10 Tools for Coaches

Discover the Ikigai Model and More Top Coaching Tools!

Tools in this e-book

Clarifying the Assignment – the Foundation
Eye Movement Integration
The GROW Model
The Ikigai Model
The Wheel of Life
PABSBRAGÖR
Paradoxical Intervention
Socratic Dialogue
Social Panorama
Time Machine

I’m delighted that you’ve downloaded this e-book and started reading it. Here, I’d like to present you with 10 selected coaching tools. Along with an explanation of each tool, you’ll also find a detailed guide on how to apply it.

1. Tool: Clarifying the Assignment

At the start of any intervention is the clarification of the assignment, i.e., identifying the cause that made coaching necessary in the first place.

Generally, the first contact is made by phone or email. Here, you can already clarify the first conditions and prerequisites—such as the fee, the amount of time needed, and the goals of the coaching. Additionally, it’s very helpful for the coach to find out whether the client has any prior experience or, if not, what the client’s expectations are for the coaching sessions.

Clear rules and structures should be set up in an initial meeting to prevent misunderstandings and create a basis of trust. Other aspects might include whether a trial session is possible, whether there are any cancellation policies, or how and when payment will be made. All these questions should be clarified by the coach in advance to provide transparency to the client.

At the beginning of every coaching process, an analysis of the current (IST) and desired (SOLL) state is conducted. It’s also important to explain to the client which methodology will be used and what freedoms the coachee has in the sessions—for instance, freedom to express opinions or feelings openly.

Step by step, the coachee’s intentions, goals, and wishes are worked out. Once the client’s assignment is clarified—or their intention understood—it must be determined whether the coach wants to deal with this particular topic. Sometimes personal aversions to certain topics can prevent the coachee from achieving the desired outcome. Furthermore, topics that involve serious problems—like eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, or psychosomatic issues—are generally ruled out.

In a coaching session, the phase of clarifying the assignment is crucial. It checks whether the aims being pursued can in fact be reached through coaching. So, on the one hand, you have to define what the coachee wants to change—and the coach has to feel capable and willing to accept that assignment.

If the assignment has been successfully clarified, the next step is choosing a suitable coaching tool. Maybe one of the following nine tools is exactly right for your next coaching?

2. Tool: Eye Movement Integration

Eye Movement Integration, or EMI for short, is a coaching method that works quickly and sustainably for acute stress situations like stage fright, test anxiety, or less severe unresolved experiences.

EMI uses the natural mechanisms of eye movements, such as those occurring in REM sleep (when we dream). EMI is used to deliberately work on and regulate emotional responses to unresolved events or stress reactions while in a waking state.

How an Eye-Movement Integration Session Proceeds

Preparation
Establish a resource anchor or a “safe place” where the client feels secure and comfortable—something they can access or trigger if necessary, particularly if the topic is very stressful. The client and coach sit about a meter apart, so the client can follow the coach’s fingers with their eyes. The coach can do a quick test by moving their fingers to ensure the client can follow them up to the edge of their peripheral vision without moving their head. Only the eyes should move, the head remains still during this method.
Selecting the Theme / Situation
Now the client briefly recalls the stressful situation that needs to be addressed. It doesn’t matter if it happened in the past or if it’s a situation in the future (such as an exam). The client may name the topic, but doesn’t have to. It’s enough that they know which situation it is.

Ecological Check (Öko-Check): “Is there anything that would speak against experiencing this situation differently from now on?” If there is no objection, the intervention can proceed.

The client activates the memory or idea of the situation. It’s important that they fully associate with the stressful situation and not let their mind wander. “Please think about this situation in detail now: what do you see, hear, feel, possibly smell or taste?” “On a scale of 1–10, how stressful would you rate this situation, where 1 is ‘not at all stressful’ and 10 is ‘extremely stressful’?” The coach notes this number.
Integration
The coach then starts guiding the client’s eye movements by moving their fingers. The client follows these movements only with their eyes, keeping their head still. The eye movements are slow, each pass taking about 2–3 seconds. All possible combinations from the well-known NLP eye positions are covered with the fingers.

That is: top right to top left, middle right to middle left, bottom right to bottom left. Each movement between two points is repeated several times.

In practice, it doesn’t really matter which connections you start with; coaches usually proceed intuitively.

The eye movements should flow smoothly. If they become jerky or if one particular connection is difficult for the client, skip it temporarily and return to it last, after going through all the others.

A sort of “hypnotic talk” can be used to complement the process:

“While you think about this situation, follow my fingers with your eyes as they move steadily—and allow your unconscious mind to link up different parts of your nervous system and your brain. Through these new connections, new areas of your mind and neurology can be tapped so you can use your full potential to handle this situation resourcefully.”

Alternatively, you can say almost nothing, or use the short version:

“As you follow my fingers with your eyes, notice how you can open up new resources in your brain.”

From time to time, the coach may ask the client to briefly recall the situation again:

“How stressful does the situation feel now, on a scale of 1–10, where 1 is ‘not at all stressful’ and 10 is ‘extremely stressful’?” This check helps assess progress. If the stress is nearly gone or has significantly decreased, you can end the intervention. (If it’s still very high, repeat the finger movements again.)

“How will you feel in the future when you think about this situation?” (Future Pace)

This coaching tool is very powerful. Stay calibrated to your client and handle it responsibly.

3. Tool: The GROW Model

The GROW model was developed by John Whitmore, a coach and former professional race car driver. It structures the coaching session following a specific sequence. GROW is an acronym from Whitmore’s original work (Coaching for Performance, London 1992) for:

Goal Setting (What is the goal?)
Reality Checking (What is the reality of the current situation?)
Options (What options do you have?)
Will (What will you do?)

In practice, these points are often expanded to include “Obstacles,” “Opportunities,” or “Way Forward” (When, Where, Who?).

This model is often used by managers for performance reviews and setting objectives. It also serves as a guide for coaching discussions.

Applying the GROW Model

The following questions follow a set process to cover all relevant areas and to structure the coaching. However, treat them as a guide. You can adapt or expand them as you see fit for your coachee.

1. GOAL SETTING – Defining the goal

Start by defining and formulating the goal. Simply asking “What do you want to achieve?” isn’t enough here. The goals and corresponding questions should use further criteria:

SMART: specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, time-based
PURE: positively stated, understood, relevant, ethical
CLEAR: challenging, legal, environmentally sound, appropriate, recorded (i.e. documented)

2. REALITY CHECKING – Analyzing the current situation

Next, examine the current status: Where are we right now (e.g., sales figures)? Is achieving the goal within the client’s control?

This also includes a review of previous actions and results: What have you done so far? What effects did those actions produce?

If necessary, the goal may need to be adjusted or modified.

3. OPTIONS – Identifying possibilities and solutions

Now, develop a plan of action: What paths exist to reach the desired goal? What strategies are suitable? What alternatives are available?

The client can list and mentally explore various ideas. Pros and cons of each option are examined. Potential obstacles on the way to the goal are also identified and considered: What might stand in the way? What might hinder the client? What should be taken into account? The important part is that these ideas come from the client, not the coach.

4. WILL – Implementation

At this point in the process, specific agreements are made, and the client gives a binding commitment to take action toward the goal. Questions might be: What has to be done? Who will do it? What will you do? Are you determined to do it? When will this happen? Will taking this step allow you to reach your goal? What obstacles might come up? What else must be considered? Who else is involved, or needs to be informed or brought on board?

At the end, the client can rate on a scale of 1 to 10 how likely they are to actually complete the required steps—this is about the likelihood of action, not the likelihood of success. If it’s under 8, the coach can ask: “Under what conditions would it be a 9 or 10?” Perhaps the workload needs to be smaller, or more time is needed to complete the tasks?

Finally, go over the listed steps again together and clarify any misunderstandings before the client moves on to taking action.

4. Tool: The Ikigai Model

The term “Ikigai” comes from Japanese (生き甲斐) and signifies an attitude toward life. Roughly translated, it means “that which is worth living for,” “joy and life purpose,” or “something worth getting up for in the morning.”

Consequently, this model is suitable for coaching approaches focusing on self-realization or the meaning of life. The guiding questions cover a wide spectrum of human existence. Possible areas of application include times of change, searching for new perspectives, developing one’s potential, or even exploring the meaning of life itself. Through the Ikigai model, a coachee’s strengths, values, and passions become visible, while highlighting areas that are perceived as lacking or neglected.

Using the Ikigai Model

There isn’t a strictly fixed sequence; here’s a possible approach:

1. Assessment
After clarifying the goal and the assignment, the coach works with the client to explore four areas via specific questions: What do you love? What are you good at? What are you paid for? What does the world need from you?
What you love: What excites you? What activities can you do for hours on end without getting tired? What did you love as a child? How did you like to spend your vacations? What could you talk about for hours? When are you in the flow? If you had an entire day to do only what you love, what would it be?

What you’re good at: What are your talents? What have you studied, practiced, or learned? Which educational programs, courses, or special hobbies do you have? What can you do better than most others? Do you have any unusual skills (even “trivial” ones, like wiggling your ears or whistling on two fingers)?
What you’re paid for: What’s your job? Where does your income come from? Do you have any other sources of income?
What the world needs from you: What brings meaning to your life? What resonates with your core values? What would you like to leave behind, to be remembered for, once you’re gone? What would be immediately noticeable if you were gone for a few weeks? What would remain undone? Who or what would be missing you? These are general prompts, and they can be reframed or expanded as needed.

2. Find the Overlaps
Work on these questions in writing, on large sheets of paper or colored Post-its. This instantly creates a visual representation, making potential overlaps clearer. Any common threads across the different areas can be circled or highlighted so a pattern emerges. Sometimes a specific aspect will clearly stand out, hinting at a possible “Ikigai.”

3. Identify Weak Segments
Often in practice, there’s one area (or several) that’s particularly difficult for the person to clarify. For example, someone may struggle to name what they like or even love. Sometimes a limiting belief or judgment is underlying that, such as thinking “I can’t just say that.”

Allow Permission: Here, the coach can encourage the client to note everything down and allow themselves complete freedom, without self-criticism. Often, there’s a deeper desire waiting to be discovered—a potential unfulfilled passion that’s crucial to their sense of meaning.

4. Taking Stock

This process flows and develops gradually. If some questions can’t be answered right away, the client may need time, or certain limiting beliefs must be addressed first. Additionally, the client can pay attention in everyday life to which activities they love, where their talents lie, etc. Sometimes, it’s helpful to keep a journal for these observations. The Ikigai model then serves as a “map” to guide the next steps. For example, a person might love an activity but not yet be good at it—so maybe they could develop that skill through courses or further training. Or if they love an activity that doesn’t generate income, they could look for other sources of income in the meantime. There’s no single prescribed approach; you’ll constantly adapt it in dialogue with the client.

5. Tool: The Wheel of Life

The “Wheel of Life” is a tool for exploring work-life balance. Many people experience a midlife crisis because they’ve neglected various areas of life in the first half of their lives, only realizing after small catastrophes—like a heart attack, divorce, or losing a child—that they’ve been too narrowly focused on their careers.

You can also use this tool for yourself, or employ it with your clients in coaching.

Applying the Wheel of Life

The Wheel of Life focuses on the following eight areas:

Personal Development
Family and Friends
Health
Finances
Career
Physical Condition
Leisure Time
Other Important Areas

1. Floor Anchors
First, place a “floor anchor” in the form of a circle for each area.

2. Walk through the Floor Anchors
Now, stand on each floor anchor in turn and ask yourself: “Where do I stand in this area of my life?” On the Wheel of Life, imagine that the center represents 0%, and the outer edge represents 100%. You can write the relevant percentage on slips of paper and place them on the floor at the appropriate position.

3. Drawing Conclusions
Finally, from a detached “meta” position, draw your conclusion. Which areas are strong and healthy? Which areas have been neglected? Are you currently in balance in your life? Identify which aspects you’ve overlooked lately. Make a commitment to give more time to those areas in the future, and schedule it!

6. Tool: PABSBRAGÖR

The word “PABSBRAGÖR” is a sequence of letters, each representing a component of well-formed goal setting. If a goal is framed using these criteria, nothing should stand in the way of achieving it. You can use this tool with your clients or on yourself.

Expanded, it stands for:

Positiv (Positive)

A ktive Beteiligung (Active Involvement)

Spezifisch (Specific)

Beweis (Evidence)

Ressourcen (Resources)

A ngemessene Größe (Appropriate Size)

Ökologie-Rahmen (Ecology Framework)

Using the PABSBRAGÖR Formula

1. POSITIVE
Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Don’t say, “I don’t want headaches anymore,” but rather, “My head is clear and pain-free. I feel healthy and fit.” Direct your attention to a positive target.

2. ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT
What can you personally contribute to achieve this goal? What can you actively do? A well-formed goal doesn’t mean everyone else does the work; it describes your own involvement.

3. SPECIFIC
Visualize your goal as clearly as possible. What will you see, hear, feel, smell, or taste once the goal is achieved? Describe it using all your senses. Only when you have a vivid picture of your goal does it become truly specific.

4. EVIDENCE
What is the tangible proof that lets you recognize you have reached your goal? How will you know you’ve done it and attained what you wanted?

5. RESOURCES
Which resources do you need to achieve the goal? Which do you already have? What do you still need to learn or acquire? Who can help you? Resources include money, time, skills, or other people.

6. APPROPRIATE SIZE
Some people only feel motivated by very large goals—anything smaller doesn’t feel worth the effort. Others won’t even start if the goal is too big; they need smaller sub-goals to accomplish in a manageable timeframe. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Set intermediate goals and work toward them step by step. If your goals are too small, link them to the bigger goals behind them to boost motivation. Ask yourself: “What benefit do I get from achieving this goal?”

7. ECOLOGY FRAMEWORK
What are the positive and negative consequences of achieving the goal? Who else is affected? How does this impact the broader system? What is the “price” you pay for reaching your goal? For example, a father who decides to work longer and harder to bring home more money might end up spending less time with his family. How could he prevent this from negatively affecting his family system?

7. Tool: Paradoxical Intervention

A paradoxical intervention is a (originally therapeutic) measure in which a problematic behavior or symptom is deliberately “prescribed” to the client, as a means of overcoming exactly that behavior or symptom.

One example: “You can only eat broccoli again after you’ve finished off all the pizza!”

Although it originates in therapy, paradoxical intervention can also be employed in coaching. A good relationship between coach and client is essential here, as well as a very individualized approach. What works for one client may not suit another.

Example of Using a Paradoxical Intervention

1. Prescribing the Symptom

In this approach, the problematic behavior is encouraged and even intensified. A boss who constantly monitors and micromanages an employee, for instance, would be assigned: “Take one to two hours every day to meticulously monitor and supervise that employee’s work!”

You reinforce the original behavior, but the timing, location, or context in which it occurs is changed.

2. Paradoxical Intention

Viktor Frankl developed this approach by prescribing exactly the behaviors and symptoms people feared most. A man with insomnia was told to stay awake intentionally, only to rest. When he tried it, he fell asleep.

Behavioral therapists have adopted this paradoxical intention. Studies show that insomniac clients, when instructed to “stay awake,” fell asleep faster on average than with other behavioral methods they had tried before.

3. Reframing (Umdeutung)

In this case, the behavior is given a new meaning. If you have a coworker who’s always late and never sticks to agreed-upon deadlines, you might reframe it: “It’s great that you’re giving your colleagues a constant topic to discuss—this absolutely strengthens team spirit.” Since that probably wasn’t their intention, they can no longer justify continuing that behavior in the same way.

4. Paradoxical Methods of Provocative Coaching

Paradoxical interventions are also used in Provocative Coaching in a very respectful and humorous way. The client might be encouraged to keep up the problematic behavior, with the coach jokingly describing all the possible (and absurd) positive outcomes. The coach might also display an “unlimited enthusiasm” for the symptom, or offer intentionally ridiculous solutions. The aim is to make the client laugh and see the absurdity of certain behaviors.

8. Tool: Socratic Dialogue

Socratic Dialogue (or socratic questioning) is a method conducted as a two-person dialogue. It’s a conversational style that can include different types of questions. It’s not the same as the “Socratic conversation,” a moderated group discussion developed by Leonard Nelson and Gustav Heckmann.

The Socratic Dialogue is commonly associated with cognitive behavioral therapy but can be integrated into many therapy forms: humanistic psychology, psychoanalysis, depth psychology, cognitive therapy, and person-centered therapy. In coaching, what’s usually employed is a functional Socratic approach. Its core questions often revolve around:

“What is it?”
“Am I allowed to do this?”
“Should I do this?”

Using Socratic Questioning in Coaching

The questions should generally be aimed at opening up the possibility of change, prompting a learning process, and offering new perspectives. Some possible question types:

1. Follow-up and Specifics

“Why is that?”

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

“How precisely do you mean that?”

“How did you come to believe this?”

“What if…?”

“What would be the consequence if…?”

2. Clarification Questions
“I’m not sure I fully understand. Could you explain that again?”

3. Confronting Contradictions
“Earlier, you said …, but now you’re saying … Can you clarify this for me? I’m not seeing the connection.”

4. Other Questioning Possibilities
“How likely do you think it is that you’ll…?”
“How often has this happened?”
“Why do you believe X would happen if you…?”
“How does X help you?”
“What was useful about X?”

Use Socratic Dialogue carefully. It’s important to allow enough time so that the dialogue can come to a natural conclusion. The coach should be very familiar with the method and not pursue personal goals with it. They should also recognize whether new solutions might lead to different limitations.

As with most coaching tools, a good rapport between coach and client is essential; otherwise, the client might feel “dissected” and lose trust. Individual questions from the above examples can still be used in other coaching processes, although they might not strictly constitute a full Socratic Dialogue.

9. Tool: Social Panorama

The Social Panorama is a model based on the hypothesis that most people imagine their relationships with others in the form of an inner landscape.

This inner landscape is called the “social panorama.” The self (self-image) is in the center, surrounded by all the other people and groups that play a role in one’s life. We live and behave primarily according to these representations.

Whatever people do, rationalize, or express verbally about a relationship is less impactful than a change in the perceived positions of significant others in their mental landscape. Lucas Derks made important findings in developing this model.

The Social Panorama can be employed in various ways in coaching. The following is an example procedure that you can use in your sessions.

Applying the Social Panorama

1. Verbalize the Structure of the Topic

The goal is to reduce the topic to the essential, necessary components (persons and elements, e.g., nominalizations). Useful guiding questions: Who or what absolutely needs to be included? How are these relationships arranged? What is the environment like?

Note the client’s linguistic patterns. The coach “reconstructs” the topic until the client agrees that this reconstruction or reduction is accurate.

2. Depict the Topic as a Social Panorama

The client directs their attention inward, focusing on an “inner space” or “inner psychogeography.” Initially, this space is empty. The client then fills it with the relevant people or elements: Who or what stands where, exactly? How high or low is each position? How are they oriented? Next, the client perceives additional details: How do these people or elements look in detail? What are the submodalities? How is the space between them depicted?

3. Designing a Solution Space

The coach asks the “miracle question”: “Imagine that tonight, while you sleep, a miracle happens and the problem that troubles you disappears. How would you notice it’s gone?” If the miracle has happened, who or what would then be where? How did they get into that new position? Potentially: Which resources are needed for the people or elements to occupy that position? Activate them as needed.

4. Ecology Check and Transfer

What advantages did the old positioning have? What disadvantages does the new positioning pose? The final question promotes the transfer of this solution to future contexts: “If a relapse were to occur, how long would it take before the solution sets in again?”

10. Tool: Time Machine

The Time Machine is a coaching tool from Martin Hagen and Eberhard Hauser designed to facilitate decision-making. It also helps discover new courses of action from a future perspective. If a coachee is “stuck,” facing a dilemma in some aspect of their life, or needs to make a difficult decision, this tool can be very useful.

The idea is to offer the client new impulses for action when faced with a life decision.

The client is asked to look back at the past and envision their new future.

If the tool is used properly, the client will discover new perspectives on a challenging decision or situation. The “dead end” they found themselves in is opened and resolved.

Using the Time Machine

1. Phase: Foreground

Begin by clarifying the client’s issue and formulating it as a succinct question. There are two important criteria for using the Time Machine: (1) The client genuinely wants to make a decision—they feel stuck. (2) Norms and values appear significant.

2. Phase: Background

Often, deeper life themes emerge during coaching. Conflicting values are common, and the client is influenced by inner conflicts. What lies behind the question formulated in Phase 1?

In this second phase, collect all emerging questions on a flip chart. Often, natural subcategories will appear. This is more like a “mind map” than a neatly arranged list. The goal is to recognize the multifaceted nature of the topic and set the scope for upcoming phases.

3. Phase: Activating the Time Machine

Invite the coachee on a small adventure. Since the coachee has likely already tried various things without success, they’re usually willing to try this little experiment. You explain how it works in a way that suits them—sometimes focusing on the results (“Let’s look at the connections and see how the issue looks from different angles”), sometimes playfully (“Join me in the Time Machine, you’re very welcome…”).

4. Phase: Defining Time Points

Experience shows that exploring up to three future viewpoints is typically most effective. The central question is about pivotal life moments related to the issue at hand. A common reference point is retirement—a stage where one can look back and reflect on their life. The coachee might propose other, sometimes nearer, time frames.

5. Phase: The Time Travel

The coach invites the coachee to sit on another chair, labeled with a different year. Each chair keeps its assigned year throughout the session. If, during the conversation, the coachee references a different time, the coach prompts them to move to the corresponding chair. Throughout the session, the coach takes notes, so they can share vital points with the client afterward and help the client keep track of their insights.

Introduction / Immersion: “Welcome to this new situation. First, get fully immersed in the year 2028. You are now X years old, and your children are grown. You’ve been successful and achieved your goals. Many things have turned out exactly as you’d wished. Take a bit of time to look around and sense how you feel in this new era.”
Observation: “What does your life look like right now? What plays a major role in your life?”
Reflection: “Do you remember the time back in year X, when you had to make that tough decision about Y? What was it about that issue that concerned you or made you hesitate?”
Diving Deeper: Depending on the theme, the coach can ask follow-up questions that go deeper.
Farewell: Then return or move on to the next moment or to Phase 6. “Is there anything else important? If not, I’d like to invite you back to the year X.”

6. Phase: Returning to the Present

Invite the client to come back to the current year. Then, the coach shares the notes taken during the time travel. The client can talk about what was meaningful for them. Often, the traveler needs a moment to reorient themselves and process what they heard and felt—maybe even to say goodbye to something. At the end of this phase, the coach and coachee revisit the flip chart of value-related questions (from Phase 2): “What did the value questions highlight? Did anything become clearer? Did some items shift in importance?”

7. Phase: Conclusion

In this final step, the key insights—new realizations and guiding principles—are reformulated. Using prompts for action, the coach encourages the coachee to determine their next steps and how they’ll handle the root issue that brought them to coaching.