Coaching Techniques That Boost Team Performance

This week, I facilitated a manager workshop on how to grow and develop people and teams. One question sparked a great conversation: “How do you develop your people outside of formal programs?” It’s a great question. IMO, one of the highest leverage actions a leader can take is making small, but consistent actions to develop their people. While formal learning experiences absolutely a role, there are far more opportunities for growth outside of structured settings from an hours in the day perspective. Helping leaders recognize and embrace this is a major opportunity. I introduced the idea of Practices of Development (PODs) aka small, intentional activities integrated into everyday work that help employees build skills, flex new muscles, and increase their impact. Here are a few examples we discussed: 🌟 Paired Programming: Borrowed from software engineering, this involves pairing an employee with a peer to take on a new task—helping them ramp up quickly, cross-train, or learn by doing. 🌟 Learning Logs: Have team members track what they’re working on, learning, and questioning to encourage reflection. 🌟 Bullpen Sessions: Bring similar roles together for feedback, idea sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, where everyone both A) shares a deliverable they are working on, and B) gets feedback and suggestions for improvement 🌟 Each 1 Teach 1:  Give everyone a chance to teach one work-related skill or insight to the team. 🌟 I Do, We Do, You Do:Adapted from education, this scaffolding approach lets you model a task, then do it together, then hand it off. A simple and effective way to build confidence and skill. 🌟 Back Pocket Ideas:  During strategy/scoping work sessions, ask employees to submit ideas for initiatives tied to a customer problem or personal interest. Select the strongest ones and incorporate them into their role. These are a few examples that have worked well. If you’ve found creative ways to build development opportunities into your employees day to day work, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!

Your people want to grow… But you’re not listening. Employees crave development, not just feedback. Leaders miss the bigger picture: ↳ Skill gaps and ambitions. Otherwise, employees feel: 1. Unheard 2. Undervalued 3. Stuck Without growth, engagement drops. Turnover soars… You need more than feedback. You need an actionable strategy. Here’s how: 1. Use Structured Frameworks. - Standardized templates reduce personal biases. - Blend metrics with narratives for actionable insights. - Structured feedback eliminates guesswork. 2. Focus On Future Goals. - Set SMART goals to make development clear. - Shift feedback from past to forward-looking progress. - Align team growth with your company’s goals. 3. Listen To Employees' Voices. - Surveys uncover ambitions often left unspoken. - Safe spaces allow employees to share openly. - Listening fosters trust and deeper engagement. 4. Bridge The Gap For Future Success. - Use benchmarks to prioritize critical skill gaps. - Compare current skills to those your future requires. - Prepare employees today for tomorrow’s challenges. 5. Empower Growth Ownership. - Prompts like “Where do I excel?” spark reflection. - Encourage employees to own development paths. - Regular discussions keep growth consistent and visible. 6. Collaborate On Development Goals. - Build trust with safe, judgment-free feedback spaces. - Visualise their goals, showing progress and alignment. - Collaboration ensures both clarity and accountability. When growth is intentional, businesses succeed. Focus on development now to avoid turnover later. Invest in your people to future-proof your business. Follow Jonathan Raynor. Reshare to help others.

Stop Fixing Your Weak Team Members (Use These 5 Proven Development Frameworks) Building and maintaining a high-performing team isn’t about luck—it’s about intentional evaluation, feedback, and development. Here are 5 proven team development frameworks that every leader should know: 1️⃣ Netflix Keeper Test What it is: Ask yourself: “If this person came to me today and said they were leaving, would I fight to keep them?” How to use it: Be brutally honest. If the answer is "no," think about why. It’s a tool to identify team members who may not align with the organization’s goals and values. Address issues head-on—either through coaching or making tough decisions. 2️⃣ Start, Stop, Continue What it is: A simple retrospective framework: Start new behaviors or actions. Stop what’s not working. Continue what’s effective. How to use it: In team meetings or 1:1s, ask for feedback on processes, workflows, and team dynamics. This fosters continuous improvement and helps your team feel heard. 3️⃣ The GROW Model What it is: A coaching framework for team development: Goal: Define what success looks like. Reality: Assess the current situation. Options: Explore ways forward. Will: Commit to an action plan. How to use it: Use this in development conversations to help team members clarify their goals and take ownership of their growth. 4️⃣ Radical Candor What it is: A feedback approach that emphasizes caring personally while challenging directly. How to use it: Balance tough conversations with genuine support. High-performing teams thrive when feedback is clear, constructive, and delivered with empathy. 5️⃣ Strengths-Based Development What it is: Focus on building and leveraging strengths instead of over-fixating on weaknesses. How to use it: Conduct assessments (e.g., CliftonStrengths) to identify individual strengths. Reshape roles and responsibilities to align with what people naturally do best. Remember: These tools are only effective if used with consistency and transparency. Your team’s success depends on your willingness to have tough conversations, encourage growth, and align on shared goals. Which of these frameworks resonates with you the most? Have you tried any of them? ---- ♻️ Repost if you found this helpful. ➕ Follow Ryan Yockey for more