A Coaching Model Created by Carol Fontanez
(Life Coaching, UNITED STATES)
My coaching model is a simple, yet powerful approach to helping you shift your thinking and move toward their vision. I’ve found for myself and in working with clients, that even a subtle shift in perspective enables a person to gain new insights into how she thinks and feels about a given situation. Those new insights then lead to action and forward movement. Let’s take a look at what the SHIFT coaching model entails.
S = Situation
What is causing you concern?
H = Hindrance
What is holding you hostage in this situation?
I = Invitation to Explore
What is the possibility inherent in this situation?
What aspect of this situation would you like to explore more deeply?
F = Forward Thinking
What is a new way for you to look at this situation?
What does your life want from you in this situation?
T= Transformational Actions
What actions can you take to move toward your vision regarding this situation?
What structures can you put in place to support the actions you’ve identified?
This model is based on my belief and experience that even the smallest steps can make a big difference. It reminds me that those small steps do add up to continuous movement toward a person’s vision. That is not to say that the steps lead straight toward the vision, for we all know that life continues to provide us with interesting twists and turns that we never imagined. However, it is how we respond to those ‘zigs and zags’ that really defines who we are today and who we are becoming.
I apply the SHIFT model on myself as I work through the challenges in my own life, and I use it with my clients as well. Let me give you a personal example.
When I first began my coaching journey with ICA in June, 2011, I looked at creating a coaching model as a monumental task (Situation). I was overwhelmed at the idea and literally had no clue how I would ever create such a model. Through attending classes and having a coach for myself, I was able to come to the realization that it was my own thinking that was holding me back (Hindrance).
With that awareness, I was able to step back and reflect on my coaching experience as a client and as a coach, since by that time I was doing some coaching myself. I gave myself permission (Invitation to Explore) to open up more fully and to really dig deeper into the readings and classes. I also began to look at my coaching sessions, both as a client and as a coach, from a different perspective. As I replayed some of the coaching conversations and the outcomes that resulted from them, I began to see a subtle pattern emerging (Forward Thinking), and the word “shift” came to mind.
I wrote that down on a notepad and began playing with what the letters stood for. I held this model lightly in my mind as I continued to pay attention to my own coaching experiences as both coach and client. Whenever inspiration struck, I would look at the model and the ideas I had for what each letter stood for. I did numerous iterations of this over many months, and finally decided it was time to commit my ideas to paper (Transformational Action). Once I took that step, it was easy to finalize the model and send it in for assessment.
I now feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in having developed my model and articulated what it means to me. I can honestly say that the SHIFT model of coaching has worked for me, and I am confident it can work for you too!
Are you ready to shift into the life you’ve been dreaming about?