Our Master Coach Model has evolved over the years from extensive executive coaching experience, research into what organisations need from coaches, consultation and collaboration with the top coaches worldwide.
Our model reflects the importance of the coach / coachee relationship being part of the wider organisational, cultural and political system.
The model involves four factors, the:
- coach's skillbase
- coach's self Identity
- managing the coaching relationship
- understanding the client system
1: The coach's skillbase
In the AoEC Framework, there are three key areas of competence that are required of the executive coach.
- core coaching skills
- understanding of psychological theories and practices that underpin coaching practice
- appropriate knowledge of business, leadership and management relevant to the client population being coached
Core coaching skills
John Leary-Joyce was the first to propose four levels of coaching practices - Skills, Performance, Development and Transformational Coaching. The primary objective of these levels is to improve the effectiveness of the coachee.
The core competencies involve the ability to:
- establish the coaching alliance
- manage boundaries
- work on the coachees agenda
- hold the focus on specific goals
- actively listen and skillfully question
- promote a climate of motivation
Psychology therapy counselling
While a broad and very diverse field, the emphasis is on the individual's personal growth and wellbeing within a social environment. Counsellors, Psychologists and Psychotherapists would demonstrate a range and level of competence in managing the client relationship, to treat profound and complex psychological conditions, handle extremes in emotions and in some fields work with family systems.
The integrative approach utilised on our programmes combines four of the primary psychotherapy frameworks.
- cognitive behavioural perspective - a here and now focus on thoughts, feelings and behaviour to understand and solve discrete problems
- developmental perspective - focuses primarily on how events in childhood profoundly influence the way we respond to the world today. Adult development models are sometimes employed
- systemic perspective - emphasises that our experience is shaped primarily by the social context in which we function
- existential perspective - the nature of our existence and reason for being brings a more profound and transpersonal focus
Business management and leadership skillbase
Here the skillbase has been developed through having a management role in a corporation or small business. It involves:
- Leadership - motivation, presence, inspiration, innovation and communication
- Business Acumen - vision, strategy, corporate governance, financial management, marketing and selling and entrepreneurial approach
- Operational Knowledge - specific to industry sector, technical skills, customer handling and performance measurement
- Management - teams, people, time, projects and resources
"The Highest goal man can achieve is the awareness of his own attitudes and ideas - knowledge of himself provides him with the means to gain intimate knowledge of the minds of others" - Goethe
Personal awareness and development
By understanding yourself you are able to understand others. Being aware of and utilising your emotions and personal reactions for client interventions, is a very effective skill to master.
In the Kubler Ross change cycle the period of shock / denial / blame leads to a period of confusion and uncertainty, the most difficult and uncomfortable phase.
The Paradox of Change Model supports the belief that when we fully engage and learn about this phase, we catapult out into surprisingly creative and productive action and activity.
We are identifying four components to personal development:
- Emotional awareness
- Cognitive knowledge
- Behavioural skills
- Transpersonal / Existential awareness
These components are inextricably linked, so change in one area affects the other three.
An EQ self-assessment questionnaire is used on the programme to help identify strengths and areas for development.
1. Emotional awareness
This is particularly important when handling conflict or bereavement, where strong emotions like anger and / or distress are being expressed.
An Advanced Coach strives to be fully aware of their emotions, is able to sense or intuitively understand what the coachee is feeling, and make appropriate emotional responses.
2. Cognitive knowledge
By understanding our motives, values and mindsets, we change our emotions and behaviour.
We grow up with family, social and cultural belief patterns, that are self-limiting. We use a variety of methodologies, such as NLP and TA to help reframe much of that negative 'mind-talk' into a positive 'can do' attitude.
We will also help you define your core values and know your 'bottom line' so setting boundaries and contracting becomes a clearer process.
3. Behavioural skills
On the programme we will encourage you to:
- experiment and rehearse as a way of learning through trial and error
- take action - getting on and implementing, rather than talking about it.
- model the behaviour of others - a powerful way of embedding a different way of relating.
- let go of trying to control - doing nothing or waiting is often the hardest behaviour.
4. Transpersonal / existential awareness
Personal crises, achieving a major goal, a successful career or simply "mid life", brings the questions, "What next?", "What's it all about?"
Also, for many in business, spiritual or religious beliefs and practices are rarely voiced, but constantly shape their values and morals.
The Advanced Coach therefore needs to be familiar with their own existential/spiritual journey and how it manifests in others. The executives who hit that confusing phase can then be helped to find clarity and renewed direction.
3: Coaching relationship
Initiating the Coaching relationship
Establishing the contract is critical to the whole process. Agreeing that any measurable parameters are clarified and put in place and financial arrangements and cancellation made clear, ensures that extraneous frustrations are avoided.
Developing the coaching relationship
The quality of the coaching alliance is the key indicator of a successful outcome. Being able to engage in both a highly personal and empathic manner, yet holding an objective and professional position, is the mark of an effective coach.
Utilising our internal reactions as useful data for interventions, knowing how, when and with what strength to challenge or support the coachee's behaviour / attitude requires coaches to have a high "EQ".
Working within agreed professional boundaries and an ethical code
Ensuring confidentiality and how reporting back to the organisation would be conducted.
Attending to how the coaching relationship affects and is affected by the client system.
This raises the phenomena of Parallel Process an intriguing perspective that can be very illuminating.
4: Client system
The executive coachee functions within an organisational context, therefore coaching involves working on four interconnected levels:
1. Executive’s business objectives
The primary reason for entering into a coaching relationship is to improve business results.
This is achieved by clarifying the wider organisational strategy and goals and the link with those of the coachee. Being able to identify and track the implementation of SMART targets. The coach's own business acumen will be of value here, while being watchful of the temptation to give advice!
2. Executives individual identity
As with the coach, the executive has issues around self esteem, values and beliefs, purpose in life and emotional fluency. These are closely woven into the fabric of the goals and relationships of the organisational culture.
The coach's objective is to help the coachee clarify what they want out of work, their ambitions and success criteria and to release blocks, inhibitions and support personal change.
Aligning organisational and personal goals is not always straightforward, but is a necessary focus for an executive coach.
3. People in relationship to the executive
Whilst never separated from the other three areas, there are aspects like leadership, people management and building trust that require specific coaching on communication skills.
Handled well, managing conflict, showing respect, establishing authority, having fun or supporting loss and disappointment opens the door that liberates potential and success.
4. Organisational context
“No man is an island, entire unto himself…..”
The coachee is immersed in an organisation's culture, norms and values. As a leader they should be working on building and shaping it to produce the best results for all the stakeholders. The coach's role is to keep an eye on this bigger picture and comment on the constructive and destructive forces at work.