This Is How the Best Bosses Coach Their Teams

The difference between coaching and feedback.

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Your boss walks into your office, sits down, cocks his head to one said, and says, “Hey, can I give you some feedback?” How do you feel at that moment? What kind of emotional response does this question elicit for you?

Most of us aren’t particularly looking forward to what comes next. On the contrary, most of us are probably bracing for impact. Perhaps this is because feedback is backward-looking and corrective which doesn’t leave much room for growth, or exploration, or possibility.

Your team is no different. They don’t want feedback; They want attention.

They want you to meet them where they are, sit alongside them to see things from their perspective, and then help them figure out how to adjust what they’re doing to achieve better outcomes. Doesn’t that sound nice?

Your people want coaching. While feedback is retrospective, coaching is preparative. It involves less telling and more questioning.