The Checkbox Problem
In most operations, coaching is a compliance activity. The team leader has a target: two coaching sessions per agent per month. The sessions happen. The forms are filled. The behavior doesn't change.
The problem isn't the frequency. It's the approach. Compliance coaching asks: "Did you follow the process?" Developmental coaching asks: "What would you do differently next time?"
What Changes Behavior
Three things, in my experience: specificity, ownership, and follow-through.
Specificity. "Your AHT is high" doesn't change behavior. "In your last 10 calls, you spent an average of 45 seconds on hold while looking up information — here's what that looks like" does.
Ownership. The agent needs to identify the solution, not receive it. If you tell them what to do, it's your solution. If they tell you, it's theirs.
Follow-through. The next session should start with: "Last time, you said you'd try X. How did that go?" Without follow-through, coaching is just conversation.
The best coaching session ends with the agent saying "I know what I need to do." Not "I know what you want me to do."