The Journey Inside. Veronica Munro
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• Establish steps to motivate teams and ways to test their effectiveness within the next six months.
Achieving outcomes
The outcome frame is very powerful. You can increase its potency naturally by asking for the evidence of success at the start. This will help the client focus more specifically on the outcome, what it will look like, and possible subsequent actions to achieve it.
• How will you know you have achieved this outcome?
• What will you see, hear and feel that will let you know you have achieved it?
• What won’t be happening that demonstrates progress has already been made?
• What are some of the visible and tangible signs that you are on track?
• Once you are making solid progress, how will you be feeling differently about the old challenge? What lets you know you are at that point now?
Step 2: Explain the PMT process
At this point, explain the Physical Metaphor Technique. Give enough details about the initial step to get the client engaged. Tell them they will be creating a specific kind of scene: a diorama (three-dimensional ‘metaphor’ model) that represents the challenge, with objects that symbolise elements, themes and people within that scene. Using these objects they will move towards identifying a range of new options and strategies for achieving their outcome.
Use the environment
Ask the client to choose a physical space in the room within which they will work with their challenge. You may wish to suggest a space they can use, for example a desk top, table, rug or floor area. Let them know that this space is going to be special for the purposes of applying the PMT.
Once selected, invite the client to pick out a selection of different objects from around the room and bring them back to the chosen space. Please look all around this room. Look everywhere. Look at your desk. Look inside the cupboards. Look inside your jacket pocket. Look inside your bag / purse / wallet. Pick out a selection of objects and bring them back to your chosen space. You may also use Post-its and other paper to write on and place within the scene as well as, or instead of, objects.
The coach must never touch the objects or pick them up at any stage in the process. You can only refer to them. This is to ensure that the client retains full responsibility throughout the process and any decisions, or choices, that come from it. We want to communicate non-verbally, This is your plan. You are resourceful and can generate new scenarios and possibilities based on this wider perspective.
The essence of the PMT is to facilitate a process where the client is proactive, feels able to take full responsibility and is therefore empowered to try new things.
Step 3: Create establishing scene and ask orienting questions
Client creates establishing scene
Feed back a brief summary of the challenge from step #1 and ask the client to use any objects they have collected to create a representation of the challenge, thus creating the starting point for the scene.
• Use any of these objects to create a scene that represents the challenge for you as you perceive it right now. Discard objects, or go and collect additional objects, at any time. There is no right or wrong way to do this. You decide what fits and what doesn’t. This is your own creative space. Experiment with this initial scene until it feels right to you.
• I will be silent some of the time, and, at other times, I may ask questions about what is going on. Please let me know when it feels complete so that you can share the details of how the challenge looks in the scene.
Ask orienting questions
Your aim at this point is to connect the client deeply to the symbolic meaning of the scene, so they feel totally invested in it and are able to explain why it has such meaning for them.
You want to leave them to reflect, especially if they are actively thinking and figuring things out as they construct the scene. Once they get into the exercise, it will take on a momentum of its own.
As the scene starts to come together and when the client signals it is complete, this may be a good time to ask any of the orienting questions below. Ask the client to describe the scene, what the objects represent to them and which are the most important or meaningful themes or items to them:
• What does x represent?
• What attributes does y have?
• What is happening here? What else?
• How do you feel about that?
• What is the most important aspect of this? In what way?
• Select and point to two objects in the scene and ask the client: What is the relationship between x and y?
A more in-depth explanation of metaphors and symbolism and their role in coaching can be found in Chapter 5: ‘Coaching the Unconscious Mind through Metaphor’ by Richard Haggerty.
Once you know a client is emotionally invested in this, and they have expressed the perceived parameters of the challenge, check to see if this scene is complete. Is there anything else you would like to add to make this complete? Once complete, let them know it is vitally important to capture the scene before they start working with it to achieve their outcome. They will then be able to assess progress later on and compare solutions against this initial scene. Photograph the scene now to record in their Coaching Report as a way to highlight the significance of what they have just created.
Step 4: Photograph establishing scene
Take a photo of the scene. A mobile phone or camera will suffice. You may want to have some Post-its that say ‘scene 1’ or ‘scene 1: establishing scene,’ so it is easy to identify the sequence later on, especially if you decide to include photos of all the intermediate steps.
Step 5: Move from challenge to outcome scene
Invite the client to create a new scene that begins to move them away from their challenge (‘establishing scene’) towards their outcome.
Remind the client of their overall outcome and ask some of the suggested questions below to help them get started:
• So, what is your outcome?
• What do you want to have happen?
• What’s the very first thing that needs to happen to move towards your outcome?
• What needs to happen next for this [establishing scene] to begin to change?
• If you wish to talk through your ideas please do so.
Ask them to start making any changes e.g. move objects around, remove objects or add new ones to achieve their outcome. Invite them to take their time so that they fully process the significance of the moves and how they will work out in reality.
Stay curious about, and connected to, their process by being present, watchful and silent. Let your client sit longer in the silences, longer than we would all do ‘normally.’ The reason for this is that people think faster than they speak and the extra time in silence enables them to think more. Allow the client to be the one to initiate a conversation with you. When you do speak use what and how questions, rather than why or closed questions, and remain sensitive to the impact of your questioning. Remember this is their time and space and never give any interpretations of your own. Ask for theirs only. For example:
• What will that move do for you?
• What is the significance of this?
• How will this support achieving your outcome?
Listen deeply and attentively. Very quickly they will get