Research-Based Coaching

I’m a lover of laboratories—of what’s been tested and works. My coaching is informed by the research Neuroscience (what makes someone more likely to take risks, for example, or create a work culture that allows for others to succeed—a “brain-friendly environment”); of Positive Psychology (an arm of psychology that studies what allows people to overcome obstacles to success, bounce back after hardship, and lead purpose-driven lives); and Solutions-Focused Work (an elegant, facilitated process that distinguishes between “problem-talk” and “solutions-talk;” between not just knowing the ins-and-outs of a problem, but looking for the threads of solutions hiding in plain sight by asking a different kind of question—not just “what went off the rails?” but also, “what went right?” Because even with complex, difficult problems, there are always exceptions, even if very small, that point to finding a productive pathway out.)

Most of us can easily rattle off what went wrong, but can we equally plant our flag in what's already going right? Doing so is like rocket-fuel for getting to the next steps we want to carry on with our lives.

How does this apply to…

CAREERS: We spend roughly 90,000 hours at work in a lifetime. Research tells us that roughly 70% of people worldwide are dissatisfied at work. They feel underappreciated, micromanaged, are no longer learning and growing (or are learning and/or burned out. Finding a way out is a process. But spending longer than necessary is wasteful of energy and financial resources. Solutions-focused work can help people get to the next move faster, with greater confidence, and excitement.

JOB CRAFTING. Through coaching, there are some people who discover they actually want to stay at their current job—that there are real upsides, but didn’t see how it was possible. Job crafting is one approach that allows people to formulate a new role for themselves comprised of the parts they like best about their job. Sometimes it means getting better at negotiation and communication. Sometimes it’s a formal acknowledgment by the organization, sometimes, done under cover.

Others come to craft themselves right out of jobs that no longer fit, have disappointed, or worn them down. Getting very clear on change of work improves not just days at work, but home life, too.

LEADERSHIP: There's a saying that goes, "people don't leave jobs, they leave managers." Most managers get promoted because they were good at a skill. But most were never taught how to lead others, which is a whole different game. With 70% of the worldwide workforce disengaged—managers need to up- level their capacity. So-called “soft skills” are really essential skills. The successful workplace of the future will reward people-centric managers because these leaders understand that a happy employee improves the bottom line, increases innovation, employee retention and wellbeing, as well as their engagement. With so much on the line, leadership coaching is not a luxury, but a way to build strong, trustworthy brands in the marketplace.

ORGANIZATIONS: Research shows that employee wellbeing improves when they have greater autonomy, feel meaning and purpose at work, feel appreciated for their efforts and understand how their individual and team work ties into the overall purpose and mission of an organization and are given opportunities to grow. Wellbeing is the precursor to not just individual success, but organizational success as well. Aligning the organizations mission to include the wellbeing of employees is foundational for overall success. Team coaching and trainings can help bring these matters to the foreground, and help orgs be places where people want to come to work.