A Coaching Model Created by Asheena Budhai-Manuel
(Executive Coach, SOUTH AFRICA)

Introduction

My ICA Coaching Journey began when I posted futurist, Alvin Toffler’s quote on the ICA forum after my first class:

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.

This initiated my ICA Journey and formed a foundation for my coaching process. I learned from the classes, the trainers, peer coaches, the forum posts, the coaching experience itself, and, of course, myself. As I learned, I understood I had to unlearn so much of what came quite naturally to me: advising, consulting, problem-solving, judging, leading, and analyzing. These were natural to me at a core level as a scientist and manager. The desire was how to suspend all of it and build what Carl Rogers (cited in McLeod, 2014)determined as essential elements for developing a helping relationship i.e.

Genuineness(openness and self-disclosure),
Acceptance(being seen with unconditional positive regard), and
Empathy (being listened to and understood)

I intentionally left the Coaching Model as the last part of the Portfolio to complete, to finish the Observed Coaching process, to develop a structure, and slowly unleash the art of my unique coaching process. By some synchronicity, my coaching journey unfolded into the LURE for Life (Learning, Unlearning & RElearning) Model which is a growth process akin to Kolb’s Learning cycle (cited in Reekie, 2020) and named after Tofler’s quote. The LURE for Life Model is based on Intentional Change Theory (ICT) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Taylor, Passarelli, and van Oosten, 2019)as explored in my Research Paper: Exploration of Values and its application in Coaching (Budhai-Manuel, 2020).

Explanation

A South African legendary icon that became an infamous symbol of the struggle towards freedom (Mandela’s biography A Long Walk to Freedom) and my role model was chosen to align the clients’ journey, in the coaching relationship, to their own unique sense of freedom as they master their fate. As Mandela said I never lose. I either win or learn.

Figure 1: LURE (Learning, Unlearning & RElearning) for Life Coaching Model

Conclusion

My own coaching and life journey were encompassed in Toffler’s words of learning, unlearning, and relearning, which led me to develop a similar transformation for the client in the LURE for Life Model. This was based on Kolb’s Learning Cycle and coaching theories such as ICT and SDT (Taylor et al., 2019). The LURE for Life model takes the client on a journey: to Learn about their Ideal Self and Real Self, to create motivation to merge the real with the ideal, Unlearning ways and things that were not benefiting them, and then to Relearn new ways that do, thus empowering the client. This journey is one of struggle to freedom and success just as the one exemplified in the life of Nelson Mandela.

The LURE for Life Model will serve to not only catalyze empowerment but to ignite the Self to be a Superpower!

Bibliography

Budha-Manuel, A. 2020. ICA Coaching Portfolio: Research Paper: Exploration of Values and its Application in Coaching [Electronic] Available on ICA Forum [November 2020].

McLeod, S. A. 2014. Carl Rogers. Simply Psychology.org [Electronic] Available: https://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html [2 October 2020].

Reekie, J. 2020. WBS Leadership Coaching 2020 Notes. Wits Business School: Coaching Department: Johannesburg.

Taylor, S.N., Passarelli, A.M. and van Oosten, E.B. 2019. Leadership coach effectiveness as determined fostering self-determined, sustain change, The Leadership Quarterly, 30. 101313.