Association for Coaching
Life Coaching Diploma

‘...options are evaluated, obstacles are removed and actions established which are specific, measurable and time-bound with supporters identified and a review scheduled.’ Graham Alexander, author of SuperCoaching

The last two stages in the GROW model are ‘OW’, which stands for Options and Way Forward. During six hours of live online training, you will discover the skills needed to help your client consider all the possible routes to achieving their goal and then narrow them down to specific actions they will take.

Now that your client has set a goal and is aware of their present situation, they must consider all the possible paths they could take to achieve that goal. Using purposeful and insightful questions, you will learn how to fire up your client’s imagination, enabling them to explore all possible avenues. Your trainer will then introduce the techniques used to rank and filter all these options, resulting in your client selecting the actions they will be motivated to take.

The workbook will enhance your learning in this module, where you will find out how to frame questions so they are open rather than closed and also the power of hypothetical and challenging questions. You will also be introduced to limiting beliefs and apply these to your own experiences.

These live online training sessions blend the creative, brainstorming side of coaching and the pragmatic, solutions-focused element. Combined, they will ensure your client is motivated to take action and ready to move to the next step on their journey.

Advanced GROW 'OW' covers the following topics:

• Core principles of coaching in relation to Options and Way Forward
• Building and sustaining motivation in clients
• Questioning techniques to generate options
• Stepping outside of yourself to consider situations from different perspectives
• Success strategies
• Designing actions
• Helping clients commit to action
• Deep questioning (Part Two)
• Motivational approaches when clients don’t complete their actions
• Dealing with procrastination

‘Seek first to understand and then to be understood.’ Dr Stephen R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The skills learnt in these six hours of live, online training support the framework of the GROW model. We cannot only have a structured coaching session – we also need additional skills to strengthen the relationship between our client and us. Your experienced trainer will help you explore the difference between empathy and sympathy, introduce you to ‘active listening’ and how to respond to clients in a truly non-judgemental manner.

During this training, you will also think about how to challenge a client’s assumptions, helping them to develop a greater awareness of themselves and their actions. You will also look at the technique of reframing – a vital tool that allows us to consider a whole new perspective. Emotional clients can be a significant challenge for even experienced coaches. As you coach clients through key life challenges, it is not surprising that emotions can be stirred – and dealing with this sensitively and with boundaries in place is crucial. Your trainer will teach you vital techniques for this and the importance of the coach retaining control of their coaching sessions.

Your learning will also be supported by the workbook on this topic, where you will explore how your choice of language can help you build rapport with your client. Through several exercises, you will consider the power of tempo and tone, the impact of sensory language and how listening is a skill we can all improve.

Empowering the Coaching Relationship covers the following topics:

• Building rapport
• Establishing trust
• The psychological contract
• Creating complete attention
• Pacing the session
• Expressing empathy
• Being non-judgemental
• Active listening
• Challenging clients
• Reframing
• Developing awareness in clients
• Dealing with client emotions
• State management for coaches
• Retaining control of sessions

‘The self-knowledge that results from DISC will have an immediate and profound impact on your ability to understand, communicate and work with others.’ Bev James, CEO of The Coaching Academy and author of ‘Do it! Or Ditch it.’

Would you like to be able to understand people in minutes rather than months? How much would your coaching improve if you understood your client’s perspective better? Would you like to know what drives you and why you react to situations in a certain way? All of this can be done with the help of DISC.

During your six hours of live online training, you will be introduced to the personality profiling tool known as DISC. Your experienced trainer will guide you through the four DISC personality types and provide you with a firm foundation in using it in all areas of your life. DISC profiling is also an invaluable coaching tool, enabling you to build rapport with your clients by understanding how best to communicate with them.

It is also beneficial to understand your own DISC profile when setting up your business or using your coaching skills in the workplace. Once we know what makes us feel comfortable and what challenges us, we can understand how best to utilise our innate skills and be alert to what we might need to work on.

The DISC workbook supports this understanding by enabling you to assess your own DISC profile and what this means about your personality traits, drivers, preferred communication style and strengths. This will help you personally, with friends and family, as well as professionally.

Introduction to DISC personality profiling covers the following topics:

• How to identify different personality styles
• How to administer a DISC profile
• How to use DISC in a coaching session
• Practical applications of the DISC tool for coaches
• How to communicate effectively with different personality styles
• How to use DISC as a marketing tool to grow your coaching business

‘Amateurs practise till they get it right. Professionals practise till they can’t get it wrong.’ Peter Thompson, business growth strategist

At The Coaching Academy, our belief is ‘coaching heart, commercial mind’. If you want to set up a successful coaching business, these six hours of live online training will help you take your first steps into the practical side of working as a coach. New coaches need the theory behind coaching, but they also require advice on engaging and securing clients.

Your trainer will have their own successful coaching business and will share tips on navigating the steps between enquiries and contracts. This will include explaining what coaching is so that clients will want to sign up with you straight away, how to deal with enquiries, and what information you should provide to potential clients and include in contracts.

We will also cover how to run a successful intake session, whether you should charge for it and how to ensure your client stays ‘on topic’ during this first session. Your experienced trainer will also cover what paperwork you need, how to structure several sessions and whether your client would benefit from completing exercises in between sessions.

Your learning will be supported by a workbook covering the qualities of a good coach and the exercises needed to assess your skills in these areas. There are also practical tips, tools for the intake session, and activities to help strengthen your focus during coaching sessions and remove all external and internal distractions.

The Practicalities of Getting Going as a Coach covers the following topics:

• Responding to telephone enquiries
• Explaining coaching and managing expectations
• Pre-contract information
• Contracts/agreements
• Running an intake session
• Keeping control of sessions
• Not giving advice
• Looking after your own energy
• The image of a professional coach
• Building a series of sessions
• Beginnings and endings of the coaching journey
• Setting homework and exercises

‘The most important opinion a person will ever hold is the one that they hold about themselves.’ Anthony Robbins, personal development expert

How important are our values when it comes to goal setting? How do our beliefs hold us back or help us to achieve our goals? Both of these questions need answering because at the core of every goal is a value, and inside every client are their beliefs.

During this module, you will have six hours of live, online training sessions that begin by defining values and beliefs and their significant role in forming a client’s mindset. Values are important as many people are unaware of their true values, and these must align with their goals, or they won’t be motivated to complete them. Beliefs are equally important because if we hold limiting beliefs about our capabilities, we won’t be confident that we can achieve our goals.

Your experienced trainer will explain the techniques needed to raise your client’s awareness of their values. Through our training, you will gain the confidence to challenge your client’s thinking, enabling them to turn their limiting beliefs into more empowering thoughts and behaviours. A crucial aspect of this module is growing confidence to deliver real change for yourself and those you are coaching.

Your learning will be supported by the module workbook, which contains all the necessary exercises to discover your driving values and how they impact your choices. Similarly, there are exercises to help you recognise which of your own beliefs might be holding you back. Identifying limiting beliefs is often one of the most powerful experiences for new coaches taking our Life Coaching diploma.

Values and Beliefs covers the following topics:

• Definitions of values and beliefs
• Alignment of values and goals
• Importance of values for both coach and client
• Role of beliefs in both coach and client
• Identifying limiting beliefs
• Overcoming limiting belief
• Building confidence in both yourself and your clients

In expanding your knowledge and skills as a professional coach, it is important to be aware of a range of coaching models that can support you to structure a coaching session.

During this 6-hour live online training module you will be introduced to a selection of coaching models, and be allowed to develop your knowledge and understanding, as well as a space to practice their use.

In part 1, you will explore what we mean by ‘coaching models’, and how these can support effective engagement with your clients. Your trainer will introduce you to the GROW model and explain why this is The Coaching Academy’s key framework for assessment and model of excellence. Before delving deeper into other models of coaching, you will touch upon Motivation, and how this serves as a guiding force for all human behaviour. Understanding motivation can be a key component to successful coaching, allowing the coach to have an increased awareness of how and what helps clients feel motivated. As part of this session, you will be introduced to the Motivation Matrix, which can be a useful tool in framing your conversation with clients.Part 1 is also where you will learn about your first model of coaching (outside of GROW). Your trainer will guide you through Whittleworth & Gilbert’s 2002 OSCAR model of coaching, as you are taken on a journey through its background and history, as well as what this model can be used for. There will be plenty of time to put your new knowledge into practice, through small group exercises.

In part 2, you will learn about the CIGAR model of coaching, which, as a useful alternative to GROW, reflects how a session often begins; with the client bringing their reality first. Peter Hawkins’ CLEAR model is next up, as your trainer will help you to explore its origins. A predecessor of GROW, it is still considered a functional alternative for managers and coaches, placing a strong emphasis on the need for coaching and mentoring in today’s fast and competitive business environment to promote employee growth.

You will start to understand the subtle nuances and differences in each model, for example, unlike other coaching models where there is a structure to them, in CLEAR there are elements that could occur at any time, making it a more fluid way of coaching. You will once again have plenty of opportunities to put your learnings into action, as your trainer facilitates lots of interactive activities and practice coaching.

In the final session, Part 3, you will take a look at the STEPPA model, developed by world-renowned coach and instructor, Dr. Angus McLeod. This model is primarily utilised as a technique when there are difficult emotions in play which need to be overcome, acting as a framework to assist coaches both during coaching sessions and afterward to reflect upon coaching practice. You will develop an understanding of the areas where STEPPA can be most useful, as well as the types of questions that can be used within your coaching. As a group, you will look at the benefits and drawbacks of this model, as well as the time to put it into practice.

Your learning is supported by an accompanying module workbook, as well as an interactive handout. Your trainer will facilitate lots of interactive exercises, group discussions, and practice throughout, as well as share their own experiences and knowledge, to provide a well-rounded and informative module. By the end of this session, you will have a more rounded understanding and awareness of how using models can provide an effective framework for your coaching, as well as how subtle differences can be used within different coaching environments.