What prompts a desire or a need for coaching is usually a state
of incongruence. Maybe we feel we are working in a way that
contradicts what we feel is really important. Or maybe we are
contemplating a decision that means sacrificing some of our
commitments to people who are important to us. Or perhaps
we know that we are just not working to the best of our ability.
Whatever the situation, any incongruence will mean that we
are limiting or even blocking ourselves from achieving what we
are really capable of. Sometimes this incongruence occurs
because we choose to delete what we intuitively know is not
right and hope that things will sort themselves out over time.
And although this might sometimes happen, it is more likely
that things will deteriorate. The longer we ignore the issues,
the more of a challenge they become to resolve.
One of the simplest and yet sometimes most powerful ways
of using the logical levels of change model is to coach using
questions to chunk up and chunk down the levels to recognize
in what ways you are (or are not) making a decision that is
congruent. The questions with which to do this are shown in
the following diagram.One of the biggest influences we have as a coach is our belief
in the person with whom we are working. If we cannot imagine362 NLP AT WORK
The ladder to success
Purpose
IdentityBeliefs and valuesCapabilitiesBehaviorEnvironmentWhat does this enable me to
contribute to others?How does this fit with who I am
(becoming)?
How does this fit with what is
important for me?
How does this draw on my
capabilities?
What do I want to do?
Does my
environment fit?How does that enhance my sense of who
I am (becoming)?
How does that reinforce what is
important for me?
What (further) capabilities can I
strengthen/draw on/develop?
What specifically will I do now?
How will that influence my
environment/how can my
environment support me?