A Coaching Model Created by Chloe Case
(Business Coach, CANADA)
The Model:
The PETAL Model is the model I have developed throughout my time at ICA. Though I considered many different paths in which my coaching journey could go, I have ultimately found myself happiest when coaching people that are seeking more happiness, more fulfillment, and ultimately more for their lives. In my own life, and in the lives of the clients I have worked with, I find that a positive mindset and the desire for happiness is what will set a successful person apart from the rest. Regardless of how many different ways we can break down what people are wanting from a coaching relationship (or any relationship for that matter), – a better job, to find a spouse, to get a promotion, to make more money, make new friends, find purpose – they all ultimately come down to the desire to make the most out of the short lives we have here on earth.
I named my model the PETAL Model, both for the words that go along with each letter to make up the acronym, but also because I think that a flower petal is a wonderful visualization of what I seek to do with my coaching. In this case, I intend for the flower petal to represent the singular importance of oneself – no one can change your life for you; it has to be a personal decision to make your life the best it can be. Conversely, the petal also represents all the little pieces that come together to make a beautiful flower. It is of equal importance to keep in mind at all times that we have the power within every one of us to make the changes and the framework necessary to live the life we want to live, and also to remember that when something goes wrong, it is but a tiny moment amidst the millions of moments that make up our lives.
When one picks up a flower, on it is typically many petals that make up our overall impression of it. If there is one rotten petal amongst twenty, it ultimately will not make that much of a difference in our perception of its beauty. If half of the twenty petals on another flower are the most stunning petals we have ever laid eyes on, this may be enough to positively impact our memory of it, and it may go down forever as the most gorgeous flower we have ever seen. This is precisely how I see the decisions and changes we make every day of our lives, for better or for worse, and the more time we spend make positive changes, the better our lives will be. Ultimately, this is really what the core of my PETAL Model and the entirety of my coaching practice is, and what I hope to convey to any clients I have the fortune of working with.
Application:
Each letter in PETAL stands for a specific idea that I see as being central to my coaching practice and coaching model. Though I have arranged the letters to form a word, I do not hold each piece in any step-by-step plan or hierarchy, they are all interchangeable depending on each client’s different path.
P – Positivity
This first letter refers to the state of mind that is ultimately required to leap wanting to have. In my time thus far as a coach, I have yet to meet a client that can reach their goals and dreams without having a positive outlook. I wholeheartedly believe that when we dwell in all the bad, worries, and concerns, that is what we end up drawing into our lives – and the opposite is true as well. This first step provides the structure and asks the questions needed to help the client to see what thoughts and states of mind have been working, and where there could be some work. I find asking thought-provoking, as well as positively-framed questions can be a very helpful way to get my clients in a positive headspace right away.
- What would your life look like in the best-case scenario?
- What does a successful outcome look like for you?
- How has that way of thinking been working for you?
- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
- Where do you think the recurring thoughts you are currently having will take you if you made no changes?
E – Existentialism
This next letter speaks to the thought I mentioned earlier about the insignificance of one nasty petal amongst a flower full of luscious ones. Though of course, the preference will always be for a perfect, flawless flower, when we are talking about human beings, perfection is not an option. Asking questions that help your client conceptualize how insignificant one bad day, one bad interaction, one bad thought, is in the grand scheme of their amazing life is just as impactful (if not more) as speaking of positive thoughts and ideas.
- In the grand scheme of your life, how significant is this event to you?
- When you are 80 years old, is this an event/thought/person you will remember?
- What is the craziest, most ridiculous, outlandish, worst-case scenario? How likely is that to happen?
- How can we re-imagine this event in a positive way/with a positive outcome?
T – Thoughtfulness
Thoughtfulness is quite self-explanatory in many ways, as thinking is the main purpose of seeking out a coaching relationship. Yes, of course, coaching is about talking through things and giving our clients the chance to express themselves, but ultimately when the phone call is over, they are left to think about the changes they are going to make and how they are going to make them. Asking thought-provoking questions and finding ways to re-imagine and re-think situations is crucial to the forward movement of our clients.
- If you could have your perfect life, what would that look like?
- What is the best version of yourself? How do you get to that?
- What is the best that can happen? The worst?
A – Analysis
After taking the time to think through all the outcomes, all the desires, the dreams, comes time to dig deeper and analyze not just what is wanted, but how your client is going to make it happen.
- What about what you described as being your best self is different from where you are right now? How do we get to your best self?
- What are your underlying beliefs?
- What is going to be the challenges to accomplishing your goal? How will you overcome them?
L – Limitless
Finally, the last word of my model refers to the concept that if you can believe it, you can achieve it. Though a cliché, if your client can find their way to positivity, knowing what they want and how they are going to get it, having a better mindset, and remembering that a slight misstep is no big deal, then they will be ready to have their dreams and desires be limitless. Asking grand questions of your client to push them past what the best life they thought they could have was, to make it even BETTER.
- You have achieved your initial goals – what now? What's next?
- In what areas of your life could things be even better?
- How are you going to keep this forward motion going? What could get in the way of this?
- What can you do to keep up with the work you have done and pushed even further?