Performance Management: Coaching James at Jeffries, Smith, and West

This case study focuses on how Alex, a newly promoted manager at Jeffries, Smith, and West, can effectively coach James, an underperforming associate. The solution recommends using the Big 5 factor coaching style, leveraging Alex's prior experience with James to address his weaknesses and highlight the impact of his performance on his career and the organization. Key behaviors for Alex include maintaining integrity, demonstrating self-discipline, and fostering open communication to build trust and encourage James to improve his conscientiousness and overall productivity. By treating James as a partner and addressing his anxieties, Alex can create a supportive environment that motivates him to meet performance expectations. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study resources for students.

Running head: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Performance Management
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Type of Coaching Style I would Use While Working with James
First and foremost, it is important to know that James is an underperforming employee.
Several coaching styles can be used on employees of such kind. However, in this case, Alex has
worked with James before, and he knows his weaknesses as well as strengths. Therefore, if I am
in Alex’s position, I would use Big 5 factor style. Alex completely knows where and what James
should change to be the employee that performs as required. Alex knows very well how James
performance would affect the organization and how that will also affect his job security,
recognition, chances of promotion, credibility, opportunities for new projects as well as rewards.
As the manager, Alex must clearly explain to James how his performance ought to be and
the probable effects. Since they have worked before, James will portray some sense of
appreciation and listen as he would also want to get promoted just like Alex. In the case, the trait
of openness is seen in James. Secondly, James has exhibited some forms indiscipline to the
organization. This brings us to the second OCEAN of the Big 5 factor; conscientiousness. As
opposed to this factor, James is unable to control himself; he lacks self-discipline and does not
respect the regulations of the organization (Villanueva, 2007, p. 268). He is bored throughout at
workplace; therefore, applying this style is the most applicable for Alex to help.
Behaviors to Engage in While Coaching James to Ensure the He is Productive
As a coach, it is always required or important to be a person of high integrity, somebody
who is a role model to the trainee. Therefore, certain behaviors are expected of me when
coaching Alex in this case. Alex must be in a position to know the relationship between
personality and styles of handling James’ issue. Since she has taken the role of a coach, she must
give correction and make James change. Therefore, she is expected to be self-discipline and

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understand herself as well as the style chosen for that purpose. This trait or behavior is a journey
unto itself; James has seen her before and expects her to be the same Alex that he is used for him
to understand her better (Gibbs, 2015, p. 102).
Similarly, Alex must show the intention to bring the real issue to the attention of James to
affect positive change. They will share the idea for the session that is planned for the discussion
if there is need to do so. As a manager, she will plan in advance and make James comfortable to
take us back to exercising openness (Hengartner, Linden, Bohleber & Wyl, 2017, p. 39). Without the
structure, the conversation or that session can devolve into casual conversation with no real
substance or direction. As a leader and a good coach, Alex should treat James as a partner within
the organization to get rid of the anxiety that James always portrays at the workplace (Bagby &
Widiger, 2018, p. 6) This is a show of respect for James and will feel valued and will definitely be
the kind of employee to admire.

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References
Villanueva, E. R. (2007). CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION: PERSPECTIVES IN THEORY
AND PRACTICE. Business Communication Quarterly, 70(2), 267-270.
Gibbs, S. (2015). Psychology in education: critical theory~practice. Educational Psychology In Practice,
31(1), 101-103. doi:10.1080/02667363.2014.975434
Hengartner, M. P., Linden, D., Bohleber, L., & Wyl, A. (2017). Big Five Personality Traits and the
General Factor of Personality as Moderators of Stress and Coping Reactions Following an
Emergency Alarm on a Swiss University Campus. Stress & Health: Journal Of The International
Society For The Investigation Of Stress, 33(1), 35-44.
Bagby, R. M., & Widiger, T. A. (2018). Five Factor Model personality disorder scales: An introduction to
a special section on assessment of maladaptive variants of the five factor model. Psychological
Assessment, 30(1), 1-9. doi:10.1037/pas0000523