• No, not those Oscars! OSKAR is a coaching model that comes from a Solutions Focused context. More conversation, less film!

• It’s a fantastic approach to use, to guide you in coaching conversations, systemic coaching and team coaching. Using OSKAR well enables your client (or staff, if you are manager as coach) to focus on what they want and how to get there.   
• You can add OSKAR to your coaching toolkit. You combine it with your many coaching skills, qualities and talents

• On the list below, you will see what happens at each stage of an OSKAR coaching conversation.  You’ll see what key questions are asked by the coach

• OSKAR stands for outcome, scaling, know-how affirm, action and review

• You will discover more about this model in The Solutions Focus: By Paul Z Jackson and Mark McKergow.

1.  OUTCOME

You and your client jointly define the coaching outcome

• Key question:  What one thing do you want to get out of this session/conversation? What would you like to be different by the end of this session?

• Other questions:  How will this benefit you?
• Systemic question: How might this benefit the organisation too?

• Key question:  If we come up with some solutions, are you willing to do something about it?

2.  FUTURE PERFECT

This stage helps your client develop the vision of what they want (the ‘solution’)

• Key questions:  Suppose…you leave here today….. and return to work tomorrow and everything has changed for the better.. what will be the first signs that change has happened.. what will be the first changes you notice? What else?

3.  SCALING

Helps your client to see where they are now, in relation to what they want and a worst case scenario.

• Key question:  On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing the worst that it has ever been, and 10 your preferred future, where are you now?

4.  KNOW-HOW

Helps your client discover their resourcefulness and discover inner skills, abilities and talents. Shows where the ‘solution’ happens already.   

Key question:  You are at ‘n’ now (on the scale) ; what did you do to get you that far?

• When does your solution/ideal outcome happen for you already? Even a little bit?
• What else?

4.  AFFIRM

Affirm: helps your client feel resourceful and empowered before choosing a small step

• Key statement:  I’m impressed by’…..(coach affirms the know-how you gleaned in the know-how stage)

5.  ACTION: 

Helps your client come up with one small practical step

Key question: 

You are at ‘n’ now on the scale,  what one small step would get you to ‘n’+1?

5.  REVIEW

Enables your client to see what’s changed by the end of the  coaching session or in a review session

Key questions: 

• What’s better?
• What did you do that made the change happen?

That’s it in a nutshell, the OSKAR coaching model.

You can use it all as a whole model or weave different parts of it into coaching style conversations at work.

It takes practice but with practice you’ll find the conversations shift from going round in circles about problems, to enabling solutions to emerge.

To find out more about Manager as Coach training, coach skills development and ILM level 5 in coaching (we offer this with a partnership organisation), do drop us a line.