Life Wheel - Getting Started at the Macro Level

Here is another example of using a 'life wheel' to open the conversation about 'wants, needs, desires' and goals. This is a sort of 'health check' on the aspects of a person's life that they feel are important at this time. Using the wheel as shown, decide which area you want to start with (for example Business/Career) and ask the question "How satisfied are you at this moment, with your business, career or work life?". Rate this on the scale using: 10 = fully satisfied and 1 = not at all satisfied. Repeat the process with the other life elements on the wheel. If your coachee says that an area is not relevant to them then don't push the point, move on and come back to it, or leave it out. Having identified the satisfaction level you could either:

• Ask them to describe (See, Hear & Feel) what their experience would need to be to score 10.


• Use a blank wheel of life to focus in on the things that make up that aspect, moving to a micro level.

Once you have where they are now and their ideal level of satisfaction you have a 'gap' that can form the basis of coaching. An individual describing their ideal, most satisfied experience, is almost describing their end goal. How can this be turned into a relistic goal with smaller step goals along the way. From here a GROW conversation can move the coaching session forward.

Three Approaches to Coaching

Within the Columbus workshop we focus on the 'empowering' nature of coaching as a development process, especially when it comes to establishing options. For consideration are alternative appraches that in certain situations may be more appropriate:

• Directive Coach - the coach tells the coachee what he/she must do. A solution is given to the coachee. "What you need to do is ........". The coach needs to consider the balance between the coachees commitment and complience if this approach is used.


• Consultative Coach - the coach recalls a personal experience similar to the coachee's situation and explains what he/she did at that time and the result it had. This offers an additional 'option' for the coachee to evaluate as a possibility.


• Empowering Coach - the style explored during the workshop in which the coachee is encouraged to generate many options (sometimes quite creatively) for later consideration.