Watching the Olympics and hearing so much about performance and coaching it got me wondering about what’s the difference in performance management at work?

I was putting together an invite to an event we are running at the end of the month, promoting our Challenging Conversations training nugget and was wondering how to show how relevant it is given current market conditions. It got me thinking of the 70 odd times we have run the session and how we start it with a couple of cheeky questions:

“So what’s the overall intention in having a conversation about someone’s performance?”

The unamimous answer from approximately 1000 line managers:

“To improve that individual’s performance for the benefit of the business”

Great answer which I’m sure you might agree with. Then we ask the really cheeky question:

“So is that what always happens, the individual improves?”

The somewhat sheepish answer from approximately 1000 line managers:

“No”

Thankfully we get away with it by then giving people the behavioural skills that makes the difference in these conversations.

Think about it it’s not “what” you say that gets you into trouble but more “how” you put the message across and the impact you have over the person listening to you.

And the main difference with the olympic performance coaches? Well for a start there’s a dynamic that exists between sports coaches and their athletes. I willing to bet that the individual here being coached has no doubt that the feedback they are being given comes from someone they know has a genuine positive intention for them and their performance. There’s lots you can do to make that exist wherever you are looking for improvement.

If you fancy finding out more for your business click or drop Swen a note about the event on 28th August in Reading. swen@mynoggin.co.uk