A Coaching Model Created by Dawn Waldron
(Professional Coach, UNITED KINGDOM)
- Seed -‐ the vision, the blueprint -‐ it’s all inside
- Plant -‐ the supporting structures are put in place
- Shoot -‐ the signs of growth are carefully nurtured
- Flower -‐ the work is successfully under way
- Fruit -‐ the goal is reached Seed Plant Shoot Flower
The Process
Most clients come with an idea of what they want to achieve. As coaches we know that most of what they need is already inside them waiting for the right moment to grow. The work is in refining the goal (peas or beans?), creating the vision, uncovering purpose and beliefs and dealing with any tensions that get in the way of moving ahead. This leads to a plan -‐ a blueprint for what the client wants to achieve: the seed. Visualisation may be important at this stage of the process.
The next stage is to prepare the ground. This may involve making space to focus on the goal, increasing nutrients and hydration, sleep, exercise or relaxation to create optimum conditions for growth. Unhelpful underliying beliefs are likely to surface, or conflicts with other projects and relationships. Planting is about recognising that growth does not occur automatically, it needs to be carefully thought out. New tools or skills may be required to ensure a successful outcome; re-‐framing, feedback for example. Other interests may need to be pruned to allow enough light in to the scene at this stage to ensure that the goal is achievable.
It takes a little while after planting for the first shoots to show. During this time it will be important to keep to agreed routines and self-‐care plans in order to keep the conditions for growth optimal. As the sprouting leaves appear they is tender and delicate -‐ easily bruised -‐ and the right support and encouragement are vital. This is a time when commitments may be questioned, new UACs may surface along with doubts, delay, invalidation etc. The power tools will be useful to get through this stage of the growth cycle.
The flowering stage takes a lot of energy. Everything is focussed on the goal but it isn’t quite in sight. This is the time to look at where energy comes from, trusting the flow and having a clear vision. Just as every flower is unique this is a good time to explore the wider implications of life purpose and integrity, intention and motivation. In nature, fertilisation is vital for the fruit to be produced. Mixing with other like-‐minded people and finding new sources of information and support, networking and making new connections replicates this in the coaching model.
Only when all these processes have been completed can the fruit appear. And, crucially the fruit is a source of new seeds for future growth so a cycle of development is created.
In reality the stages may not always take place in perfect succession -‐ just as we sometimes have long winters and early springs, or forget to do the weeding in time -‐ but the Cultivate model is flexible enough to cope with this and a rich source of imagery and analogy to create interesting and illuminating coaching conversations.
