Get the best from a coaching observer

Say thank you first

To ensure that you and your observer are working as equals, the observation and feedback process must be seen as a positive experience.

You aren’t passing an exam or ticking boxes for competency. You, and the observer, are learning and developing together.

The observer will also gain insight into their own coaching because, inevitably, they will be thinking about how they would deal with each situation. That’s an important reflection in itself.

However, it is not a straightforward task to be open and honest while being positive and non-judgmental when you are feeding back.

So before the session starts, and then again before the feedback begins, the observed coach should say ’thank you’. It will put the observer at ease as much as the recipient.

Don’t make any excuses

Commit to not offering any excuses about your performance during the feedback process. 

Rather, offer suggestions and explanations about why you made a decision where appropriate.

Excuses are a means of passing the blame onto an external condition. For example, you could say that a drill didn’t work because the players were being lazy.

The mature response would be: “I need to ensure the players are more focused”. Or: “Next time, I will think more about how the players were acting before introducing that drill”.

In other words: which of your actions could you change?

Be prepared for questions

In addition to the questions you have set, the observer will generate some questions of their own. These questions should be more general than the ones you have prepared for them.

Rather than starting with the word ’why?’, which can often lead to judgmental statements, the observer should be encouraged to start questions with phrases like ‘How do you feel...?’. This puts the emphasis back on the coach to put across their viewpoint.

"Embrace being observed. It will make a difference to the way you coach..."

For example, rather than saying something like: ‘Why did you deal with this scenario like that?’, the observer can phrase it as follows: ‘How do you feel you dealt with this scenario?’.

Some other questions from the observer could include:

• What would you do the same or differently next time?
• What do you feel the impact of that decision/drill/activity was?
• Do you feel the session matched up to your initial outcomes?

Ask your own questions

The chat with your observer should be an open discussion.

You should feel empowered to ask them questions, in the same non-judgemental manner that they have asked you.

Questions like “Was that a good session?” or "Did the players enjoy it?” won’t be helpful. Instead, try questions that ask for low-grade outcomes.

For example, ask: “Did I repeat the phrase ‘You know what I mean’?", or “Did I manage to unfold my arms when I gave feedback?”.

Never disagree

Should the observer say something you don’t agree with, never say so.

The whole process should be between you and the observer. Nothing will be passed on to anyone else.

If you disagree with a point, you should do one of two things. Either Ignore it because you don’t think it makes a difference, or store it because it might be something you need to consider in the future.

Remember, in the same way that what you think of your own performance is subjective, so is what the observer thinks. 

Their feedback and advice should be taken as something to reflect on, not as hard facts about your performance. And if you say you disagree, then that only makes the process that little bit more uncomfortable.

Embrace it

Embrace being observed. It will make an enormous difference to the way you coach if you can verbalise your thoughts to another coach.

The more observation becomes a natural part of any session, the more comfortable everyone becomes, and the more we improve as coaches.