2011 10 POWER POINTS OF COACHING
Nigel Lewis WWW.C-OPTIONS.CO.UK 9/16/2011 1
INTRODUCTION
Coaching is now well recognised as being an excellent way for individuals to achieve all sorts of positive change in their lives, careers, health and any areas of life that at one time was left to chance. This short booklet offers just one Life Coach’s take on what to expect from your visit to a Life Coach.
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CONTENTS Who is this for ?
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The 10 power points of coaching
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How much do I want it? (PASSION)
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How can I achieve it? (PURPOSE)
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Can I do it? (POTENTIAL)
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Am I committed enough to put the plans into action?(PERFORMANCE)15 Do I have a written plan? (PLANNING)
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Who can help me? (PEOPLE POWER)
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What order should I do things in? (PRIORITIZE)
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How am I doing so far? (PROGRESS)
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I achieved, so do I feel happy? (PEAK)
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Did it give me peace of mind? (PEACE)
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About the author
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WHO IS THIS FOR? This short booklet is for anyone who wants to know a few essential ingredients of Coaching. It is mainly concerned with Life coaching but as coaching is a widely applied skill it is by no means restricted. It may be of interest to • Prospective Life coaches • Practising Life Coaches • Persons thinking of seeking a coach • Clients of Life Coaches • Students researching Life Coaching
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The Ten Power Points of Coaching (The Power of Questions)These ten questions sum up what you may be asked to consider by your Life Coach when you present them with a goal. How much do I want it? (PASSION) How can I achieve it? (PURPOSE) Can I do it? (POTENTIAL) Am I committed enough to put the plans into action? (PERFORMANCE) Do I have a written plan? (PLANNING) Who can help me? (PEOPLE POWER) What order should I do things in? (PRIORITIZE) How am I doing so far? (PROGRESS) I achieved, so do I feel happy? (PEAK) Did it give me peace of mind? (PEACE)
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How much do I want it? (PASSION) As the founder of C-options Life Coaching Training and Therapies, I developed a system of coaching based upon a philosophy I termed as “From the passion triangle to the performance pyramid. In keeping with this, the first question I ask of any prospective client is “How much do you want it?” The same question can apply to any goal be it something as common as weight loss or something more ambitious such as winning the x-factor! If passion is not present it has to be either created by various inspirational methods such as visualisation, or inspirational persuasion.
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HOW MUCH DO I WANT IT?
SMART PLANS TAKE THE TOPS OFF THWARTED AMBITIONS
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How can I achieve it? (PURPOSE) Once we are convinced that we have the desired and required passion we have to decide the steps that are necessary to achieve the goal. The best way to do this is to create a vision of the desired goal in as much detail as is possible. The clarity of this picture will determine the ultimate success on the coaching journey. Having a clear end result, is the essential starting point of goal achievement. The trick then is to work backwards from the goal. Every step of the way is carefully thought out working back from the desired achievement to the present moment. 10
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CREATE THE VISION
SEE OPTIONS
FIND THE TOOLS
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Can I do it? (POTENTIAL) Inevitably the question arises when faced with what is often a daunting journey of tasks, “Can I do it?” This is the point where the coach can be the make it or break it cog in the journey to achievement. The coach can offer an experienced reality check, an inspirational springboard and a co-creator of destiny. At this stage, it is imperative that the early steps are determined. The failings of many brilliant ideas are summed up in another ‘P’ word procrastination. We have been putting off using the word Procrastinate as it is the antithesis of immediacy and not a word we like.
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DO IT IF U CAN QUIT THE BULL EYE THE TARGET
IF IT IS REALISTICALLY POSSIBLE DON’T QUIT 13
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Passion triangle
Performance Pyramid Potential
Possibility
Possibility
PERFORMANCE
DREAMS success Purpose
Passion
Passion
Purpose
NI’S KEY
JUST DO IT Founder of c-options and developer of the passion triangle, Nigel, realised that the key to success was in the ability to move from the passion triangle to the performance pyramid.
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Am I committed enough to put the plans into action? (PERFORMANCE) The final component of the performance pyramid is action. ,Without action a dream remains just that. As a coach the sooner an action towards a goal can be identified and performed the greater the likelihood of success. To encourage the performance of the first step we at C-options have even been known to interrupt a coaching session for the client to make the first step such as an initial phone call. It is the sticking point that makes the difference between achieving a long desired result and it remaining a just pipe dream. Action speaks a thousand words, the first steps of a thousand miles are the most important. 15
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LOOK FORWARD
WITH SMART PLANS
LEARN FROM THE PAST SEE ALL SIDES MOVE FORWARD PLANS DO NOT HAVE TO BE SMALL THEY HAVE TO BE SMART SPECIFIC, MEASUREABLE ,ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC, TIME SCALED
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Do I have a written plan? (PLANNING) Once we have made the first step it would be foolish to leave the rest of the journey to chance. Evidence abounds that proves that a written plan is essential in goal achievement. Plans can take many different formats from the well publicised SMART plans to the basic WHAT, WHY, HOW, WHEN method. We at C-options have developed an extremely efficient system of planning using Microsoft excel to devise a matrix of achievement. This system provides a road map, visual inspiration and an evidential record of the success or flexibility of the written plan.
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Why swim against the tide when there is always someone to throw you a lifebelt!
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Who can help me? (PEOPLE POWER) No person is an island. It is a human trait that we sometimes feel we cannot ask for help. It is an essential part of the coaching process that every plan recognises the resources that others can offer us. Ok, maybe we can do it alone, but the chances are, that with the help from others, we get there quicker and more easily. Being challenged by the coach to enlist help from others’, is sometimes a crucial move towards achieving substantial change. This is not only restricted to the client, quite often those asked to help achieve unexpected growth and development from being turned to for help. Reciprocity has long been recognised by psychologists to be a positive state. 19
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URGENT
IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT
NOT IMPORTANT
NOT URGENT
NOT URGENT
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What order should I do things in? (PRIORITIZE) When forming a written plan it is essential to collate each task. There are many ways in which this can be done from making simple lists to more complex computerised methods. The aim of the data collection is to be able to organize the many tasks into categories or sets which can then be prioritized. Your coach will be familiar with many different ways of prioritization from which you can choose one that suits your style of thinking. Prioritization when done correctly achieves movement that snowballs. Once a plan feels like it is rolling it becomes easy and fun. Coaches can usually offer a variety of ways in which you can make decisions that affect your ability to prioritize. 21
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IT IS ENJOYING THE JOURNEY THAT MATTERS EVEN MORE THAN THE DESTINATION A COACH CAN HELP TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN
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How am I doing so far?(PROGRESS) The key having applied all of the steps so far is to agree a timescale for meetings between the coach and the client to check on the progress of the plan. Flexibility is the word that should dominate theses meetings. If progression is not being achieved it may be necessary to revisit the plan and adjust it in light of unforeseen obstacles that may be thwarting progression. Progression can be assessed against milestones that have been previously agreed. Progression can be celebrated and used to inspire further progression. Progression is a positive word indicating the degree of succession. Success is a journey not a destination. 23
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WHICH EVER ANGLE YOU VIEW IT FROM
ACHIEVING THAT PEAK MAY BRING MIXED FEELINGS A GOOD COACH IS AWARE AND HELPS PEAKING BE A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE
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I achieved do I feel great? (PEAK) The end of the successful coaching process is often depicted as the peak. The danger with peaks is that they can sometimes be followed by deflation. Kind of like the feeling on Boxing day when Christmas long planned and short lived is over. An efficient coaching strategy helps the client to realise that it is indeed the journey that matters not the final goal. A good coaching journey should provide the client with a ready made Sat Nav for future achievement. The peak does not have to be the end of the progression, it can be the inspiration for new plans, new goals, and further development.
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Did it give me peace of mind? (PEACE) So there you have it, one coache’s take on the coaching process summarised into a short booklet. It is not by chance that so far all of the steps have began with a ‘P’. So the final ‘P’ is peace. The ultimate aim in life must surely be to attain peace. Stress is the downside of goal achievement mentality. At c-options we regard peace as being the overriding theme in goal achievement coaching. Balance is the key. Pressure is good. Stress is bad. A coaching process that does not give due regard to stress may not be the most productive overall.
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THE ULTIMATE AIM OF A WELL FORMED WELL PERFORMED COACHING EXPERIENCE IS SATISFACTION AND PEACE OF MIND. Live with passion, create purpose, believe in possibilities, plan with vision, perform each day, harness person power, achieve your potential and be at peace with your world.
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About the author
Nigel Lewis ((www.c-options.co.uk options.co.uk) Nigel is a Life Coach, Life Skills Teacher, and Therapist who formed C-options options in 2008 after many years as a full time coach in the public sector. He now travels often and coaches in between. He enjoy enjoys serving with passion those who seek , working as and when the opportunity arises.
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