Performance Appraisal for Coaches

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Performance Appraisal for Coaches

• ICCE Coaching Conference
• Hong Kong February 2005
• Peter G. Davis Ph.D
• Director, Coaching and Sport Sciences, US Olympic
  Committee

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• Why appraise..
• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• How
• Making it Happen some examples

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• Not going to give you a foolproof system
• Not going to give you a one size fits all system
• Will make you think about what and how you
  assess/appraise and develop coaches

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• Reflect on your own situation
• Are you a coach?
• Are you an administrator?
• What is your role in Performance Management and
  Performance Appraisal?
• Try to place some of my comments and points into
  your context as we go through.

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• What do I mean by Performance Appraisal ????
• Doing an end of the year assessment of success?
• Rating for pay increase (or decrease)?
• Paperwork for legal liability
• ???
• A systematic process of developing staff

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Why is this so difficult?

• It has the potential for conflict
• It has the potential for negative outcomes or
  consequences
• It is not set up correctly and is linked to
  negative consequences
• It requires some work (if done correctly) it
  exposes us???
• We (appraisers/and coaches) are intimidated???

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• Need to know some rules of law and use some set
  forms and checklists .
• But.. Its more about fairness and consistency
  and style and objectivity.
• And about respect of the individual and of the
  Coaching profession and the organization

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Why appraise coaches?

• It is an important part of professional
  development
• You want to have a world class organization
• Reputation of your organization is built on the
  quality of the people you employ
• It is best practice
• It is a legal requirement ???

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AND..

• BECAUSE ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO

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What is a coach?
Programmer/ Planner
Coach
Competition manager
Training Manager
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What is a coach?
Programmer/ Planner
Academic Advisor
Confidante
Motivator
Media Manager
Scientist
Cook
Travel Manager
Coach
Chaperone
Parent
Talent Scout
Competition Manager
Selector
Training Manager
Driver
Nutritionist
Disciplinarian
Psychologist
Equipment Manager
Medical Advisor
Agent
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• So given that the coach has many, many, many
  different roles and responsibilities..why does
  it make sense to evaluate them on (only) win/loss
  record

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Problems with win/loss appraisal

• Game outcome is not always fault of the coach
• Ignores all the other elements of coaching
  (although it might be a reflection of the other
  variables)
• Could hide the real issues facing the team or
  organization

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A more sensible system???

• Link PA to organizations mission statement,
  objectives and culture
• Link PA to job description
• Link PA to job performance (what we mostly do
  now)
• Link PA to professional development (learning)
• Schedule it (into periodized plan??)

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Organization Mission Statement, Objectives and
Culture
Job evaluation/Job Description
Job Performance/ Evaluation (Performance
Appraisal)
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Organization Mission Statement, Objectives and
Culture
Job evaluation/Job Description
Job Performance/ Evaluation
Professional Development/ Action Plan
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Organizations Mission Statement, Objectives
and Culture
Job evaluation/Job Description
Scheduled around key events, and/or Ongoing
eval (not once every 12 months)
Job Performance/ Evaluation
Professional Development/ Action Plan
Outcomes/ consequences
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Who should appraise (and be appraised!!)

• Who are the key stakeholders?
• Coach(es)
• Athletes
• National Program Director/High Performance
  Manager
• Support staff (coaching and technical)
• Parents
• Board of Directors
• Others???

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• Consider how they are involved in the process
• 360 degree appraisal ?
• Provide supporting data
• Comparison for gap analysis
• Evaluated as part of the performance team

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Team appraisal

• Performance Enhancement Team (PET) /Integrated
  Support Team (IST)
• Evaluate how the IST team achieved the
  performance goals (and not only the coach)
• Evaluate how the coach operated within the IST
• Evaluate how the coach developed the IST

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What should be appraised?

• Start with Job Description
• Key tasks, activities and expectations
• Outcomes (eg win/loss, skill improvement etc etc
  )
• How the tasks were accomplished
• When the tasks were accomplished

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• JOB SPECIFIC
• Written/oral communication
• Supervision of staff and athletes
• Leadership
• Management
• Administration

• NON-SPECIFIC
• Effort
• Personal discipline
• Personal (career) development
• Citizenship behaviors

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• Process Factors
• Task-related process factors
• Maintenance related process factors
• Product factors
• Behavioral product factors

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Task-related process factors

• Ability to communicate with athletes
• Utilizes effective game tactics and strategies
• Scouting opponents
• Recruiting quality athletes
• Effective teaching methods

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Maintenance related process factors

• Complying with organizations philosophy
• Working effectively with staff members
• Involvement with professional association(s)
• Adhering to budget
• Monitoring athlete eligibility (college or high
  school)
• (Administration and style)

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Behavioral product factors (outcomes)

• Win-loss record
• Number of blue-chip or highly ranked athletes
  recruited
• Athlete performance improvement from season to
  season
• Qualifying for Regional, National or Olympic
  competition
• Making playoffs or finals
• (Needs good data collection system)

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Scale of Coaching Performance(MacLean, J.C. and
Chelladurai, P. Journal of Sport Management, 1995)

• Team Products - outcomes of coaching that accrue
  to the athletes or the team
• Personal Products outcomes that accrue to the
  coach
• Direct Task Behaviors interpersonal skills and
  strategies used to enhance performance of
  athletes or team

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Scale of Coaching Performance(MacLean, J.C. and
Chelladurai, P. Journal of Sport Management, 1995)

• Indirect Task Behaviors recruiting, scouting,
  application of statistics etc. that contribute to
  performance success
• Administrative Maintenance Behaviors adherence
  to policies, procedures, budgets. Interpersonal
  relationships with superiors and peers
• Public Relations with media and public groups

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Behavioral Product factors

• Team products of Coaching
• Win-loss record
• Making finals, playoffs
• Athletes personal performance
• Individual and team performance improvements

• Personal Products of Coaching
• Coaching awards
• Writing for publication
• Invited public appearances
• Speaking engagements
• Upgrading certification
• Complying with Code of Ethics

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Behavioral Process factors (task-related)

• Direct Task process
• Communicating with (and caring about) athletes
• Applying sport knowledge
• Motivating athletes
• Game plans, strategies and tactics
• Game decision making
• Managing practice sessions
• Short and long term periodized planning

• Indirect Task Process
• Creating a recruiting plan
• Maintaining and using statistics
• Recruiting quality and appropriate quantity of
  athletes

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Behavioral process factors maintenance related

• Administrative processes
• Monitoring athlete eligibility
• Adhering to budget
• Adhering to rules and regulations
• Working with peers and superiors
• Complying with institutions philosophies
• Completing paperwork appropriately

• Public relations processes
• Working with other coaches in the system
• Conducting camps and/or national development
  activities
• Establish appropriate relationship with parents
• Involvement with professional assocn
• LEADERSHIP

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When?

• Performance appraisal and learning should be all
  year long. Thats why its so hard

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When?

• Dont leave it to the end of the year or the
  season without any conversation or feedback about
  performance along the way
• Dont do it immediately after the seasons best
  or worst performance
• Have ongoing conversations about performance at
  key points of the season

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When?

• Plan it into the schedule at beginning of year or
  season to intersect with key season objectives
• Plan it to intersect with identified danger
  points (according to pre-season goal setting)
• Write it into the yearly plan and have random
  checks

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Data collection

• Depending on the objectives and the goals, data
  should be collected continuously to support the
  appraisal
• Match statistics, fitness data, outcomes of other
  key activities that are expected to be reviewed
• Accumulate data (for reviewer and reviewee
  throughout the year).. and share it
• Set up a note taking process (Note to file) for
  retrieval during formal review session.

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Where ?

• In coaches or supervisors office but informal
  feedback can and should be given at competition
  sites from time to time.
• Supervisors should visit practice and competition
  to see for themselves and when appropriate (at
  the end of session) comment on positives or seek
  feedback on negatives

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How ?

• AGAIN set up clear objectives and parameters at
  beginning of the year
• What are the objectives ?
• How will they be measured ?
• What are the time frames ?
• Who will participate ?
• What tool will be used (open ended, checklists,
  5-point scales???, Achieved/Not Achieved etc etc
  ) ?

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Scales 5 Distinguished 4 Superior 3
Competent 2 Fair 1 Marginal5 Strongly
agree 4 Agree 3 Neither agree or disagree
2 Disagree 1 Strongly disagree5
Outstanding 4 Good 3 Average 2 Below
Average 1 Incompetent
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Sample

• Effectively plans long term training program
• Deals with support staff effectively and
  respectfully
• Prepares effective game plans
• Establishes strong discipline standards for
  athletes
• Adheres to budget

• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5

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Sample

• Day to Day coaching
• xxxx
• xxxx
• Building National Program
• xxxxx
• Xxx
• Team athlete Results
• xxxxx
• xxxxxx
• Public Relations/Administration
• xxxxx
• xxxxxx

• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5
• 1 2 3 4 5

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The appraisal meeting

• Set time and place get buy in
• Agree that both sides have what they need for
  appraisal
• Review initial goals and personal, athlete, team,
  season objectives/goals
• Review primary tasks
• Discuss each one

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The Appraisal Meeting

• Either discuss each point and ranking or each
  come in with a ranking and discuss where they
  differ (Gap Analysis)
• Discuss Summary and possible outcomes
• Performance is satisfactory, and/or
• Work needs to be done (what and how)
• Set time to think and reflect

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The Appraisal Meeting

• Meet again to discuss outcomes and to set new
  action items and/or new goals and objectives and
  time frames
• Document meeting discussion and outcomes
• Both parties sign documentation

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The Closing

• Jim, now that we have gone through everything
  let me summarize our discussion. The key points
  seem to be xxxxxxx.
• I think your overall performance this year (or
  time period) has been
• Very strong
• Satisfactory..
• Very poor..

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Very strong

• I particularly like how you do xxxxx
• However, I think you still need to work on xxxx
• Lets meet again next week to go over some areas
  that I think could help you with this (and also
  what you would like to work on) and to set the
  plan for next yearand to sign off on this
  process

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Satisfactory .

• I think some of your areas have been very good
  but overall you need to improve in the areas of
  xxxxxxx and xxxxx and xxxx if you are to grow as
  a coach.
• Do you have any questions or comments about that
• Lets meet again next week to go over how we can
  address these areas and set a plan for next year
  . And to sign off on this

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Very poor .

• I like how you have performed in xxxx but overall
  your performance as a coach this year has been
  very poor. You have not done xxx or xxx and your
  skills in xxx and xxx are not what this
  organization expects.
• Do you have any comments or thoughts about this.

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• I would like you to think about this and we can
  meet next week to discuss how we can address
  these areas and an appropriate timeline. Please
  think about what you need to do to improve and
  what we need to do to help you.
• We will need to set a plan in place to improve
  these areas with a timeline. At that time we will
  need to discuss your progress and decide whether
  you should continue in this position.
• OR discontinue employment

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Summary

• Coaches Performance Appraisal is a critical
  element of a successful sport organization
• Coaches Performance appraisal is a critical
  element of personal professional development
• The Appraisal is just ONE part of a complete
  process

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Summary

• Link Mission Statement to Job Description to
  Performance Appraisal to Professional Development
• Performance Appraisal should be an ongoing
  process not a once a year event
• Performance Appraisal should be a learning
  activity not a punishment activity (or just a
  link to salary increases)
• Make it more than just WIN/LOSS

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• Performance Appraisal for Sport and Recreation
  Managers
• by Joanne Maclean
• HUMAN KINETICS, Champaign Illinois USA. 2001