A Coaching Model Created by Mark Bishop
(Executive Coach, UNITED STATES)
PEAK Introduction
Individuals in executive and leadership roles are under constant pressure to improve performance, outcomes, and results. To achieve success, they must also improve their own performance and reach new levels. My model, PEAK, is designed to focus the client on achieving desired performance outcomes.
The client must have a willingness to grow and an understanding that they have not reached their top performance level. Because performance in the business environment is often assessed or influenced by the perceptions of others, this model incorporates the perspectives of other key stakeholders.
Additionally, the PEAK model seeks to incorporate the business objectives and strategy into the desired outcomes. The coaching process is designed to build a plan, or a trail map of sorts, to guide the client on their journey. Once the action phase begins, the model supports the client’s need to create and sustain kinetic energy, the momentum to carry them forward to their next summit.
PEAK
Purpose
The initial phase of the PEAK model addresses the desired outcomes and measures of success for the coaching session. In this phase, the client is encouraged to explore the importance of this issue being discussed and root that in the overall objective of increasing performance and outcomes. The coach and client work to define the topic of discussion and reach an agreement on desired results. Emphasis is placed on gaps that exist between current and desired performance levels. The desired results, for each coaching session and the overall coaching engagement, are clear and reviewed periodically. The coach and client also identify any perspectives from key stakeholders that may be beneficial in reaching the desired outcomes.
During the coaching engagement, overall objectives are identified and broken down into segments to be worked on during the journey.
During the coaching sessions, specific objectives for the session are identified and focused on.
PCC Competencies Leveraged: Ethics & Integrity, Coaching Agreement, Creating Trust & Intimacy
Exploration
The exploration phase of the PEAK model helps the client study their situation and how they are currently looking at their performance. The client is encouraged to challenge current assumptions, perceptions, and beliefs about the situation. The client is encouraged to consider multiple sources of information, all centered around their own beliefs and understanding of their performance. Key stakeholders may be asked to provide input and perspective on the client’s performance and how it can be enhanced. Exploration of emotions, beliefs, values, needs, and wants are all critical elements of this phase.
During the coaching engagement, the client takes in information from multiple sources and key stakeholders when appropriate.
During the coaching sessions, the coach helps the client consider their behaviors, perceptions, emotions, and reactions.
PCC Competencies Leveraged: Coaching Presence, Active Listening, Powerful Questions, Direct Communication, Creating Awareness
Action
In this phase of the PEAK model, the focus shifts to mobilizing the lessons learned earlier. The process for the overall coaching engagement enables the client to create a trail map to guide them as they begin. While the map creates a starting point, it remains flexible enough to allow the client to deviate from the planned route based on new achievements or obstacles that might occur along the way. The map also enables measurement of progress toward the objective, including measuring time elapsed since the journey started.
During the coaching engagement, the client established long-term performance goals and what it will take for them to achieve these objectives.
During the coaching sessions, the coach helps the client consider actions that will support the overall object while focusing on the ‘next steps’ to be taken along the journey.
PCC Competencies Leveraged: Designing Actions, Planning & Goal Setting
Kinetic
The final phase shifts the attention to sustaining performance improvements. Kinetic energy is defined as energy that a body possesses under being in motion. This is sometimes called momentum. The PEAK model is based on the belief that progress is easier sustained when it is kept in motion, generally moving forward. This is not to say that there is no time for rest to recharge or reflection to learn lessons. These spaces in the journey are equally important and should be planned carefully into the growth process. Just like any journey, circumstances will arise that cannot be planned and will interfere with the process. These will be taken into account and when necessary the process will be reinitiated, and a revised journey developed. The client is not alone on the journey – the coach is there as needed.
Overall, by creating success and momentum, the client can convert the energy from improvements and successes to propel additional, sustained behaviors, to develop new habits, more confidence, and ultimately the satisfaction of having achieved the desired outcome.
PCC Competencies Leveraged: Managing Progress and Accountability
Conclusion
The PEAK model encourages the client to define their objectives, explore their surroundings, decide on actions to take, and create positive momentum and progress. The client explores and creates their own answers, they understand what they need and want, and this process brings these out.
Once the client has reached the desired peak, we can look at the horizon for the next summit!
