Executive coaching has grown and evolved over several decades to incorporate a number of models and methodologies for coaching executives and leaders. Savvy executive coaches often employ a specific coaching model, or a blend of models, to shape their session work and to help their clients achieve desired short term and longer-range goals.
While there are numerous coaching models in use, these five have emerged as the most popular with executive coaches and their clients. The models are presented and described below in a random, non-preferential order.
The STEPPA Coaching Model
The STEPPA model is rooted in the concept that emotions are the prime reasons behind a person’s actions and behaviors. Angus McLeod, counselor and facilitator, developed STEPPA in 2003 to repurpose emotions arising from specific situations to create new objectives and outcomes. Many executive coaches favor this model because of its applicability to individual or group and team coaching.
The STEPPA acronym stands for:
- Subject: The coaching session starts by identifying and understanding the subject and context of the discussion. Example question: What would you like to discuss in this session?”
- Target Identification: The coachee is encouraged to establish an attainable target or outcome. If a goal cannot be immediately formed, then the coach should question the client in an empathetic manner to guide them towards the desired outcome. Example questions: What would be a desirable outcome for this coaching session? In the case the coachee isn’t sure, you might start with this question: What are your longer-term goals?
- Emotions: Because emotions and their impact are at the core of this model, it’s essential for the coach to guide the coachee towards a better understanding of their emotional responses to specific problems and challenges in the workplace. Coaches help their clients understand that embracing their feelings will guide their choices. Example questions: On a scale of 1 to 10, how badly do you want to achieve your goal? In the case they’re at 8 or less, you might ask: What would make you even more motivated?
- Perception: Perception refers to the understanding of the wider context of the coachee’s situation and goals and how that impacts their leadership “Big Picture.” The coach’s role is to help the coachee refine and clarify their perception of others and to increase their self-awareness. The objective is to help the coachee see their goals from a broader perspective. Example questions: How do you feel about the current situation? How do you think your actions impact other people? What do you think might be the future impact of your actions?”
- Plan: In this stage the coach helps the coachee develop an action plan with a timeline of achievements and target dates for those achievements. The coach can suggest potential plan modifications to further guide the coachee in finding the most appropriate route to their goals. Example questions: What feels like the natural next step in the process? How do you foresee the options you have chosen moving you closer to your goals?
- Act: The best plan means little without action, which is a key aspect of executive coaching (taking action on the plan generated in the coaching session). Coachees therefore need to act on their plans with freedom to adjust them when changing emotions don’t align with the proposed process. At this point the entire STEPPA process should be reviewed along with each decision that’s been made. Example questions: What have you learned from the session? How do you feel about the feasibility and sensibility of your plan?
The OSKAR Coaching Model
The OSKAR model is a solution-based approach developed by coaches Mark McKergow and Paul Z. Jackson. It was first published in their 2002 book, “The Solutions Focus: Making Coaching and Change SIMPLE.” OSKAR is designed to get coachees to focus on solutions rather than problems. While the OSKAR model can be applied in almost any personal development scenario, it appears that it may be most effective when working towards the implementation of longer term goals.
The OSKAR acronym stands for:
- Outcome: The coach and coachee discuss the primary topic of the session and work together to identify the desired outcome along with an exploration of the long-term goals of the individual. The coachee expresses the outcome they wish to achieve when solving a specific problem. Example questions: What is it you would like the outcome of this session to be? What would you like to achieve in the long term?
- Scale: The coach guides the coachee by asking them to quantify how close they believe they are to achieving a goal or objective, often using a 1 to 10 scale. Example question: “How would you honestly rate yourself at this task, on a scale of 1 to 10?” (Are we determining how confident they feel about achieving their outcome or asking them to determine where they are towards their goal at this moment in time?)
- Know-How: The coach and coachee discuss how to bridge the gap between the perceived problem and the desired solution. The “know-how” is the combination of the skills, knowledge, qualifications, and attributes that will enable the coachee to move forward. Example questions: “How can you go about solving this problem using the knowledge and skills you already have? What skills would apply here?”
- Action + Affirm: The coach reviews the positive aspects of the coachee’s current situation and highlights the hard work they’ve done to accomplish their goals. This is where the coach and coachee focus on what’s already working well and the actions needed to progress further or solve a specific problem. Example questions: “Why do you think (such and such) has worked so well for you? How can you use a similar set of actions to solve this other problem?
- Review: This is where the coach and coachee analyze the action the coachee has taken, decide what’s improved, and look at what needs to happen next to improve even further. The review should emphasize the positives or successful outcomes, even if there’s still work to be done towards achieving the final goal. Example question: “What’s gone right for you so far? What do you think you should do next to keep moving towards the outcome you’re seeking?”
The CLEAR Coaching Model
The CLEAR model was developed in 1985 by Professor of Leadership Peter Hawkins. CLEAR is based on the concept that in order to achieve maximum workplace performance, it’s no longer enough to be just a traditional manager, one must take an active role in developing the potential of staff members. This model places a strong emphasis on promoting employee growth in today’s fast and competitive business environment through the active use of employee coaching and mentoring. The primary focus of the CLEAR model is to create employees committed to team plans and who are happy and willing to contribute to shared goals, rather than simply complying with managerial demands.
The CLEAR acronym stands for:
- Contract: This stage focuses on establishing desired outcomes – both individual and shared – and revealing how the coaching can be tailored to be of greatest value to the coachee. The main goal in this stage is to clarify the general scope of the session and to outline the coaching process to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. Example question: “What would you like to achieve in today’s coaching session and throughout our engagement?”
- Listen: The coach asks the coachee to verbally share their thoughts and feelings while the coach practices active listening. The coach asks targeted follow up questions to prompt the coachee to better understand the situation. The coach should not intervene during this stage. Instead, they should encourage and guide the conversation towards the topics and issues at hand. Example question: “What more can you tell me about that?”
- Explore: This is where the coach and coachee dig deeper to get to the heart of the matter. Ideally, the explore phase helps the coachee develop an emotional connection to their behavior change. Often the individual will experience a “light-bulb’ moment” where they will realize what’s been preventing them from reaching their goals. Example question: “Why is it important to you as a leader and a person to make that change?”
- Action: The coach works to help the coachee commit to necessary changes by internalizing a new view on the situation. The focus of this stage is having the coachee commit to the required changes with the intent of internalizing their new outlook. The coachee should be guided to carefully consider each available option for their next step and its impact on them, personally and professionally. Example question: “What changes have you resolved to make?”
- Review: In this stage the coach and coachee engage in a thorough review and critique of the progress made in the session. The set of action steps should be reviewed and examined, to confirm that the most suitable and practical plan has been developed. Feedback should be encouraged from the coachee along the lines of: what they found beneficial, what they struggled with, and what they would change in future coaching sessions. Example question: “What has been most helpful in this session? What might I do differently to help you even more next time?”
ACL: The Action-Centered Leadership Model
Invented by leadership theorist John Adair in 1973, the Action-Centered Leadership (ACL) model emphasizes three main areas leaders should spend time developing. The three core ACL pillars are:
- Task Achievement
- Team Formation & Management
- Individual Development
The interconnection of these three pillars was depicted by Adair using a Venn diagram with 3 overlapping circles. The three elements overlap to form a center zone where team, task, and individual converge.
Task Achievement involves the coach and coachee deeply exploring and assessing the coachee’s role as a leader. This involves identifying objectives by establishing a goal, creating actionable strategies to achieve it, and providing tools, resources, and a knowledge infrastructure to actually make it happen.
In Team Formation and Management, the coach focuses on helping leaders develop team unity by establishing team standards, promoting good communication, resolving conflict, providing constructive criticism, and strengthening morale and teamwork.
When delving into Individual Development, the coach guides the coachee towards greater understanding of every team member’s personal desires so their end goal is aligned with the greater team. This element allows executives to understand their current standing with their employees to determine where to dedicate time and resources to specific team members.
Executive coaches can implement the ACL model in many types of engagements because of the flexibility this model provides for all forms of leadership, including managers, directors, and CEOs of organizations, regardless of the size of the organization.
The ACHIEVE Model
ACHIEVE is a coaching and mentoring model developed by The Coaching Centre (Dembkowski and Eldridge, 2003), building upon the foundations of the GROW model. This model is designed to increase trust between coach and coachee by increasing understanding of the methods involved in goal-setting and problem-solving.
The ACHIEVE acronym stands for:
- Assess current situation: During the first stage of the process, the coachee is encouraged to think deeply about their current situation. An increased self-awareness of their state and surroundings allows the coachee to reflect on their current issues and goals and to contextualize future actions.
- Creative brainstorming: This stage is designed to broaden the coachee’s perspectives and develops the foundation for behavioral change and creative solutions to current challenges. Creative brainstorming is the foundation for what comes next, which is goal-setting and action-planning.
- Hone goals: The coachee develops specific goals from alternative solutions and suggestions which evolved during the creative barnstorming phase. The coach works to ensure that the coachee focuses on goals they want to happen rather than dwell on negative thoughts about goals that are currently unachievable.
- Initiate option generation: The coach guides the coachee in developing an array of possible options, rather than focusing on finding a single “right” way to act. All realistic options should be put forth in the conversation.
- Evaluate options: The actions and options generated during the previous stage are assessed, scrutinized and prioritized. The coach begins to guide the coachee towards a focus. It’s crucial that aims are well-defined, in order to make goals appear within reach to the coachee.
- Valid action program design: The option or options selected in the prior stage are now ready to be put into action. This is when the coachee will commit to the plan via achievable steps of action with clear deadlines, often in writing or illustrated form.
- Encourage momentum: The final stage of the ACHIEVE model is to encourage momentum both towards goals and in between coaching sessions. Until goals have been met, it’s not unusual for coachees to remain motivated. It’s therefore the role of the coach to provide encouragement and keep achievable goals within sight. The coach also reinforces the concept that small, sustainable goals and changes are the pathway to achieving larger and more complex goals.
Each of the five coaching models are broadly applicable and useful to an executive and leadership coach. Coaches should endeavor to practice different models to find what feels right to them as they seek to support the professional growth of their coachees. The right model employed in a coaching session will guide and enable coachees to achieve their desired outcomes.
As the clientele for professional coaching grows and diversifies, so too does the methodology used by coaches to help clients achieve breakthrough results, read our other article on “Three Proven Models for Coaching professionals.“
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If you’re an experienced executive coach seeking to move to a new level of proficiency, someone new to the profession, a leader who wants to bring coaching into your organization or simply an aspiring executive coach, we can help. We’re a recognized global leader in training and certifying executive coaches in alignment with the ICF and CC&E. We are here to train and support you as you seek to be a knowledgeable and confident executive coach. Learn more by scheduling a conversation with Michael Neuendorff, senior faculty member with the Center for Executive Coaching.
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