In this article, you will learn how to:
Observation History
Reviewing past observations helps leaders spot performance trends, confirm that feedback was documented, and prepare for coaching conversations before starting a new observation. See How to Preview an Observation for how to review a completed observation in read-only mode.
From the Observations Report:
Completed Observations tab – Lists every completed observation, filterable by date, location, shift, observation type, observer, and associate.
Details & Notes tab – Surfaces open-text feedback, question notes, and summary notes from past observations so leaders can review commentary alongside scores.
From an individual observation:
When starting a new observation, select View Previous Summaries to review an associate's prior notes, scores, and feedback before beginning. See How to Perform an Observation for the full starting-mode walkthrough.
Checking history first helps confirm whether an associate has a pattern of inconsistent results, or an outstanding Skill-Building Suggested rating that still needs a follow-up observation.
Coaching Conversations
Observations are most valuable when the conversation with the associate is captured alongside the score. The Post-Observation section of an observation is where this happens. See How to Document a High-Quality Observation for what strong documentation looks like in practice.
When conducting the post-observation conversation:
Document any production barriers the associate reports.
Acknowledge positive behaviors to reinforce good practices.
Record specific opportunities for improvement, rather than general comments, so the feedback is actionable later.
Use the notes field (and microphone input, where available) to capture the associate's own input in their words.
Attach photos or videos when they add useful context to the conversation.
Notes entered during the observation automatically carry over into the final summary, so a coaching conversation only needs to be documented once. Treat this section as coaching, not grading — it builds trust and gives the associate a chance to be heard.
Observation Types & Coverage
Observation programs are typically built around four observation types, each with a distinct focus. See Common Observation Programs for how Safety, Process, Work Area, and Job Function observation types work together, and Creating Observation Types and Categories for how these are configured:
Safety Observations – Whether an individual or a work area follows safety protocols, such as PPE use, MHE operation, or pedestrian safety.
Process Observations – Whether associates follow the prescribed SOP steps for a specific workflow.
Work Area Observations – The condition of the overall environment, such as equipment placement, staffing levels, and 5S standards.
Job Function Observations – How an associate performs their job function, including efficiency and skill in addition to SOP adherence.
The Observations Report provides a dedicated view for each observation type, rather than a single filtered list, so the fields and terminology match what matters for that type. For example, Safety reports emphasize observer compliance and associates last observed, while Engineering/Work Area reports surface work areas last observed.
Reviewing each type on its own view makes it easier to ensure that coverage isn't concentrated in one area (like Process) while Safety or Work Area observations fall behind.
Requirements & Scheduling
Observation programs are built around two related but different measures, both visible on the Observations Report:
Compliance – The percentage of required observations that were actually completed (for example, 99 of 860 required = 11% compliance). This reflects whether observers are meeting their targets.
Coverage – The percentage of unique associates who were observed, not just the total number of observations logged. High observation volume can still mean low coverage if the same associates are observed repeatedly while others are missed.
Where Navigator is configured, standards are typically set as a range rather than a single number, for example:
Minimum: 2 observations per supervisor per week
Target: 4 observations per supervisor per week
Stretch: 6 observations per supervisor per week
See Ops Navigator: Setting Up Network Compliance / Coverage Monitoring for how these standards are configured, and Understanding the Leader Panel for how compliance and coverage surface on the panel.
Scheduling best practices:
Review the Follow-Up Observations section on the Home Page before starting new observations — these carry over associates who previously received inconsistent answers or a Skill-Building Suggested rating and should be prioritized.
Spread observations across shifts and locations rather than concentrating them in one time window, so compliance and coverage trends stay meaningful.
Use the Compliance Table to see each manager-observer pair's compliance %, unique associates observed, and last observation date, to catch drop-offs early.
Following Up on Feedback
An observation only drives improvement if the feedback is acted on. Use these tools to close the loop:
Associates Not Observed / Never Observed – Filtered lists (for example, "last observed over 80 days ago" or "Never") that show exactly who needs to be prioritized in the next observation cycle.
Follow-Up Observations – Associates who received a Skill-Building Suggested rating or inconsistent answers are automatically carried into this queue so leaders can revisit them rather than relying on memory.
Action Plans – Where configured, observation results with gaps can trigger a follow-up action plan, assigning accountability and tracking resolution progress rather than leaving the gap as a one-time note. See How to Create an Action from an Associate's Profile for how to log a follow-up Coach or Validate Fix Action directly from an observation.
Result Trends – The Observations Report highlights best, worst, and most improved results, making it easier to recognize progress and target coaching where it's still needed. See Observations Reporting & Compliance Tracking for the full breakdown of these reports.
Consistently closing this loop — reviewing who was missed, revisiting flagged associates, and tracking whether action plans are resolved — is what turns an observation program from a compliance exercise into a real coaching and accountability tool.
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