The term “coaching” has come to mean many things to different people. First, the coaching approach in this book is geared specifically to people managers who hire others and have direct responsibility for their performance. Second, the word “developmental” clarifies the desired outcome. While being a people manager typically includes the responsibility of developing others, in practice many managers think of development as the annual performance review and advice-giving when employees struggle. Employee engagement is measured through two metrics: retention rates and discretionary effort. Retention rates are a straightforward metric that go directly to the bottom line of any organization. Discretionary effort refers to the extra effort that employees commit (or not) to a task that goes beyond the basic requirements, and evokes feelings of competence, contentedness, and belonging. A complementary rational for developmental coaching lies in a rapidly changing, global business context.