CoachPro Tools
What is a coaching model (and why you need more than one)
A coaching model is a structure that orders the conversation between coach and client. It gives you a beginning, a development and an end: where you start, what you explore, what agreement you reach. Without a model, a session can become a pleasant chat that leads nowhere. With a model, every question has a purpose and the client leaves with something concrete in their hands.
It's worth distinguishing three levels that are often confused. A model is the map of the session (GROW, OSKAR, CLEAR). A methodology is the underlying approach that supports your practice (ontological coaching, values-based coaching, NLP, systemic coaching). And a tool is a specific resource you apply within the session (the wheel of life, a SMART objective, a powerful question). The three work together: the methodology defines your lens, the model structures the encounter and the tool makes visible what the client needs to see.
This is a pillar guide. Its goal is for you to understand the most commonly used coaching models and methodologies, when to apply each one and how they connect to each other. When a topic has a dedicated article, we'll link you to it so you can dive deeper. At the end you'll see how to bring all of this to practice with interactive tools that apply these models live, during the session itself.
A good model doesn't constrain the conversation: it gives it direction so the client moves from reflection to action.
Key idea: no model is "the best." The best coach isn't the one who masters a single framework, but the one who knows how to choose the right model according to the client, the moment in the process and the type of goal on the table.
GROW Model: the universal classic
The GROW model is the starting point for almost every coach. Its acronym organizes the session into four phases: Goal (target), Reality (current reality), Options (options) and Will (will and commitment). First you define what the client wants to achieve, then you contrast it with where they are today, then you open up alternatives and finally you agree on the step they're committing to.
It's ideal for defined objectives: a career change, a decision, a habit to install. Its strength lies in its simplicity, which is why it works just as well in the first session as in follow-ups. If you're starting out, GROW is the model you should be comfortable with before any other. We develop it step by step in the guide dedicated to the GROW model in coaching.
OSKAR Model: solution-focused coaching
Where GROW analyzes reality, OSKAR looks forward. It comes from the solution-focused approach and its phases are Outcome (desired result), Scaling (scale of 1 to 10 on the current point), Know-how (resources the client already has), Affirm & Action (recognize and agree on actions) and Review (review of progress).
OSKAR shines when the client is stuck or overwhelmed by the problem. Instead of digging into the cause, it asks "what would work" and "what do you already do well." The numerical scale makes it especially useful for measuring small progress between sessions, something that motivates the client who feels far from their goal.
CLEAR Model: depth and contract
The CLEAR model, developed by Peter Hawkins, adds the relational dimension that GROW lacks. Its phases are Contracting (agreeing on the focus and ground rules), Listening (deep active listening), Exploring (exploring impact and options), Action (defining actions) and Review (closing and reviewing).
CLEAR is the natural choice for executive coaching and long-term processes, where the explicit contract and review are as important as the exploration. If you work with executives or in organizational contexts, this model gives you the rigorous framework that client expects.
Apply each model live, not from memory
CoachPro Tools brings together 249 interactive tools in 15 categories. GROW, wheel of life, SMART and many more, ready to use during the session and export with your brand.
Explore the platform →Wheel of Life: the visual diagnosis
The wheel of life is not a session model, but the most universal diagnostic tool in coaching. The client rates their satisfaction from 1 to 10 in the key areas of their life (health, work, relationships, money, leisure, personal development) and the result draws a wheel that reveals at a glance where there is imbalance.
It's the perfect tool to open a process: in five minutes it organizes the conversation and helps the client decide where to start. Then you can go deeper with GROW in the chosen area. You have the complete guide in the article on the wheel of life in coaching.
SMART Goals: from desire to actionable objective
A vague intention ("I want to be better") can't be worked with. The SMART methodology converts that desire into a concrete objective: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and with a defined Timeframe. It's the perfect complement to the "Goal" phase of the GROW model.
Any process aimed at results (productivity, habit change, professional goals) benefits from passing the goal through the SMART filter before designing the action plan. Dive deeper in the article on SMART goals in coaching.
Coaching by values and Ikigai: the level of meaning
Not everything is solved with goals. Sometimes the client doesn't know what they want because they don't have clarity on who they are and what matters to them. That's where methodologies centered on values and purpose come in. Values-based coaching helps identify the non-negotiable principles that should guide their decisions, while Ikigai crosses four dimensions (what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for) to find the point where meaning is born.
These methodologies are the foundation of life coaching and career transition coaching. When a client manages to align their goals with their values, motivation no longer needs forced discipline. Explore them in the guide on Ikigai in coaching.
NLP: language, beliefs and patterns
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is more a toolbox than a session model. It works with the relationship between language, thought and behavior: how the words the client uses reveal their beliefs, how to reframe a limiting experience, how to anchor a resourceful state. Tools like reframing, perceptual positions or the meta-model of language come from this approach.
NLP brings depth when the client's obstacle is not one of action but of interpretation: it's not that they can't, it's that they believe they can't. It combines very well with any structural model to dismantle the narratives that hold back progress.
Powerful questions: the tool that crosses all models
No model works without good questions. Powerful questions are the cross-cutting technique that supports all practice: open questions, non-judgmental, that make the client think rather than give them the answer. "What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?" moves more than any advice.
Mastering the art of questioning is what separates a coach from an advisor. In each phase of GROW, OSKAR or CLEAR, the quality of your question determines the quality of the reflection. You have a complete repertoire in the article on powerful questions in coaching.
Feedback models: closing the learning loop
Feedback is not exclusive to executive coaching: it's part of how the client integrates what they've learned. There are specific models for structuring it, such as SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact), the sandwich model or strength-based feedback. Each one serves a different context depending on the level of trust and type of message.
If you work with leaders and teams, mastering these models is essential, because your client is going to replicate them with their own people. Compare the approaches in the guide on feedback models in coaching.
GROUP Model and team coaching
When the client is not a person but a team, individual models fall short. The GROUP model adapts the GROW logic to collective work: shared goals, group reality, options agreed upon and commitments with assigned roles. It relies on tools for team dynamics, roles and agreements.
Team coaching adds layers that individual work doesn't have: psychological safety, trust, communication between members. That's why team coaches combine a structural model with group dynamics and team health evaluation frameworks.
Comparison table: which model to use and when
This table summarizes the main models and methodologies so you can quickly choose based on what you have in front of you:
| Model | Type | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|
| GROW | Session structure | Clear goals, first session |
| OSKAR | Solution-focused | Stuck or overwhelmed client |
| CLEAR | Structure with contract | Executive coaching, long processes |
| Wheel of Life | Diagnosis | Opening process, prioritizing focus |
| SMART | Goals | Converting desires into actionable goals |
| Values / Ikigai | Purpose | Life coaching, career transition |
| NLP | Intervention | Limiting beliefs, reframing |
| Powerful questions | Cross-cutting technique | All sessions and models |
| Feedback models | Communication | Leaders, teams, integration |
| GROUP | Teams | Group and organizational coaching |
How to choose the right model
The choice doesn't depend on your preference, but on three variables. First, the type of goal: if it's concrete and actionable, GROW or SMART; if it's diffuse or about meaning, values and Ikigai. Second, the moment in the process: at the start, diagnosis with the wheel of life; in development, a structural model; when there's blockage, OSKAR or NLP. Third, the client's context: individual or team, personal or executive.
Experienced coaches don't apply a pure model from start to finish. They combine: they open with the wheel of life, structure with GROW, fine-tune the goal with SMART, unblock a belief with an NLP technique and close with a concrete commitment. The model is a scaffold, not a cage. Your professional judgment decides which piece to use at each moment.
Practical advice: start by mastering GROW and the wheel of life. With those two you can conduct 80% of your sessions. As you gain experience, add OSKAR for being stuck, SMART for planning and purpose-based methodologies for deeper work.
From theory to live session
Knowing the models is half the work. The other half is applying them without friction when the client is in front of you. Many coaches know GROW but carry it from memory, draw the wheel of life by hand on a sheet or improvise with a spreadsheet. The result is a session that looks less professional than the coach actually is.
CoachPro Tools solves exactly that. It's a platform and software for coaches with 249 interactive tools organized in 15 categories, many of them live versions of the models in this guide: a wheel of life with sliders that draws itself, a GROW canvas, a SMART goal generator, an Ikigai tool, values maps and much more. You open the tool, work through it with the client on screen and export the result to PDF with your brand. All within a single account, alongside the CRM, schedule and each client's file.
Applying a model with an interactive tool turns an abstract idea into something the client sees, touches and takes away.
All these models, ready to use
249 interactive tools in 15 categories, with PDF export and your own brand. Plans from $30 per month, $157 per year or $297 one-time lifetime.
View plans and pricing →Conclusion: models are your craft, not your limit
A coaching model doesn't replace your presence, your listening or your intuition. What it does is give you a map so you don't get lost and a common language with the client. GROW, OSKAR, CLEAR, wheel of life, SMART, Ikigai, NLP, feedback models and GROUP don't compete with each other: they form your repertoire. The broader it is, the better you'll be able to respond to what each person brings to the session.
The next step is to make these models live in your practice, not in your notes. Apply them in session, make them visible to your client and document them with your brand. That's when a model stops being theory and becomes your way of working.
Discover CoachPro Tools →Explore the models further
Articles about specific models: