“what” and the “how” of what they do and not the “why.”
Check out their thinking at each of the logical levels. For
example, you can ask them:
❏ ”What are you aware of in your environment?”
❏ ”What are you saying and doing?” (Useful to compare this
with what they are actually said and did in your
observations.)
❏ ”What are you thinking?” (Watch their eye movements,
which will give more information about their internal
strategy than their conscious answer to the question.) If
you notice them using visual eye accessing cues, for
example, ask them, “What do you see?”
❏ ”What are your capabilities?”—one of them will be the
skill you are modeling.
❏ ”What is important to you at this time?” (This is to elicit
values.)
❏ “What do you believe?”—about yourself, about others,
about the situation.
❏ ”How would you describe yourself?” (What is your identity?)
❏ “How do you connect with other systems of which you are
a part?”
Get feedback throughout to ensure that your subject is
comfortable and happy with the way you are going about this.
5 Have someone else model the skill and compare your
findings with theirs.
6 Now reproduce the thinking and behavior patterns of your
subject so that you take on their strategy.
7Test your model by taking away one element at a time as
you use it. If the element isn’t key to the process it won’t
make any difference. In some cases taking away an element
may even enhance the process.
8 Do the results that you achieve match the results that your
model achieves? If they do you have been successful; if
they don’t, go back and find out what other elements make
a difference.
9 Note down the strategy so that you can continue to use and,
if appropriate, develop it.
MODELING 169