A Coaching Model Created by Karen Buckley
(Health and Wellness and Cross Cultural Coaching, HONG KONG)
Strive: To make strenuous effort towards any goal: to strive for success.
The “Strive” coaching model is based on the principles of the coaching process.
S – Set guidelines
The first step in the “Strive” coaching model is to establish guidelines and explain how coaching works. As coaching is a fairly new industry, and unique in its approach to helping individuals achieve their goals, then a clear understanding of how the process works is important. Life coaching is goal oriented, and forward looking. It uses powerful questions and coaching tools to help uncover the answers to clients questions, and unblock the obstacles that have held clients back in the past. A brief explanation of the International Coaching Federation competencies and code of ethics will help establish the parameters of the coaching session so both client and coach know where they stand.
T – Target goals
For a client to move forward they need to have a direction and the appropriate action steps to get there. Through the use of powerful questions the coach can discover what the client would like to work on, and together they can set the goals they are hoping to achieve.
Identifying what we want to achieve puts us on the path to achieving it andfocuses on the solution rather than the problem.
One of the key principles of coaching is “solution focus”. In order to get somewhere, we need to know where we are going. A positive goal can inspire a client and energise them towards achieving greatness.
R – Review values and beliefs
We all have inherent underlying values and beliefs that shape our lives. Becoming aware of your values and beliefs is essential in the coaching process. Our values and beliefs guide our actions and are responsible for our attitudes towards people and situations. Our values include things such as honesty, education, faithfulness, friendship, family etc. Our values are individual and affect us at a subconscious level. Beliefs on the other hand, are based on our assumptions of the world. They grow from what we see, hear and experience in our life. We tend to internalize the beliefs of people around us during childhood. A belief is both mental and emotional, it is embedded in the mind and in the heart. By using powerful questions and coaching tools to become aware of our values and beliefs, we can then check our goals are in alignment, and move onto the next step of our coaching model. The clearer you are about what you value and believe, the happier and more effective you will be.
Belief creates the actual fact – William James
I – Initiate Action steps
Action steps are the specific efforts made to achieve your goals. They are measureable steps that are put in place so you have a clear guideline of where you need to be heading. By implementing action steps, you provide a framework to move forward. Action steps also break down the goal into manageable pieces. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the big picture, and often a goal can seem too far away to be realistic. By breaking the goal down into action steps, then assessing that the steps are being met along the way, the big picture becomes a lot easier to imagine and achieve.
V – verify the progress
This step in the coaching process is all about making sure you are on track to achieving success. We will review your goals, values, beliefs and action steps and see how you feel you are progressing. Along the way we will deal with roadblocks that might inhibit success and discuss issues that may have stopped you in the past. It is important to remember that it is the journey rather than the destination that is valuable. The new discoveries that you will learn about yourself through this process are as important as reaching the goal itself. Often goals change and re-shape during the coaching process, so verifying the progress is a way to ensure that the current needs of the client are being met.
E – Enjoy your success
As with any journey or achievement, it is important to celebrate the end result. The coaching journey is one of discovery and self- awareness. As you feel the power and sense of achievement that is a result of reaching your goal, it is time to applaud yourself for your efforts. There is nothing more rewarding than setting a goal, and achieving it. Relax, enjoy and most importantly give yourself permission to feel good about you.
