Performance Reviews

Various psychometric devices should also be available to someone conducting research regarding professional coaching processes. Performance reviews by supervisors, peers or others in the organization (often in the form of 360 degree feedback processes) can be used to determine relative levels of achievement in a specific area. Similarly, the performance of the coaches can be rated by the users of the coaching services as well as other key stakeholders. It is often particularly valuable for this rating to be done by accessing multiple sources: the clients, the coaches and the stakeholders.

Questionnaires

A second psychometric device, the questionnaire, is used by researchers almost as frequently as interviews. Sometimes the researcher will design and distribute a questionnaire that specifically focuses on the coaching process being used in a specific setting. At other times, a standard questionnaire is used to cut down on design time or to compare one institution or program with others. A questionnaire can take many different forms: multiple choice, checklist, true-false, matching, scalar, short answer, or open ended.

In recent years, situational-descriptive questionnaires have become more popular. The respondent is presented with a specific description of a situation and asked to indicate which of several responses is most (and least) likely. For example, a study regarding specific coaching strategies can make use of a questionnaire that identifies a specific coaching issue (such as responding to a difficult subordinate) and then lists several different ways this issue can be addressed by the coach and client. The questionnaire respondents rank order and/or rate each of the alternative responses as to their frequency of use (or desirability) as a coaching strategy. Rich insights can be gained if both coach and client complete the questionnaire. Respondents also can be asked to predict how they think other people will respond (coaches, clients, supervisors, organizational leaders, etc.). Used in this way, the questionnaire reveals the respondent’s expectations regarding the coaching process. The respondent is not being asked to evaluate probable responses, but only to predict what they will be.