LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

THE META-COACH SYSTEM

Everything You Always Wanted to Know

About Meta-Coaching

But Didn’t Know Who to Ask

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

 

 

 

Yes, when you first look at the Meta-Coach System it can be confusing.  That’s because it is rich, complex, layered, has numerous steps and stages, is the most systematic approach to the field of coaching and so can easily overwhelm and confuse.  Since that is not our design, let me see if I can de-mystify the Meta-Coach System and answer common questions we receive.

 

The Name

The term “meta” (pronounced “met” as in “I met a fascinating coach the other day”) is a Greek term for “above, higher, and about.”  In coaching, it refers to coaching at a higher level.  It refers to not coaching the content of a person’s expertise or area, but to the processes and structures that govern that content—to the invisible processes in the back of the mind that governs our thinking and emoting.

 

A sports coach may not have the expertise of the player being coached.  Michael Jordan’s coach undoubtedly cannot play like Michael Jordan.  Don’t expect Tiger Woods’ coach to play better golf than Tiger.  Their expertise is not in the content of the game.  The expertise of a great coach concerns the form, structure, and process of how the client works or operates.

 

In Meta-Coaching, the coach works with the invisible structures behind the scene that controls the client’s expertise.  The Meta-Coach works with beliefs, perceptual filters (called meta-programs), thinking patterns (called cognitive schemas), and self-reflexive consciousness (called meta-states).  All of these frames of mind that the client brings to the session operate “in the back of the mind” and these are the frames that the Meta-Coach can detect, identify, and address.  And doing so often finds “the switch” as the leverage point for transformative change.

The Structure

Meta-Coach is based on several models that address the seven components or elements of “coaching” itself.  That is, if you were to ask, “What is coaching?” the answer lies in seven factors that make up the discipline and field of coaching.  What are these seven components?

 

Coaching as a discipline is—

∙           1) Communication — a conversation like none other that focuses exclusive on a client’s best dreams and hopes for a more compelling future.

∙           2) Unconscious back-of-the-mind communication that elicits the mental and emotional frames which governs the client’s experience that gets to the heart of things.

∙           3) Generative change — that takes the client to his or her next level of development and/or even transformation.

∙           4) The implementation of the change — so that the solution, new performance, or difference can be actualized in the world, made real, and the progress that makes can then be measured.

∙           5) Systemic thinking and working — so that the conversation and change is holistic and healthy for every aspect of the client’s life.

∙           6) The self-actualizing of one’s highest and best potentials — so that the client moves to his or her next level of development and success and unleashes potentials.

∙           7) The facilitation of all of these dynamic processes — a conversation that enables the client to find, access, and mobilize his or her best resources for making the change real.

 

If this is what coaching is then what are the models that can enable a Coach to effectively coach?  We asked that question at the beginning when we first designed Meta-Coaching and we came up with the following models.  These models inform and guide a coach in the actual practice of coaching.

 

Coaching is —                                                               Models for a Meta-Coach for Effective Coaching

1) Communication                                                  The NLP Communication Model

2) Reflexive unconscious communication         The Meta-States Model of Reflexivity

3) Generative change for transformation         The Axes of Change; The Crucible

4) Implementation and Measurement               Benchmarking Model; Mind-to-Muscle Pattern

5) Working Systemically                                       The Matrix Model

6) Self-Actualization                                               Self-Actualization Quadrants

7) Facilitation of multiple processes                   The Facilitation Model

 

 

The Modules of Meta-Coaching

This structure now explains the first three modules of the Meta-Coaching System.  If Meta-Coaching is based on seven models, then the modules provides a training program for learning and practicing the models.

 

Module I: Coaching Essentials.   

The essentials of the NLP Communication model that enable a coach to powerfully and effectively engage in a conversation like none-other that facilitates the unleashing of potentials and generative change as a Coach asks incredible questions that call forth the best in the client.  In Module I you learn the Meta-Model of Language that was modeled from two world-class communicators who could facilitate transformative change by their questions— Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir.  You also learn the basic NLP communication principles: We communicate from state to state; the meaning of your communication is the response you get; effective communication begins by entering into the client’s world and matching it; resistance indicates the lack of rapport in the communication; etc.  You also learn fifteen basic meta-programs that govern communicating and how to recognize and use a person’s communication style.

 

Module II: Coaching Genius.

In this module you learn the essence of how to work with the special kind of consciousness that humans have— self-reflexive consciousness.  If you don’t know how to get to the thoughts and feelings “in the back of the mind” of a client, you will miss the most important beliefs, frames, understandings, permissions, decisions, etc. of the client.  But when you can recognize the layers and spiraling levels of the client’s thinking-feeling, you can get to the heart of things quickly.  Then you can get to the heart of the client’s meaning-making processes and facilitate a fierce conversation like none-other.  In this module, you learn the Meta-States Model and experience 14 Meta-State patterns that are all coaching patterns.  The immediate application is for accessing your own personal genius or mastery so that you can step in and out of your best “flow” state and so be “in the zone” at your will.  This will empower you with the very best state to operate from as a Coach.

 

Module III: Coaching Mastery.

We call Module III the Coaching Bootcamp because this is the 8-day intensive (9 am to 9 pm daily) where you learn the next five models.  Yet even more important than the presentations and learnings are the practices— every day you will do a full coaching session and you will be a client and you will watch a coaching session from a meta-position.  And during the coaching sessions, you will be benchmarked on the seven coaching skills so that you know where you are, what you do well, your strengths, and what you need to do to take your skills to the next level — and reach competency level.

 

In this module you learn the Facilitation Model so that you can operate as a Change Agent as a Coach (the Axes of Change Model), so that you can think and work systemically with your client and be able to “follow their energy through their mind-body system” (the Matrix Model), so that you enable the implementation of the change in the contexts of their life and measure their progress (the Benchmarking Model), so that they unleashing their highest meanings and best potentials (the Self-Actualization Quadrants).

 

In this module you will experience group coaching as you and a small group of other coaches will become a team and then as a team become a high performance team as you complete a benchmarking project on some skill or intangible value.  Later you will step back with your Team Leader to reflect on the group coaching skills used.

 

In this module you will see and experience two expert Coaches being interviewed and modeled.  We do this so that you can develop your personal business plan for how to engage in the Business of Coaching.  This will enable you to complete a Matrix Business Plan or if you work within an organization, your Professional Development Plan.  Because the business side of coaching is where most Coaches fail, we devote significant time in this module for the business side of marketing, selling, entrepreneur-ing, organizing, etc.

 

In Module III we bring in a group of Team Leaders as part of the Leadership Team.  These are successful Meta-Coaches who run their own coaching practices.   They are there first and foremost as team leaders and benchmarkers, yet they are also there to support and enable participants to reach competency and have a great experience.

 

Benefits of the Meta-Coach System

As you can tell, the system is complex and layered.  From the beginning it has been on the cutting-edge of the field of coaching.  One of our objectives is to lead the field of coaching so that it eventually becomes a Profession.  And to do that we have designed it to be professional in the way it prepares participants to run a successful coaching business and to know what you are doing.  What are the benefits that you will receive as a graduate of the Meta-Coach System?  Here are some of the key benefits:

 

* Become a Self-Actualization Coach!

Since Coaching is based on self-actualization psychology and is all about facilitating people actualizing their highest and best— Meta-Coaching provides you the basics of Self-Actualization Psychology and training in how to facilitate the unleashing process for individuals, for leaders, managers, companies.  No other Coach Training can claim that.

 

You will learn how to use the Self-Actualization Quadrants to awaken and actualize the highest and best in people for creating synergy on the Meaning / Performance Axes.  Then you will be able to facilitating people achieving peak performance in their chosen areas.  You will be able to facilitate people create meaningfulness in life – and so enjoying peak experiences.  You will also experience this first-hand— the unleashing of your skills and potentials.

 

* Develop a fully Systematic Approach

Meta-Coaching is the first and still, only Coach training that is fully systematic.   We have analyzed “coaching” as involving 7 features or components; then to each we have identified or created a model that enables us to deal with that component.

 

The result is that you can answer the question— How do you know what to do, when, and with whom and why?  And as you learn that you will then develop the self-confidence for knowing what you are doing and being able to explain why.

 

This then gives you a scientific foundation for enabling clients to unleash their highest and best potentials.  In it you have a way to rigorously measure improvement, progress, and even to measure the competency of any skill or intangible value.

 

* Achieve the Status of an ACMC Coach

You will receive an International certification and be part of a world-wide community.  The MCF (Meta-Coach Foundation) is equivalent to the ICF as a certifying body.  What are the differences?  MCF, like ICF, has a set of skills and has benchmarked the coaching skills whereas the ICF has not.  Also MCF has a board of examiners to provide a way to police the ethics and standards of Meta-Coaching, the ICF has not yet established this.  The MCF standards are higher than the ICF.

 

As a certified Meta-Coach, you will receive ongoing support as you will be added to the exclusive Meta-Coach email group and receive a 2-page article from Dr. Michael Hall each week.  It is a way to stay in touch with the other 860 Meta-Coaches around the world.  And as a Meta-Coach, you can join (or create) a local MCF chapter for practice.

                                                                                               

* Hands on Guidance in lots of practice

In the Meta-Coach training you will do a full coaching session 6 times, be a client 6 times and be in the meta-position 6 times.  This will give you lots of experiences in the actual hands-on experience of coaching.

 

When you are Coach in your coaching sessions, your skills will be benchmarked by an experienced team leader/ benchmarker.  This will give you immediate, hands-on experience about your strengths and weaknesses so that you know what to do to reach competency.  You’ll practice under the expert eyes of experienced Meta-Coaches who will provide you on-the-spot, moment-by-moment feedback.  No other Coach Training in the world offers this.

 

* Many Rich Coaching Experiences

In addition to receiving coaching sessions every day on what you choose which will enable and enrich your experience as a coach, some of the participants will have the opportunity to be coached by one of the Meta-Coach trainers. 

 

You will learn to distinguish the levels of coaching – Performance Coaching, Developmental Coaching, and Transformational Coaching.   You will also get to coach many different people over the 8 days as a stretch from coaching just one kind of person.

 

* For the powerful and cutting-edge patterns that you will learn.

The training manual 20 to 30 coaching patterns.  This extends the 14 you received in Module II (the Meta-States training) and the 10 or so in Module I (the NLP Training).  So you will have a large range of patterns that you can immediately begin using as a Coach. You will be able to Extend Meta-programs or Extending your Personality Style; you will learn some powerful questions for Torpedo Coaching.    You will experience the De-Contamination Chamber to get your ego out of the way and be “clean” as a Coach for your clients.

 

There is the KPI pattern: Getting a Precise Objective for a Coaching Session.  There is the Axes of Change patterns for a Non-Therapeutic Change Model for Psychologically healthy people.  There is the Unleashing Potentials pattern, the Social Panorama pattern, and many, many more.

 

* Competency Benchmarks

While the ICF and other Coach trainings also have “Coaching Skills,” Meta-Coaching is the only Coach Training System that has benchmarked the skills.   Each day you will get immediate feedback about what you’re doing very well and what will take your skills to the next level.  This will be tough and challenging and yet it creates a clarity about your skill level that you can’t get anywhere else.

 

You will also learn the Benchmarking Model and this will enable you to be able to set up measurements for individuals and organizations for measuring progress.  And it is with the measuring of progress that establishes “the value” that you add to people and companies.  If you can’t measure it, how can you credibly say that your work has such and such value?

 

* Learn about different kinds of Coaching domains

You will learn about many of the different domains that Coaches specialize in— for example, Executive Coaching, Personal / Life coaching, Group and Team Coaching, etc.  You will see the Meta-Coach Trainers interview and model one or two Expert Coaches that we invite into the training — someone who has “been there, done that” and provides a flesh-and-blood example of effective coaching.

           

* Change Agent

As a change agent, you will learn to facilitate change and to use the four mechanisms of change for people who are psychologically healthy.  You will develop skills for the 8 coaching roles as an agent of change and be able to detect where you are with a client.  You will then use these processes in your coaching sessions to get hands-on experience with them.

 

* Group and Team Coaching

You will be put into a group of six others and experience group coaching from a Team Leader so that you norm, form, storm, and then perform.  As you then become a high performance team, you will be commissioned to engage in a benchmarking project and to then perform as a team.  Later you will step back and reflect on what you learned about Group and Team coaching.