First published in the Fenman Ltd publication Coach the Coach Feb. 2006
COACHING FOR P.R.O.'s
Penny Tompkins and James Lawley
Key learning points
How to distinguish from a client's language whether they are paying attention to a Problem, a proposed Remedy or a desired Outcome (PRO).
How to respond to P, R or O statements in order to guide the client's attention towards their desired outcome.
How to clarify what the client wants to achieve (in our opinion this forms the basis for the coaching contract). |
Introduction
After years of training a variety of therapists, coaches, managers, teachers and facilitators from many persuasions we noted a frequently occurring pattern: Facilitators can easily be seduced by a client's problem.
It is not surprising that a client can become so focussed on their problem that they become hypnotised by it, but we were regularly surprised when even experienced facilitators were unwittingly drawn deeper and deeper into the black hole of the client's problem.
At the same time we noticed that we always seemed to have the choice to work with a client's problem or to invite them to attend to a desired outcome. Eventually we decided to model ourselves to find out: (a) How did we consistently detect when a client was attending to a problem or a desired outcome? and (b) How did we facilitate the client to shift to and maintain their attention on their desired outcome?
To be clear, we are not saying focussing on outcomes is good and focussing on problems is bad. We are saying that at any moment facilitators should be able to choose whether they invite the client to attend to one or the other. It sounds simple and in the to and fro of interacting with a client it involves employing a number of skills.
As a result of our self-modelling we discovered that we had internal signals that alerted us to when a client was describing a 'problem', a 'desired outcome' or a mixture of the two -- a 'remedy' (which we first called a 'solution'). We examined many client statements and unpicked the linguistic clues that were triggering our internal signals to go "Ah, that's a problem, that's a remedy, or that's a desired outcome."
Because we are highly experienced at applying David Grove's Clean Language, it is natural for us to to pay exquisite attention to exactly what the client is saying. By selecting relevant words from the client's language we can create personalised questions tailored to each individual. So it was easy to unpack which parts of speech and which questions we were using that invited a client to shift their attention from a problem or remedy to a desired outcome. (We have colour coded the examples in the article to make it easy for you to see which parts of speech need to be inserted into the relevant question.)
In this article we have presented our Problem, Remedy desired Outcome model in a formulaic way so that the three main components of the model (recognition, selection and utilisation) can be learned easily. The PRO model is not a change technique, it is a way to help you model a client's subjective reality and thereby facilitate them to self-model their own perceptions. Once you understand the basics and have practised enough, the process of using PRO when working live with your clients should become natural and flowing.
Finally, PRO is not an end in itself, it the first part of a more complete coaching process called 'The Frameworks for Change' which we will describe in future articles. And PRO can be used in many other situations. For example, an educational consultant in the States who applied PRO to her work said it had improved her ability to keep meetings on track and to facilitate school administrators to shift from problem thinking to getting clear about what they really wanted. It made such a difference that she said "it was worth coming on your five day course just for that!"
"We must ask, 'What do I (or we) really want?' This sounds simple, but it takes substantial discipline to stop your emotions and anxiety long enough to simply refocus on what matters to you."
Peter Senge, et al
Presence: Exploring Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society, 2005 |
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I am getting terribly wet. |
I want to stop getting wet.. |
I want to be in the sun |
Diagram 1: a Problem, a Remedy and a desired Outcome
Cartoon by Phil Swallow |
Key to the use of colour throughout this article:
Red = Problem
Purple = 'how to' of a Remedy
Green = desire
Blue = Outcome
Background
Many clients are very good at telling you
about their problem. And many ask a coach to help them find a
remedy
for their problem. But seldom do clients know that there is another
category of experience that is an embodiment of what they want -
their desired outcome.
Over the last ten years we have taught and
supervised many coaches and have noticed that, just like their
clients, coaches do not need help to focus on a problem. A problem is
like gravity - it draws the coach and the client into its orbit. We
have also noticed that some coaches are content to help their client
find remedies to their problems. For a relatively straightforward
problem, a remedy may be just what is needed: if your computer
crashes, perhaps it's better to call customer support than to call a
coach to help you deal with your stress! However in the complex world
faced by today's managers a remedy often ends up being a short-term
fix and ignores the bigger picture. This is where a desired outcome
comes in. Since clients are seldom outcome-orientated, it is
important for coaches to spend a good amount of the time in a
coaching session helping them fully develop their desired outcome
(see Box 1).
BOX 1: Advantages of
outcome-orientation
Over the years we have
asked participants on our trainings for their top three
reasons for working with a client's desired outcome. So far,
they have identified over 20 different reasons. The
following head the list:
1. By
accessing the desired outcome state, the client's
relationship with their problem may well change and they can
access greater creativity and resources.
2. You and the client will
know what they want to achieve and that keeps you both on
track.
3. Often just finding out
more about the desired outcome is enough for the client to
make the changes they want, and no exploration of the
problem and its causes is needed.
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For a coach to stay outcome-orientated
requires constant vigilance; the ability to distinguish between P, R
and O statements; and the ability to ask questions which consistently
invite the client to attend to their desired outcome.
But how do you recognise when a client is
referring to a problem, a remedy or a desired outcome?
How to recognise a problem
Like it or not, problems motivate
us. Actually it is not the problem itself that motivates, but the
unpleasant feelings or effects that accompany a problem. For many,
living rough would be a serious problem, but for a few people it is a
chosen lifestyle. A problem, by our definition, is only a problem if
the client says it is.
Features of a problem statement:
- A dislike for the current or a future
situation is stated or implied.
- It does not contain any words of desire,
e.g. want, need, would like.
If a statement meets these two criteria, it's
a problem (in
red), e.g.
I'm overrun with
emails.
This project is a lost
cause.
I hate it that my boss never
listens to me.
How to recognise a remedy
A remedy is a means of
counteracting or eliminating something undesirable. If you listen
carefully, most proposed remedies describe (in metaphor)
how
they expect the problem to be solved, e.g.
I want to lose my fear of
public speaking.
I want to get rid of my fear of
public speaking.
I want my fear of public speaking to
disappear.
I want my fear of public speaking to
go
away.
But a proposed remedy does not describe what the
situation will be like after
the remedy has been applied. The end
result of a remedy, linguistically, is an absence - or
not the problem. If the client loses their fear of public
speaking, what do they have? With no desired outcome, they might not
be frightened, but they could end up bored or boring! A remedy
eliminates the problem but it does not set a direction for action
once the remedy has been successfully applied.
Features of a remedy statement:
- Has not yet happened.
- Contains a description of the
problem.
- Contains a desire (e.g. want, need, would
like) for the problem to not exist or to be reduced.
The remedy (in purple) is always in
relation to the problem (in red), but mixed in
with it is also a desire for change (in green), e.g.
I need
to stop being pulled in lots of directions.
I want to not
have to repeat myself
over and over.
I want to put
the mistakes of this
team behind
us.
How to recognise a desired
outcome
Desired outcomes describe how the
world will be when the client has what they want. They differ from
remedies because they are not a solution to a problem. When
Michaelangelo set out to paint the ceiling of the Sistine chapel he
knew he would have many problems to solve, but he wasn't trying to
solve a problem - he wanted to create
something. And that's a desired
outcome.
Features of a desired outcome
statement:
- Has not yet happened.
- Contains a desire, want, need or would
like, for a new situation, state or behaviour.
- Does not contain any reference to a
problem (even though you may think you can guess what the problem
is).
For a statement to be a desired (in green)
outcome (in
blue) it must meet all three criteria,
e.g.
I'd like
to be promoted.
I want to be able to make tough
decisions.
I wish we could become a learning organisation.
BOX 2: Tip
As a rule of thumb, to
identify a P, R or O statement, ask yourself:
Is the client
saying they want less of something, or more?
If it's
less, it's usually a proposed remedy.
If it's more, it's usually a desired outcome.
If neither, it's probably
a problem.
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Exercise 1:
Using the guidelines above, identify which of
the following client statements describe a Problem, a Remedy or a
desired Outcome (answers at the end of the article):
1. I want to work together as a
team.
2. I want my manager to stop micromanaging
me.
3. I can't finish reports on time.
4. I'm tired of doing more than my fair
share.
5. I'd like to be a confident
presenter.
6. I don't want to be distracted from my
goals.
Now what do you do?
Now that you can identify the linguistic
clues which define Problem, Remedies and desired Outcome statements,
how do you respond when a client uses each kind of language? Diagram
2 depicts our approach to guiding the client's attention to their
desired outcome.
Diagram 2: The Problem, Remedy, Outcome Model
The key to using the PRO model is to use the
client's exact words, and not to paraphrase or assume you know what they
mean.
In the following examples we make use of
David Grove's Clean Language questions (see Carol Wilson's article
Metaphor and
Symbolic Modelling for Coaches in
Coach the Coach, Issue 4, 2004), but there are plenty of other
questions you might ask that would achieve a similar purpose. The advantage of Clean Language questions is that
they introduce the minimum number of your words, thereby
leaving the client the maximum freedom to express themselves
in their words.
How to respond to a problem
statement
When the client describes their problem you
first acknowledge it, and then you invite them to attend to the
desired outcome they would rather have:
And when [client's words for the problem] what would you like to have happen?
e.g.
Client: I've had enough of rushing to meet
deadlines.
Coach: And when you've had enough of rushing to meet deadlines,
what would you like to have
happen?
How to respond to a remedy
statement
Should your client propose a remedy to their
problem you first acknowledge the remedy and then invite them to
attend to the effects of the remedy as though it has happened. This will
encourage the client to consider what they want after the problem has
been remedied:
And when [remedy part of the statement
*], then what happens?
*
Only use the remedy part of the client's
statement here, do not include their desire. e.g.
Client: I want to stop
having to rush so
much.
Coach: And when you stop
having to rush so
much, then what happens?
How to respond to a desired outcome
statement
When your client gives you a desired outcome
statement invite them to further develop it by asking them to
consider an aspect of their outcome more closely and to generate more
information about it:
And when [outcome part of the
statement **],
what kind of [a portion of the outcome]?
or
is there anything else about that
[a portion of the outcome]?
**
Only use the outcome part of the
client's statement here, do not include their desire.
e.g.
Client: I want to meet my targets in a relaxed way?
Coach: And when you meet your targets in a relaxed way, what kind of relaxed way?
Exercise 2:
Using the PRO Model, write down
the question you would ask of the six client statements in the
previous exercise (answers at the end of the article).
Putting it all together
Box 3 is a summary of how to recognise and
respond to a client's Problem, Remedy and desired Ouctome statements.
Box 4 shows the beginning of a coaching session where the PRO model
is used repeatedly to guide a client to describing their desired
outcome.
BOX 3: Summary Table
Start with:
And what
would you like to have happen?
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Clients'
statements usually indicate that they are attending
to one of three kinds of experience:
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PROBLEM
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Proposed REMEDY
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Desired OUTCOME
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Something exists
or is expected, X, that they don't like.
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A desire
for problem,
X, to not
exist.
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A desire for a new something,
Y, to exist.
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I
hate X.
I don't like X.
I can't X.
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I
don't want X.
I'd like less of X.
I wish I could
avoid
X.
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I
want Y.
I need more of
Y.
I would like to Y.
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Coach responds as
follows:
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And when
[PROBLEM]
what would
you
like to
have happen?
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And when
[REMEDY]
then what
happens?
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And when
[OUTCOME]
[question that
develops outcome]?
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Note: Sometimes it may be unclear to
which PRO category a client's statement belongs. In this
case, your next question should seek to clarify the
direction of the client's thinking (e.g. ask 'And is there
anything else?') before continuing with the PRO
model. |
BOX 4: Annotated Transcript
Note: Bold indicates the Clean Language questions.
Coach:
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What would you
like to have happen?
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Client:
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I get distracted
so easily [pause], what was your question?
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Problem
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Coach:
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And
when you
get distracted so easily, what would you like to have
happen?
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Client:
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I'd like to stop
getting distracted of course.
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Remedy
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Coach:
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And
when you
stop getting distracted, then what happens?
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Client:
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I can focus on
the goals in my life.
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Desired
Outcome
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Coach:
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And
when you
focus on the goals in your life, what kind of
focus
is
that?
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Client:
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I want it with
more clarity and peace. [Long pause]
What did I just say? I've gone into my usual blank
space.
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Starts with
desired Outcome and ends with a Problem
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Coach:
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And
when
you've gone into your usual blank space,
what would
you like to have happen?
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Client:
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I'd like to stay
focussed, even when there are distractions all
around.
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Desired
Outcome (in the context of the problem)
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Coach:
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And what kind
of stay
focussed is that?
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Client:
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Keeping to my own
agenda.
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Desired Outcome
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Coach:
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And is there
anything else about keeping to your own agenda?
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Client:
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Then I can shut
down from worrying.
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Remedy
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Coach:
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And when
you shut
down from worrying, then what happens?
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Client:
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I can juggle
things and stay balanced.
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Desired
Outcome
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Coach:
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And what kind
of stay
balanced is that?
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Client:
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Relaxed and
calm.
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Desired
Outcome
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Coach:
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And
when you
stay focussed, with more clarity and peace, and you
can juggle things and stay balanced, relaxed and
calm, whereabouts is that relaxed and calm?
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Client:
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Whereabouts? It's
throughout my whole body, but it sort of comes from
here [touches stomach].
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Desired
Outcome
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Coach: continues
developing the clients embodied sense of their
outcome.
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Conclusion
Making the distinction between the Problem,
proposed Remedy, desired Outcome categories may initially seem a
mechanical process. After a short while, when your internal signals
are sufficiently well developed, you will easily recognise which
class of experience the client is describing at any moment in time
and know how to respond to keep them directed towards their desired
outcome.
The client will not only make PRO statements
at the beginning, they will continue to make them throughout the
coaching session. By listening carefully to what they say you will
always know whether the client is paying attention to a problem, a
remedy or a desired outcome. Then you will have choice about where
you guide their attention.
PRO can also be used to keep meetings on
track, to keep a group in a creative state, to move people beyond
conflict towards a joint outcome, or in numerous other productive
ways.
Acknowledgements
The PRO Model was designed in
co-operation with Wendy Sullivan and Phil Swallow.
© 2006, Penny Tompkins and James
Lawley.
For answers to exercises 1 & 2:
click
here