Phase 3 of 3 · Hard Conversations
Coaching conversation
A direct, private talk that names the gap, hears the employee, and sets a short next step, held before the problem becomes a crisis.
Name the gap while it is still small enough to close.
In plain English
A coaching conversation is the early, adult talk about the work, not a speech after the owner has already decided.
- What it looks like in business
- The owner says the last two Fridays the close was late, asks what got in the way, agrees on one change, and sets a date to look again.
- Why it matters
- Waiting until rage or gossip does the talking makes a fixable gap look like a character flaw, and the team watches how it is handled.
Reading it once is not the same as knowing it. Put this term in the daily rotation and let the quiz come back for it.
Study this termWhere this comes from
This is HR guidance, not legal advice, and rules change. Check the current text and your own facts before you act on it. When a situation needs a lawyer, Jennifer will say so.
Where it sits
Phase 3: Hard Conversations
A fair process for performance, complaints, accommodations, and exits so the owner is not both the boss and the only adult in the room.