High impact performance coaching tool

The best performance coaches use a high performance framework, like the one in the High Impact Performance Coaching guide that’s also part of this kitbag.

They’ll have some core simple questions that they typically use to help them coach with impact using the framework.

This tool gives you some great starter questions to use in each area of the framework so that the person you’re coaching is superbly ready to perform.

Reading time: 4 minutes

What will it do?

This tool gives you some great starter questions to use in each area of the framework so that the person you’re coaching is superbly ready to perform. Use it to coach performance with real impact.

It’s designed to be a storage bank of great coaching questions! There are some high impact questions you can use to get you started and you can add to it as you do more so it becomes more personal and even more effective.

Use this tool now, before you start to coach. Add some questions that you think might work well. It will take you 20 minutes to do this thoroughly. Then start using it! Bring it in to coaching sessions as a prompt and/or before you go into a coaching session as a reminder. It’ll soon become your no 1 coaching tool!

Three steps to take

Get focused on the things that will make the most impact for you

1. Start at the beginning. Here’s a list of simple questions you can ask to help someone get a clear picture of success. Add to it – experiment and discover what works!

  • What’s your picture of success?
  • What’s your ideal outcome?
  • What do you want to achieve?
  • By when?
  • What are the things that you’ll need to do to achieve your outcome?
  • What does great performance from you need to look like?
  • What will tell you you’re making progress?
  • Who can help you get clarity over your demands, priorities and picture of success?
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2. Know the conditions. Here’s a list of questions you can ask someone to help them understand the conditions they’re in and how to use that understanding to get ready to perform. Add your own to them!

  • What are the playing conditions in which you have to deliver?
  • How well do you understand those conditions?
  • Who’s an expert on these conditions that you could talk to?
  • What predictable obstacles will you face?
  • What else in the conditions will help you and hinder you?
  • Given the conditions how does that impact your goals?
  • Could you set different goals such as a gold medal if the conditions go in your favour and a bronze medal if the conditions go against you?
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3. Exploiting and building resource. Ok, you’ve helped the performer identify their goals and the impact of their playing conditions. Now it’s all about using the skills, knowledge and experience they’ve got to deliver that performance and thinking about any additional stuff they’ll need to be great. Some of these questions are based around The Performance Pie – see the Kitbag on What affects your performance if you haven’t done that already.

  • What do you need in your performance pie to be ready to perform in your role?
  • Given the demands on you today, what bits are most important right now?
  • Which bits of the performance pie are your strengths?
  • What are your strengths and how well do you use them?
  • What business tools and processes could you be exploiting more?
  • What bits do you need strengthen or work on?
  • Where are the quick wins to be had to become more ready and prepared?
  • Where are the longer-term gains to be had?
  • If you could work on one thing to become brilliant at, what would it be?
  • How can you use your existing strengths to become better at your weaknesses?
  • How will you do this?
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Your plan

Get a plan Stan. The basics you need to have in your plan are set out below.

Plan basics

  1. What are you going to do? This bit is easy – it’s the stuff in no 1, 2 and 3

    My actions:

  2. When are you going to do these things? You don’t have to be great to get going, but you better get going if you want to be great.

    My start date:

  3. How often will you be doing it? You’ll probably be doing this as a one off, but it could be useful to do it more often.

    Check in dates:

Get serious

The difference between having a plan and making it work is about action. So get this in your diary now. Tell the people who need to know so that they can support you and won’t just think you’re being weird. Do it now.

Remember, it’s progress not perfection. You’re looking for gradual improvement, not for Rome to be built in a day.