Meeting Topic
Stop Managing Performance – Try Coaching – Kate Bacchus
Performance development and management often gets a bad rap – it can feel formal, forced, awkward or focused on fixing problems or filling out a form.
What if performance conversations were about growth, not judgment? What if, instead of just managing performance, we coached it?
When leading teams or juggling multiple roles, this mindset shift can transform how you connect, motivate, and hold your people accountable.
- Ask Before You Tell
When things don’t go to plan, resist the instinct to jump in directly with solutions or the provision of the answers. Coaching begins with curiosity.
Try asking, and listening openly to the responses:
- “What worked well?”
- “What would you do differently next time?”
- “What else could you consider?”
These questions encourage reflection and ownership. The team member becomes part of the solution, not the problem. You can still provide guidance—just do it after you’ve listened.
- Catch People Doing Good
Feedback isn’t just about correction – it’s also about recognition. However, it’s a dreaded process by many people (leaders and team members’ alike) because we often don’t do it well or often, and when we do – it is often only focused on the negative.
Instead, make it a habit to notice small wins and acknowledge them out loud:
“I noticed how you handled that client call – clear and calm under pressure. Nice work.”
Positive reinforcement builds confidence and reinforces what “good” looks like. It drives momentum far more effectively than an annual performance review.
- Develop Strengths, Don’t Fix Weaknesses
We develop faster when we build on what energises us. Research from the Centre for Creative Leadership and insights from strength focused work (i.e. Strengths Profile and Gallup), shows that focusing on strengths leads to higher engagement and sustainable performance than focusing on developing or fixing weaknesses.
Instead of asking, “What needs fixing?” ask:
- Is this weakness actually a risk?
- If yes, which strengths can help support or balance it?
This reframes development from “repair” into “growth”.
- Balance Care with Challenge
A coaching approach doesn’t avoid accountability or ownership. Rather it is about blending emotional awareness with clear expectations.
Set direction, provide feedback, and hold space for people to learn. When leaders model curiosity and consistency, they build trust and trust aids driving performance.
And remember: knowing when to seek support is also good leadership. Some situations are complex. Reach out for guidance when needed.
Where to Start
Shifting from managing to coaching takes practice. Start small and keep going:
- Replace judgment with curiosity.
- Listen actively without interruption.
- Recognise what’s working, not just what isn’t.
- Develop people’s strengths and unrealised strengths, not weaknesses.
- Repeat these discussions, and do this regularly to build trust and better performance.
The best performance cultures are definitely not built on paperwork and forced pro-forma performance meetings, they’re built on on-going real conversation, curiosity, and care.
Looking for more support or guidance?
Kate Bacchus | Founder, HR Butter
LinkedIn @katebacchus
Next Meeting Topic
Charge What You’re Worth – Natalie Coombe
You’ve heard it before: “Just charge what you’re worth!” (I sometimes even slip and say it myself. It’s everywhere)
But here’s the truth, you CAN’T charge what you are worth – Because YOU are priceless.
There isn’t a number in the world that captures everything that makes you, you.
And trying to pin your prices to something as immense (and, let’s face it, impossible to measure) as your personal worth?
That’s how we end up pricing from doubt, insecurity, and “I’m not really good enough” territory (let alone our “no-one would buy from me!” fear)
No wonder so many brilliant women undercharge or feel totally lost about what to put on their invoices and their website.
But what if “knowing your value” was less about you, and more about the change you enable for your clients?
That’s the power of Value-Based Pricing. Because it’s not about putting a price tag on you – it’s about identifying the specific change you help your clients achieve, and understanding what that outcome is worth to them.
The Real Heart of Value-Based Pricing
Value-Based Pricing is about understanding the transformation you help create, and how much that change is worth to your ideal clients (who are often not the ones you started your business with).
Especially in tough times, your success depends on knowing who those people are – the ones who truly value what you do and are prepared and able to invest in real results.
Here’s the thing: your best clients right now may not be the ones you’ve always worked with. In every industry, there’s a subset of people actively investing – your job is to get laser-focused on attracting them.
That’s what happened with Bec. After 15 years in business, she thought she couldn’t grow or earn any more working with her old client base and hourly pricing.
Once she got crystal clear on her new ideal clients and shifted to outcome-based packages, the difference was night and day:
“Now I know how to show the value I offer to my clients…I signed up six new clients in 3 weeks. I estimate I’ll make an extra $30,000 per year”
Ready to Start?
Three Steps:
- Get honest about who your ideal client is now – the ones who get great results with you and are still willing and able to invest.
- Name the change or result you help them achieve.
- Consider: How much is that outcome actually worth to them?
If you find these steps tricky, you’re not alone! But this is the work that makes selling easier, raises your confidence, and (let’s be blunt) lifts your profits.
Want help figuring out who it is, and how much it’s worth?
Download my free workbook to work through these steps and start charging what your services are truly worth.
Because you ARE worth it
Natalie Coombe
Pricing For Profit & Lifestyle
