> The Goal:
the aim is to identify one clear goal that can be written down in one sentence and not several goals.
Sample questions:
- In one simple sentence, what would you like to achieve?
- (to identify a goal): If you could change one thing about an area in your life now, what would that be?
- (to clarify a specific goal): There seems to be a few goals in your objective; out of these goals, which one would be the first priority?
? The Problems:
in this stage we examine the three main challenges or current realities that are being faced. This is limited to three items so the client can eliminate small or insignificant problems so they are not overwhelmed by many problems but just focusing their attention on three. Remember, If it’s not on the paper, it’s not a worry – so forget about it!
Sample questions:
- What is stopping you from getting this done?
- What is the biggest struggle or challenge that you are facing right now?
- What is the one thing that is de-motivating you to achieve this goal?
→The Solutions:
In this section the attention is focused one-by-one on each problem, the client is encouraged to come up with tailored, effective answers that work for the client.
The coach can play a significant role in this area through deep listening, powerful questioning and reflection, as the client would have already tried to solve the problems on their own previously but were unable to come up with any answers. (Tip: Try to prolong that silence after questioning to allow time for those ‘a-ha!’ moments to arrive!)
Sample questions:
- what resources/people/things do you need in order to eliminate this problem? And how do you get that?
- what is the particular thing that needs to change so you can get unstuck from this issue?
- If your family/friend were experiencing the same challenge, what advice would you give them?
+ The New Ideas:
Once you have addressed the current problems and solved them, this is the chance to brainstorm and come up with other possibilities or new ways of thinking that can also be used to tackle this goal. The idea of this section is to think beyond what was visible and logical and question “What else?” and allow for creativity and imagination to flow.
Sample questions:
- What else can you do to achieve this goal? What else?
- If money was no object and you knew you could not fail, what could you do next?
- What other resources or connections do you need to see this goal through?
$ The Costs:
After the creative brainstorm, it’s time to assess the Pros & Cons. What cost implications should you be aware of? Write down what will and won’t work. This stage is the sieving process. By assessing the solutions & new ideas written in the above sections, you can start to sift through which ideas are feasible and effective and which won’t work.
This stage requires both intuition and logic. It’s important to Listen to your heart and gut feeling about which answers/ideas feel right and work best for you.
Sample questions:
- What works and what doesn’t?
- what is screaming out? What do you need to know? What should you be aware of?
- Does this feel right? If not, what is missing? What needs to change?
@ The Actions:
You’re almost ready to go! Take a step back and look at the page you have created. Which actions or ideas are the priorities? Which are the most effective? Which steps are the most straightforward? Write the actions tasks down in the list and commit to a ‘due date’ to when you need to achieve them by. tick once completed!
Sample questions:
- What action do I need to take first? What next? Then what?
- (If you have less than 5 actions – look at each action): Is this action too big? Can it be broken down into smaller, achievable steps?
- (If you have more than 5 actions – think about your list): Do you really need to do this? Which ones aren’t really important? Which can you delegate? Which ones are urgent and important? Which ones can I put on the list after I have achieved these first?
< The Takeaways:
Reflect on any key discoveries/strengths/lessons that was learnt in the experience, which can be used as a celebration or reminder for future goals.
Sample questions:
- What is the biggest lesson that you can takeaway from this experience?
- What is the most significant memory from your journey?
- What are some strengths that came up during this experience?
- What is the one thing you are grateful for?
In summary, Focus on the best and leave the rest; It’s either important or it’s not. Cut down or cut out; Keep it simple, and Get it done. One goal on one page.
Goal. Problems. Solutions. New ideas. Costs. Actions. Takeaways.
Everything should be made simple as possible, but no simpler. ~ Albert Einstein