Preparing for Winter: COACH

This is the third in the series of new blogs that the British School of Coaching has started that focus on different aspects of wellbeing for both coaches and their clients. BSC already hosts an endorsed Wellbeing Coaching qualification. This course provides an opportunity to understanding wellbeing rather than being seen simply as physical health. In addition there is a one day course to increase the understanding of mindfulness as well an opportunity to try out mindfulness techniques.

This wellness blog has been developed in response to extending the dialogue with coaches, as a way to support coaches to consider their own wellness as well as that of their clients. It isn’t prescriptive, but a mechanism to keep a live debate going as well as caring for the coaching community. Please join in this dialogue through Twitter (@bsc4coaching) using the hashtag- #BSCWellbeing

Available on the British School of Coaching website, the blog is based on five tips for maintaining wellbeing, for all coaches to contribute to.  Using COACH acronym as our framework the blog will be structured in the following headings of:
1. Care
2. Opportunities
3. Action and awareness raising
4. Conversations and feedback
5. Health

Appreciating the environment around us

October is the International Walk to School Month for Primary Schools as well as International School Library Month. Over 40 countries are taking part. For further information please see here.
Perhaps you could have a competition to what you see on the way to school. Below is a flower I particularly liked and took a photo of on a recent walk. Hope you like it too!

Please tweet us your photographs and use the hashtag- #BSCWellbeing so we can re-tweet them.

1.    Care
This section will cover suggested tips for coaches to share with each other how they care for themselves and clients.

The autumn harvests provide a wealth of different vegetables that can be stored and eaten through the winter months.

For this blog the tip is about the benefits of a vegetarian diet to mark World Vegetarian Day that is celebrated annually on 1st October. World Vegetarian Day was founded in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society. Its purpose is to draw global attention to the health and environmental benefits of vegetarianism and on the ethics of following a vegetarian lifestyle.

A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine looked at data from seven clinical studies and 32 other studies published between 1900 and 2013 where participants kept a vegetarian diet and found that vegetarians have lower blood pressure compared to people who eat meat. Other studies suggest a lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

It is also important to note that the main documented disadvantage of a vegetarian diet relate to not eating a balanced diet.

As always health and lifestyle choices are personal. This blog provides ‘food for thought’.

2.    Opportunities
Training to be a coach is a journey of increases self -awareness. For wellbeing coaches it also about increasing self-awareness about wellness and prevention. Amongst the national campaigns this month there is a focus on Breast Cancer with national campaign running a fund raising event on 14th October 2016.

3.    Action and awareness raising
October is National Home Security Month which serves as a reminder to coaches about ensuring their coaching environment is secure particularly for those of us who coach in the evenings.
National statistics show there is a 20% increase in home burglaries happening during the darker months of the year.

Don’t Forget  – The clocks Go Back in the UK on Sunday 30th October 2016.
For further information please see the national Locksmiths and business security. Stay Safe in the darker months!

4.    Conversations and feedback
This section is for coaches to provide their hints and tips for maintaining wellness as well as share experiences that may also be used in coaching network supervision session. If you have any models or thoughts you would like to share in this blog please email them to: amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

5. Health
Spotlight on Mindfulness

World Mental Health Day (10th October) has once again highlighted the importance of building a better understanding of our mental health and wellbeing.

Mindfulness can be defined as moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, characterised mainly by “acceptance” – attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong.

The benefits of mindfulness have again been questioned in the media in recent weeks. An academic paper written by Dr Jonathan Passmore called ‘The role of mindfulness in coaching’ explores the concept of mindfulness as a tool for helping both coaches and coachees.  In this article he argues that coaching practice of the coach can be enhanced through using mindfulness as a preparation tool. He also highlights research evidence on mindfulness impact in managing stress and contributing towards improved performance, concluding with a discussion about the benefits for coachees too. Please see the full article here.

Sally Bell, Business and Wellbeing Coach

Autumn Harvest: COACH

The British School of Coaching (BSC) is launching a series of new blogs that focus on different aspects of wellbeing for both coaches and their clients. BSC already hosts an endorsed Wellbeing Coaching qualification. This course provides an opportunity to understanding wellbeing rather than being seen simply as physical health. In addition there is a one day course to increase the understanding of mindfulness as well an opportunity to try out mindfulness techniques.

This wellness blog has been developed in response to extending the dialogue with coaches, as a way to support coaches to consider their own wellness as well as that of their clients. It isn’t prescriptive, but a mechanism to keep a live debate going as well as caring for the coaching community.
Wellbeing at its simplest level is about personal happiness – feeling good and living safely and healthily. This means not allowing work to undermine our basic purposes and needs in our lives, and by extension those of our families and loved ones. In this respect, wellbeing is a hugely significant aspect of our work and careers.

A new blog will available on the BSC website every two weeks throughout the next six months. It will be based on five tips for maintaining wellbeing for all coaches to contribute to. Using COACH acronym as our framework the blog will be structured in the following headings of:
1. Care
2. Opportunities
3. Action and awareness raising
4. Conversations and feedback
5. Health

As autumn began at the start of the farmers are now well on the way with harvesting, fruit on the trees is ready for picking and the hedgerows are full of berries.  So is it time to find those recipes of what to do with your hedgerow harvest?

Back in 1943 the Ministry of Food published a leaflet to get the country doing more making and mending and thus more saving of essential resources for the war effort.  For further information see here

For coaches, autumn is the beginning of a time of year to reflect on what resources are available to them on their hedgerows, whether urban or rural around and quantify essential preparations to sustain them through winter.

1. Care

This section will cover suggested tips on how they care for themselves and clients, for coaches to share with each other.

For this blog the tip is about eye sight

It is recommended that most people should get their eyes tested every two years unless you have other underlying health conditions when the length of time between tests is shorter.

 A sight test can detect early signs of conditions like glaucoma, which can be treated if found soon enough as well as other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Question:
Did you know that you could test your own eye health? Please click here so you can test yourself.

2. Opportunities

As the days shorten and temperatures begin to drop it is tempting to stop exercising and become more sedentary. The opportunity is to consider what am I going to do to keep myself on the move?

Question:
Have you considered taking up yoga or going to a dance class?
It’s important to find an enjoyable way to gently move your body

Question:
Did you know that most mobile phones now have the ability to monitor how many steps you walk a day for free!
http://www.howtogeek.com/238904/how-to-track-your-steps-with-just-an-iphone-or-android-phone/

3. Action and awareness raising

Have you thought about DIY to prepare your home for winter?

Have you checked to see when your boiler is next due for a service and it is working properly? If you have radiators it’s also a good idea to check and bleed them too.

What about your roof and gutters? Have you recently checked your gutters to ensure there are no blockages ensuring they are kept free from leaves, nests and any other debris?

Have you checked all your indoor lights are working and you have a supply of bulbs?
http://www.careandrepair-manchester.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/MCR-Service-Leaflet-WEB14.pdf

4. Conversations and feedback

This section is for coaches to provide their hints and tips for maintaining wellness as well as share experiences that may also be used in coaching network supervision session. If you have any models or thoughts you would like to share in this blog please email them to: amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

Coaching reflection – A personal example
 The inspiration for my reflection is about what autumn means to me from when coaching myself. It’s about contracting with myself to be the best I can be. I have found Jackee Holder’s ‘Top Ten Tips for Self-Coaching a helpful way of checking in with myself. I hope you do too.

5. Health

 The health benefit of berries!

Did you know blackberries are rich in bioflavonoids and Vitamin C, but other nutritional benefits include a very low sodium count and having only 62 calories to a cup. The dark blue colour ensures blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits.

Ten additional facts about blackberries that may encourage you to go out for a weekend walk. Enjoy!

Sally Bell, Business and Wellbeing Coach

Back to School: COACH

The British School of Coaching (BSC) is launching a series of new blogs that focus on different aspects of wellbeing for both coaches and their clients. BSC already hosts an endorsed Wellbeing Coaching qualification. This course provides an opportunity to understanding wellbeing rather than being seen simply as physical health. In addition there is a one day course to increase the understanding of mindfulness as well an opportunity to try out mindfulness techniques.

This wellness blog has been developed in response to extending the dialogue with coaches, as a way to support coaches to consider their own wellness as well as that of their clients. It isn’t prescriptive, but a mechanism to keep a live debate going as well as caring for the coaching community.
Wellbeing at its simplest level is about personal happiness – feeling good and living safely and healthily. This means not allowing work to undermine our basic purposes and needs in our lives, and by extension those of our families and loved ones. In this respect, wellbeing is a hugely significant aspect of our work and careers.

A new blog will available on the BSC website every two weeks throughout the next six months. It will be based on five tips for maintaining wellbeing for all coaches to contribute to.  Using COACH acronym as our framework the blog will be structured in the following headings of:
1.    Care
2.    Opportunities
3.    Action and awareness raising
4.    Conversations and feedback
5.    Health

As autumn begins it marks an important time of the year to both harvest fruits and vegetables as well as prepare and celebrate new beginnings. For families it’s back to school with a new routine, new classes and subjects to study whilst for others it’s the beginning of a new experience of going to college, starting an apprenticeship or new year at university.

As this photograph depicting the autumn season shows, there are always a number of different paths to follow. Coaches are no exception. The autumn brings new opportunities as well as a time to take stock in advance of the winter period.

With this in mind, the wellbeing blogs have been written to consider the wellness of coaches and their clients.

1. Care
This section will cover suggested tips for coaches to share with each other how they care for themselves and clients.

For this blog the tip is about posture.

Poor posture at work is a major cause of back pain, workplace stress and repetitive strain injury, that we all know can result in lost time, reduced productivity, poor health, and low morale.

Questions to myself? Am I able to give my best coaching experience in my current coaching environment? Are there any improvements I could make that will benefit both me, and my clients?

2. Opportunities
Autumn parts the beginning of new courses.

Questions to myself? Is there anything I’ve always wanted to study/ become involved in but haven’t had the time to do? Are there any local courses available to me? Club or enrolment evenings or is it getting involved in the local pantomime I want to do?

Learning more about local produce and harvest – this could be through the British Food Fortnight 17th – 2nd October 2016. This is the biggest annual, national celebration of British food and drink.
www.britishfoodfestival.co.uk/

3.    Action and awareness raising
Vitamin D – Making the most of a walk in the autumn sunshine.

In the UK, sunlight does not contain enough UVB radiation in winter for our skin to be able to make vitamin D. During the winter months, we need to consider how we continue to get our vitamin D from food sources (including fortified foods) and supplements. For colleagues in the Middle East it is equally important to consider I am getting enough Vitamin D. Wherever you live there are a wide variety of sun lotions, sprays and creams.  Is it protection factor 50 I need in the summer and protection factor 30 in the cooler months? Whatever your skin type, check out the labels or talk to the pharmacist if you’re not sure which is the best for you.

The last few weeks there has been a lot of media coverage on vitamin D to include the impact it can have for people who suffer with asthma.

For further information please see the NHS Choice website.

4.    Conversations and feedback
Coaching reflection – A personal example

The inspiration for my reflection is from the Olympics. Watching the athletes, whether able bodied or those competing in the Paralympics, is very inspiring – especially their self-belief that by practicing every day you will improve.  This can be directly translated into the wellness-coaching environment. Marginal gains theory is a model I have recently been read about and applying. If you have not tried it it’s worth a look. I have found it to be a very powerful tool that can be used to support clients especially if they are feeling ‘stuck’.

For further information please see: ‘This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What Happened’

This section is for coaches to provide their hints and tips for maintaining wellness.  If you have any models or thoughts you would like to share in this blog please email them to: amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

The next Coaching Network event will be held on Saturday 19th November 2016 from 9.30am – 1pm.  This will be an opportunity for coaches to shape this section of the blog as well as use in coaching network supervision sessions. For more information on the network event please email amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

5. Health
Packed Lunches – they don’t have to be boring!

A healthy, varied diet should provide all the nutrients needed.

Going back to school often means adjusting into a new routine. This may include preparing pack ups, not just for the children but all the family. There are lots of foods that can be used to make a packed lunch varied and tasty. The supermarket websites are a great source of the wide variety and choices available to us.

For further information please visit: www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts

The next wellbeing blog will be published in a few weeks time. Its focus will be: Autumn Harvest
Author: Sally Bell, September 2016

Sally Bell, Business and Wellbeing Coach

Resilience

Martin Hill, Senior tutor BSC

The recent adverse weather conditions that has struck the UK recently has been a remarkable demonstration of the resilience people have when faced with adverse situations.

Resilience has been one of the “hot topics” in coaching developments in 2015, together with the concepts of mindfulness and wellbeing. As a coach you are likely to encounter situations where you will have to assist the client in overcoming setbacks and disappointments; whether in their personal life or their career; and thereby to help the client with their enhanced resilience to achieve their potential.

Resilience means “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness” or “The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity”. Sometimes this is described as “bounceback-ability.” One of the challenges we often face as coaches is how to position our services to potential clients- how can we “sell” resilience as a benefit to potential clients? For me, I think there are clear links to performance improvements – for example reduced absenteeism; increased creativity etc.

In her book “Resilience – A practical guide for coaches”- Carole Pemberton [2015] Open University Press (Coaching In Practice series), Pemberton describes resilience in terms of human behaviour as “the capacity to remain flexible in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours when faced by a life disruption , or extended periods of pressure, so that we emerge from difficulty stronger, wiser and more able.” 

Pemberton suggests that as coaches we “do not just know what resilience is , but that we recognise the different needs our clients bring with them in relation to their own resilience, These needs encompass:

• Building protection – through taking action;
• Building capacity– through developing resilience skills;
• Building renewal – through being helped to use the learning from difficulty to move forward.”

Pemberton suggests the use of the ABC model –

• Adversity: the what, where and when
• Belief: Authentic and Realistic
• Consequence

She describes a four stage approach:

1. Strength Inventory – what strengths does the client have that are unrelated to the present challenge- either in their daily habits or linked to their values.
2. Construct a bespoke personal resilience model based on the strengths identified in step 1. What skills and strengths have they already noted, but which they are not using in the current situation?
3. Invite Client’s Thoughts –invite the client to consider how they could better maintain resilience in the face of their current difficulty by using the strengths they have identified in step 2. The focus here is not on how they can overcome the difficulty using the strengths they have identified, but how they can use them to persist in the face of difficulty.
4. Practice resilience by agreeing a behavioural experiment using the personal resilience model. Ask the client to predict how they think their resilience will play out in the situation. The aim is not to focus on the outcome of the encounter, but to focus on their resilience within the encounter.

Finally, Pemberton looked at the roles of the coach in dealing with the resilience process:


“Strength does not come from what you CAN do; it comes from OVERCOMING the things you ONCE thought you couldn’t.” Rikki Rogers.

Martin Hill LL.B (Hons), FCMI, FInstLM, FISQC, MAC, EMCC Member, Coach & Coach Supervisor
Director for ILM 7 Executive Coaching & Mentoring Courses

Coaching within your Competence

Judith Barton, Director of Coaching and Mentoring

 

Coaching is a set of knowledge, understanding and skills which can be applied generically to any business setting – i.e. it can be applicable to any business or work setting in the private, public or voluntary sectors. Business coaching is focused on facilitating the development of management and leadership skills: coachees may be operating at any level, ranging from newly appointed team leaders to seasoned CEOs. I have coached senior executives in the public and private sectors: Colleagues in have coached junior, middle and senior managers, again in both private and public sectors. Alumni of the British School of Coaching work in middle management and senior executive levels in the charitable, public and private sectors, working in fields as diverse as animal welfare, health care, education, food production, water and electricity supply, hospitality and stadia management, manufacturing, aviation. So, a business coach can practice anywhere!

However, I firmly believe that there are circumstances when coaches should not coach. For example, a coachee may demonstrate signs of psychological or mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, or may reveal non-work circumstances which are impacting on their mental health, such as a recent bereavement. These and similar circumstances are likely to impact on work performance (e.g. ability to concentrate and maintain focus, decisiveness, ability to empathise with colleagues or team members). A Coach may be able to support a coachee to focus on work issues in these circumstances but should not and must not try to become a ‘counsellor’ or ‘therapist’ unless additionally qualified in these fields. Trying to maintain a pretence of supporting people with mental health issues is potentially dangerous for the Coachee: it will also create anxiety in the Coach who feels ‘out of her (or his) depth’ and is unsure of whether the interventions are appropriate or relevant.

A Coach may not wish to acknowledge that issues are beyond their competence but ethically should be both open to acknowledge this as well as having the basic knowledge that will indicate when a Coachee is moving away from purely work-related/performance issues to more deep-seated psychological issues. To help identify when Coachees are displaying, you may find it helpful to look up signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety, on websites such as http://www.nhs.uk – the ‘Health A-Z’ tab, or http://www.webmd.boots.com – the ‘Health topics A-Z’ tab. These sites also provide information about treatments for specific conditions. You can also rely on your own intuition and insights into human behaviour gleaned from your coaching training, continuing professional development and supervision.

If you are a practicing Coach and are not yet benefitting from supervision then do so! I know when I say this I am being 100% directive however supervision is essential, it will not only help you discharge your thinking, but take your practice forward to a higher level. Supervision is available on a one to one basis or via a group. I personally access and value both. They support me in different ways, one to one always me to review in detail my performance whilst the group supervision helps me explore process and tools in the main. How much supervision and when is the subject of another of my blogs.   If you would like to access supervision check out in the first instance any networks that may offer this service pay them a visit and see how comfortable you feel. An example of this is the British School of Coaching Network which runs quarterly, click on the link to discover more and come along to the next meeting. UK Network: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-coaching-network-tickets-15350833757 Middle East Network: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/middle-east-coaching-network-tickets-15944993906

Once you have determined that your Coachee needs support which is outside your professional competence, you need to have some suggestions and advice for your Coachee to access appropriate help and support. The websites noted above can signpost you in the right direction. In general, services are be provided through the NHS (in the UK); through private providers; or through charities.

In the UK, the starting point for access to NHS help is your GP who may be able to provide support themselves (around half surgeries offer in-house counselling) or refer the client on to appropriate specialist input, ranging from counselling through psychological therapies. Clients who wish to access counselling or therapy from the NHS will probably have to join a waiting list, although access to ‘talking treatments’ should become easier as policy to improve access is implemented. In some areas, psychological therapies can be accessed by self-referral, but most require a referral from a GP.
You may have colleagues within your own coaching practice who have relevant competencies such as Counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy recognised qualifications. You may wish to develop your own list of independent providers – but you must should ensure that any individuals are appropriately trained and members of the relevant professional body. If you are going to suggest an alternative source of support, you need to be aware of the different therapies that are available and the types of issues that they are able to address. If you would like to learn more why not develop your Wellness coaching expertise and become an ILM Endorsed Wellness Coach: http://www.britishschoolofcoaching.com/cdp-courses/wellness-coaching/

In addition to the above sites, more information can be found from UK websites such as:
British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP); British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP); British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC): UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). There are charities which offer services for specific issues, such as Cruse for bereavement care; Mind for mental health problems; and Relate for relationship counselling.
It may also be appropriate to advise your Coachee to approach their Occupational Health Department, professional association or HR Department if work-related matters are contributing to personal difficulties.