Purpose

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply a specific structure for giving effective, non-judgmental feedback in a coaching context.

Lesson Explanation

Effective coaching feedback follows a specific, learnable structure, genuinely different from vague praise or criticism:

1. Observation — state a specific, factual observation, not an interpretation:
   "You mentioned this goal three times, but haven't scheduled any time for it."
2. Impact — describe the observed effect, without assigning blame:
   "That gap between what you say matters and what's on your calendar seems worth exploring."
3. Invitation — open the floor back to the client, rather than concluding for them:
   "What do you make of that?"

This structure connects directly to Lesson 2’s coverage of leading questions: the feedback ends with an open invitation, not the coach’s own conclusion about what the gap means — the coach observes and reflects, but the client interprets.

A genuinely common mistake: skipping straight to interpretation (“You’re avoiding this because you’re scared”) instead of starting with a specific, factual observation. Interpretation stated as fact can feel presumptuous and shuts down the client’s own reflection, rather than opening it.

Practice Questions