Workplace Wellbeing Coaching
My coaching definition embodies the idea that with the support of a coach every individual can achieve their full potential for the benefit of themselves and the organisation.
My definition of coaching is:
“Coaching is connecting and collaborating with a client in a deep and meaningful way that stimulates and encourages them to learn and live their best life both personally and professionally”.
Through my research and learning I have seen many definitions of coaching and they all fundamentally resolve into the same meaning. We connect, collaborate, and support our clients to live their best life. Coaching is essentially a journey of deep learning and self-reflection which will ultimately result in change, growth, and fulfilment for the individual both personally and professionally.
The philosophy of coaching is that all the answers the client is looking for or looking to resolve are within themselves. I will support them to uncover those answers so they can learn and live their best lives both personally and professionally. Through coaching I support my clients to achieve their full potential and optimum performance if that is what they want to achieve.
Much of my work is in the space of well-being coaching and workplace well-being coaching.
Workplace Wellbeing Coaching is a new, fast growing, exciting and impactful profession.
Not only is it exciting and impactful, after the global covid-19 pandemic and the changing landscape of the traditional working day, workplace well-being coaching is necessary. Almost six in ten people believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted on their mental health (CSO, 2021). While workplace well-being coaching on its own is not going to solve this problem, it can go some way to support employees, employers and the organisation as a whole.
Hybrid Workforces and Working Remotely
The pandemic also changed the way we work. Hybrid working and working remotely has become the norm. In most cases this has been a positive shift as employees have greater flexibility in their roles that ever before. However, normal working hours no longer exist. Working hours are longer and the right to disconnect is becoming an issue. Employees work-life balance is being affected. Workers are suffering from a lack of exercise and sleep and poor nutrition which all impact their physical well-being. Workplace stress is a big issue. This is turn leads to mental health problems.
Engaged employees who are not thriving in their lives are much more vulnerable and add risk to the organisation. This can result in long term absence from employment. Research shows that those who are engaged and not thriving report the following risks:
- 61% higher likelihood of burnout often or always,
- 48% higher likelihood of daily stress
- 66% higher likelihood of daily worry
- Double the rate of sadness and anger (Clifton and Hartner, 2021)
How can workplace coaching support employees?
From these statistics we can see how necessary workplace wellbeing coaching is.
The role of the workplace well-being coach can be multi-dimensional. We can engage, educate, offer wellbeing coaching and we can support leaders and managers to have wellbeing conversations with their employees. This in turn contributes to the caring environment in which every individual is encouraged to achieve their full potential.
The workplace well-being coach can support employees in many ways for example setting goals and actions to improve:
Employees physical health and well-being
Work-related stress
Unhealthy working practices
Work life balance
Any other work matters effecting the employee.