach is to apply specific techniques and skills, approaches, and methodologies that enable the coachees to develop their goals and design actions to achieve them, as outlined in the Career Development resource on opm.gov. You do not design the action for them; you facilitate the design.
To make the practice action concrete, use the test of being specific by being clear about what the employee will actually do, as defined in the Reviews and appraisals - Performance management - Acas guidance. Avoid vague goals like "improve communication." Instead, the seller should name a specific task they will perform. For example, they might commit to listening for five minutes before responding in the next three discovery calls. This specificity allows for clear follow-up without guessing motives.
Ask employees what support or resources they need, as recommended in the Performance Management Roadmap on opm.gov. This prompt is critical for identifying the manager support required to execute the practice action. The seller should name the help they want on the agenda. This could be a request for a shadowing session, access to a specific training module, or a review of a recent call recording.
| Practice Action | Specific Task | Manager Support | Resource Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
Keep an action record for the next conversation
The action record bridges this coaching conversation and the next by documenting the agreed-upon practice action. The Performance Management Roadmap advises supervisors to keep records of goals, feedback, reviews, and coaching sessions ( OPM). This documentation should not be a vague summary. The Performance Management Roadmap specifies that you should document performance discussions and ratings with specific examples ( OPM). This approach prevents the record from becoming a collection of subjective labels, ensuring the next conversation starts from a shared understanding of what actually occurred.
It also allows the manager to check if the seller has added any clarifications or questions to the shared document before the next scheduled time.
This guidance suggests that the action record is not a static archive but a living document that evolves with each interaction. By reviewing the previous session's notes, you identify gaps in understanding or new areas for coaching. This practice ensures that the next conversation addresses current challenges rather than repeating past topics without progress.
To facilitate this process, use the following blank worksheet to document the agreed action and prepare for the next meeting.
| Agreed Action | Specific Example | Date | Follow-up Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
Set boundaries around forecast and personnel decisions
Keep the coaching conversation strictly about skill development and practice. Do not use this time to review forecast numbers, commit calls, or coverage ratios. These topics belong in separate operational meetings. Mixing them dilutes the coaching focus and can make the seller defensive.
Formal personnel actions follow a different process. This means a coaching note is not a performance appraisal.
Do not end a coaching conversation by hinting at removal or grade change.
The Key Supervisor Roles in Performance Management guide advises to use performance improvement plans (PIPs), counseling, or disciplinary action when necessary. These are distinct from casual coaching. If a PIP is needed, start a separate, documented process. Do not slip PIP language into a routine coaching agenda.
Progress reviews are also separate. The Monitoring Phase – USA Performance documentation notes that before signing progress reviews in USA Performance, Rating Officials should conduct progress review discussions with their employee to discuss performance and progress in relation to the goals and metrics of their plans. Your coaching notes should not be treated as that signature. Keep the records distinct.
Key Takeaways and coaching FAQ
The coaching conversation is one component of broader management duties. According to the Sales Manager Best Practices | The GitLab Handbook, successful management includes onboarding, reviewing Command Plans, opportunity coaching, strategic coaching, career development and performance management ( The GitLab Handbook). The manager should lead with the “why” behind the discussion, as the Sales Manager Best Practices | The GitLab Handbook advises managers to ensure that daily interactions lead with “Why” for teams and individual reps ( The GitLab Handbook). This approach helps the seller understand the context of the feedback.
Feedback should be grounded in specific, completed tasks. The Monitoring and Developing guide from OPM states to give immediate, actionable feedback when employees complete tasks, especially if something went wrong or exceeded expectations ( OPM). To structure this dialogue, the Monitoring and Developing guide suggests using the “Start, Stop, Continue” model during feedback conversations ( OPM).
Before delivering feedback, the manager must examine their own perspective. The Civil Service Line Management Standards (HTML) - GOV.UK standard notes that line managers continuously develop self-awareness of their motivations, strengths, and areas for improvement, ensuring they consider how their communications, actions, biases, and reactions impact themselves and others ( GOV.UK). The goal is to create a shared understanding of the current state and the desired next step.
Who should lead the coaching conversation?
The seller drives the agenda and is responsible for the outcome. The manager supports this process by preparing specific examples of observed behavior. This structure ensures the conversation remains focused on the seller’s development goals rather than the manager’s priorities.
How should the manager prepare for the meeting?
Review the seller’s agenda questions and prepare specific examples of observed behavior. The Monitoring and Developing guide emphasizes giving immediate, actionable feedback when employees complete tasks ( OPM). Preparing these specific instances allows the manager to anchor the discussion in fact rather than general impression.
What is the difference between coaching and a performance review?
Coaching focuses on immediate skill development and specific behaviors, while performance management is a broader component of management duties. According to the Sales Manager Best Practices | The GitLab Handbook, successful management includes onboarding, reviewing Command Plans, opportunity coaching, strategic coaching, career development and performance management ( The GitLab Handbook).
How should the manager handle feedback about poor performance?
Use factual, empathetic feedback and ask the seller for their perspective on the behavior. The Civil Service Line Management Standards (HTML) - GOV.UK highlights the importance of considering how communications and reactions impact others ( GOV.UK). Avoid guessing motives; instead, reference the observed behavior and the impact it had on the work.
What should be recorded after the conversation?
Keep a written record of goals, feedback, and agreed actions to share with the seller. This record serves as the action log for the next conversation. It documents the agreed next step without claiming that the action will improve revenue. The Monitoring and Developing guide supports the use of structured models like “Start, Stop, Continue” to organize these feedback points ( OPM).
Reading references
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