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Coaching Model · Updated for 2026

CIGAR Coaching Model: Current Reality, Ideal, Gaps, Action, Review — Questions & Example

CIGAR starts where the client is, paints the ideal, and then names the gap between the two. The gap — not the goal — becomes the unit of work, which suits clients who know they are unhappy but cannot yet say what they want.

Origin: A gap-analysis coaching model that reverses GROW's order — reality first, then the ideal — so the gap between the two becomes the subject of the session.

CIGAR at a glance — Current reality, Ideal, Gaps, Action, Review

  1. 1Current reality: Describe the present honestly before imagining anything.
  2. 2Ideal: Describe the preferred future vividly.
  3. 3Gaps: Name the specific differences between now and ideal.
  4. 4Action: Choose actions that close the priority gap.
  5. 5Review: Check progress and adjust.

The CIGAR stages, with questions

1

Current reality

Describe the present honestly before imagining anything.

Questions to ask
  • “What is happening now, in detail?”
  • “How do you feel about it?”
  • “What is working, even a little?”
2

Ideal

Describe the preferred future vividly.

Questions to ask
  • “What would ideal look like?”
  • “What would be different for you and others?”
  • “What would you be doing, thinking, feeling?”
3

Gaps

Name the specific differences between now and ideal.

Questions to ask
  • “What are the biggest gaps between now and ideal?”
  • “Which gap matters most?”
  • “Which gap, if closed, would close others?”
4

Action

Choose actions that close the priority gap.

Questions to ask
  • “What could close that gap?”
  • “What will you do first, and when?”
  • “What support do you need?”
5

Review

Check progress and adjust.

Questions to ask
  • “What has moved?”
  • “Has the ideal changed as you've worked on it?”
  • “What's the next gap?”

When to use CIGAR — and when not to

Use it when

  • • Clients who can describe what's wrong but not what they want
  • • Development planning and performance conversations built on gap analysis
  • • Situations where the ideal only becomes clear after an honest look at now

Set it aside when

  • • Solution-focused work where dwelling on current reality reinforces the problem
  • • Clients who already know their goal — CIGAR's order adds little

Example: CIGAR in a coaching conversation

Coach:Before we talk about what you want — what's actually happening now?
Client:I run a team of six and I'm in meetings nine hours a day. I make every decision. Nobody decides without me.
Coach:And the ideal?
Client:Four hours of meetings. The leads deciding on anything under a certain budget without asking.
Coach:What are the gaps between those two pictures?
Client:No decision rights written down. And I answer every Slack within a minute, so why would they decide?
Coach:Which gap, if you closed it, would close the other?

CIGAR model FAQ

What does CIGAR stand for in coaching?+

Current reality, Ideal, Gaps, Action, Review — a gap-analysis coaching model.

CIGAR vs GROW?+

GROW starts with the goal; CIGAR starts with current reality, then the ideal, and makes the gap between them the focus. CIGAR suits clients who know what's wrong but not yet what they want.

What is gap analysis in coaching?+

Comparing the current state with the desired state to identify the specific differences — the gaps — and choosing which to close first.

Related models and guides

Stages and questions are a map for the coach, not a script for the client — ICF assesses the competencies, not the model.

Practice the CIGAR Model with AI

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