3 Secrets to Giving Coaching and Feedback in the Flow of Work

    

The end of a business year is an important time to pause, reflect, and learn about the things that went well and the things that didn’t so you can make the right adjustments moving forward.coaching-feedback

In reflecting on my year of successful projects utilizing our simulation-centric platforms, one of the most significant and impactful areas of work for me was the design, development, and delivery of a portfolio of coaching and feedback simulations that provided learners with the opportunity to step into a role of a coach in a simulated environment and learn-by-doing.

Obviously, coaching is one of the most important, and broadest, areas of talent development and there are a lot of experts out there who provide models, frameworks, and excellent content to learn from. But there really aren’t a lot of ways to gain expertise through practice other than traditional role plays and some fairly strange technologies where an avatar is bringing a human to life, but it is still a person behind the curtain like the Wizard of Oz.

One of the major themes of the work we did this year in terms of our coaching simulations was coaching and giving feedback in the flow of work which has been identified as the #1 key coaching skill to learn. Whether it was our core, “Coaching for Business Results,” or one of our more advanced 12-scenario simulations, focusing on how to coach and give feedback in the flow of work is critical.

As a nice way to close the year and to get everyone thinking about coaching and giving feedback in 2025, I am sharing 3 secrets coming from our research, experiences, and simulations for how to coach and give feedback in the flow of work.

Why is Giving Coaching and Feedback in the Flow of Work a Thing?

Providing coaching and feedback into the flow of work shifts the process of giving feedback from being a periodic, formal process to a natural, continuous dialogue. By making this game-changing shift of integrating coaching and feedback into the flow of work creates you are now creating a dynamic, responsive environment that supports growth, engagement, and productivity. Besides, why wait until the next 1:1 when it becomes stale? Why not do it in the moment when it is fresh and actionable?

3 Secrets to Giving in the Moment Coaching and Feedback

It MUST be seen and felt as being Collaborative

The single most important thing I learned this year about coaching and feedback is that if you don’t set, communicate, and believe the context up front is collaborative and not a “gotcha,” then it simply won’t work or be effective. The danger of many coaching models where you are “holding someone accountable” is that it sets things up to be adversarial and that is not the intent of this approach.

  • Why it works: A collaborative tone makes the feedback feel like a partnership aimed at improvement, not criticism.
  • How to do it:
    • Use “we” language or express curiosity: "What do you think worked well? Here’s something I think could improve..."
    • Offer to help: "Let’s think through how we can approach it differently next time. I’d be happy to brainstorm with you."

Be Specific and Use Facts

The data and factual observations don’t lie. When giving coaching and feedback in the flow of work it is critical to be as specific and factual as possible.

  • Why it works: Feedback grounded in data and specific observations feels objective and actionable, rather than personal or vague.
  • How to do it: Focus on the data, what you saw or heard, and not on assumptions or generalizations. For example:
    • Instead of: "You were totally unprepared for this meeting.”
    • Say: " I noticed you didn’t have the report ready for today’s meeting, which made it harder to discuss the next steps and how to help our customers."

Be Mindful of Context and the Timing

All coaching and feedback is not equal as every situation is different. However, if you are the Coachee and you are constantly receiving coaching and feedback, it may all seem overwhelming and every conversation is big.

  • Why it works: Immediate feedback keeps the situation fresh, allowing for a more relevant and constructive conversation. However, timing should also respect the recipient's emotional state and surroundings.
  • How to do it:
    • Choose a moment when the person can process and respond thoughtfully.
    • If the setting isn’t right, signal your intent: "When you have a minute later, I’d like to share some thoughts on how we handled the report."

In summary, these 3 tips are the foundational elements you need help ensure your coaching and feedback is well-received, constructive, and leads to positive change.

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Robert Brodo

About The Author

Robert Brodo is co-founder of Advantexe. He has more than 20 years of training and business simulation experience.