The Most Powerful Coaching Tool You're Probably Not Using
by Michelle Burkhard
The Unglamorous Truth About Coaching Success
Did you know that the most powerful tool in a coach's toolbox, regardless of the topic, specialty, or niche, isn't a strategy, a worksheet, or that brilliant question you keep tucked away for special moments?
It's a model.
Yes, a model. The unglamorous, often-overlooked, deceptively simple framework that determines whether your coaching leads to meaningful, sustainable change… or a series of pleasant conversations that don't go very far.
What the Research Reveals
And here's the kicker: the research is unmistakably clear. Coaches who use a model, and more importantly, use it consistently, not only see better outcomes with clients, but they also create deeper, lasting transformation across all their clients. It doesn't matter if they're working with executives, teachers, entrepreneurs, parents, athletes, or people trying to finally follow through on that gym membership. A consistent coaching model amplifies progress across the board.
But despite all this evidence, there's something surprising (and a little concerning) happening in the coaching world.
The Big Coaching Secret No One Wants to Admit
Coaching research shows that once coaches complete a certification program, they typically stop using a coaching model. Not because they're rebellious, but often because they become so focused on content, outcomes, or "what to say next" that the underlying structure fades quietly into the background.
I've seen this everywhere: but especially in education. Schools often invest heavily in coaching programs, training, and support systems. Yet, despite those resources, only about 10% of coaches actually use a model at all. And of that already small group, only 2% use it with fidelity and with some sort of supervision.
Two percent!
Imagine any other field where only 2% of trained professionals consistently use the core method that drives results. You wouldn't want to be on a plane flown by a pilot who only occasionally glances at their flight framework. You wouldn't hire a contractor who uses a blueprint "in theory." And you definitely wouldn't trust a surgeon who said, "Don't worry, I studied the procedure. I don't follow it step-by-step anymore, but I remember the general idea."
Yet in coaching, this happens all the time.
Why Models Matter More Than Content
Here's something the research also reveals: it does not matter which model you use. Coaches often argue with great passion (and sometimes volume) about the merits of one model over another, the superiority of a certain process, or the elegance of a particular acronym.
But from a research standpoint? None of that matters.
What matters is that you use a model, and you use it consistently.
Whether your model is GROW, CLEAR, OSKAR, Thought→Feeling→Action, or something you drew on a napkin once that turned out to work remarkably well… the power is the same. Because the power isn't in the coach. It isn't in the topic. It isn't even in the goal.
The power is in the process.
What a Good Coaching Model Does
A good coaching model does several things:
Ensures clarity
Creates psychological safety
Reduces decision fatigue: for both you and the client
Guides clients from point A to point B without skipping crucial steps
Helps clients build skills, not dependence
You can think of a coaching model as the GPS of personal growth: it keeps both of you oriented, grounded, and moving in the right direction, even if the road takes an unexpected turn (and let's be honest, it usually does).
All Coaching Models Have These Five Elements
You may be wondering, "But what if I don't have a model?" Or perhaps, "What if I sort of have one, but I couldn't explain it if someone asked me directly?"
Good news: most effective coaching models, across decades of research, boil down to five essential components. They might be named differently, drawn differently, or arranged in a different order, but the structure is almost always the same.
These five components are:
1
1
1. Focus: What do you want to explore today?
2
2
2. Current Reality: What's happening right now?
3
3
3. Obstacles & Challenges: What's in the way?
4
4
4. Desired Future: What would you like instead?
5
5
5. Wrap-Up/Action: What will you do, and by when?
That's it. If you want to, you can build an entire coaching practice around these five questions. Many coaches have, and many have achieved extraordinary results.
The beauty is not in complexity: it's in consistency.
Consistency Isn't Boring… It's Transformational
If you talk to clients who have experienced deep transformation in coaching, one theme appears over and over: predictable structure that allows for unpredictable insight.
A consistent model:
  • Reduces cognitive load so your clients can think more deeply.
  • Anchors the process even on emotionally heavy or chaotic days.
  • Helps clients track their own growth.
  • Allows you, the coach, to show up fully without reinventing the wheel every session.
When you become skilled at using a model, something remarkable happens. You can coach anyone on any topic. Not because you suddenly know everything, but because the model does the heavy lifting for you.
The One-Minute Test
So here's the simple question I want you to reflect on today:
Are you using a coaching model? Yes or no?
And if we were sitting together having a coffee (which I'd enjoy, by the way), and I asked you to explain your model in under one minute, could you do it?
If the answer is yes, that's fantastic… keep going, keep refining, and keep deepening your mastery.
If the answer is no, or if your answer involves a lot of "Well… I mean… sort of…", then don't worry. You are not alone, and you are not behind. You simply need a model you can commit to and practice until it becomes second nature.
Put It Into Practice
Feel free to use the simple five-step version above. Try it with your next client. Then again with the next. And the next. Watch what happens when you lean into repetition and reliability.
I promise you, after more than two decades of coaching across 13 countries and countless industries and fields, your coaching model is your most powerful tool. Period.
But don't just take my word for it.
Trust the coaching research.
And then go put it into practice.
Michelle Burkhard
Michelle Burkhard is the CEO of Grow By One, a personal and professional development company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations unlock their highest potential. A seasoned coach with over two decades of professional experience, Michelle holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and a PhD in Education with a specialization in Assessment, Evaluation, and Accountability. Her extensive academic and field research centers on the coaching profession, human potential, and transformational learning.
Michelle is also the creator and host of the long-running Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life podcast, featuring more than 1,800 episodes dedicated to practical mindset tools, personal growth, and intentional living. Her work blends evidence-based strategies with intuitive insight, making her a sought-after mentor for leaders, coaches, and lifelong learners.
Known for her clarity, compassion, and ability to make complex ideas simple and actionable, Michelle is committed to empowering others to grow by just one meaningful step at a time.

Amazon.com

Way of the Dragonfly: 101 Maxims for Leading a High Vibrational & Conscious Life

Way of the Dragonfly: 101 Maxims for Leading a High Vibrational & Conscious Life - Kindle edition by Carroll, Jonathan. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Ways To Stay Involved…
Submit An Article For Inclusion
Click on the image above to submit your article. We welcome the voices of those who have ideas, perspectives, research, and our stories to share.
Subscribe to The Coaches' Chronicle
Click on the image above and make sure to subscribe to 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔' 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒍𝒆 for free so you don't miss any future issues!
Advertise with The Coaches' Chronicle
Click image to discover how to place your premium ad in The Coaches' Chronicle