Read this latest entry in Tim Hawkes's occasional series dissecting popular (and not so popular) coaching models.
In this continuing series exploring coaching models, some are widely applicable, some are more specifically ‘business’ oriented, and some – like the SCORE model – are perhaps best suited to working with an individual who is experiencing specific issues or problems.
SCORE is generally regarded as an NLP rooted model, but is, of course, perfectly useable by any competent coach.
Symptoms – The coach mines for how the client feels; what their current situation might be. Questions such as: ‘What’s happening with you at the moment?’, ‘How are things at work?’ will start the exploration.
Causes – When the opening questions raise an issue, it’s time to seek the causes or causes. If the client expresses frustration and anger with a colleague, the next questions will seek to expose the root cause of the feelings, so: ‘What specifically is he doing to make you feel like this?’ might be a route to take.
Outcomes – The coach might review the first two stages in order to clarify the situation in the client’s mind: ‘I understand that you feel angry and frustrated when he does this…’ and then might seek to find out what this means in a practical day-to-day sense: ‘When you feel that anger, what do you do?’ or ‘How does that anger affect you and your work?’
Resources – Resources are the tools at someone’s disposal, whether within the client, or perhaps in the hands of others, that will help resolve the issue. A coach might ask: ‘When you’ve had feelings like this before, what have you done?’ or ‘Do you know anyone else who has been affected like this? Might they be able to advise you how they got round it?’
Effects – This is simply a look at what the result of a solution might be. If the client can resolve the issues, feel better and less frustrated, perhaps through taking some help or advice from someone who has had a similar experience, then what will then effect of that solution or resolution be? ‘When you no longer feel you need to spend energy and time being angry or frustrated, what will change for you?’ or maybe ‘After this, what happens next?’
Tim Hawkes is managing director of Unlimited Potential
