setting in coaching
Effective goal
By setting goals, we focus our aims. By setting milestones and
documenting the steps taken, we maintain our motivation while
recognising what we have achieved along the way.
Coach the CoachFacilitating learning
Coach the Coach • Issue 3 Coach the Coach • ©Fenman Limited 2004
Why goals are important
To survive in life we all develop
goal-oriented habits, but for some
of us setting goals is easier than
for others. In a coaching context,
in order for the coach to help a
client move forward, the client
needs to have an idea of what they
want to be, to have or to do.
Each coaching situation is based
around the goal of helping the
client get from where they are now
to where they want to be in the
future – in simple terms, what they
want and how they will achieve it.
Another key aspect of goal
achievement is the why. Without a
sufficiently compelling need to
achieve something, it is easy to
excuse ourselves for not achieving
it. Goals are fundamentally linked
to our values in life, and it is part
of the coach’s role to help the
client to identify the motivations
behind their particular goals in
life, and to work on the steps they
need to take.
The benefits of goal setting
One key benefit of setting goals is
how we feel as we achieve them.
As a coach, I encourage clients to
reward themselves as they make
progress towards the major goals
that they have set themselves.
Documenting these goals also
provides a record so that we can
actually see what we have
achieved.
In coaching terms, documenting
both end goals and performance
goals at the start of a coaching
process has another benefit. It
helps both client and coach to
know when progress is being
made and what adjustments might
be helpful to the process.
In this model the coach is
encouraged to review the whole
process with the client, not just the
goal in isolation.
Goal
s Agree topic for discussion.
s Agree specific objective of
session.
s Set long-term aim, if appropriate.
Reality
s Invite self-assessment.
s Offer specific examples of
feedback.
s Avoid or check assumptions.
s Discard irrelevant history.
Options
s Cover the full range of options.
s Invite suggestions from the
client.
s Offer suggestions carefully.
s Ensure choices are made.
Wrap-up
s Commit to action.
s Identify possible obstacles.
s Make steps specific and define
timing.
s Agree support.
Tips for using the model
s Use ‘ask’ rather than ‘tell’. Elicit
ideas; don’t try to prove you are
smart. This is about them and
not about you.
s Think creatively, not just systematically,
particularly in the last
two stages.
s Illustrate and check understanding
by using specific examples
from your experiences.
s If you have a follow-up session,
you can lengthen or shorten each
of the four steps as needed.
I have found it useful in coaching
situations to test the degree of
commitment to action on a scale of
0 to 10. If the commitment level is
less than 10, that provides the
opportunity to explore what else
would need to happen to raise the
commitment a point higher on the
scale.
Well formed outcome
This is a term borrowed from
Neuro Linguistic Programming
(NLP), and once again it
encourages us to look at our goals
in a broader context.
The well formed outcome takes the
client through the following steps:
1 State the goal or outcome
positively – What do you want,
specifically?
2 Create a sensory representation
of that goal – How will you
know when you have it?
3 Start the process – What needs to
happen to start and keep it
going?
4 Collaborate – What do
significant others want and how
can they help you?
5 Put your goal in context – When,
where, with whom?
6 Positive by-products – What will
you lose if you achieve your
goal? What is the benefit of
staying just as you are?
7 Resources – What physical,
emotional and financial resources
do you need?
8 Ecology – What are the consequences
for you and others, and
are those consequences worth it?
9 Action – What is the first step
you will take?
Both the GROW model and the
well formed outcome have themes
in common with EPP. This serves
to demonstrate that there is no
‘one size fits all’ approach. Whether
you are an experienced coach or a
novice, I would encourage you to
explore the different approaches
to goal setting, so that you have
greater flexibility to support
your clients in the ways that best
suit them.
Jan Brause is a freelance professional coach and development consultant. Her
focus is on providing creative and flexible development solutions for performance
improvement. She has worked with clients in both the public and the private
sectors. Jan is a qualified coach, a member of the Association for Coaching and an
INLPTA-trained master practitioner.
• Telephone: +44 (0)844 779 1461
• E-mail: jan@janbrause.co.uk
• Website: www.janbrause.co.uk
Key learning points
x Goal setting is part of a broader
coaching process and therefore
should not be approached in
isolation.
x It is important to understand the
impact of language on goals.
x We are all motivated in different
ways, so the coach needs to work
with the client to help them develop
helpful motivational strategies.
x It is important to help clients to
enjoy their journey towards their
end goal.
x Any model for goal setting should
focus on the process as well as on
the result.
Jan Brause
Fig. 2: The GROW model
GOAL
REALITY
OPTIONWRAP-UP
objective to complete a trek at the
end of this year – the end goal. In
order to do this, there are certain
milestones she has set herself. These
include regular weekend walks,
dance and aerobics classes to
improve her stamina. She needs to
have booked the trek by the end of
the summer and to have purchased
certain items of clothing and so on.
These are the performance goals.
The process she uses is something
that works for her, and that keeps
her motivated to reach each
milestone and ultimately achieve
her end goal. She identifies friends
to walk with, she researches the
best products to buy, and she talks
to others who have done similar
treks. All these activities help to
ensure that the journey to her
destination is a rich, sensory and
enjoyable experience.
As a coach, you will be invaluable
to your client if you can help them
to work out the milestones and
encourage them to enjoy the
process of achieving their goals.
Understanding language and
motivation
At times we all dream about things
that we might like to do. The world
of fantasy is wonderful, but if we
really want to achieve, we need to
think about the language we use for
goal setting.
As a coach you may hear clients
say things like ‘I wish’, ‘I should’,
‘I must’ and ‘I ought’. Words like
these are loaded with negativity
and serve to reinforce any limiting
beliefs that the client may have.
They are cues for the coach to
challenge in order to help the client
to identify what they really do want.
It may be useful at this point to
explore motivation to achieve goals.
Some people are motivated towards
a particular outcome, whilst others
are motivated away from it. This is
often described as being in pursuit
of pleasure or avoiding pain. Listen
to the language of people around
you for a short while and you will
pick up on their motivation
strategy. If you hear a lot of ‘I don’t
want’, then the emphasis is away
from motivation. If you hear a lot
of ‘I want’, then the emphasis is
towards motivation. Most people
have a mix of the two. It is
important to recognise that, to be
more effective at obtaining that
desired outcome, we do need to
know what, specifically, it is.
Another important feature of the
language we use in goal setting is
the use of the present tense.
Encourage clients to imagine they
have already achieved their goal and
ask them to describe, in the present
tense, what it looks, sounds and
feels like. That is a great way to
reinforce their motivation to achieve
it. Creating a simple anchor for this
scenario will mean that they can
access it at any time.
I have my own goals written down
as if I had achieved them. I have
posted them on the wall next to my
computer. This way, if I lose focus
or motivation I can simply read
them in the present tense to remind
myself what achieving these goals
feels like to me.
There are a whole range of
techniques and methods that
coaches can use to help their clients
to be more effective at goal setting.
A few of the ones I use are listed in
the box above. You will probably
have several others of your own to
add to the list.
Coaching models and
frameworks
In our discussion about goal setting
so far, it has become clear that
setting a goal is not an isolated
activity. It is part of a process.
Without the process, the chances of
achieving the goal are reduced.
I have described the EPP model for
goal setting, but there are several
other frameworks that assist
coaches when working with clients.
The GROW model
The GROW model, which was
developed by Graham Alexander, is
probably one of the most well
known and used models in coaching.
It is represented in a cyclical format
in the model below, but in reality
when coaching the process is not so
rigid. We may find ourselves moving
backwards and forwards across the
four areas. In my opinion, GROW is
a great framework for coaching.
Each stage can be adapted and
enhanced to meet the specific needs
of the client situation.
The dangers of goal setting
Whilst it has to be said that goals
are extremely helpful, it is important
to recognise that there is a danger in
setting them: we may totally focus
on our goals, miss opportunities
along the way, and become hugely
dissatisfied if we don’t achieve
our goals.
There is a lovely analogy I came
across several years ago when first
introduced to coaching. This is
based on climbing a mountain. It
describes three different approaches
to doing this.
1 The Climber
The path may not be direct, but the
Climber enjoys each step.
The goal is enough reason to get to
the top. The act of climbing the
mountain motivates the Climber.
Climbing is not about getting to the
top, it’s about enjoying the journey
and making it more interesting.
2 The Goal-seeker
The Goal-seeker takes two steps
forward and one step back.
Climbing mountains gives no
pleasure; getting goals is important.
The Goal-seeker hates climbing
mountains. All their attention is
focused on the top, so they miss the
views and flowers along the way.
Once at the top, they are dissatisfied.
Too much is dependent on the goal –
all the satisfaction is invested in
arriving at the top of the mountain.
3 The Slammer
For the Slammer, the goal has to be
achieved now. It’s a matter of slam –
bloody nose – blame the mountain.
The Slammer is constantly hitting a
brick wall. Their need to be right is
greater than their need to achieve,
perform and be successful.
When working with clients as a
coach, it is useful to understand
which approach they are taking to get
to their goals. The coach should
support and encourage their client to
climb the mountain (in other words,
to keep their end goal in mind) and
also help them to set milestones along
the way (their performance goals).
Those will help them to stay
motivated and to know that they are
getting there.
Over my 15 years in coaching, I have
developed this as the EPP model.
Figure 1 illustrates the model.
Let’s talk about the difference
between end goals and performance
goals for a moment. An end goal is
what we want to achieve as a major
objective or outcome. In most cases,
there are milestones along the way
that will help us achieve our ultimate
objective, and we might approach the
task in a particular way – the process.
For example, a friend of mine has the
Effective goal setting in coaching
Coach the Coach Coach the Coach
client to help them develop motivational strategies
Work with the
Fig. 1: The EPP model
1 Document them.
2 Attach dates to your goals and
review regularly.
3 Create milestones along the way –
performance goals – and reward
yourself when you achieve them.
4 Identify how you will know when you
have achieved your goals.
5 Visualise yourself achieving the goal
in all its sensory glory – what will it
look sound, feel, smell, taste like?
6 Write them in the present tense –
a form of affirmation.
7 Find people to support you along
the way.
8 Identify the first step and take it.
Tips for effective goal setting
End goal
Working towards the end goal
(EPP model)
Step 3
By focusing on steps 1 and 2, we shall find
step 3 (end goal) becomes easier to achieve
Step 2
Step 1
Performance goal
Process