Coaching Model: L E A P

A Coaching Model Created by M. Anand Bhaskar
(Executive Coach, INDIA)

L Enable the client to lead oneself

In my approach to coaching, I believe the first step is to enable the Client to Lead himself by talking about his challenges and articulating the desire outcomes or goals from the coaching engagement. It is about recognizing that you want to be coached or are willing to lead yourself into knowing more. For the coach it is about Leading the coaching process.

The role of the Coach is to lead the process of coaching by creating a trusted environment, listening to what is being said, clarify own understanding of what I one is hearing from the client, be fully present with & for the client and asking relevant questions that facilitate the client to think deeper and/or broader.

It is essential for the client to put his thoughts into words and express himself. The coach plays a key role in enabling the same. Expression of thoughts enables the client & the coaching process in the following ways:

Delve on a few strings of thought and dive deeper into them
Allows the client to clarify one’s thinking
Engage the client in self-reflection
Build rapport and trust
Feel safe and comfortable while expressing oneself

As a part of leading oneself, facilitating the conversation with the client to determine the goal or the outcomes that the client expects from the coaching process is an important first step of the LEAP Coaching Model.

E Explore all options

The second step is to facilitate the conversation with the client to explore the options that the client has considered or not considered so far.

In order for the client to move forward from the current state, the coaching conversation should explore the current set of options and also such new options that could be created by the client. These options could emerge in the mind of the client from a dialogue:

As the client reflects, revisits own thinking while speaking
Talks through the situation and various past actions that the client has taken
As the coach gains some deep insights into the issue of the client and asks powerful questions
As the client gets into a deeper sense of self-awareness about oneself and the situation
As a client, steps outside of the situation and looks at it with a new lens and is in the process of discovery

Exploration is an integral part of the LEAP coaching approach, which enables the client to think of various approaches the client could take to move forward from the current situation.

A Committing to Action

Once the client has explored various options that he could consider in order to shift his present situation, commitment to Action is crucial to bring about the change that the client wants to see. The role of the coach is to facilitate the conversation to a stage where the client is willing to commit to take action and move himself forward.

Commitment to Action enables the client to –

Think future
Move forward from the current state
Convert one’s intention to real time actions
Experience change and shifts from the current situation

The coaching approach around commitment to Action also includes holding the client accountable to his commitments. The coach plays an important role in this regard by facilitating his conversations around the client’s commitments and engaging the client to review each time in follow up sessions on how the client is progressing against his own commitments.

P Review the Progress

An important aspect of the LEAP coaching model is to review Progress. The role of coach is to engage the client in a dialogue to review the actions the client has taken against his own commitments to action. Reviewing Progress could benefit the client in the following the ways:

In addition to driving accountability it helps review if those actions have benefited the client
A discussion around what other actions the client may have to consider in order for him to make progress
It provides an opportunity to acknowledge the client for taking action
Reinforces confidence in the client
Celebrate small success through the journey
Encourages him to continue to move forward

Progress is eventually what all clients aspire for hence reviewing this progress reinforces the sense of purpose for the client and enables growth & development.

In summary this coaching Model is about enabling the Client to take a –