This is a prototype of a learning experience intended to be assigned as online, self-study pre-work to regristrants for an upcoming instructor led experience incorporating skills practice. The intent is to bring learners to a greater understanding of the importance of delivering powerful feedback and a clearer understanding of what it is that makes feedback powerful.

1. COACHING IN THE CLASSROOM
More Good Stuff from the Learning Maverick
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

2. About this Booklet
• Although I present this in the form of a PowerPoint
presentation, this is really a booklet to be read and not
something to be projected on a wall in a group setting.
wrong
right
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

3. About this Booklet
• Although I present this in the form of a PowerPoint
presentation, this is really a booklet to be read and not
something to be projected on a wall in a group setting.
• If you’d like others to read this, please send them a link
via Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook, rather than distribute
hard copies. I’m told that this will increase my ranking on
Google and thus my chances of becoming rich and
famous one day.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

4. About this Booklet
• Although I present this in the form of a PowerPoint
presentation, this is really a booklet to be read and not
something to be projected on a wall in a group setting.
• If you’d like others to read this, please send them a link
via Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook, rather than distribute
hard copies. I’m told that this will increase my ranking on
Google and thus my chances of becoming rich and
famous one day.
• If you’d like to have a version of this booklet suitable to a
group setting, or a cooler, more interactive version
suitable for online self-study, just ask; you’ll find my
contact info on the final slide.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

5. Point of View
• Imagine that you have registered to participate in a day-
long class on a soft-skills topic such as Dealing with
Ridiculous Customers.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

6. Point of View
• Imagine that you have registered to participate in a day-
long class on a soft-skills topic such as Dealing with
Ridiculous Customers.
• Further imagine that a week out from the class date you
receive an assignment to review this presentation and be
prepared to teach back any section of it in class.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

7. Objectives
• Your objectives in reviewing this presentation are two:
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

8. Objectives
• Your objectives in reviewing this presentation are two:
• To participate constructively in skills practice rounds
during your upcoming class.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

9. Objectives
• Your objectives in reviewing this presentation are two:
• To participate constructively in skills practice rounds
during your upcoming class.
• To prepare yourself to ―teach back‖ to class participants
any portion of this presentation.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

10. Skills Practice Roles
• You will participate in several rounds of skills practice
during your upcoming class.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

11. Skills Practice Roles
• You will participate in several rounds of skills practice
during your upcoming class.
• During each ―round‖ you will play one of three roles:
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

12. Skills Practice Roles
• You will participate in several rounds of skills practice
during your upcoming class.
• During each ―round‖ you will play one of three roles:
• The ―actor,‖ who will play the part of an employee.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

13. Skills Practice Roles
• You will participate in several rounds of skills practice
during your upcoming class.
• During each ―round‖ you will play one of three roles:
• The ―actor,‖ who will play the part of an employee.
• The ―partner,‖ who will play the part of an employee,
customer, etc.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

14. Skills Practice Roles
• You will participate in several rounds of skills practice
during your upcoming class.
• During each ―round‖ you will play one of three roles:
• The ―actor,‖ who will play the part of an employee.
• The ―partner,‖ who will play the part of an employee,
customer, etc.
• The ―moderator/coach,‖ who will moderate and observe
the interaction, take notes and provide robust feedback
to the actor.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

15. The Most Important Role
• In this presentation, we’ll focus on your most important
role—that of the MC—the moderator coach.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

16. The Most Important Role
• In this presentation, we’ll focus on your most important
role—that of the MC—the moderator coach.
• Why is the MC and not the actor most important?
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

17. The Most Important Role
• In this presentation, we’ll focus on your most important
role—that of the MC—the moderator coach.
• Why is the MC and not the actor most important?
• The actor may perform their role well or poorly during the
round. What really matters, of course, is whether the
actor performs their role well in the ―real world.‖
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

18. The Most Important Role
• In this presentation, we’ll focus on your most important
role—that of the MC—the moderator coach.
• Why is the MC and not the actor most important?
• The actor may perform their role well or poorly during the
round. What really matters, of course, is whether the
actor performs their role well in the ―real world.‖
• Your robust feedback in the classroom will dramatically
improve the odds that the actor will perform well after the
class has ended.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

19. Moderating the Practice
• In moderating a practice round, you will…
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

20. Moderating the Practice
• In moderating a practice round, you will…
• Launch the round when the time for preparation has
expired.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

21. Moderating the Practice
• In moderating a practice round, you will…
• Launch the round when the time for preparation has
expired.
• Remain silent during the round unless…
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

22. Moderating the Practice
• In moderating a practice round, you will…
• Launch the round when the time for preparation has
expired.
• Remain silent during the round unless…
• The actor freezes or takes off in a direction unrelated
to the skills being practiced.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

23. Moderating the Practice
• In moderating a practice round, you will…
• Launch the round when the time for preparation has
expired.
• Remain silent during the round unless…
• The actor freezes or takes off in a direction unrelated
to the skills being practiced.
• The partner steps outside their role or plays it in a silly
way or in a way that makes it unrealistically difficult for
the actor to play their role.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

24. Moderating the Practice
• In moderating a practice round, you will…
• Launch the round when the time for preparation has
expired.
• Remain silent during the round unless…
• The actor freezes or takes off in a direction unrelated
to the skills being practiced.
• The partner steps outside their role or plays it in a silly
way or in a way that makes it unrealistically difficult for
the actor to play their role.
• Call time.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

25. Moderator Challenges
• One common cause for moderator intervention in a round
arises when the actor and participant begin to discuss
policies, procedures, products, etc.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

26. Moderator Challenges
• One common cause for moderator intervention in a round
arises when the actor and participant begin to discuss
policies, procedures, products, etc.
• Immediately intervene if this happens and ask the
participants to return to the point where they abandoned
the trail.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

27. Moderator Challenges
• One common cause for moderator intervention in a round
arises when the actor and participant begin to discuss
policies, procedures, products, etc.
• Immediately intervene if this happens and ask the
participants to return to the point where they abandoned
the trail.
• Sometimes there will be a forth person in a group. That
person should also take notes and provide feedback.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

28. Calling Time
• Stop the participants in their tracks as soon as the allotted
time has expired. This will ensure that there is sufficient
time for the sharing of feedback with the actor.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

29. Calling Time
• Stop the participants in their tracks as soon as the allotted
time has expired. This will ensure that there is sufficient
time for the sharing of feedback with the actor.
• It is not important that the actor ―finish‖ an interaction; by
getting even half-way through it, they’ll have furnished you
with sufficient grist for the feedback mill.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

30. Taking Notes
• Take lots of notes, so that you can use the actor’s own
words to make your feedback clear and credible.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

31. Taking Notes
• Take lots of notes, so that you can use the actor’s own
words to make your feedback clear and credible.
• Don’t wait to take a note until you have asked yourself,
―Gee, should I write that down?‖ Instead, take notes
continually, just as you would if you were a court reporter.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

32. Taking Notes
• Take lots of notes, so that you can use the actor’s own
words to make your feedback clear and credible.
• Don’t wait to take a note until you have asked yourself,
―Gee, should I write that down?‖ Instead, take notes
continually, just as you would if you were a court reporter.
• While non-verbals like facial expressions or body
language are certainly important in the real world, it is the
words we are focusing on in class. Ignore non-verbals
and concentrate on taking down the words spoken by the
actor and partner.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

33. Taking Notes
• Take lots of notes, so that you can use the actor’s own
words to make your feedback clear and credible.
• Don’t wait to take a note until you have asked yourself,
―Gee, should I write that down?‖ Instead, take notes
continually, just as you would if you were a court reporter.
• While non-verbals like facial expressions or body
language are certainly important in the real world, it is the
words we are focusing on in class. Ignore non-verbals
and concentrate on taking down the words spoken by the
actor and partner.
• You may find it helpful to keep your head down and not
look at the actor and partner at all.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

34. Moderating Feedback
• In moderating the exchange of feedback with the actor,
you will:
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

35. Moderating Feedback
• In moderating the exchange of feedback with the actor,
you will:
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two specific
things they would do differently in their real world
interactions.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

36. Moderating Feedback
• In moderating the exchange of feedback with the actor,
you will:
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two specific
things they would do differently in their real world
interactions.
• ―Be better prepared‖ doesn’t count; that’s a given.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

37. Moderating Feedback
• In moderating the exchange of feedback with the actor,
you will:
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two specific
things they would do differently in their real world
interactions.
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two things they
would do again in their real world interactions.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

38. Moderating Feedback
• In moderating the exchange of feedback with the actor,
you will:
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two specific
things they would do differently in their real world
interactions.
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two things they
would do again in their real world interactions.
• Invite the partner to share one or two thoughts with the
actor.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

39. Moderating Feedback
• In moderating the exchange of feedback with the actor,
you will:
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two specific
things they would do differently in their real world
interactions.
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two things they
would do again in their real world interactions.
• Invite the partner to share one or two thoughts with the
actor.
• Don’t hold the partner to the STAR model, which we’ll
discuss shortly.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

40. Moderating Feedback
• In moderating the exchange of feedback with the actor,
you will:
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two specific
things they would do differently in their real world
interactions.
• Invite the actor to cite one or, at most, two things they
would do again in their real world interactions.
• Invite the partner to share one or two thoughts with the
actor.
• Share two or three STAR-quality observations of your
own.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

41. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

42. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
• Feedback is powerful when it expresses the…
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

43. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
• Feedback is powerful when it expresses the…
• Situation the actor faced
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

44. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
• Feedback is powerful when it expresses the…
• Situation the actor faced
• Task in which the actor was engaged at a specific
moment during the interaction.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

45. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
• Feedback is powerful when it expresses the…
• Situation the actor faced
• Task in which the actor was engaged at a specific
moment during the interaction.
• Action taken by the actor at that moment.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

46. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
• Feedback is powerful when it expresses the…
• Situation the actor faced
• Task in which the actor was engaged at a specific
moment during the interaction.
• Action taken by the actor at that moment.
• The action is most often the words spoken by the
actor.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

47. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
• Feedback is powerful when it expresses the…
• Situation the actor faced
• Task in which the actor was engaged at a specific
moment during the interaction.
• Action taken by the actor at that moment.
• Result of the actor’s action.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

48. STAR-Quality Feedback
• By drawing on your notes, you will be able to deliver
powerful STAR-quality feedback.
• Feedback is powerful when it expresses the…
• Situation the actor faced
• Task in which the actor was engaged at a specific
moment during the interaction.
• Action taken by the actor at that moment.
• Result of the actor’s action.
• The result is most often the partner’s reaction to the
speaker’s words.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

49. An Example
• Here is an example of STAR–quality feedback:
• I overheard some of your discussion with Peter
(situation) this morning, Cynthia—the part when you
were cross-selling services (task) to complement his
new checking account. When Peter said that he didn’t
need another credit card, you responded by saying
(action), ―You know, Peter, I felt exactly the same way
when I came to work here, but then I realized our card
would replace at least two of my former cards; my
wallet got lighter instead of heavier.‖ Peter followed by
saying, ―Okay, Cynthia, tell me why I should switch.‖
You got Peter to open his mind and, eventually, accept
our card. (result)
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

50. Adjectives to Avoid
• In delivering feedback, avoid using judgmental adjectives
like good, bad, excellent, etc. These labels are too
general and so are largely wasted words. Stick to the
STAR model, which provides useful specifics.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

51. The Instructor’s Role
• During the skills practice rounds, the instructor will ―table-
hop.‖ They’ll be taking notes of their own—about your
―performance‖ as the moderator/coach—and will draw on
these notes to provide you and/or the participants in
general some STAR-quality feedback of your own.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

52. The Instructor’s Role
• During the skills practice rounds, the instructor will ―table-
hop.‖ They’ll be taking notes of their own—about your
―performance‖ as the moderator/coach—and will draw on
these notes to provide you and/or the participants in
general some STAR-quality feedback of your own.
• This reflects our conviction that it is really the moderator
who makes the practice rounds beneficial to all.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

53. The Uber-Objective
• In laying such emphasis on the role of the
moderator/coach, we are pursuing an objective we didn’t
share at the start of this presentation. This is to build a
legion of effective coaches throughout our organization.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

54. The Uber-Objective
• In laying such emphasis on the role of the
moderator/coach, we are pursuing an objective we didn’t
share at the start of this presentation. This is to build a
legion of effective coaches throughout our organization.
• Managers simply don’t have enough time to observe and
provide feedback to employees as often as would be
desirable. The deficit must be made up by experienced
individual contributors. Learn now to be a better coach in
the classroom and you will be a better coach as
opportunities arise in your real world outside the
classroom door.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

55. And in Conclusion
• You’ve learned here about the…
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

56. And in Conclusion
• You’ve learned here about the…
• Roles played during a practice round
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

57. And in Conclusion
• You’ve learned here about the…
• Roles played during a practice round
• Responsibilities you will bear as the moderator
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

58. And in Conclusion
• You’ve learned here about the…
• Roles played during a practice round
• Responsibilities you will bear as the moderator
• Importance of note-taking
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

59. And in Conclusion
• You’ve learned here about the…
• Roles played during a practice round
• Responsibilities you will bear as the moderator
• Importance of note-taking
• Components of STAR-quality feedback
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

60. And in Conclusion
• You’ve learned here about the…
• Roles played during a practice round
• Responsibilities you will bear as the moderator
• Importance of note-taking
• Components of STAR-quality feedback
• Instructor’s role during the practice rounds and after.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

61. And in Conclusion
• You’ve learned here about the…
• Roles played during a practice round
• Responsibilities you will bear as the moderator
• Importance of note-taking
• Components of STAR-quality feedback
• Instructor’s role during the practice rounds and after.
• Be prepared to teach back these topics during your up-
coming class.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

62. Thanks!
• Thanks for reading this little treatise. I’ve always liked
visiting (your town) and spending a little time with you,
(your name.)
• If you’d like to provide feedback or tell a bit about your
own experiences, I’d be delighted to hear from you. You
can reach me through several channels:
• dennisafahey@maverickld.com
• Learningmaverick.com (WordPress)
• @dennisafahey (Twitter)
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

63. Bye, now!