How do you know when you’ve actually made an effective change?

One of the gems I’ve recently taken from my executive coaching classes via The University of Texas at Dallas is something called “Criterial Equivalents.” Simply put, these are what a person being coached would see, hear or experience if their desired goal or goal state currently existed.

There are “self-identified” and “third” party criterial equivalents. Regarding self-identified, the coachee—based on their perspective and way of seeing the world—would need to provide authentic answers to questions such as:

· What would be different for you? (if the desired goal state existed)

· What will tell you that you’re making progress? What's the first sign?

The third party equivalents pertain to the coachee’s perceptions on how others would respond to such an improved state of affair. These types of questions can help a coachee get more clarity on the outcomes they would like to see, by changing their frame of reference:

·  What will be different for your staff?

·  What will your peers tell is different? What first signs would they notice?

A key benefit of this coaching approach is helping someone transition from being stuck in “problem mode” to “solution mode.” Once a person can start describing details and reactions about the preferred future, they can begin taking steps to actually get there. Desire to change increases.

Anything less than moving toward the preferred future is simply conversation, but not action. In the end, only action leads to change.