What Are the 5 C’s and 5 Steps of Coaching? (And Why That Might Be the Wrong Question)

In the world of coaching, catchy frameworks and simple acronyms like the “5 C’s” or “5 Steps” promise structure, clarity, and control. They’re helpful. But if you’re expecting one-size-fits-all steps to personal or professional transformation, you might be missing the point.

The truth is, coaching is not a formula — it’s a dynamic, co-created process. It’s not about following five steps to success. It’s about dialogue, discovery, and experimentation grounded in the coachee’s context, goals, and readiness.

So… what are the 5 C’s or 5 steps of coaching?

You'll find many versions online. One might say the 5 C’s are: Connection, Clarity, Commitment, Challenge, and Change. Another might define coaching in 5 steps as: Establish goals, Explore reality, Identify options, Take action, and Review outcomes. These models are useful scaffolds, but they are not universal laws.

There’s No One Coaching Model That Works for Everyone

What makes coaching powerful is exactly what makes it hard to reduce to steps: it’s customised, emergent, and human.

Effective coaching depends on:

• The coach’s ability to hold space for reflective inquiry (Bachkirova, 2016)
• The quality of the coaching relationship, especially trust and psychological safety (de Haan et al., 2016)
• The coachee’s motivation and openness to learning and change (Grant, 2012)
• The use of evidence-based frameworks and adaptive techniques tailored to the individual (Passmore & Fillery-Travis, 2011)
  

Coaching is not teaching. It’s not telling. It’s not even guiding in a linear sense. Coaching is an invitation into deeper awareness and intentional change.

What the Research Actually Says About Effective Coaching

Rather than chasing the "perfect" model, evidence suggests that effective coaching integrates:

• Goal-focused conversations that are specific, measurable, and co-owned (Grant, 2014)
• Relational depth, where the coach and coachee build mutual trust and collaboration (Boyce et al., 2010)
• Active techniques like feedback, reflection, and experimentation that create behavioural shifts (Greif, 2017)
• Adaptability, where the coach draws on multiple psychological theories (e.g., cognitive-behavioural, adult development, positive psychology) based on the coachee’s needs (Cox, Bachkirova & Clutterbuck, 2014)

So What Should Your Coach Offer?

Your coach should absolutely have a clear coaching process — a roadmap for the engagement. But within that roadmap, they should flex. They might use frameworks like GROW, CLEAR, or the 5 C’s as prompts — but never as scripts.

What matters is:

• Clarity on your goals
• Curiosity in the process
• Courage to explore new ways of being
• Commitment to experimentation
• Connection between you and your coach

(There’s your 5 C’s — but they’re not steps. They’re conditions for growth.)

The Takeaway

There’s no magic list that will unlock transformation. Coaching works because it’s custom-fit, relationally intelligent, and grounded in science. If you’re in a coaching engagement, don’t ask “what are the steps?” Ask: “What do I want to shift — and what’s the conversation I need to have to get there?”

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References

• Bachkirova, T. (2016). The Self in Coaching. Open University Press.
• Cox, E., Bachkirova, T., & Clutterbuck, D. (2014). The Complete Handbook of Coaching (2nd ed.). SAGE.
• de Haan, E., Duckworth, A., Birch, D., & Jones, C. (2016). Executive coaching outcome research: The contribution of common factors such as relationship, personality match, and self-efficacy. Consulting Psychology Journal, 68(2), 99–122.
• Grant, A. M. (2012). ROI is a poor measure of coaching success: Towards a more holistic approach using a well-being and engagement framework. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 5(2), 74–85.
• Greif, S. (2017). Conducting coaching research: A practical guide. In Passmore, J., Coaching Research in Practice. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Passmore, J. & Fillery-Travis, A. (2011). A critical review of executive coaching research: A decade of progress and what's to come. Coaching: An International Journal, 4(2), 70–88.

About the Author:

Alexandra Lamb is an accomplished organisational development practitioner, with experience across APAC, North America, and MENA. With 20+ years in professional practice, conglomerates, and startups, she has collaborated with rapid-growth companies and industry innovators to develop leaders and high-performance teams. She is particularly experienced in talent strategy as a driver for business growth. Drawing from her experience in the fields of talent management, psychology, coaching, product development, and human-centred design, Alex prides herself on using commercial acumen to design talent solutions with true impact.