Wind Rose in practice: aligning an action plan with client systems and values

In October I spoke to you about the difficulties that sometimes arise with the implementation of the commitments made in a coaching session and that both coach and coachee often experience as a setback in the process towards their goals. At last month's ICF Professional Coaching Conference we addressed this issue and presented a tool to increase the probability of success of the client's action plan : The Compass Rose. It is a tool of the Dialogic Coaching Model and was designed by IDDI of the Francisco de Vitoria University.

We mentioned that the wonderful ability to keep learning and growing is as much a part of people as their inability to succeed at every attempt. That is, failure is as much a part of the journey as success, and there is much to learn if we look into what might be behind a resistance to implement a particular action. For this reason, The Compass Rose is also an excellent way to follow up on an unrealized action plan. But if we detect the elements that make it realistic at the time of its creation, it would be more sustainable from the beginning, and it would also avoid a lot of frustration!

In line with the nature of people as beings of encounter and seekers of meaning, these keys are alignment with the client's systems and values.

How to get started

We use the tool at the end of a session, when our client has decided what steps they would like to take to move towards their goal, based on the new discoveries from the coaching session.

The tool consists of taking a walk with the client through 5 spaces, which we can create by making a cross on the floor with a tape. The five spaces are the four quadrants and the center of the cross.

La Rosa de los Vientos: Steps

Step 1: IMPACT ON ME
"What impact will carrying out this action plan have on me?"

Step 2: IMPLICATIONS FOR MY SYSTEMS
"What implications, positive or negative, would the execution of this action plan have on the people around me?"

Step 3: SYSTEMS INFLUENCE
"How might my systems influence (positively or negatively) my ability to carry out this action plan?"

Step 4: ALLIES
"What is the help I need to ask for?"

Step 5: REMEMBERING MY NORTH
"How is this action plan aligned with my values, my life purpose, my primary goal or my deepest essence?

Step 6: ADJUST or CONFIRM THE ACTION PLAN
The last step is to reaffirm or adjust the action plan with the information gathered from the Wind Rose:
"Do I need to modify my action plan to increase its likelihood of success?"

The group practiced the tool in pairs and the feedback was fantastic: a simple but profound tool that generates awareness of possible obstacles and supports and that can be put into practice immediately with any client. I encourage you to try it!

If you are interested in receiving feedback on your coaching, aligning yourself with the ICF competencies, preparing for certification and/or doing more transformational work with your clients, sign up for an Intensive Group Coaching Mentoring Workshop.