Dorothy Spry

 The relationship between employer and employee is at the heart of every business nowadays and although technology has changed the way we do work, enabling us to automate and streamline processes in the workplace we mustn’t neglect the very engine that drives business, and that’s the people in them. Whether top level CEO’s or entry level employees, by understanding more about the way people’s thoughts affect their decisions and actions we are able to increase productivity and sales as a result.

Take a look at the following list and put a mental tick next to each one of the ‘poisons’ that you observe/suffer or have to deal with in your work environment on a daily basis.

•       Anger management issues
•       Unhealthy temper tantrums
•       Anxiety
•       Impatience
•       Self-confidence
•       Assertiveness
•       Communication problems

Frightening, isn’t it? There is a good chance you have ticks against most of the above. Notice I said daily and not weekly or from time to time. That’s why it’s essential to improve on the way an individual’s thinking affects their professional and personal life. Although a panacea for employer/employee satisfaction has yet to be found, one such method that is having much success in this area is Cognitive Behavioural Coaching or C.B.C. It brings together elements of psychology with regular coaching and is well suited to coaches, managers and HR professionals as well as individuals and has the distinct advantage of being time-limited, solution-focused and based in the present.

Cognitive Behavioural Coaching involves thinking about thinking, about the impact your thoughts can have on your personal and professional life.

Have you ever been in a situation where a co-worker or your boss walked right past you one morning without as much as an acknowledgement or hello? Whereas one individual will interpret the situation in a negative light with thoughts such as ‘what have I done wrong’ or ‘I shouldn’t be treated like that’, another person may think that the individual in question must be having a bad day or must have something on their mind. The first set of reactions will foster frustration, anger and inner turmoil leading to anxiety and reduced productivity in the workplace and will result in low emotional intelligence. CBC can help in reframing the situation so that an employee or employer can manage themselves and others by improving their emotional self-awareness.

By using a CBC approach, the coach can help a client to identify, examine and change unhealthy thoughts, feelings and beliefs, and start them thinking in ways that are more realistic, positive and workably effective.
If a client is experiencing a psychological or emotional barrier which is causing unhelpful goal blocking, or performance interfering emotions, thoughts, feelings and actions, C.B.C. can play an important part because it focuses on the future, on solving problems, and on developing solutions. And because of its speed and efficacy, many individuals and organisations are turning to CBC with very positive effects.

So, how can CBC help you and your organisation? Here is a partial list:

•       Enhancing performance at work
•       Developing confidence and self esteem
•       Developing thoughts and behaviours to develop skills
•       Taking action to achieve specific goals
Gaining perspective
•       Managing situations more effectively

Cognitive Behavioural Coaching is moving the coaching industry to a new level where the thoughts, feelings, emotions and beliefs that poison our personal and professional life are questioned in a constructive and positive way, thus allowing the individual to become their own coach, which in turn leads to a better balance both personally and professionally. After all, if we want to achieve the panacea of employee/employer satisfaction, we must make a determined effort to seek out what actually works.