Coaching Model: SPACE

A Coaching Model Created by Yin Yin Sew
(Life Coach, MALAYSIA)

Overview

My role as a coach is to journey alongside the clients to reach the clients’ desired destiny and help them to write their own stories. The arrow implies a process that helps the clients to move forward with confidence in the midst of life changes or challenges. It is also a process that the clients present their current situation and clarifies how to present learnings that can be applied in the future. Throughout the process, my clients’ agendas are above mine. I will ensure that my clients are overall responsible for their goals, vision statement, and action plans.

The SPACE coaching model is a 5 steps process that helps my clients move from the current state of their lives to their desired destinies.

S: Safe space/ environment

It takes courage for the clients to approach a coach because they do not know the expectation of the coaching sessions. They may be nervous to share their issues with a coach whom they have not met before. Hence, I need to build rapport with the clients and create a safe space for my clients at the beginning of the coaching journey.

Approaches:

To explain and clarify the coaching process
To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the coaching sessions
To emphasize the importance of confidentiality

Examples of coaching questions:

How might coaching be useful?
What are some ways in which I could be most beneficial to you?
How would you like things to be different?

Situation

After the clients understand the coaching process and expectations, I can get to know the clients’ situation.

Examples of coaching questions:

What would you like us to talk about?
What is going on in your life?
What would you like to be different?

P: Purpose

It is important to find out the purpose of the coaching session and clarify the session goals. At times, the clients may have some awareness of their situation which includes their strengths and capabilities, but they may lack clear goals and structured ways to identify their goals.

Examples of coaching questions

What would you like to accomplish in coaching?
What do you hope to have accomplished by the end of our session(s) together?
How would you like your life to be different one year from now?

Other than clarifying with clients about their goals, I can clarify their life purposes in coaching sessions.

Examples of coaching questions:

What things in life are most important to you?
What are the values you treasure most?
What is the deeper meaning that this goal has for you?

Powerful questions

I can ask powerful questions that create an opportunity for the clients to pause, take a step back, think, reflect, reframing the presenting issues. Powerful questions can also help the clients to stimulate new perspectives, clarify issues, and explore various options. It does not confine to the “here & now” moment, but helping clients to glance to the future, experience glimmers of hope, and recognize that change and progress are possible.

Examples of coaching questions:

What is the evidence that makes you think so?
What could you do to align your actions with your values?
What does success looks like to you?

A: Active Listening

Active listening is key in showing support and build a coaching relationship. At the same time, I listen to clarify issues and get a clearer picture of the clients’ concerns and perspectives.

Approaches

Be aware of clients communicating with their body language, tone of voice, energies, and gestures.
Watch for pauses in the conversation, expression of emotions such as frustration, insecurities, self-doubt, conflicts, discouragement, excitement, and happiness.
Listen to positive attributes such as clients’hope, strengths, values, passions, and dreams.
Listen to the person's beliefs, attitudes, abilities, and routines.

Awareness

Stimulate self-awareness

Walking alongside the client to help the clients be aware of their present and who the clients really are by asking powerful questions and applying active listening. Stimulating self-awareness helps the clients to grow and have a purposeful and fulfilling life.

Examples of coaching questions

What is your current situation?
Who are the key people having an impact on your life at present?
What are your strengths?
What really is important to you?
What might it look like if you could see it?

C: Curiosity

Curiosity is not about digging into more information about the clients and their situations. It is about helping coaches to think about their clients’ values, perspectives, lifestyles, goals, feelings, and relationships. As a coach, I need to show curiosity in the way to show the greatest concern about clients. This could help to build relationships for the coaching sessions.

Examples of coaching questions:

“I am curious about….”
“What’s working for you?”
“What hasn’t worked?”

Communication effectively

Given the right time, I need to communicate effectively to my clients by providing feedback, reframing the perspectives, or using metaphor and analogy to highlight a point and help clients to visualize the situation. I must communicate clearly and respectfully using appropriate language. Knowing the culture of my clients help me to communicate effectively without jeopardizing the coaching relationship.

Examples of communication effectively

“I hear you really want to take action on this but it seems that something is holding you back and maybe there is a good reason why you are not following through your action plan.“
“You may not be blocked around this issue. It may be that there is a different way to view this situation that you haven’t thought of yet.”
“I hear you say that they don’t seem to like you, what do you like about yourself?”

E: Encouragement

Encouragement gives optimism and hopes. During the coaching process, I will look for behavior and events that are positive and worth encouraging. When encouragement is given to the clients who are stuck during the coaching process, the clients will be motivated and have the boldness to take risks and move forward because encouragement stimulates growth. Encouragement should be given specifically and in an authentic manner.

Examples of Encouraging statements

“Based on what you have just said, it seems that you have strength in ……….”
“I want to acknowledge the courage it took for you to take up the new role. I know that stepping out of your comfort zone is an area you want to achieve.”
“I see the effort you are putting in to be who you want to be in life.”

Evolvement

Changes require actions. This is the stage where clients will be developing their action plans, setting smart goals and casting vision, finding a support system to move forward. After casting vision and setting smart goals, the clients will work on their action plans to achieve what they want.

Examples of Coaching questions:

Where do we want to go from here?
What would you like to accomplish in life?
What are you going to do first?
When will you start?
Who will give you the support?

Exploration

During the exploration process, it is an opportunity for the clients to consider the multiple options and possibilities in making a decision.

At times, it is not easy for clients to achieve their goals. Obstacles do occur. I will help the clients to uncover the potential obstacles and explore ways to overcome the obstacles so that the growth progress will not be hindered.

During the exploration process, it is an opportunity for the clients to consider the multiple options and possibilities in making a decision.

Example of coaching questions:

What are the options?
What are the opportunities for action?
What are the pros and cons of this option?
Which possible option you are prepared to take?
What will get in the way?
What are these barriers most likely to appear?
What might be done to overcome it?
Who can help you to overcome the obstacles?

Ultimately, I hope that the SPACE coaching model provides a safe space for my clients to write their own unique life stories and reach their desired destination.