Partners in Performance Blog

Coaching for Results: Focus, Intention, Means


Coaching-for-Results-ModelWhether you’re coaching an employee or yourself, to use coaching for results you need a model that works to bring about high performance. I’ve used a good model for years and can apply it to any client situation. It works really well with sales and presentations. Here is a recent sample of a coaching session where I demonstrate the model I use.

The key to a good model is that it must be useful. As stated in wikipedia “Conceptual models represent human intentions or semantics…conceptual modeling is the necessary means humans employ to think and solve problems.”

My ‘go to’ model when it comes to understanding how to achieve high performance is my Integrated High Performance Model. I used it to set the stage recently when I was interviewed by Denise Wakeman in her series ‘Conversations with Experts’.

The topic was How to Sell with Intention to Create More Results. The model resonated for more than a few people.

The Model in Action: Focus, Intention, Means

One person called me after the interview and told me that she was stuck about achieving her goal of becoming a Business Coach. Her past business and personal experience provided a solid foundation to make this transition. She had also taken a very reputable coach training program and had an outstanding experience. It was something she wanted to pursue. Yet considerable time had lapsed and she had done nothing about it.

So…my brain naturally went to my model: Focus, Intention, and Means

Starting with the Focus component, I started asking her questions about what she imagined (her vision) and her goals. It didn’t take long for her to realize that while she had a notion about what she wanted, she hadn’t yet articulated a clear vision with concrete goals. Focus is critical. You have to know clearly and specifically what you want. A fuzzy notion is like a cloud.

We then began to explore the Intention component. I asked her “What is stopping you from moving forward?” At first she said she didn’t know. And then I asked her “What if you did know?” and waited in silence. She paused. But it didn’t take her long to answer and self discover that she was afraid.

  • What if it didn’t work?
  • What if she screwed up?

Even as she was uttering the words she was aware that these thoughts were simply limiting assumptions. After some discussion and exploration she was able to reframe her limiting assumptions and choose resourceful assumptions that would support her intention.

And finally, without the Means to achieve what you want, success is unlikely. That’s when she realized she needed to create a simple plan.

  • If she didn’t hang up her shingle, how would anyone know she was open for business?
  • She needed to give her business a name
  • She needed to create a LinkedIn Profile
  • She could create a simple website

All doable. She got off that call excited and ready to move forward with action. She no longer felt stuck.

Here’s my point in sharing this sample coaching session with you: When you have a good model, you can apply it to almost any situation and the client will discover their own solutions. This is key to generating high performance in anyone.

Structure, Process and Models

“You better have good structure, process and models”. This is what one of my mentors told me years ago when I was about to engage in a challenging consulting assignment. Those words served me well in that project and continue to do so to this day in my training and coaching of others.

I have amassed a robust toolbox of resources to accelerate results which have served me well personally as well as in supporting my coaching clients. I have written more than a few blog posts on the importance of sales process skills, presentation structure and coaching models. They are powerful because they work.

Want to know more about how you can learn to do this? Contact me here or on LinkedIn.


This entry was posted by Tanja Parsley on September 23, 2014 in Client Stories, Intentional Selling™, Listening Skills, Persuasion, Success Mindset. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback.

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