The Coaching Conversation
Coaching is designed to shift individuals from where they are now to where they want to be. In order to achieve these results, coaches must apply a structure to the coaching conversation that facilitates focus and commitment.
The framework of an effective coaching conversation follows the 5 key stages of establishing a focus, exploring and discovering possibilities, planning the action, identifying and removing barriers, then reinforcing the plan through commitment and accountability.
1. Establishing Focus: for the conversation and/or the task and/or the gap. Both parties need to know what is expected by the end of the session. Have the coachee establish an agenda for the conversation. For the task, ensure the individual understands the project goal. And for the gap, clarify between the goal and where they are now.
2. Discover Possibilities: must of the time is spent here. Ask questions, quiet your mind, and listen non-judgmentally, paraphrase, draw out consequences, share personal experiences, ideas, timely messages. And above all else, LISTEN.
3. Action Plan: guide the development of an action plan. Focus on the desired outcome. Divide into bite-sized chunks and set target dates for completion.
4. Remove Barriers: ask questions to explore resources needs, clarify action if need to clear barriers, support by ensuring co-operation.
5. Recap: ask the individual to review. Gain commitment on the actions. Re-emphasise your support and establish accountability.
There are many variations of coaching conversation models – for example, OFTEN(Open, Focus, Transition, Execute, Next Steps), IDEAS (Identify, Define, Explore, Agree on actions, Summarise), SOAR (Situation, Options, Action plan, Reinforce) and FUEL (Frame, Understand, Explore, Lay out a plan). They generally follow the basic structure as outlined above and are built upon the underpinning coaching principles of development, realising potential and empowerment.
The GROW or iGROW model is the most commonly applied to structure a coaching conversation as it is highly effective and fairly simple to use. You can read more about iGROW here.