COACHING APPROACH 

MY AREA OF EXPERTISE

My area of coaching expertise is behavior and transformational coaching, focused on the development of leadership competences, and the transformation of behaviors and situations for individual clients.

Transformational coaching goals can include developing specific leadership competences (as part of behavior transformation), or transforming a current challenge (or behavior) an executive is facing. A coaching program goal can also consist in accompanying the client during a particular phase of his/her professional life (e.g. start of new role or project), which feels particularly difficult or challenging.

MY UNIQUENESS

My uniqueness arises from the use of a 5-element transformation model for coaching which incorporates the use of techniques and principles from metaphysics and alternative therapies (mental and emotional deprogramming, kinesiology testing, energy therapy). These techniques are incorporated in the preparation of the program and sessions, as well, as and during the sessions (see Coaching Methodology section below).

Before accepting an assignment, a prediscussion is held with each client to explain my coaching approach and focus, and understand a number of key points to see whether there is meaningful coaching match with my area of expertise and focus. 

The most important point to understand is the client’s goal for teh coaching program. Understand whether the client is looking for the development of specific leadership competences, transforming behaviors, or a challenge he is currently facing. As part of this point, it is key to understand the goal and the circumstances around it as detailed as possible.

My working principle is that coaching programs should have an end relating to the program’s goal (i.e. a coaching program should not extend indefinitely). This should also be clear as part of the client’s goaL.

As part of my uniqueness, in my coaching programs, I bring along my business experience & acumen, my own life experiences, personal development and therapy background. Throughout my 20+ years business career I have experienced myself many of the situations that executives face on their professional lives (from dealing with change, to having to step out of my comfort zone and develop new competences, experiencing a restructuring or being in career transition to mention a few). Having lived similar situations allows me to have a deep understanding of the situation the client is living and to build credibility and rapport.

THE 5 ELEMENTS TRANSFORMATION MODEL

My coaching methodology consists of a transformation model comprised of 5 elements: 1) Goals, 2) Consciousness, 3) Learning, 4) Energy and 5) Transformation.

The model is a transformation cycle which starts on the element Goals, moves towards Consciousness, continues the cycle to Learning, then to Energy, moving them to the Transformation element and finishing again on the element Goals. The model pursues the outside transformation of reality by generating first an inner transformation in the client. The methodology is well suited for situations and transformation processes which are emotionally charged for the client.

The methodology incorporates the use of techniques arising from alternative therapies throughout the different elements.

ELEMENT GOALS

The agreed coaching program goals are the starting point and anchor of the whole coaching methodology. Based on the agreed goal/s for the coaching program, the coaching program is individually designed for each client. The design acts as a guidance on how the client can best transit through the 5 transformation elements towards his/her goal.

The actual program content is the outcome of a top down and bottom up approach.

The top down approach consists of the program design, which is carried out by identifying the general direction of the program using Kinesiology testing. This technique is used to find information on how the person can best reach the coaching goal. The outcome of top down approach serves as a general guidance for questions and areas to generate introspection in the client, and to identify potential areas of inner works for the element Energy. An update of the top down approach is done before each session.

The bottom up approach consists of the actual topics that the client brings up during the sessions in the Consciousness element of the model.

The actual content of a session is the result of the interaction of the top down and bottom up approach. To make sure that the sessions flow as much as possible with the client’s own rhythm, priority is given to the bottom up approach; i.e. to the topics that the client brings himself.

ELEMENT CONSCIOUSNESS

The Consciousness element is designed to generate self introspection in the client through active questioning and listening. The aim is to develop awareness and consciousness on the client on how he/she is perceiving his starting point or current situation in reaching the goal.

Explicitly this element focuses on helping the client to identify what are the beliefs, perceptions, emotions and behaviour patterns that are behind his/her perception of reality, and to make him/her aware what his/her perception is filtering from the actual reality and is not being perceived. The objective is to make the client aware of why he/she perceives the situation in a certain manner (for example as challenging), but also what he/she does not see from the actual situation (whether positive or negative).

By helping the client expanding his consciousness in relation to his/her situation and his/her goal, the client can understand the need for internal change and advancement.

ELEMENT LEARNING

The purpose of the element Learning is to support the client in finding in which direction the changes need to happen in order to achieve his/her coaching goal. The element Learning does not generate specific solutions to reach the goal (this is done later on the Transformation element), rather its purpose is to help the client identify the generic direction of change, so that that this information can sink in and the client can reframe his/her current situation, before developing specific solutions or paths to attain the goal.

ELEMENT ENERGY

The element Energy uses techniques from alternative therapies -in particular mental and emotional deprogramming and energy work- to reinforce the client’s ability to transform his/her situation and accomplish the goal.

The element Energy focus is to:

• weaken the internal roadblocks (limiting beliefs, negative emotions and behaviour patterns) that stay in the way to achieve the coaching goals
• strengthen the personality traits (emotions, behaviour, positive beliefs) which would help to reach the coaching goals
• release the client’s emotional charge in the transformation process (if needed)

The specific areas/topics to work on are the outcome of the previous elements and are discussed with the client. In this element, the client remains quiet and focuses on him/herself. The energy Element is normally incorporated in each session and last approximately 15 minutes per session (out of a total of 80 minutes per coaching session).

ELEMENT TRANSFORMATION

The element Transformation provides a safe environment for the client to rehearse and test specific solutions and new ways of action to reach the goal. By using sparring partner techniques, the client can safely go outside his comfort zone and explore new areas and behaviours. The element Transformation may also bring to light further inner limitations/blockages to work on later sessions.

The element Transformation completes the 5 Element Transformation model.  The goal of the previous elements is to bring the client at a point where he understands his starting situation with an expanded consciousness, sees the need for change and the direction of change, feels that his inner roadblocks are weakened and that his inner positive traits are strengthened. Once the client reaches this point, he is in an optimal position to consciously reframe and transform the starting situation through actions that involve new behaviours that allow him to achieve his goal.