COACHING DISCUSSION PLANNER
AND INSTRUCTIONS
Warning:
If employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement – a union
contract – check with your Labor Relations Manager and your immediate
manager before taking any action or engaging the employee. Know what is
required of you by the contract and precedent.
If termination of the employee seems like the most appropriate action, do not
terminate the employee before talking with your manager and your Human
Resources Manager to ensure that you follow company policy.
Note:
The Coaching Discussion Planner is intended for the use of a Leader’s
preparation and personal development. It is not intended to replace any
performance discussion documentation that may be required by policy of the
employing company. Review any company documentation requirements with
your Human Resources Manager to ensure that company policy is followed.
Description
The Coaching Discussion Planer is a form designed to assist your preparation of
a discussion with an employee who has a serious performance, work habit, or
motivational problem. The form gives you a discussion structure and also
provides a potential model for documenting the discussion.
The design of the form is adapted from The Practical Coach, a Video &
supporting materials by Media Partners.
Components
DISCUSSION W ITH
Employee Name
DATE/TIME
Date and time of the discussion
SITUATION TO BE
Brief description of the issue to be addressed
DISCUSSED
INCIDENTS
Date(s), time(s), and situation(s) when the employee
demonstrated the poor/serious performance, work habit, or
motivational problem.
 2011 Ken Kuzia and Up Your Leadership – All Rights Reserved
Page 1 of 7
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
Supporting information including, but not limited to:
 Know facts about the situation
 What additional information needs to be collected
 Any concerns you have regarding the employee and the
discussion
 Possible causes for the situation
 Potential outcomes or consequences that may develop as
a result of the discussion
 Any other pertinent information including but not limited to
other persons present if involved, work environment,
location of the incident, etc.
OBJECTIVES
Intended outcome from the discussion
CRITICAL STEPS
Action you are going to take during the discussion including:
 Stating to the employee exactly what you have observed
regarding the employees infraction(s)
 Waiting for the employee to respond
 Reminding the employee of the details defining what
performance is expected of the employee
 Asking the employee what she/he will do to solve the
situation and alleviate the problem
 Agreeing on the proposed solution with the employee
TO BE USED
Note:
Refer to the Leadership Action Map, “Coaching Poor
Performers” for additional information regarding performance
discussions.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternatives to be taken into account:
 Other potential actions or solutions to be performed
 Resources available to assist with the discussion and/or
resolution
 Constraints under which the discussion preparation,
execution and follow-up must be performed
 A description of any other alternatives to assist with the
preparation, execution and follow-up processes
NOTES
Any pertinent data that should be documented as a result of
the discussion
SPECIFIC ACTIONS
A listing of actions to be taken after the discussion
By You
By the Employee
 2011 Ken Kuzia and Up Your Leadership – All Rights Reserved
Page 2 of 7
PERSON(S)
RESPONSIBLE
Names of the person(s) who is(are) to perform each of the
identified Specific Actions
BY W HEN
Due date and time by which each Specific Action is to be
completed
FOLLOW -UP
Your action to be taken to review the progress of the
employee’s efforts to resolve the issue including:
 Date, Time, Place the Follow-up will occur
 Any other pertinent information regarding the Follow-up
including, but not limited to, others to be in attendance,
procedures to be followed, any items regarding the filing
of related documentation, etc.
REVIEW
Your review of the employee’s performance before, during
and after the performance discussion including:
 Details defining the degree to which expectations
regarding the discussion were met, not met or exceeded
 Description of items you think were handled well during
the preparation and subsequent discussion
 Description of items that you think were not handled well
during the preparation and subsequent discussion
including a list of reasons why the items were not handled
well
 A description of what you want to do differently in any
future performance discussions
 2011 Ken Kuzia and Up Your Leadership – All Rights Reserved
Page 3 of 7
COACHING DISCUSSION PLANNER
>>SAMPLE<<
DISCUSSION WITH
Sharon Fisher
DATE/TIME
09/08/11 @ 10:15 in Conference Room A
SITUATION TO BE DISCUSSED
Persistent lateness in arriving and getting ready for work
INCIDENTS
9/6 Sharon arrived at work 27 minutes after regular starting
time of 8:00 AM
9/7 Sharon arrived at work 21 minutes after regular starting
time of 8:00 AM
Similar incidents on Sept 1, 2, Aug 29, 30, at least 15 minutes
late each occurrence

Performance/work habits record
BACKGROUND INFORMATION







Known facts
Information needed
Concerns
Possible causes
Previous discussions
Potential consequences
Other
OBJECTIVES

What do you hope to accomplish
with this discussion?
CRITICAL STEPS TO BE USED





State what you’ve observed
Wait for their response
Remind them of what’s expected
Ask what can be done to solve
the situation
Agree on a solution
ALTERNATIVES




Possible actions/solutions
Resources available
Constraints
Other
Reminded Sharon of Regular start time (8:00 AM) on 10/29,
10/30 & 9/2
Need Sharon’s reasons for lateness
Stick to the facts & avoid emotion
Avoid giving wrong impression so other employees don’t follow
suit
Transportation issues? Issues at home? Motivation issues?
Potential termination of a valuable asset if not corrected
I need Sharon at work and ready to go at 8:00 AM Every day
Discover reasons for tardiness
Have Sharon identify steps to correct the issue
Agree that Sharon will here and ready to work by 8:00 AM
every day
Site Incidents from above
Listen to Sharon’s explanation/ avoid derailment of discussion
Stick to the facts
Remind Sharon again of expected start time and why I need
her here on time every day
Coach Sharon through idea generation
Come to an agreement on actions Sharon will take to resolve
the issue
This discussion will constitute a Written Warning since previous
discussions were Oral Warnings
If there is no resolution to the problem next step will be
termination per HR Discipline Policy 01.05.07
Full staff is expected to be present, so removing Sharon from
the line for the discussion is possible between 10:00 & 11:00
AM on 98/115
 2011 Ken Kuzia and Up Your Leadership – All Rights Reserved
Page 1 of 2
DISCUSSION SUMMARY
>>SAMPLE<<
NOTES: After some discussion Sharon stated that her tardiness was due to problems at home,
and she is taking her child to day care each morning since August 29, 2011. The day care does
not open early enough for her to drop her child off and still make it to work by 8:00 AM.
Sharon decided she would ask her brother to drop the child off at Day Care each morning since
he doesn’t have to show up for work until 9:30 AM.
SPECIFIC ACTIONS
Each day Sharon’s brother will arrive early enough to tend to
Sharon’s child allowing Sharon to get to work on time.
FOLLOW-UP

Date, time, place

Other
PERSONS
RESPONSIBLE
Sharon Fisher
BY W HEN
9/10/2011
9/9/11 at 8:00 AM – Sharon on time
9/12/11 at 8:00 AM – Sharon on time
9/23/11 at 8:00 AM – Sharon on time all week
10/1/11 at 8:00 AM – Sharon continues to arrive on time
I checked in with Sharon the above dates to recognize and encourage her
efforts.
10/1/11 – I feel the situation has been resolved.
REVIEW
To what extent did you meet your objectives? The situation seems to be completely resolved –
Sharon continues to arrive and start work on time.
What did you handle well in your preparation and discussion? I remained calm, supportive, and
stuck to the facts.
What could you have done more effectively? I should have had this discussion with Sharon by
9/1 or 9/2/11 at the latest.
What will you do differently in your next discussion? I will address the situations in a more timely
manner before too many days go by.
 2011 Ken Kuzia and Up Your Leadership – All Rights Reserved
Page 2 of 2
COACHING DISCUSSION PLANNER
DISCUSSION WITH
DATE/TIME
SITUATION TO BE DISCUSSED
INCIDENTS

Performance/work habits record
BACKGROUND INFORMATION







Known facts
Information needed
Concerns
Possible causes
Previous discussions
Potential consequences
Other
OBJECTIVES

What do you hope to accomplish
with this discussion?
CRITICAL STEPS TO BE USED





State what you’ve observed
Wait for their response
Remind them of what’s expected
Ask what can be done to sole the
situation
Agree on a solution
ALTERNATIVES




Possible actions/solutions
Resources available
Constraints
Other
 2011 Ken Kuzia and Up Your Leadership – All Rights Reserved
Page 3 of 2
DISCUSSION SUMMARY
NOTES:
SPECIFIC ACTIONS
PERSONS
RESPONSIBLE
BY W HEN
FOLLOW-UP

Date, time, place

Other
REVIEW
To what extent did you meet your objectives?
What did you handle well in your preparation and discussion?
What could you have done more effectively?
What will you do differently in your next discussion?
 2011 Ken Kuzia and Up Your Leadership – All Rights Reserved
Page 4 of 2