A Coaching Model Created by Anurag Sharma
(Leadership & Business Performance Coach, INDIA)
A Coaching relationship is based on the principle that the client is a fully functional person and has the ability and means to set goals and achieve them. In a coaching session therefore the coach engages with the client in a conversation to enhance the client’s self-awareness, and to co-create a plan and structure which will aid the client’s progress towards a goal that he wants to achieve.
Since the coach is primarily helping the client become more self aware and leverage his own strengths, skills, knowledge, experiences and resourcefulness to bring forth solutions, strategies and structures that will help the client to improve and make progress in the direction of his goal; Coaching may therefore be likened to giving vitality and enthusiasm to the client so that he can tap into his potential and his dormant, latent or undeveloped/underdeveloped capacity and capability so as to achieve the results he wants to achieve.
The E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. (pronounced “energize”) coaching model is built on the above reasoning and thought.
Every alphabet of the acronym ENERRGISSE is a step in the coaching process and relates to a corresponding activity/outcome of this coaching model. Note however that this is not a rigid step-by-step “in-that-sequence” model, it is meant to be a broad framework and sufficiently fluid and adaptable in its application as the coach “dances with the client”.
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – Establish (Session Goals and Measures)
In response to appropriate questions of the Coach the client states
- Which area of his life he wants to work on in this coaching session.
- What is the current situation in that area of life, what is the desired state, and in what time-frame he would like to achieve the desired state.
- What would be a good outcome for this session i.e. what would he want to achieve by the end of this session.
- How would he measure the success of this session i.e. how would he know if what he wanted to achieve in this session has been achieved.
The coach will intermittently check with the client if the session is progressing positively for the client and is addressing the session objective set out by the client at the start.
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – iNfluences (People, Environment)
In response to appropriate questions of the Coach the client states
- Why the situation in the present is the way it is. Who or What is responsible for the same.
- What is his role in the situation being what it is. What responsibility does the client assume in the situation being this way.
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – Elicit (Importance of this goal, Commitment to change, Perspectives, Values & Beliefs)
In response to appropriate questions of the Coach the client states
- How else can the situation be explained. What else may be at play here because of which the situation is this way.
- From his perspective what are the missing elements which, if they were present, would take the situation to the “desired state”.
- What the future might be if nothing about the influencing factors and nothing in his own behaviour and conduct changes. Is that acceptable to the client.
- Why achieving this goal is important to him. What does it mean to the client.
- How will he feel if this goal is achieved (Why). How will he feel if this goal is not achieved (Why).
- How does he relate to these feelings.
- What other event has evoked similar feelings in him in the past and what did he do about that. Why he thinks this will be similar/different.
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – Reflect & Reframe
In response to appropriate questions and feedback from the Coach the client
- Reflects upon and deciphers for himself whether his perspective(s), value(s) and belief(s) are empowering and serving him well, or otherwise.
- If the current perspectives and beliefs are not serving the client well and are becoming a barrier in his pursuit of the goal, the coach helps the client to reframe the same (through questions and feedback) and arrive at empowering alternates.
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – Generate (Options)
In response to appropriate questions of the Coach the client states
- What are the various options he can explore, which can have a positive impact and influence on the current situation and help move him towards the desired goal.
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – Isolate
In response to appropriate questions of the Coach the client identifies the most appealing and advantageous options that he would like to immediately start to work on.
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – Strategy & Structures
In response to appropriate questions of the Coach the client states
- What would his action plan be to make progress in the direction of his desired outcome.
- How will he measure progress.
- What may be the potential barriers & hurdles he may encounter
- What will he do and who’s help will he seek to overcome these obstacles
- What are the supporting structures he would put in place that will ensure that he continues to take the required action to make progress in the direction of his desired outcome.
- How will he keep himself self-motivated to keep going
E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. – Enquire
The coach will enquire from the client
- If he has achieved what he wanted to achieve in this session
- If he needs any assistance from the coach during his journey to achieve the desired goal
- If he would like to schedule accountability calls with the coach
- When next will the coach and client get together to review
In the E.N.E.R.R.G.I.S.S.E. Coaching Model, the Coach will harnesses various tools such as Powerful Questioning, Powerful Listening, Effective Feedback, Re-framing Perspectives and various other Power Tools to energize and enthuse client into taking stock of self and the present, and then taking responsibility to achieve what the client would like to achieve.