I love models. They are so helpful in illustrating key points, determining main factors and milestones and serve as a faithful guide to the ignorant and struggling. Models show in a diagram or acronym each step required in the correct order, helping the user master the matter at hand, muster the right moves and march to the desired point confidently. These illustrated diagrams and cleverly constructed acronyms serve as a crutch to the new clumsy user of a technique or as a scaffolding to ease the effort to master a particular skill, highlighting the steps ahead. I concur fully with Coach Mel who made it clear that models serve to provide structure and give form to the principles and action steps required to master a certain skill. It may be adhered to strictly by the ignorant and fearful but loses its necessity when the model adherent becomes confident and skillful.
In a previous life as an English supertutor, I created and used a model to help my students know what was required of them to get an A* when writing a narrative. My pyramid had 5 blocks and each block contained some key words to guide the students, clueing them in as what to write next. As long as the used the pyramid to guide their narrative, questions like “What should I write?” and “What’s after this paragraph?” become rare. Once my students got a hold of this model, they problem was not “I don’t know what to write” or “You mean I have to write 450 words!” but “I’ve got so much to write!”. The model became rail tracks that helped my students stay on track but gave them enough freedom and traction to take them faster to unrealized narrative potential they had in them. That is the power of a good model.
Thus, it was not a surprise to know that countless models to facilitate excellent coaching and enable both coach and client go through a process that would enable the creation of a successful coaching experience have been created. Though having at our fingertips a gamut of coaching models may be a good thing, I find too many cooks spoil the broth and a kaleidoscope of models just create a muddled and confusing coaching practice. So, I was relieved when Coach Mel only introduced to us three coaching models – the all time favorite and ubiquitous model in the world of coaching – the GROW model – the OSCAR model and a model he recently picked up – the FUEL model. As you can see, these models scream of cute and memorable acronyms and limit the coaching process to around four to five steps. All this is to enable understanding and the memorizing of key steps in an effective coaching session.
These
popular models help coaches answer standard key questions such as “How do I
begin?” and “Where do I go next?” They also serve as hooks to hang key
questions needed to be asked at the appropriate time in a session. Having a
model is like having a map – it tells you where you are, where is your destination,
the possible route you could take and the milestones along the way. This is so
good and helpful for novice coaches find their footing, build their confidence
and maybe even appear knowledgeable about what he is doing. But like my English
students, these models do well in the beginning stages of learning and practice
and as familiarity and confidence builds, the model is either assimilated and
becomes second nature or it is abandoned for a more personalized model birth
from the many sessions guided by a well known and accepted existing model.
- Frame – identify the starting point; the ‘you are here now’ awareness. “Where would you like to begin?” would be an appropriate question at this stage.
- Understand – the client is then assisted in identifying what is currently working (ok) in his life that would contribute to him achieving his desired goal and also the challenges (problems, lack etc.) he is facing that may hold him back. “What is currently a challenge you face?” would be an appropriate question at this stage.
- Explore – here the client is encouraged to go deep into seeing and creating his desired state. He is encouraged to be as clear as possible about the desired end. “How would your life look like when you achieve this goal?” would be an appropriate question at this stage.
- Layout Plan
– lastly the client needs to get down to the nitty gritty of actually
identifying and taking the necessary steps/actions to achieve the desired goal.
A plan with a timeline and identified milestones along the way seems to be
appropriate. “How are you going to achieve this goal?” would
be an appropriate question at this stage.
- Outcome –
identify what the client wants to achieve, the focus of the session. Clarity for
coach and client is the aim. “What would you like to achieve from this session? would be an
appropriate question here.
- Scaling/Situation – helping your client be aware of her present situation and being able to quantify it (via scaling). “On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your current condition?” would be a suitable question at this stage.
- Choices (Know-How) – helping the client identify what internal and external resources she has available and the options in responding to her current situation; the client level of confidence and competence also needs to be considered. “What options are presently available for you?” would be an appropriate question at this stage.
- Actions/Affirm – assist the client to plan out a step-by-step action plan and to take ownership of the agreed action. These agreed actions are affirmed and the client is encouraged to act. ‘What will you do now?” would be an fitting question at this level.
- Review – regular progress reports to encourage on-going active ownership as well as the celebration of reaching identified milestones. “What actions have you taken to bring you closer to your desired outcome?” could be a question to be asked at this juncture.
Lastly, we
have the GROW model, considered the most famous and widely used model not only
in coaching and has encouraged spin-offs to accentuate the five key components.
The model was created by Sir John Whitmore, made famous in his book Coaching
for Performance (purportedly the world’ #1 Coaching book). This flexible
framework aims to assist the client experience transformation as she turns
intention into action.
- Goals – clear goals are set for the session as well as for the short and long term. A good question to use would be “What do you want?” Sir John Whitmore stresses that “the key to using GROW successfully is to spend sufficient time exploring “G” until the coachee sets a goal which is both inspirational and stretching for them.”
- Identify and clarify the goal
- Clear understanding of principal aims and aspirations
- Clarify desired result at the end
- Reality – enabling the client to explore her current situation. “Where are you now?” is an appropriate question at this stage.
- Assess actions taken so far
- Identify results and effects of those actions
- Understand present internal and external blocks
- Options – identifying options and alternatives strategies or possible courses of action and then selecting one that the client is able and willing to do. “What could you do?” is a simple but powerful question for your client at this stage.
- Brainstorm possibilities and alternatives
- Outline and question strategies being considered
- Will – here is when intention is transformed into action as the client identifies what is to be done, When, by Whom and affirms the Will to do it. A question to get the ball rolling? “What will you do?”
- Understand and identify what can be changed
- Create a plan of action
- Identify possible obstacles
- Scale the level of commitment required
- Highlight how accountability and achievement of goals will be ensured.
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