Coaching Model: The S.E.L.F

A Coaching Model Created by Isha Reuben-Theodore
(Business Coach, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)                                       

Unlocking Value

• S SITUATION that the client is struggling with.
• E EXPLORE the situation and Envision a new one
• L LEARNINGS or self-discovery which allows the client to take action for a new path
• F FUTURE develops an action plan and a review process geared towards your future.

Beliefs and Assumptions

I decided to use the acronym SELF as my model for coaching which is coming on the heels of my research paper on SELF. I truly believe that one’s ability to understand oneself is the key to success in life. True understanding comes from the inner self which in my opinion is guided by the holy spirit- the giver of life! The holy spirit will guide us to know who we are, what we want and how to get there, he is the Waymaker.  If we can unravel the mystery of who we are, then all else flows? But this self-understanding is not so simple, it requires a great deal of self-awareness and soul searching and ultimately self-management. 

Having achieved the self-awareness, the client must be willing to act on behavioural changes that are necessary to achieve the desired goals.

The self-understanding will help the client in identifying what changes can be achieved and those which go against their beliefs and so the initial goals may change.

Vision

The ultimate mystery is one’s own self.  Sammy Davis

I see myself as a Business Coach, using blended coaching to train and develop high performing teams that will unlock value for the respective business. The intent is to use a very SIMPLE model which can be used for individuals or teams and which require soul searching, understanding of how each one influences the other and ultimately the business’ success and therefore the behaviour changes required, with a clear action plan to achieve the desired results.

The model will allow clients to obtain a high level of self-awareness so that they can capitalise on their positive behaviours and act on the negative behaviours all in the interest of achieving stated goals.

This model is in its infancy stage as I am currently employed and not yet practising in the field of Coaching. The plan is to combine Coaching and my years of business experience with a target audience of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as middle managers.

Once I start to practice I can see myself making changes to the model based on experiences both positive and negative. The underlying belief, however, will not change.

Coaching Application:

SITUATION The story the client brings to the coaching session is important as it is the basis of the first stage of establishing the Coaching Agreement. But we all know as coaches that the true story of struggle is waiting to unravel! So as coaches we need to establish Trust and Intimacy to build a relationship where the client feels comfortable to start exploring the real story. If this is not at the beginning then the coaching session may be long-winded and ineffective, possibly after many sessions. So, it is important for the coach to spend adequate time on establishing the Coaching Agreement. As the session evolves with the real story emanating from self-discovery we can invite the client to revisit the agreement.

EXPLORE Explore what are the client’s underlying beliefs that are giving life to the story during the session. The coach will use active listening and powerful questioning that will allow the client to reflect and do some searching for the inner self, which will unravel the major factors that contribute to his/her story.

Active listening– the coach must listen to the language being used, keywords or phrases. What does it mean for the client? What is the underlying message? The tone of the language is also important, is there excitement, fear, anger in the client’s voice and body language? The client needs to understand how these emotions affect them, whether In a Positive or negative way.

This phase of Coaching Presence is critical as it creates self-awareness which creates an opportunity for changes in the client’s beliefs and behaviours.

 ENVISION Having created the awareness the coach then goes on to assist the client to further shift their perspective on issues allowing the client to visualize a whole new story! It is the AHA! Moment. If we can see it, we can believe it!

LEARNINGS the learnings derived from the self-discovery will now be acknowledged by the client and encapsulated in an action plan for the client to create the new story. But more importantly, the new learnings must be practical and relevant for the client. It must be actionable, and the client must feel empowered to take the right actions accordingly.

FUTURE Moving forward into the future requires the client to monitor and revisit their action plan. Action plans must be practical and achievable and supported and championed by the Coach. But life is not static, so action plans need to be reviewed on a continuous basis and amended as the client self-awareness grows. The coach becomes the accountability partner and provides support to encourage the client to keep taking steps to move forward into the future that they have created.

The below quadrant contains powerful questions that will facilitate the self-awareness and the learnings derived. It also focuses on the future that the client can now change based on a greater sense of self-understanding. The goals may be entirely different from what the client initially conceptualised.