Meta-Coaching FAQs

» What is Coaching?
Coaching is the mobilizing of a client’s resources to an agreed outcome that unleashes the talents, passions, and potentials of that client so that he or she can experience more, be more, know and feel more, do more, contribute more, and have more. Coaching is a very focused conversation that primarily uses questions and meta-questions tot get to the heart of things and facilitate change and transformation. Coaching is about the transformation of performance, beliefs and values, meanings and directions and so is about performance change, evolutionary change, and revolutionary change.

» What is Meta-Coaching?
Coaching is by its very nature a field or discipline that works at a higher or meta position to the client and the client’s experience. As a sports coach does not have to be an expert in the sport himself, he or she does have to know how to get the best out of the player. A meta-coach is an expert is structure and process rather than in content. The client is his or her own best expert in content.
The Meta-Coach knows how people function and operate and is guided by the six models of communication, change, reflexivity, implementation, systems, and self-actualization. With that meta-knowledge and meta-skill, the meta-coach is skilled in getting the best out of the client.

» What is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)?
NLP is a communication model that describes how language (linguistics) affects our body and physiology (neurology). Words and symbols work indirectly, not directly. Words and symbols work in our mind like a map about a territory (“The map is not the territory”) just as our inner mental movies of sights, sounds, sensations, smells, etc. is not the external experience. But, and this is the magic of symbols, the movies we play in the theater of our mind do send messages (and even commands) to our nervous systems about what to feel and how to respond and so create our internal reality.
As a model of human functioning, NLP describes the processes and patterns (programming) that is currently governing our mind-body system and the processes and patterns that could enable us to “run our own brain” in new and much more resourceful ways. NLP is about how to change the communication (mapping, movie-making) so that we can experience more resourceful states of mind-and-body.

» What is Neuro-Semantics (NS)?
Neuro-Semantics is about meaning and meaningfulness (semantics) and how the meanings we create not only at the level of representation as we make movies in our minds, but at all of the higher levels of frames about those movies. The movies and meanings that we set not only create our frames of mind, but the emotions, skills, states, and abilities in our bodies (neurology).
Because we never just think or feel, but we think and feel about our thoughts and emotions and do so layer upon layer upon layer, thinking about our feelings, feeling about our feelings, etc., each layer creates another frame, another “logical level”, and so creates our matrix of frames of meaning. This is the construct of our inner world that comprises all of the Rules of the Games that we play in our actions, behaviours, and skills.
Neuro-Semantics works with the reflexivity of our states (Meta-States) that create our Matrix of Frames (the Matrix model, Frame Game model) and that leads to how we can actually close the knowing-doing gap. Neuro-Semantics focuses on the integration or synergy that results when we can translate the great ideas in our heads so that they are in our body (the Mind-to-Muscle pattern, for example).
As a model with many sub-models for explicating the structure of experience, the heart of Neuro-Semantics is modelling experiences of excellence and mastery. This modelling process enables us then to create many models and patterns for replicating those highly desired experiences.

» What is Performance Coaching?
Performance Coaching is the form of Coaching most people think of when describing Coaching. At this first level of Coaching, a Coaches focus will be on incremental change and modification of a Clients skills and behaviours; what the Client can preform or do in action. Performance Coaching is highly effective in Workplace Coaching, Sales Coaching, Sports Coaching, and task orientated Coaching such as writing a book, winning a competition, public speaking, finding a new job etc.

» What is Developmental Coaching?
Developmental Coaching is measured by performance in skills and behaviours, yet focuses on evolutionary change, helping a Client to develop their beliefs, values, self-identity and other meanings for a change in their performance, in any area of their life. Developmental Coaching is highly effective for Leadership and Executive Coaching, Relationship Coaching, Health Coaching, Wealth Coaching, and for releasing interferences to untapped talents and potentials.

» What is Transformational Coaching?
Transformational Coaching focuses on revolutionary change; change to an individual or organisations purpose and direction. Transformational Coaching helps a Client to make changes that ends up changing the very direction, meaning and purpose of their life, relationship or business. Transformational Coaching is highly effective for organisations to align the performance of employees with the highest intentions of Boards, Directors and for systemic career change, self-actualisation, and realising innate gifts and potential.

» What is the Meta-States Model?
Meta-States is a reflexivity model, for accessing and refining the thoughts in the back of our mind— the thoughts-and-feelings that we have about our thoughts-and-feelings. We call these thoughts-and-feelings a meta-state. As a function of our ability to reflect upon ourselves and our experiences, we apply one state to another, and so layer state upon state. This model gives a Coach the ability to precision question to find these meta-state structures and to invite a client to become aware of these structures for quality controlling and evaluating.

» What is the Axes of Change Model (AOC)?
This Axes of Change model is currently the only generative change model in the field of Coaching today (2007). Each other model in the field is either a structure for running a coaching session or a model taken from therapy for counseling remedial change. This powerful model assists both Coach and Client to identify where they are in the process of change and to accurately identify, what to do ,when, with whom and why. Based on four dynamic interfaces Axes, the Coach plays nine different roles, accessing nine different states while using nine distinctive skills. AOC is also now gaining much recognition for its effectiveness in selling, negotiating, consulting, and team building.

» What is the Matrix Model?
The Matrix model is a systemic framework that combines cognitive-behavioural psychology and developmental psychology to provide a dynamic way to think about how all of our meanings frames, such as beliefs, values, understandings etc are embedded within frames work as a unified system. The Matrix model is used in Neuro-Semantics to detect the meaning frames that governs a person’s life and experiences, and to transform limiting and even toxic meaning frames to more empowering and enhancing frames. This model gives a Coach a holistic model for working with both individuals and organisations for profiling and tracing a change through the entire system.

» What is the NS Benchmarking Model?
The benchmarking model provides a way to begin to measure an intangible idea or skill. It begins by operationalizing a term by finding behavioural equivalents of the term and scaling them from 0 to 5 to specify the degree and extent of a skill from unconscious competence to high level conscious and unconscious competence. Benchmarking provides a way to measure and mark degrees of competence and to more easily replicate high quality skills of expertise.

» What is the NS Self Actualisation Model?
There are three NS self-actualization models: the NS Self-Actualization model specifies the theoretical frameworks of the concept of self-actualizing (making actual one’s potentials by mobilizing resources), the Matrix of Self-Actualization, and the Self-Actualization Quadrants. These models detail the definition, meaning, components, and processes of actualizing one’s best possibilities. In the context of coaching, these models actualize the best visions in the human potential movement by Maslow, Rogers, Carl, and others by giving practical processes.

» What are the NS Leadership Competencies?
Using the NS Benchmarking process, we have identified 7 of the key competencies of leadership and set benchmarks for determining where a Leader is in developing their competence. In Neuro-Semantics (NS) Leadership Competencies include:

Being Criteria
» Authenticity
» Integrity
» Congruency

Doing Criteria
» Contributing
» Collaborating
» Pioneering
» Communicating

» What is NLP Practitioner Training?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner Training is the full first level study in the field of NLP. From the original study and development of Dr John Grinder and Richard Bandler, the NLP Practitioner training teaches the NLP Model and patterns. NLP Practitioner trainings vary in length from 7-21 days. A Certified NLP Practitioner will have been taught by a Certified NLP Trainer and will have studied and been tested against:

» NLP Model of Communication
» Sensory Acuity
» Representational Systems
» Rapport
» States
» Anchoring
» Reframing
» Sub-modalities

Some NLP Practitioner Trainings will also cover:
» Time Line
» Parts Integration
» Introduction to Hypnosis

» What is Meta-NLP Practitioner Training?
Meta-NLP Practitioner Training is taught by a Certified NLP and Neuro-Semantic Trainer. Meta-NLP Practitioner Training will cover the same course content as traditional NLP Practitioner Training (see – What is NLP Practitioner Training?), and will also include an introduction to Meta-States (see – What is The Meta-States Model?). The Meta-NLP Practitioner training program is taught in an accelerated format using the advance technology of the Meta-States Model, thereby enhancing learning retention and integration into skill competency.

» Who is Meta-Coaching designed for?
Meta-Coaching is targeted for three groups of people. Firstly, coaches, new and experienced. Throughout the 1990s coaching has been mostly a grab-bag of tricks without a methodology or discipline. As Coaching has begun to grow up as a field and enter Universities, a consistent and unified theory and set of practices have been sought for to give the field its own uniqueness.
Meta-Coaching answers these needs as it has been able to designate a unique place for Coaching that distinguishes it from therapy, counselling, consulting, training, and mentoring. For the coach, Meta-Coaching advances the field and offers a unified structure.
Secondly, for managers and leaders. Meta-Coaching is designed for the business context for enabling people to communicate more effectively, give and receive feedback more accurately, create structures of responsibility, empowerment, and accountability, and enable everybody in a group or team to work more efficiently. Coaching as a methodology is a great addition to any manager or supervisor who knows that the old “command and control” form creates more resistance than it crates solutions. Coaching as a leadership modality also identifies that leaders lead by mobilizing and unleashing potential in people through the framing of a vision and the embodiment of a story.
Third, communicators. Because Meta-Coaching is about communicating more effectively, succinctly, and powerfully, anyone in any role of communication will find the Meta-Coaching tools revolutionary for enriching their communication skills.

» If I am new to Coaching and NS/NLP where do I start?
The starting place can be either Coaching Essentials or Coaching Genius. These are 2 or 3 day trainings that introduce the Meta-Coach pathway and provide an excellent way to begin the process

» I am already an NLP Practitioner- where do I start?
If you already have studied and achieved certification as an NLP Practitioner, you can skip Module 1, and start at Module 2, Accessing Personal Genius (APG) which we also call Coaching Genius. If you have achieved this Coaching Genius or APG Certification, then module 3a, ACMC Meta-Coach Training or module 3b, Internal Meta-Coach Training will be your starting place.

» Is the training accredited by the ICF?
The skills studied and developed in The Meta-Coach Training System exceed the competencies required for Credentialing through the ICF. Meta-Coach graduates who wish to obtain ICF credentials can do so through the ICF Portfolio Credentialing Track.

» I am already a Coach – where do I start?
If you are an experienced Coach or have already taken some Coach training you will find the Meta-Coach Training System an exciting place to advance your skills in the cognitive behavioural sciences and discover 6 Coaching models that are not studied in any other Coach Training program. The fast track for you is to start at Module 1, Coaching Essentials. This is a condensed introduction to NLP and the essential NLP skills required for Module 2 and Module 3.

» What is the difference between ACMC and ICMC training?
ACMC is the Associate Certified Meta-Coach Training, Module 3a of the Meta-Coach Training System. It is a 7-day public training for new and experienced Coaches who have completed Module 1 and Module 2 of the Training System.

ICMC is the Internal Certified Meta-Coach Training, Module 3b of the Meta-Coach Training System run as both a 5-day private in-house training for an organisation or as a public training for individuals from different organisations to attend. Both organisations and individuals will have completed Module 2 and Module 3 of the Training System.

In both trainings participants will study the 6 Meta-Coaching Models and be benchmarked against the 7 Core Coaching Skills form the MCF. The primary difference between both trainings is the business section of each training. In ACMC training the business section is on strategies for building a private coaching practice. In ICMC training the focus is on working inside an organisation and on leadership and management.