Evaluation doesn’t have to be one-sided. Consider the give and take of a coaching dialogue to evaluate progress on important organizational goals and objectives.

Evaluation should be personal and relational, so begin any coaching conversation with a demonstration of authentic concern for your team member:

• Check on family.
• Discuss personal needs and growth.
• Pray together.

Then ask thoughtful questions and listen for honest answers with these Q&A evaluation strategies:

1. Gaps and Goals – Identify important, vision-aligned gaps and focus on the next 30 days.

• What business, customer or ministry GAPS exist? What’s missing and what’s a vision-aligned solution?
• What 3 GOALS do you have for the next 30 days?
• What 1 THING is the most important thing right now?

2. Stop, Start or Continue Method – Consider what you should stop, start or continue doing.

• What do you need to STOP doing? What’s not working?
• What do you need to START doing? What new ideas should you try? Why do you need to do this?
• What do you need to CONTINUE doing? What’s working well?

3. Eisenhower Decision Matrix – Realize that what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.

• What IMPORTANT/URGENT things should be done immediately and personally?
• What IMPORTANT/NOT URGENT things should be scheduled?
• What UNIMPORTANT/URGENT things should be delegated?
• What UNIMPORTANT/NOT URGENT things should be dropped?

4. SWOT Analysis – Evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats.

• What are organizational and ministry STRENGTHS?
• What are organizational and ministry WEAKNESSES?
• Where are the external OPPORTUNITIES? Where is God working and how can you go there?
• What are the THREATS to continued growth or ministry?

So what’s the Big Idea?

Ask careful questions to evaluate progress on important organizational goals and objectives. Thoughtful questions with honest answers are the coaching way to achieve the best evaluation outcomes.

Resources

• Good Leaders Ask Great Questions by John Maxwell
• Coaching Questions by Tony Stoltzfus
• “Ask the Right Questions” on Big Ideas Blog
• “5 Reasons Why Short-Term Goals Matter” on Big Ideas Blog
• “Stop, Start, Continue?” on Big Ideas Blog

More Questions

• What are your top 3-5 objectives?
• How well do department objectives line up with organizational objectives?
• Why should you do that?
• How will you do that?
• How will you measure success?
• What has to happen to have success with that?
• What’s your follow-up or follow-on plan?