Like a River, Craft Your Path: Appreciative Coaching Resource

A gift for you

We’ve created a visual frame based on Appreciative Coaching, with the amazing Guy Downes, that you can use as a reflection tool and self-coaching resource. This gift to you allows you to harness your strengths, focus your attention and craft a path to your most important goals.

Grab a journal and the resource. Start with the banner at the top of the page and generate a response to fill in the blanks for ‘I wish I knew how to ___ [behaviour, goal or habit] but ___ [frustration, obstacle or limiting belief].’ Proceed through the steps on the visual frame, in order from 1 to 4, considering the main prompt question in the thought bubble and then follow on sub questions. Like a river, craft your path, follow the river to insight and action!

This content aligns with a card pack of question prompts and A3 template we created for use in a large group team development session. If you would like a high-res version of the visual frame to use or share or are curious how we could use this in a session for your team, please email us at emma@soji.com.au. Let us know how you go with this resource and feel free to share it with your colleagues.

For a bit of an intro to Appreciative Coaching read on….

Appreciative coaching is a strengths-based and collaborative approach to coaching that focuses on what is working well and what is possible rather than solely addressing what is not working. The approach has its roots in appreciative inquiry, a collaborative and strengths-based approach to organisational change and development, which David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva developed in the 1980s.

At the core of appreciative coaching are several fundamental principles, including positivity, simultaneity, constructionist, anticipatory, and futures-oriented.

1. Positivity: The appreciative coaching approach is based on a positive and strengths-based perspective, where the focus is on what is working well and what is possible rather than solely addressing what is not working.
2. Simultaneity: This principle refers to the idea that change and growth can occur simultaneously in both the coachee and the coaching relationship. The coach and coachee work together to create a dynamic and evolving relationship.
3. Constructionist: The constructionist principle holds that reality is constructed through our thoughts, beliefs, and experiences. The coach helps the coachee construct new and empowering beliefs and perspectives, supporting their personal growth and development.
4. Anticipatory: This principle refers to the idea that the coach helps the coachee to anticipate and prepare for potential challenges or obstacles and to develop strategies for overcoming them.
5. Futures-oriented: The appreciative coaching approach is focused on the future and helping the coachee to create a vision for what they want to achieve. The coach helps the coachee to set and work towards their goals.

These principles encourage individuals and teams to focus on their strengths and positive experiences, to build on their successes, and to create a vision for what they want to achieve.

Appreciative coaching typically involves several steps, including:

1. Discovery: The coach and coachee work together to identify the coachee’s strengths, positive experiences, and areas of growth and development. This stage could involve exploring past successes, areas of satisfaction or fulfilment, or skills and capacities in which the coachee is confident.
2. Dreaming: In this step, the coach and coachee work together to create a vision for what they want to achieve. The coach helps the coachee to identify their goals and aspirations and to think about what is possible in their future.
3. Designing: In this step, the coach and coachee work together to create a plan for achieving their vision and goals. This stage could involve setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, developing action plans or exploring new strategies for growth and development.
4. Delivering: In this step, the coachee takes action, working towards their goals and implementing their plans. The coach provides support, guidance, and encouragement along the way, helping the coachee overcome obstacles and stay focused on their vision and goals.
5. Debriefing: In this final step, the coach and coachee reflect on the process and assess their progress. They celebrate their successes, identify growth areas, and plan to continue working towards their goals.

By following these steps, the appreciative coaching process helps the coachee to identify and build on their strengths, create a vision for their future, and take action to achieve their goals and aspirations.

For leaders, appreciative coaching can be a valuable tool for fostering personal and professional growth and promoting positive change within their organisations. By using appreciative coaching principles, leaders can encourage self-discovery, build supportive relationships, and help others to achieve their full potential. Additionally, appreciative coaching can help leaders to create a positive and engaged workplace culture where individuals and teams are motivated and inspired to work together towards common goals.