Discussion: The Role of Observation in Coaching

You probably have a favorite photograph on your desk or at home, perhaps of a loved one or favorite vacation spot. Viewing such snapshots can bring back memories or evoke strong emotions. Yet, for someone unfamiliar with you or the circumstances surrounding the photograph, it is probably just seen as a nice image.

As this example suggests, individuals seldom focus deeper than what is shown in the picture in front of them. What if judgments on your life were made based on a brief snapshot of time, perhaps in a moment when you were not at your finest? As a person, to be truly understood you must be observed in a variety of settings, situations, and moods. The more time that you spend interacting with individuals, the more you begin to understand who they are and why they react as they do.

This week, you will consider the important role of observation in coaching and mentoring. Without taking the time and effort to carefully observe someone and attempt to appreciate him or her as an individual in a variety of settings and interactions, it is easy to make assumptions about behavior and fail to create a meaningful relationship built on understanding. You will explore how to effectively observe someone and how to use these observations to set goals that help others improve their capabilities and increase their knowledge.

We have a natural tendency to mix data and interpretation (Hunt and Weintraub, 2017). As a leader, we have to be able to observe and collect data in an unbiased manner. Tools, such as the Ladder of Inference, can be helpful in guarding against faulty assumptions that can negatively impact the data collected during an observation.

To prepare for this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resource.

· Review this week’s Learning Resources, especially:

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Respond to at least two of your peers' postings in one or more of the following ways:

· Do you agree or disagree that observation can influence change in the way described by your colleague?

· Why or why not?

· Build upon your colleague’s discussion by sharing an example of an assumption that could affect an observation.

· Explain how you could avoid that assumption.

· 3-4 paragraphs

· APA citing

· No plagiarism

1st Colleague – Natasha Mills

Natasha Mills

The Role of Observation in Coaching

Feedback is a critical element in coaching. It has the ability to help a coachee improve his/her performance by focusing on what is important (Hunt & Wentraub, 2017). The effectiveness of feedback, therefore, relies on the effectiveness of what the coach observes and relays to the coachee. For managers to provide useful and accurate feedback, they need to conduct equally accurate observations. Accurate observations provide high-quality feedback that can be used singularly to improve the coachee's performance. Inaccurate observation, on the other hand, provides bad data that causes greater defensiveness and lack of learning for the coachee (Hunt & Wentraub, 2017). The ladder of inference shows how managers can potentially generate bad data from their observations, leading to ineffective feedback. By discussing the steps of the ladder of inference, this paper will elaborate on how managers can generate accurate data that translates to effective coaching instead.

The ladder of inference includes seven steps. They are observing events and data, selecting data from what the observation, adding personal and cultural meaning to what is seen, making assumptions from the added meanings, drawing conclusions, adopting beliefs about the world, and taking actions based on the adopted beliefs, respectively (Hunt & Wentraub, 2017). These steps lead to effective coaching by helping coaches know what they need to focus on.

The steps of the ladder of inference, therefore, are useful in guarding against faulty assumptions made during observations. For instance, when the first step of the ladder, which is observation, is done accurately, the coach will have good data to help the coachee. It is essential to note that it is impossible to observe everything about an employee during the process (Hunt & Wentraub, 2017). The second step involves the selection of data. Managers ought to steer clear of imposing their opinions and choices on the coachee in this step because opinions contain biases. They can achieve this by asking coachees about what they are interested in learning.

How a manager approaches the third step of the ladder significantly influences the outcome of the observation. This step involves the addition of personal and cultural meanings to what has been observed (Hunt & Wentraub, 2017). Effective coaches test their assumptions instead of moving to the next step of the ladder and increasing the potential for obtaining flawed observation data. Simply put, the effective execution of the third step of the ladder of inference prevents the manager from moving up the ladder to the next steps that inhibit efficient coaching. Making assumptions based on personal and cultural meanings derived from observations, drawing conclusions, adopting beliefs, and acting based on the beliefs are all counterproductive steps when it comes to coaching. The steps not only lead to flawed feedback, but also make the coachee defensive, leading to the creation of a wall that destroys the relationship between the two.

According to Hunt & Wentraub (2017), managers ought to create enormous value by learning to work with the ladder of inference. This is because it is almost impossible to avoid the ladder. Further, the ladder helps managers keep track of both their observation and inference, which improve their consciousness in managing their relationships with the coachees (Hunt & Wentraub, 2017). In other words, the ladder of inference enhances the quality of observations coaches make. Quality observations, in turn, lead to accurate and useful feedback that coachees can use to improve their performance in the areas that they identify on their own.

From this perspective, observation critically influences change in a coachee or mentee. It enables the coach or mentor to adopt effective methods that lead to a good relationship with the coachee, as opposed to creating defensiveness (Hunt & Wentraub, 2017). The good relationship is characterized by effective feedback that informs the actual element that the coachee needs to improve, thereby creating room for performance improvement.

Hunt, J. M., & Weintraub, J. R. (2017). The coaching manager: Developing top talent in business (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

2nd Colleague – Donna Tizzano

Donna Tizzano

RE: Discussion – Week 3 Initial Response

Hello Class,

Hunt and Weintraub (2017) use the analogy of a mirror when considering observing someone’s performance and behaviors. The metaphor refers to the ability to reflect on what we are seeing and what is happening and reminds us that a mirror can provide a distorted image of someone, especially if we are only seeing someone at one point of time. A mirror can also provide a powerful image of someone, but it can’t make changes independently (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). For change to occur and for employees to identify and work to achieve their goals, they must rely on accurate and specific feedback through observation and coaching.

If observation and feedback are conducted appropriately, the coach can help the coachee focus on what is most important and provide information that can be useful in helping the coachee achieve their goals by assisting them to develop the competencies and behaviors needed to succeed (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). To provide effective feedback to an employee, the manager must depend on astute observation skills to collect information/data on an employee’s behavior and performance that is valid and accurate. This skill is not as easy as it sounds since many variables can distort the facts or “image in the mirror” (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017).

Managers face many challenges when they try to observe and assess an employee’s performance since they are only seeing a snapshots of the employee at different intervals and their perception can easily be altered (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). For instance, a manager must have self-awareness during their observation experience. They must consider what they were feeling or what mood they were in at the time of the observation. Were they angry about something, distracted due to time constraints? The manager must consider their relationship with the employee. Do they have a relationship with this person based on trust? Does this employee’s past performance influence the manager, or are they being influenced by a self-fulfilling process? The manager must have close access to the employee. Does the manager have access to the employee at regular intervals to observe their performance? Is the manager influenced by what other employees say and think about this person (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017)? All these factors can inadvertently influence the manager’s assumptions, decisions, and actions.

Another factor that may influence the manager’s ability to observe objectively and influence their perceptions is the halo effect, where friendly, cooperative, attractive people may be given greater liberties than people without as much charisma. Another factor influencing a manager’s objectivity is the recent effect, where a recent success blinds the observer to a history of poor performance. The cognitively biased perception can also influence an observer based on what they are seeing (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). For example, the manager may be influenced by someone’s ethnicity, age., race, or sexual orientation. Personal bias can cause us to make assumptions that are inaccurate and unfair (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). To provide unbiased and accurate coaching, coaches must ensure that they interpret their observations accurately and objectively.

The “Ladder of Inference” is a framework or thinking process that we often use without realizing it. This thinking process uses an image of a ladder that provides us with steps that take us from looking at facts to making decisions and then taking action after observing an employee (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). Because a coach is helping to develop and teach an employee, one must be careful to ensure that the data they are collecting or seeing is accurate and based on objective facts, so they don’t make assumptions and jump to conclusions that are not valid or are based on their own past experience or personal bias (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017).

The first step of the ladder represents an observation of data and events. This first step is facts that we observe and is where we need to ensure that we are not allowing bias, assumptions, or previous beliefs to cloud the reality of our observation (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). The second step of the ladder represents the data that the manager will focus on in their observation based on what the learning priority is for the coachee. The third step of the ladder involves adding meaning to what the coach has decided to focus on based on cultural and personal beliefs. The fourth step of the ladder is where the manager adds their assumptions to their perception of the meaning of things on the third level (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). On steps three and four of the ladder, the coach can add meaning to something they observe based on their own beliefs and then make assumptions that may be accurate or inaccurate, leading them to conclusions (step 5) based on their observations. To avoid this, they must address their assumptions and clarify any potential misconceptions through questions and meaningful dialogue (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). If we fail to test our assumptions, we adopt beliefs about the world (step 6) and then take action based on these beliefs (stage 7) (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017).

The Ladder of Inference can be a valuable tool for managers and coaches to help them focus on the facts and avoid using inferences or allowing your past experiences and beliefs to influence your judgment and, ultimately, actions (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). Hunt & Weintraub (2017) suggest writing down what is actually observed on one side of a piece of paper, and then on the opposite side writing down our thoughts, feelings, ideas, or reactions based on what is observed (p.172). This tool provides visualization of behavioral observations on the left side and inferences that may or may not be accurate or useful to the manager when giving feedback to the employee on the right side. The coaching manager must ensure that the inferences captured are valid before using the data to help develop the employee (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017).

When we use the Ladder of Inference to identify when we are making inferences, we can stop ourselves from using an interpretation or assumption that we have made and treating it as if it were factual. This practice will guard us against making faulty assumptions in our observations (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). By learning how to be an effective, accurate observer, a coach can identify the strengths and weaknesses of a coachee and help them realign their behaviors to achieve their goals and help motivate them to identify what it will take to help them succeed in the future (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017).

Have a great week,

Donna