A Coaching Model Created by Mami Sugimura
(Caregiving Coaching, UNITED STATES)
What does it mean by SPARK?
SPARK’s definition in Oxford dictionaries: Ignite: Provide the stimulus for (an event or process)
The purpose of life is to live it to taste experience to the utmost to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences—Eleanor Roosevelt
Life is a long journey. On its way, sometimes life goes with flow, and sometimes life gets stuck. When our life goes with flow, life is full of hope, lightness and vitality. And we feel Happy. When we stuck, we are worn out, frustrated, and depressed. And we feel Unhappy. Is there anything that can help us to transform ourselves from the state of “Unhappy Stagnation” to “Happy Revitalization”? Let’s look at how SPARK ignites our lives!
What SPARK can do?
SPARK is 5-step Transformation Coaching Model to make the change happen from the state of Unhappy Stagnation to Happy Revitalization.
How SPARK works?
SPARK consists of the following 5 steps. 
Set Goal
- The coach is truly present with empathy to open up the client’s concerns, thoughts, and feelings.
- The coach listens with curiosity the client’s agenda.
Potential Tools: Powerful Listening / Creating Trust / Visualization / Values & Life Purpose / Underlying Beliefs Potential Questions:
- What would you like to talk about today?
- What do you want to achieve by the end of this session?”
- On your 80th birthday, where you are, with who you are, what you do?
- Open- ended questions with “How? What? Where? Who?” to expand the discussion
Plan and Strategize
- The coach enables the client to explore ideas, options, alternatives.
Potential Tools: Creating Action / Creating Structures / Neuro Linguistic Programming Potential Questions:
- What’s your game plan?
- Would you like to brainstorm this idea?
- Like what?
- What are other angles you can think of?
Action
- The coach encourages the client to implement his/her plans and strategies with confidence and commitment.
Potential Tools: Intent / Confidence / Action vs. Delay Commitment vs. Trying / Self Management Potential Questions:
- How do you feel about implementing your plans?
- What will you do?
- By when will you do it?
Reflect
- The coach supports the client to reflect his/ her accomplishment and digest the feedback.
Potential Tools: Mindfulness / Effective Feedback / Diversity Acknowledgement Potential Questions:
- If you were the counter part, how do you describe about this?
- What works, and what doesn’t work?
- How would you describe this?
- What do you think about the feedback?
- What is your learning/ lesson?
Keep moving forward
- After the reflection, the coach supports the client accepts the outcome, and keeps moving forward with positive attitude.
Potential Tools: Gratitude / Accountability Potential Questions:
- Would you let me know how it goes?
- When you want to talk to me, I’m there for you. Would you like to get in touch with me?
Conclusion
It is vital to start building the established trusted relationship between the client and the coach from the beginning. In the SPARK coaching model, the coach listens very carefully what the client desires, then ignites the client’s possibilities to flare them up until achieving his/her goals, and embrace the new state of client’s life.