Key takeaways
- Choose a specific task or development goal for the conversation.
- Ask what the employee has tried and listen before proposing an answer.
- Give feedback about observed work and agree what to practise next.
- Provide direction when the task needs it, then revisit the agreed action.
Coaching leadership uses questions, listening and feedback to help an employee think through their work and development. The manager and employee discuss a goal and agree what to try next.[1]
A manager also makes decisions and gives instructions when the work requires them. Explain which responsibility sits with each person instead of leaving the employee to guess.
Agree what the conversation should resolve
Ask the employee which task, skill or decision they want to discuss. Choose a specific goal and check how it relates to the work.
Explain the manager's expectations as well. A development conversation works poorly when an employee discovers an undisclosed performance concern halfway through it.
Ask questions before proposing a solution
Ask what the employee has tried, what happened and which options they see. Listen to the explanation before offering your own answer.
Useful questions include: What makes this task difficult? What information are you missing? Which approach would you try first? Give the employee time to think.
Give feedback on the work
Describe an observation and discuss its effect on the task. Ask for the employee's perspective and explain the standard the work needs to meet.
Agree which skill to practise and what support is available. Keep feedback specific enough that the employee knows what they could do differently.
Agree the conversation boundaries
A manager's authority can affect how freely an employee speaks. Agree what will be recorded or shared, and explain any confidentiality limits. Coaching also requires skills and support; asking questions does not remove the need to prepare or to review your own approach.[1]
Be explicit when a decision has already been made. If the employee needs a direct instruction, provide it rather than asking questions until they guess your preferred answer. Choose a different form of support when coaching does not fit the learning need.
Example: practise explaining an integration issue
Consider a fictional fintech infrastructure company where a colleague wants to improve partner updates. The manager and employee use an invented practice scenario, without customer data, to discuss how to explain an integration issue and ask for missing information.
The manager asks which facts are confirmed, what the partner needs to know and which details need review by a technical colleague. They listen to the employee's draft explanation, give specific feedback and agree another practice attempt. Responsibility for approving a real partner message stays with the company's agreed owner.
The fintech infrastructure page gives the wider people context. This example illustrates a development conversation, not technical certification or a customer outcome.
Balance coaching with task direction
Situational leadership offers a way to discuss different amounts of direction and support. Adjust the approach when an employee is learning an unfamiliar task.
Agree the next action and revisit it. Ask what the employee learned from the attempt and decide whether they need more practice, information or a different approach.
Sources
- CIPD. (2025, August 11). Coaching and mentoring. Definition, manager relationships and coaching support. https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/coaching-mentoring-factsheet/
Where CapoFine fits
Support ongoing learning in Grow
Grow connects company and role learning through modules, interactive activities, pathways and progress tracking.