The CTI Co-Active Coaching Model

In "co-active" coaching the client and the coach form an alliance as equals and stay actively engaged with the intention of meeting the client's needs. My intensive training through the Coaches Training Institute included emphasis on their Co-Active Coaching Model, which I will try to give an over view of here, because I feel it will be helpful for you to have at least some knowledge of the principles and tools I will be using when I work with you.

Cornerstones (the 4 corners)

• The client is naturally creative, resourceful & whole.

• The agenda comes from the client.

• The coach dances in the moment.

• Co-active coaching addresses the client's whole life.

Designed Alliance (encircling the principles and contexts)

Principles (center of the star)

• Fulfillment

• Balance

• Process

Contexts (points of the star)

• Listening

• Curiosity

• Intuition

• Self Management

• Forward the action / deepen the learning

Now, let's briefly look at each of these important elements. The following text is borrowed and or paraphrased from the CTI Manual: "Co-Active Coaching - New skills for coaching people toward success", by Laura Whitworth, Karen & Henry Kimsey-House and Phillip Sandahl. It is a fabulous book, that I would recommend to anyone interested in the coaching process as either a coach or a client.

The Four Cornerstones

These four cornerstones form the foundation of co-active coaching:

The Client is Naturally Creative, Resourceful and Whole.

We are taught to approach our coaching practice from the belief that clients have the answers or they can find the answers if they are asked the right questions. From the co-active coach's point of view nothing is wrong or broken and there is no need to "fix" the client. We are simply discovering, uncovering or polishing the treasure that you already are.

The Agenda Comes from the Client

This means that the coach / client relationship is focused on getting the results that the client wants, not what the coach or anyone else thinks is best for the client. It is the coach's task to ensure that the clients are always steering towards fulfillment and balance, and are able to engage in the process of their lives.

The Coach Dances in the Moment

Quite often when we start working with one issue or inquiry, we will find that there is something else underneath or behind it that will pop up. Dancing in the moment means that we will deal with or just be with whatever comes up in each moment and know that what ever arises and wherever you are in this moment is the perfect place for you right now. Everything that is happening is an opportunity for learning and movement.

Co-Active Coaching Addresses the Client's Whole Life

Because we are human being and not programs set to perform a specific function & no other, we often cannot separate or compartmentalize the different aspects of our lives into neat little boxes. Everything is connected in some way and so co-active coaching relationships must be able to work with aspects of every area of a person's life: work, home, family, relationship, money, sex & intimacy and so on.

Designed Alliance (encircling the principles and contexts)

The Designed Alliance is the container that the coach and client create together, in which the coaching takes place. Each alliance will be unique to the coach and client and it has the ability to shift and change with the needs of the coaching relationship and the specific client. The designing of the alliance usually takes place during the "Discovery Session", where the client and coach talk openly about how they will work together and what agreements must be in place in order for this relationship to be as effective as possible in meeting the client's needs.

Principles (center of the star)

Fulfillment

Each person's concept of what is fulfilling is unique and intensely personal. Fulfillment does not have to be a long term goal or an elusive dream of the future. It is available to each of us today, in each moment, by living in harmony with what we most value now. Achieving goals can be very satisfying indeed, but most clients find that living a life on purpose, on the path toward the goal is fulfilling as well.

Balance

Because life is always in motion, balance is a dynamic concept. We are always moving toward balance or away from it. It is never static, or a destination to be reached once and for all. When we approach a coaching session from the principle of "balance", we will determine what perspective you are holding about the issue in question, and then brainstorm together and explore other possible perspectives to give you access to a variety of choices. The power of conscious choice gives you far greater control over your life and from there you (with the coach's help at times) have the ability to create a plan of action, commit to that plan and move forward with greater confidence and certainty.

Process

We are always in the process of our lives. Sometimes it looks elegant, graceful and flowing and sometimes it is stuck in the mud. Sometimes it is beautiful and joyful and other times it is painful and really hard to bear. Where ever we are in process is where we are - whether we like it there or not. It sometimes "just is what it is". Skipping through the process quickly or avoiding feeling your feelings will sometimes delay the process. The old saying: "That which we resist, persists" comes to mind. The coach's function at times will be to just be with the client where they are, and help the client to go through the process so that they can get to the other side.

The 5 Contexts

In the Co-active coaching model, the client is the "star" and at the center of the star are the client's Fulfillment, Balance and Process. Focused in on the client and their fulfillment, balance & process, are the five contexts of Co-Active Coaching: listening, curiosity, intuition, self management and forward the action / deepen the learning. Together within the parameters of the Designed Alliance, these contexts will help to create the ground in which the coaching unfolds.

Listening

It seems rather obvious that a coach would have to listen to the client, however there are many ways to listen to someone and on several different levels. Sometimes listening to what you are avoiding saying or to what you are saying with your tone, body language or other non verbal communications, is every bit as important as what you do say. I promise to do my best to hear everything you want to communicate to me as well and then some.

Curiosity

One of the coach's primary jobs is to be curious and ask provocative, open ended and inviting questions that will invite the client to look in a direction or another, but with no preconceived conclusion. These are not leading questions, and the coach is not attached to the answer they receive. If it is not a fruitful or relevant place to look, the client will know and say so, or the coach will see that it was a dead end and ask a different question.

Exploring together from the context of curiosity allows for non threatening exploration from a playful and innocent state, full of wonder and lacking in judgment. Curious questions like, "I wonder what you want?" "I wonder what your life would be like if you could design it anyway you like." "I wonder what is holding you back" can be fun & exciting or even powerful and surprising to ponder.

Intuition

Our intuition or sixth sense, tells us things about our environment that the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste & touch cannot tell us if we develop, strengthen and learn to listen to it. Quite often we can get a "gut reaction" and not listen to it because we do not trust our intuition or instincts. In Co-active coaching we are taught that it is not so much about "being right" with our intuition, but the key is to have our senses sensitively tuned in to pick up signals, and then to speak directly from that place of intuition and then dance in the moment with what ever shows up.

Self Management

In order for the coach to hold the client's agenda in the forefront, he or she must be able to effectively manage "their own stuff" in lots of different ways. This can range from keeping an open mind when presented with something that the coach has strong personal feelings about, to not rushing in to "give the answer" or rescue a client when they seem "stuck", and also keeping in mind that your answer as the coach may not be the right answer at all for the client.

We all have our own experiences, opinions and approaches to doing things but it is important for the coach to remember that the client has or can find his or her own answer and that the coach's job is to simply find the questions that reveal it.

Forward the Action / Deepen the Learning

One of the things that sets a coaching relationship apart from other similar ones is the focus on the client's action. Clients come to coaching with a desire to move forward in their lives which is why "forwarding the action" is a core quality. Over time the client can see the progress of these actions but in the process of doing there is often also a lot of learning that takes place. Learning comes in many forms, from what they learn about themselves and their desires, to what they learn through their actions and even what they learn by not taking action. This is why the co-active model pairs "deepening the learning" with "forwarding the action".