Evaluating vs. coaching

Key Idea
Managers often feel a tension between their roles of evaluator and coach. The two roles are actually interrelated. As evaluator, you review performance. As coach, you look for ways to help others grow and improve. This combination can be difficult for your coachees: Direct reports may be hesitant to bring up mistakes or shortcomings with you for fear it will affect their performance evaluations. If enough of your direct reports feel this way, you won't have a clear picture of what's going on around you. This, in turn, may affect your ability to manage effectively and meet your group goals.
Consider implementing the following measures to loosen any tension you may experience between your role as evaluator and coach:

• Conduct coaching and performance evaluating as separate processes.
• Reassure coachees that frank discussions with you about mistakes or shortcomings won't result in a poor performance evaluation.
• Use performance evaluations to identify problems that may improve with coaching—but reaffirm to the employee that coaching is a process distinct from performance evaluation.

As a coach, your job is to find ways for others to improve and grow. However, as a manager, you are also an evaluator, with the job of reviewing and assessing worker performance. How do you balance these two responsibilities?