OSKAR Coaching Model: Solution-Focused Stages, Questions & Example

Establish the preferred future — what the client wants, not what they want to get rid of.

• “What do you want instead?”
• “Suppose the problem disappeared tonight: what would you notice tomorrow morning?”
• “What would others see you doing differently?”

Locate the client on a 0–10 scale and mine the number for evidence of progress and resources.

• “On a scale of 0 to 10, where are you now?”
• “What are you already doing that puts you at that number and not lower?”
• “What would one point higher look like?”

Surface skills, resources and past successes — the client's own know-how and other people's.

• “When has this gone even slightly better? What did you do?”
• “Who else could help, and how?”
• “What do you know about yourself that helps here?”

Acknowledge what is working, then agree small, concrete next steps.

• “What I notice you already do well is… — what do you make of that?”
• “What is the smallest step that would move you up the scale?”
• “What will you do this week?”

At the next session: what is better, what worked, what next.

• “What is better since we last spoke?”
• “What did you do that made it better?”
• “Where are you on the scale now?”