Jennifer Bezoza Coaching

One of my goals with Coach’s Corner blog postings is to share coaching tools and approaches with you, my readers. Coaching is a valuable skill set in any role or profession, whether you are a CEO or a parent, whether you’re looking to develop your direct report or support your colleague, best friend or your life partner.   

David Rock, author of Quiet Leadership; Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work and renowned coach and founder of Results Coaching systems, draws much of his coaching methodology from neuroscience insights.  In particular, his Five Levels of Thinking model has stuck with me, and is a valuable coaching mindset for moving someone forward with solutions, as opposed to allowing someone to stay stuck in the weeds of the past, the details and/or the problem. In addition, this framework is helpful in thinking about or communicating any work project. The model allows you to identify “which gear (you) are thinking from, and choose another way to think.” 

The Five Levels of Thinking are:

1. VISON 

2. PLANNING 

3. DETAIL

____________

4. PROBLEM

5. DRAMA

In coaching, you want to work with an individual above the line, in the Vision (goals and objectives), Planning (how to get there) and Detail (the specific actions required) gears of thinking.  It can be natural for individuals (not us, of course!) to go below the line, dwelling on what is going wrong and who’s to blame.  In addition, when there is a lot of emotional energy, we often resort to bottom rung, to the drama of any particular situation or relationship.  In coaching, we look to focus on the problem and the drama from a visioning or planning perspective, meaning we ask questions which raise awareness and move you up the ladder, like “How long do you want to stay here venting? What do you ultimately want here?”

So, in looking at the five levels of thinking, how often do you or others in your life get stuck below the line? How might this model support you and/or others in “staying above the water line”?  

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this model and whether/how you applied it to yourself or with others!