Load up the car
OK, so you know now where you’re headed. You’re getting there, but you’re not quite ready to turn the key and get on the road. There are a number of things that need to happen first to ensure the trip is a success. This is the equivalent of loading up the car with essentials. First up, the obvious – planning the actual route (i.e.: what’s your Action Plan) including:
The basic route
Rest Stops: This should include:
Traffic/Road Updates (what obstacles might I face? Do I need to adapt my basic route?)
Travelling Companions: Who are your champions/supporters? Who will you ask for support from? Who will you celebrate with when you reach your goal? Who will keep you accountable?
Coaching Tools to assist
Coaching Questions
Tracking the Journey – HOW’S YOUR ETA?
Once the journey has started, you are going to want to keep an eye on progress. There will of course, be things that slow you down, or enable you to get there quicker. So as you travel, you’ll need to check if your ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) needs updating:
When you come across these issues, how do you need to adapt our ‘basic route’ plan to keep it realistic?
Coaching Tools to assist
‘Get Excited’ instruction[2]
Power Tools:
Design Your Life (self-care exercise)
Visioning exercises (see earlier section on ‘Where are you Headed?”)
Byron Katie’s 4 Questions[3]:
Coaching Questions
Summary
We are constantly on the move, trying to achieve what we need to do each day, each week. I have therefore used the idea of a Roadmap as it is a simple and recognizable concept for us to relate to. Whilst there are similarities to the GROW Model, I believe this Coaching Model goes further. The ‘Coaching Roadmap’ guides clients towards their goals in a way that respects what is important to who they are becoming/what they value in their life (their legacy), and takes time to notice up-front what obstacles they may face, what support they want to build in, and importantly how they will celebrate their successes along the way. I hope you enjoy the journey.
[1] Howards Gift, 2012 (Sinoway)
[2] “Get Excited: Reappraising pre-performance anxiety as excitement” Alison Wood-Brooks
http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=45869
[3] http://thework.com/en/do-work#questions