Have you ever watched a manager ignore a performance problem until it exploded, or maybe they micromanaged a team straight into turnover? These all-too-common failures don't just frustrate employees; they cost organizations real money, talent, and momentum. The good news: great manager coaching is a skill that can be learned, measured, and mastered.

Coaching Skills Inventory gives managers, supervisors, and team leaders a proven framework to identify where they stand – and a clear path to become the kind of coach employees actually want to work for.

Effective coaching skills for leaders and managers aren't about reprimanding employees or threatening consequences. Real coaching is about redirecting behavior, improving future performance, and building the kind of mutual trust that makes teams thrive. Coaching Skills Inventory is built on exactly that philosophy.

This research-backed manager coaching assessment measures a leader's ability to conduct effective coaching meetings using a seven-step model designed for real-world performance conversations:

1. Building a relationship of mutual trust
2. Opening the meeting
3. Getting agreement
4. Exploring alternatives
5. Getting a commitment to act
6. Handling excuses
7. Closing the meeting

Participants are presented with 18 realistic coaching scenarios and select the response they're most likely to take. The result is a detailed coaching-effectiveness profile, with subscores tied to each of the seven steps, so managers know exactly where to focus their development.

The self-assessment takes just 20 minutes, with an additional 40 minutes for scoring, debriefing, and goal setting. Expand it into a full three-hour workshop using the outline and PowerPoint in the Facilitator Guide, and measure lasting impact with the built-in follow-up assessment.

By the end of this assessment and workshop, participants will:

• Pinpoint strengths and gaps in their manager coaching skills.
• Compare their performance against a normative group of managers across industries.
• Apply a structured, seven-step model to every coaching conversation.
• Help employees improve performance through focused, constructive coaching meetings.
• Track the development of their personal coaching effectiveness over time.

Coaching Skills Inventory is a versatile tool that works as a standalone learning instrument or as part of a broader leadership development program. It's ideal for:

• Managers and supervisors who lead performance conversations.
• Team leaders looking to build stronger relationships with their reports.
• Prospective managers preparing for their first coaching responsibilities.

Use this assessment to:

• Launch or reinforce a performance management initiative.
• Assess coaching strengths and gaps across individual managers or an entire leadership team.
• Measure the impact of training with pre- and post-assessment scores.
• Build a culture of accountability and growth from the top down.

Facilitator Guide

Order one guide per trainer. The Facilitator Guide includes background information, administrative guidelines, workshop outlines, a post-training follow-up assessment, a PowerPoint presentation, and sample assessments. Facilitator support materials will be available to you as a digital download link in your order confirmation.

Print Assessment 5-Pack

Order one pack for up to five participants. The Print Assessment includes the 18-item inventory with pressure-sensitive scoring, interpretive information, the Coaching Skills Model, and goal-setting worksheets.

Online Assessment

Order one per participant. As the foundation for the workshop, the online assessment is administered to participants through the HRDQ Assessment Center. A full-color, detailed report is delivered electronically to the facilitator/administrator when complete.

QuickStart Train-the-Trainer (QST)

New to this product? Get up to speed fast with a one-hour, one-on-one virtual coaching session with an HRDQ subject matter expert. You'll walk away confident, prepared, and ready to deliver results. Additional coaching hours available as needed, by phone or video – on your schedule. Includes an HRDQ Certificate of Completion.

Facilitators will also receive an HRDQ Certificate of Completion for completing the QuickStart session.

Ken Phillips is the founder and CEO of Phillips Associates, a consulting and publishing company with expertise in performance management and measurement and evaluation of learning. He has more than 30 years of experience designing learning instruments and assessments and has authored more than a dozen published learning instruments. He regularly speaks to American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) groups and university classes. Since 2008, he has spoken at the ASTD International Conference on topics related to measurement and evaluation of learning.

Prior to pursuing a Ph.D. in the combined fields of organizational behavior and educational administration at Northwestern University, Mr. Phillips held management positions with two colleges and two national corporations. In addition, he has written articles that have appeared in TD magazine, Training Today, and HR.com. Mr. Phillips earned the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) credential from the national ASTD.

The updated Facilitator Guide is now a sleek coil-bound booklet with a sample Participant Guide included, all digital resources delivered by download link, and a widescreen PowerPoint with actual slide thumbnails built right into the workshop steps.

The updated Participant Guide has been fully refreshed with modernized design elements and improved navigation, making it easier to use for a more engaging learning experience.