TOOLBOX Theory / Teaching Notes

Coaching Tools

Tools for identifying issues that need to be addressed

The Toolbox contains a number of self-assessment questionnaires whose purpose is to identify potential issues to be addressed in the coaching process.  The first two of these questionnaires on instinctive feelings and SWOT analysis have general application and the remainder have been specifically tailored for musicians.

Self-assessment questionnaires

General Tools

Instinctive Feelings Questionnaire

Very often when clients come to one-to-one coaching is because of one of the following about which they have very strong feelings.

• They have an issue or issues that have been bothering them for some time
  

• They have been in denial about something
• The have got a  wake-up call about something

These are the issues that they would be most likely to address in the initial phase of their coaching.

See Instinctive  Feeling Questionnaire

SWOT ANALYSIS

The purpose of a SWOT analysis is to highlight a persons strengths and weaknesses that are internal to themselves and opportunities and threats which are external. 
This is a good source for identifying issues.
There is a danger in coaching that we might focus all of our efforts in working on perceived problems.  It is equally important that we identify what our strengths are and develop those to their maximum potential.  
See  SWOT Questionnaire

Tools Specific to musicians

Purpose and motivation Questionnairre

By filling out this questionnaire you will have a good idea if you have a clear vision about your involvement in music and how well motivated you are to commit to your music.
See Questionnaire

Music skills Questionnaire

This questionnaire will highlight the music skills that need your attention
See Questionnaire

Non-music skills Questionnaire

This questionnaire will highlight the non-music skills that need to attach
See Questionnaire

Self-assessment worksheet

The purpose of the Self Assessment Worksheets is to identify and  prioritise issues that need attention by reviewing the answers to the you give to the Self-Assessment Questionnaires.

See Worksheet

Tools for working with issues

Commentary

gOAL sETTING

The purpose of goal setting is to provide a focus to an activity which will enhance the prospects of its being achieved.
More

Smart Goals

Goal setting is a skill in itself and it is important that the goals we construct for ourselves stand up to scrutiny. That is why the coaching community has put an emphasis on constructing goals which are considered to be “SMART”.

It is also important that we evaluate and review our goals from time to time and help us remember this we add the letters E and R to SMART to give us SMARTER. If we construct smart goals for ourselves and evaluate and review them from time to time we will enhance considerably our chances of achieving them.

 S=Specific
· Any smart goal, whether it is short-term or long-term, needs to be specific. A broad general wish as to where you want to go will not have the capacity to motivate you to necessary action

M= Measurable
A smart goal must have measurable targets by which progress can be monitored

A= Action Orientated
In order to build up momentum for your project a smart goal must be action orientated  with a list of action steps that you have to take to achieve it

R= Realistic
When setting goals you must be realistic.  There is no point in setting goals for yourself that are outside your capacity to achieve as you will only become disillusioned, as you fail to achieve them

T= Time based
Realistic goals also require that the action steps be time based.  This has the effect of focussing you to achieve your goal within a defined period of time, otherwise it is little more than a wish list

More

The Grow Model

One of the most widely used tools is called the GROW MODEL which enables users to map where they are now as compared with where they want to go and helps them to identify the steps necessary to get there 

G=Goal
·This is the end point, where the client wants to be. The goal has to be defined in such a way that it is very clear to the client when they have achieved it.

 R=Reality
The Current Reality is where the client is now. What are the issues, the challenges they are facing, how far are they away from their goal? 

O=Obstacles and Options
Obstacles
There will be Obstacles stopping the client getting from where they are now to where they want to go. If there were no Obstacles the client would already have reached their goal.
Options
·Once Obstacles have been identified, the client  needs to find ways of dealing with them if they are to make progress. These are the Options. 

W=Way Forward
The Options then need to be converted into action steps which will take the client to their goal. These constitute the Way Forward.
More

Tool: See Template

Commentary

types of Goals

Career/ Life Goals
These are broad general goals that you might have for your career or for your life and their purpose is to give you  a sense of direction and a sense of purpose.

Operational Goals
The second type is operational goals and these are the smaller more day-to-day or week–to- week goals, which we need to carry out in order to achieve our career/life goals.

The career/life goal is over arching and will probably be supported by a number of operational goals.So for example a career/life goal could be to become a concert pianist while  is the operational goal could be to practice five days a week.

 The role of Focused Intention and 
Focussed  Attention

Focus your intention on where you want to go in your life
When you construct your smart goals, it is important that you convert them into a broad general intention as to where you want to go with your particular project. But this is not what you focus on every day. The advice generally is having set your intention you let it go for now and then review it from time to time

Focus your attention on what you need to do in order to get there
It is important that you give focussed attention to your project. What you give your attention to grows. So you need to focus your attention on the action steps that need to be taken in order to complete the project or to meet the goal. Particular emphasis should be placed on the very next step that is needed

If, for instance,  a person wishes to be a professional concert pianist then this  is the general intention to which they should aspire and review and evaluate from time to time. On a daily basis they should give their attention to the necessary practice which they have to do in order to achieve this intention.

Tools for reviewing issues

Commentary

Periodic eVALUATION AND REVIEW

You Smart Goals become smarter goals when you add on the two letters E and R which stand for Evaluation and Review.  Depending on the timeframe you have set yourself it is important to carry out a review of any goals you have set yourself on a periodic basis.  This could be once a month or once every couple of months. This will take the form of answering a series of questions and deciding on a new set of action steps you should take.  This takes the form of focussed analysis and focused action

Focused Analysis

Focused analysis is a technique whereby instead of carrying out a comprehensive review of all of your activities you ask a number of key questions which have the capacity to provide you with a quality overview of the activity / project

 What is working well?

•  Really Well
  
•  Just about
  

What is not working well?

•  Very Badly
  
•  Just about
  

 What else? / Anything else?
Most people involved in an activity know what is going well and what is going badly but by asking the extra question What else?/Anything else? It provides a opportunity for difficulties to be identified that may otherwise remained hidden.

Tool: See Template

What now needs to be done?
Having got the answers to the above questions, it is now time to move on to the next step which is focused action

Focused Action

The answers to the above questions will have provided you with new insights in relation to the progress you are making towards your goal? Is there a need to redouble your efforts? Is there a need to change course?  Is there a need to modify your goal? 

You now need to ask yourself the following questions

• What do I need to start doing?
  
• What do I need to continue doing?
  
• What do I need stop doing?

Next Steps
The answers to these questions will help you to generate the next steps you need to take and particularly the next action.
 Timeline
You are now in a position to construct a timeline for the period ahead which will include a number of milestones which will assist you in keeping the project on track

Tool: See Template

Next

This completes the text on the theory.  In the next section which deals with the process-we show you how to put it all together and apply it.. Link

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