Use this tool to help participants make specific plans to take steps and practice their self-defined goals. Participants and coaches can also use the tool to create clarity and transparency on action steps between meetings.
Plan
Participants begin by choosing one of their priorities from The Wheel of Life. It can be helpful to start with the priority area that lends itself most easily to defining a goal and action steps. This builds confidence, skills, and experience to then set goals for the other areas.
Let the participant know that this session will involve a lot of brainstorming together to generate ideas. Remind participants that there are no bad ideas and try to leave judgments aside. Refer to the tools on specific areas of life for suggestions of powerful questions you can ask to help the participant refine their goals.
- What opportunities exist?
- Which steps come next?
- Which strategy will you take?
- What will you do to reach your goal and by when?
- What concrete steps can you take now?
- What obstacles might get in the way?
- How will you overcome those challenges?
- How can you get support from family, friends, and others to achieve your plan?
- Will this plan get you to your goal?
Do
Participants follow the steps outlined in this section in the tool. This is when the participant and family carry out the steps outlined in the plan.
- What can you do? What will you do? The more specific the participant can be as to what this is, the easier it will be to take action.
- What role can family members play? Encourage the participant to enlist the support of family members and to think about how to approach those members for assistance. This is an opportunity to refer to the tool, Who Is in My Family?
- Who will carry out the steps (participant, family members)? There may be a series of small steps, some taken by the participant and others by family members.
- When will it be done? You and the participant may want to set timelines for each of the small steps and then an all-done date for completing all steps. This way the participant can see movement and success along the way.
- Where will it be done? Are there things to do in the home? At the workplace? At school?
Review
Together, in a subsequent coaching session, discuss the successes and unexpected outcomes.
- How did it go? Did things happen according to the plan?
- How did the plan affect the family? Were steps missed?
- Did things happen on time? If the plan was achieved, then celebrate that and continue with the plan, making adjustments as needed.
- If the plan was not achieved, what needs to change? What family support might be needed?
- What support or resources can you as the coach provide?
Below is a PDF you can print, download or view full screen. See the toolbar at the top of the PDF for these various options. If you view in full screen, to get back to the normal page view, click the toggle in the toolbar at the bottom of the PDF.
Plan-do-review-toolThe Prosperity Agenda provides these resources as the designated national administrator of Family-Centered Coaching.