A Coaching Model Created by Line Kristensen
(Personal Leadership Coach, DENMARK)
Gaining new perspectives
If you step aside from all thinking – there is no place you cannot go
My coaching model FLY is a reflection of my thoughts around what I have seen as the process and the important elements in the coaching session. I wanted to create a model I could use as a work paper and have in front of me in my sessions. At the same, I wanted the model to be simple and universal in the sense that it could be used on all kinds of clients and on all subjects. I wanted a simple structure for the session.
One of the strongest game changers for me in my coaching practice has always been getting people to mentally raise above their life, relations, challenges etc. When you gain that kind of “upside -down” perspective you have the possibility to make deliberate choices in your life. To make the choices right now that will bring you closer to a true and authentic life. Instead of just being carried away in everyday life by automatic thoughts and and you step aside and and choose the right path. Creating my coaching model a picture of a air balloon came to my mind. I wanted to put emphasis on how to help the client get that helicopter view through powerful questions. In the following I will walk you through the three steps in my model.
Step 1: Focus “Getting on board”.
The first step is to set the foundation and clarify the issue that the client would like to focus on and getting the coaching agreement in place. The following are examples of questions that could be asked:
- What comes up for you today?
- What would be a valuable outcome for you at the end of this session?
- What would you like to end up with at the end of this session?
- What would you have at the end of this session that you don’t have now?
Step 2: Learning new perspectives “In the air”.
This is the part of the session is where you coach on the agreed/ desired outcome putting the coaching competencies in place. You are with the client exploring what is and what can be in the future. The FLY model put emphasis on getting the client to gain perspective by asking the powerful questions. The following questions are examples of questions that could be asked:!
- What comes up for you around the importance of…..?
- What would be a good change for you?
- What is the optimal solution for you in this situation?
- How would you know, that you achieved your goal?
- Standing at a mountain looking down at your life/ the situation. How does it look like to you? How would your ideal situation look like? Where do you see options for change?
- Imagining your elderly self in a rocking chair looking back on your life/the situation. What advice would you give yourself about your life/the situation? What would your elderly self say about the importance of this?
- What options do you have in front of you to make that change happen?
Step 3: Yes for Action “Landing”
At this point of the coaching session the client has set his goals (step 1), explored his current reality, gained new perspectives and deliberately made new choices (step 2). In step 3 he will create the action that needs to be taken in order to achieve her/his goals. When once designed the action steps, looking into potential barriers for change is an important step and creating the structures around the change. The following questions are examples of questions that could be asked:
- What would be the action steps you could take to achieve your goal?
- What personal resistance do you have (if any) to take these action steps?
- What is your criteria for success in taking these action steps?