OSKAR derives from solutions focused coaching. It’s a more sophisticated version of GROW and has much the same pluses and minuses.
O stands for Outcome
This is a wider concept than the G (for Goal) of GROW and involves exploring with the coachee:
- What they want to achieve (in their life, work or another sphere) in the short, medium or long term as appropriate
- What they want to achieve from this coaching session
- Whether they are “ready” for coaching
- What their ideal outcome would be
S stands for Scaling
Scaling is a common coaching tool and frequently overused. (Don’t be surprised if someone, who has experienced a lot of coaching, tunes out at this stage!) It involves asking the client to assess where they are on a scale of 0-10 in terms of achieving the goal.
K is for Know How
Here the coach helps the coachee establish what positive qualities (knowledge, experience, personality etc) have brought them to the current point on the scale. The coach enhances the coachee’s self-awareness and confidence by exploring past successes and positive attributes, on which the coachee can build.
A stands for Affirm and Action
Affirming is about providing positive reinforcement by summarizing the positive attributes revealed in the previous stage. Action is about helping them decide what they are going to do in the light of this understanding.
R stands for Review
Strictly speaking, the OSKAR coaching model does not require any review of learning at the end of the coaching conversation – but effective coaching demands that you round off the session in a way that looks back on the conversation and what each of you will be taking away from it. Review in OSKAR refers to the opening of the next coaching session, where coach and coachee reviewing progress against planned actions. The coach emphasises positive progress – for example, what went well – and how to build on successes.
© David Clutterbuck. All rights reserved