Is there a role for coaching as the psychological fall out of Covid unfolds
Articles in the press, journals and from repsected mental health bodies are ramping up the messages about the psychological toll of the coronavirus in the UK. A thought piece by The Guardian this week, informed by the Samaritans and other national organisations, charted five areas of mental strain faced by people:
“From bereavement to job losses, to loneliness and relationship breakdown, the psychological strains caused by the coronavirus crisis have affected our mental wellbeing”.
The impact is set to evolve and mental health support such as therapies and counselling will be called upon.
Coaching is not therapy
Coaching, of course, is not a therapeutic activity; neither is mentoring. I do find some coaching conversations have a ‘therapeutic effect’ - when someone finds a way of making sense of something, talking it through, using me as a sounding board, and finding a way forwards, for example. I view this as a break through moment; perhaps there’s a bit of relief on their part at a positive outcome that may have involved some upset along the way.
In all circumstances I make a judgement that the coachee is mentally well and ! understand what coaching is (and is not).
There are clear boundaries around the role and as a qualified, experienced coach and mentor, I know where they are and how to stay within them.
I know how to spot the signs if someone is psychologically unwell and will stop coaching in these instances.
Coaching people post pandemic
The role for coaching post pandemic is exponential! Here are four ways a coach can be of great value:
Navigating change: everything in peoples’ lives has been skewed - life, work, home, job, money, family, health. Coaching helps people explore change and its impact and a plan for moving forwards. People have had time to reassess their lives and priorities and potentially want change for themselves. Perhaps it includes career change. If this is out of necessity because of redundancy, a career coach is a great option. Organisations have changed and will continue to in response to the post pandemic fallout. Again, the role of the change agent coach has never been greater. As the saying goes, ‘organisations change, people go through transition’. It is in this transition that a coach can help, support and guide.
Becoming unstuck: classically at some point I find my coachees get stuck, or they are stuck already and need help becoming unstuck. This is the role of the coach - to listen deeply, ask the right questions, explore options, provide feedback and help someone find a way out of their ‘stuckness’.
Wellbeing: before you say “hold on, this is therapy territory”, wellbeing and resilience fall within the boundaries of a coaching role where the coach is explicitly clear about what they will do and how, and they act always in the interests of the coachee in all sessions. Staying within the boundaries of the role proivides the right foundation, alongside an understanding of wellbeing and resilience and how to facilitate resilience thinking skills.
Sharpening up: if you have ever gone off on a long trip and been away from your ‘craft’ for a while, you’ll know what this means! It’s possible that for those who have been furloughed or re-deployed that they need to get back up to speed and sharpen their skills and abilities. It may also involve recovering confidence. Sometimes team work, self directed or online learning and getting back into ‘doing’ will be sufficient, but a one off session with a coach - or a coaching 1-2-1 with the line manager - will accelerate the process, particularly if the aim is to boost confidence (one of the foundations of resilience).
Joined up thinking will make coaching work well
Coaching is part of a wider strategic approach to post lockdown life and work responses in the workplace. There’s some nifty thinking and planning to be done in a joined up and coherent way that helps people find the right support quickly. And the right kind of support for their situation.
No single intervention is the whole answer.
Coaching, and other support, I am sure, is being planned for. If not there’s still time to get planning.
This is a key role for HR and OD in both collaborating and co-design post covid, as well as inspiring and enabling effective leadership and management responses throughout the workplace.
Get in touch if you’d like to discuss coaching from any of the perspectives I have discussed. I provide coaching online, face to face and by telephone.