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Last Updated6 June 2023
Effective Communication will cover the ways that you can be an effective communicator. Learn some important communication tools, discover different styles of communication, and delve deeper into different feedback and questioning tools that a ski instructor can use.

Seek-Give-Seek

The goal of accurate feedback is to educate the learner on their current performance level while keeping their motivation high and preserving the relationship between instructor and student. The Seek-Give-Seek feedback model encourages reflection that leads to self-awareness and two-way communication. Simply put, facts are given and then decisions around what happens next are made together, between instructor and student. This helps create a connection before highlighting corrections, establishing rapport in order to build trust and genuine connection.

The Seek-Give-Seek model is a way for the coach or instructor to create a more engaging learning experience for the student when delivering feedback.

The use of Seek-Give-Seek allows the student to be more conscious of their own performance when they ski. It requires and encourages the student to be able to self-reflect on a given task and to verbalise this with the instructor or coach. Importantly Seek-Give-Seek empowers the student to make decisions on what happens next in the lesson and to have control of their path and their own learning.

How it Works

In short:

  • Seek – is asking for reflection on a specific task
  • Give – is delivering non-judgemental facts relative to the task
  • Seek – is asking what the student wants to do next to change or enhance the performance

Here are some key points and considerations at each step of the Seek-Give-Seek model:

Seek
The important element here is to ensure that the student has a specific focus for the run. The students need to have a clarity of outcome. This could be focusing on a specific tactic, body part or ski performance in a specific part of the turn.

This specific focus keeps it simple for the student to look for some intrinsic feedback as to whether they are able to perform the task or not.

As the instructor you can – seek – feedback from the student on that specific task. The student will be able to describe their experience or feelings from performing the task. This will be intrinsic feedback for the student.

If the student is unable to reflect on the specific task or begins discussing a different task, then it will be clear to you, as the instructor, that there is no clarity of outcome and further explanation may be required, or it might be appropriate for the instructor to change the focus to match the student’s.

Give
As the instructor you can now deliver – give – feedback on the specific task. This will be extrinsic feedback for the student. The purpose here is to give the raw data or facts on the performance. Deliver the feedback in a non-judgemental and respectful way.

Tell the students the facts in a way that does not offend the student and/or damage the good student/coach relationship you have built.

Saying, “On that run, most of the turns were started with the upper body,” will work better than, “YOU were rotating YOUR upper body on every turn!”

Feedback should always be respectful, with consideration of language and the emotional relationship the instructor has with the student. Giving feedback in a factual way that refers to a third point of reference will help take any personal emotion out of the feedback.

Your feedback here does not have to be negative, it may be positive and back up good things that the students are doing.

Seek
Once the student has had a chance to reflect on the feedback we can ask them what they would like to do next in order to be more successful or more consistent.

They might say, “I couldn’t feel my upper body moving, can you video me so I can see it?”
Or they might say, “Yes I could feel my upper body moving, let me try that again and see if I can do it differently.” Or they might ask, “Can you give me a drill to help my upper body stay more still?”

The instructor can suggest things like, “This time really focus on the leg muscles working to help keep the upper body still.”

This will create augmented feedback for the student.

How you adapt and develop your students will depend on the responses that they give you.

Obviously, you are the instructor and your students will not know all the technical ways to develop, but your students do know themselves. As the instructor, you need to guide the students to develop in a certain area, and if you can base it on the information that they are giving you then the goal of a positive learning environment will be one step closer.

Obviously, you are the instructor and your students will not know all the technical ways to develop, but your students do know themselves. As the instructor, you need to guide the students to develop in a certain area, and if you can base it on the information that they are giving you then the goal of a positive learning environment will be one step closer.