Wellbeing in executive coaching do you address the whole person?

Transcription

1 The Future fr Executive Caching: Evlving Prfessinal Practice Wellbeing in executive caching d yu address the whle persn? A paper fr the 3rd APECS Annual Sympsium n Wednesday June 18th 2014 written by: Liz Pick Emma Dnaldsn-Fielder In cnsultatin with: Fina Adamsn Clette Gannn Sarah Perrtt

2 Table f cntents 1: Intrductin : Defining wellbeing and cnsidering it in a wrkplace cntext... 4 What is wellbeing?... 4 Wellbeing in the wrkplace setting... 4 Inter-relatinship between wrk and wellbeing : The implicatins f wellbeing fr executive caching practice... 7 Whse wellbeing?... 7 Wh intrduces wellbeing?... 8 What are the duty f care issues? : What d yu think? : References Page 2 f 11

3 1: Intrductin Wrking lng hurs, under high pressure while dealing with cnstant change is the nrm fr many caching clients, especially during the ecnmic turbulence f recent years. And nw, as the ecnmy is recvering, there s an increasing awareness f the csts t rganisatins and their peple in terms f wellbeing. Certainly the link between peple s wellbeing and their wrk perfrmance is well established. i But which aspects f wellbeing, if any, are suitable t be addressed by an executive cach. And wh decides if, when and hw that will happen? Althugh fcused n achieving wrk gals, at its best, executive caching helps peple succeed in all aspects f their lives and is cnfidential fr a gd reasn: it prvides a safe place fr clients t talk abut anything that affects their ability t wrk, including perceived weaknesses, vulnerabilities, challenges. Smetimes these factrs will be related t wellbeing the wellbeing f the client, their team, their bss, their family and friends. In sme cases, clients may want t hide these issues frm their bss, r thers, fr fear f negative cnsequences. In thers, wellbeing is an explicit part f the reasn fr seeking executive caching. Executive caching can be an ideal interventin t prmte psitive, and address negative wellbeing. In many ways, caches are uniquely placed t wrk n wellbeing issues, because they can ffer cnfidentiality and nnjudgemental develpment that allws the client t manage their wn wellbeing, r wellbeing issues fr thers, mre effectively withut the cnsequences f disclsure. Sme executive caches believe that a persn s wellbeing is such an integral part f their ability t perfrm in their rle that they address it, t sme degree, in their wrk with all clients. Others chse t wrk with their clients withut engaging with wellbeing at all, and still make gd prgress. And sme maintain that wellbeing is beynd the cmpetence and remit f caches, shuld be addressed by qualified prfessinals and excluded frm caching cnversatins. The sympsium prvides us with an pprtunity t think abut the variety f appraches and attitudes t wellbeing adpted by clients, caches, purchasers, educatrs and supervisrs and examine the imprtance f cnsidering the whle persn in ur executive caching wrk. Page 3 f 11

4 2: Defining wellbeing and cnsidering it in a wrkplace cntext What is wellbeing? Wellbeing is ne f thse wrds that has a variety f definitins and means different things t different peple in different cntexts. Ideas abut health and wellbeing change ver time and vary between different cultures and life stages. A brad definitin that includes physical, scial and emtinal dimensins f wellbeing, as adpted by the Department fr Envirnment, Fd and Rural Affairs ii, is as fllws: a psitive physical, scial and mental state; it is nt just the absence f pain, discmfrt and incapacity. It requires that basic needs are met, that individuals have a sense f purpse, that they feel able t achieve imprtant persnal gals and participate in sciety. It is enhanced by cnditins that include supprtive persnal relatinships, strng and inclusive cmmunities, gd health, financial and persnal security, rewarding emplyment, and a healthy and attractive envirnment. Wellbeing in the wrkplace setting A binary view sees peple as being either well, in which case they are able t wrk effectively r ill sick r stressed, in which case they shuld be ff wrk until they re well. Hwever, in reality many emplyees cntinue t be high perfrmers, while als managing stress, a disability, a health cnditin r a cmbinatin f all three. This is becming mre cmmn as the average age f the wrkfrce increases and thse affected may have particular challenges which they dn t discuss penly, because they want t be treated the same as everyne else. Lking at a few statistics, the picture becmes clear between the well and thriving and the sick and ff wrk are thse whse wellbeing varies ver time, depending n a cmbinatin f factrs. But they are able t wrk effectively and there is n reasn why they shuldn t be at wrk. Sme headline statistics: Stress Disability Chrnic Illness Back Pain Carers 41% are currently stressed r very stressed in their jbs iii 19% f the wrking ppulatin have a disability iv 33% peple in the UK have lng-term health prblems v 46% f wmen and 47% and men reprted back pain in the last 12 mnths vi There are almst seven millin carers in the UK that is ne in ten peple. This is rising vii Page 4 f 11

5 Reluctance t disclse is ften driven by a fear f cnsequences and such reluctance is widespread: Stress viii 48% are scared t take time ff sick 7 in 10 said their bss wld nt help them cpe with stress 41% said stress is a tab tpic 46% said time ff fr stress was seen as an excuse fr smething else 1 in 4 said they wuld be deemed less capable than thers if they admitted t feeling stressed Mental health ix Of thse wh had disclsed a mental health prblem t their bss in a previus rle, 22% had been sacked r frced ut f their jbs 20% f wrkers wuld nt disclse stress r mental health issues t their manager fr fear f being placed first in line fr redundancy Inter-relatinship between wrk and wellbeing While an individual may r may nt disclse issues relating t their health and wellbeing at wrk, research suggests that higher wellbeing is linked t higher wrk perfrmance. In additin a wide range f wrkplace factrs can impact n the health and wellbeing f emplyees. The Gvernment Fresight prject n mental capital highlighted the cmplexity f factrs affecting peples wellbeing in the illustratin belw. Yu dn t need t read it in detail t understand the challenge fr caches and clients in identifying which factrs affect the client s ability t perfrm at wrk. Hw that infrmatin is discussed and incrprated int the caching wrk is fundamental t the nature and success f caching, and is the essence f Sympsium discussin f this paper Page 5 f 11

6 A cnceptual verview f factrs that affect wellbeing at wrk x Page 6 f 11 All registered designs shwn are the prperty f the registered wners

7 3: The implicatins f wellbeing fr executive caching practice The statistics speak fr themselves - whether they re aware f it r nt, mst caches will have wrked with clients whse wellbeing is affecting their perfrmance r vice versa; they are als likely t have wrked with smene wh has a wellbeing issue, but is unwilling t disclse it at wrk. S the questin is: what are the implicatins fr prfessinal practice, cach educatin, purchasers and supervisrs? S the questins are: What difference des it make t ur caching wrk, if we avid r ignre aspects f the whle persn such as their wellbeing, rather than wrking with an integrated whle? What are the implicatins fr prfessinal practice, cach educatin, purchasers and supervisrs? The fllwing are a few areas in which implicatins can be cnsidered. Whse wellbeing? Wellbeing in the client and their dmain: As implied in the intrductin, caching may explicitly r implicitly address the wellbeing f the client, their team, their bss, their family and friends. The mst likely is that caching will affect the wellbeing f the client him/herself; hwever, given the imprtance f management and leadership fr the wellbeing f emplyees, it may be that caching, by imprving the client s management skills, has a marked impact n the wellbeing f their team. The peple ur clients manage r wrk with, may experience wellbeing challenges that are particularly difficult t manage. Frequent absence, aggressin, missed deadlines, cnflict in the team are all familiar and may be symptms f underlying wellbeing issues. The challenges are mre acute when life-threatening cnditins r sudden death ccur. In these circumstances, there is ptential fr caches t be f real value t clients and rganisatins. But hw many caches are interested in this kind f wrk and have their educatin and supervisin equipped them t engage with these issues prfessinally? Wellbeing in the cach and their dmain: The wellbeing f the cach is likely t affect their ability t prvide a gd caching sessin, prject, r prgramme. As well as a direct impact n their ability t be present, listen, understand and challenge in caching, the cach s wellbeing can impact n their uncnscius prcesses, defence mechanisms, biases, transference, cunter-transference, prjectin etc. In additin, the cach s reactin, cnscius and uncnscius, t wellbeing issues will affect the effectiveness with which these can be addressed in caching. Page 7 f 11

8 Wh intrduces wellbeing? Wellbeing may r may nt be a part f initial cntracting between the cach, the individual client and ther stakehlders. Fr example: wellbeing may be an explicit part f the caching cntract (r even the reasn fr seeking caching) clearly expressed as such by all parties wellbeing may be an explicit part f the caching cntract with the individual client, but nt disclsed t ther stakehlders (e.g. manager, HR etc.) wellbeing issues may emerge and becmes a part f the caching prcess as the client s jurney unflds and get explicitly addressed at this later stage despite nt being part f the initial cntract caching may imprve the client s r thers wellbeing but never be explicitly cnsidered in the caching sessins. This raises a number f ptential questins fr executive caches. Fr example: Hw can anyne decide what aspects f wellbeing, if any, are suitable t be addressed by a cach? And wh will decide if when and hw it will happen? Des the cach ask their client abut wellbeing issues if s, at what stage? What are the duty f care issues? The cdes f ethics f APECS and the EMCC illustrates the ptential need fr caches t manage bundaries in cnnectin t wellbeing issues The APECS cde f ethics guidelines include: APECS Executive Caches and Supervisrs will hld firmly t the fundatin principles underpinning ethical thinking and behaviur. Autnmy - t help individuals and cmpanies make their wn decisins and mve twards increasing self-authrity. Fidelity - t be faithful t cntracts, relatinships and prmises made. Beneficence - t d what benefits the wellbeing f all. Nn-Maleficence - t avid whatever might harm thers. Justice - t maintain fairness. Caring fr self - t lk after neself physically, emtinally, mentally and mtivatinally s that clients and rganisatins receive the best service pssible The ethical cde f the EMCC states, under bundary management, that: the cach/mentr will at all times perate within the limits f their wn cmpetence, recgnise where that cmpetence has the ptential t be exceeded and where necessary refer the client either t a mre experienced cach/mentr, r, supprt the client in seeking the help f anther prfessinal such as a cuncillr, psychtherapist r business/financial adviser. This prcess f referring n needs t be cnsidered carefully and decisins need t be based n care fr the wellbeing f the client. Caches need t beware f a defensive instinct driven by fear f ding harm r ging beynd their level f cmpetence and cnsider wh can best serve the client s interest, and hw. Page 8 f 11

9 In sme cases, it may be that a cach can wrk alngside ther prfessinals t give the best utcme fr the client. Fr diversity, equality and inclusin reasns, it is imprtant nt t assume that smene with a mental health cnditin r high level f stress is, by definitin, unsuited t caching. Equally, if a cach is asked t wrk with the client wh has a mental health cnditin, it is imprtant nt t assume they will autmatically be wrking beynd their remit and pssibly their level f cmpetence, which in effect wuld preclude all peple with mental health cnditins frm receiving caching. Wuld that be equally true f smene with a physical illness r disability? Or stress? The challenge is fr the cach t knw hw t engage with the client as a cach and nt as a cunsellr, because that s nt their remit. Even if the cach is als a trained cunsellr. If a cach can maintain caching cnversatins with clients, and nt stray int cunselling, why wuld they decide nt t wrk with a client wh is well enugh t be at wrk? Why shuld the criteria fr wrking with clients with wellbeing issues be different t any ther client i.e. is the client able t engage psitively and prductively with caching? Page 9 f 11

10 4: What d yu think? Questins fr cnsideratin at the sympsium 1. Hw des wellbeing feature in yur current executive caching? 2. Hw well equipped d yu currently feel t address wellbeing issues in yur executive caching? Hw did yu equip yurself? 3. What are the prfessinal challenges and dilemmas arund wellbeing that yu find mst challenging? 4. What wuld help yu develp further in dealing with wellbeing issues in yur executive caching? 5. What wuld yu recmmend t caching educatrs, supervisrs and prfessinal bdies in relatin t wellbeing in executive caching? 6. What d yu think purchasers f executive caching shuld knw and d abut hw wellbeing is included in executive caching prgrammes? Page 10 f 11

11 5: References i The Business Case fr Emplyees Health and Wellbeing: A reprt prepared fr Investrs in Peple UK, Stephen Bevan April, 2010 ii Sustainable Develpment in Gvernment Key indicatr n. 68: Wellbeing,, Department fr Envirnment, Fd & Rural Affairs, sd.defra.gv.uk/prgress/natinal/key/68-wellbeing/, page published: 31 March 2011 iii Staff fear redundancy if they admit t feeling stressed at wrk, David Wds, HR Magazine, page published: 16 May 2011 iv Disabled Living Fundatin Disability Rights Cmmissin, July 2008, v The business case fr emplyees health and wellbeing: A reprt prepared fr Investrs in Peple UK, Stephen Bevan, The Wrk Fundatin, April 2010, p12. vi The impact f back pain n sickness absence in Eurpe, Prfessr Stephen Bevan, The Wrk Fundatin, June 2012, p4. n%20sickness%20absence%20in%20eurpe%20final.pdf vii Carers Trust, Key facts abut carers: carers acrss the UK, viii Staff fear redundancy if they admit t feeling stressed at wrk, David Wds, HR Magazine, page published: 16 May 2011 ix Staff fear redundancy if they admit t feeling stressed at wrk, David Wds, HR Magazine, page published: 16 May 2011 x P Dewe and M Kmpier, Fresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Prject, Wellbeing and wrk: Future challenges, The Gvernment Office fr Science, Lndn, 2008, p61 Page 11 f 11