Looking back on the year that was, I’m sure many of you would agree that 2022 was physically emotionally and mentally tiring. Finding our feet in the aftermath of Covid-19 – overcoming grief and loss, financial challenges, connecting with family and friends again, and finding our focus in our careers – 2022 was an attempt to getting back to what was. But we were trying to do this without having fully processed what we had gone through, leaving us exhausted by the time December arrived.
In fact, many people in my circle used the words ‘burnout’, ‘mentally drained’, and ‘exhausted’ to describe how 2022 made them feel, and I must admit that my own sentiments weren’t too far off.
We’ve all been there – at the start of every new year, you peg your hopes for an improved life on a fresh new set of resolutions and promise yourself and everyone around that “this will be the year” you follow through. For some, these resolutions might include going to the gym, less time spent aimlessly scrolling through social media feeds or binge-watching Netflix shows, or perhaps finally getting that business idea off the ground.
Following through on these things comes down to a number of different factors. Discipline is one of them, but berating yourself for not being able to achieve a resolution because you simply aren’t disciplined enough isn’t going to help matters.
This is because you can resolve to make these changes, but achieving these things requires us to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and anchored within a Time frame). So, if you haven’t managed to stick to your resolutions over the years, setting (SMART) goals for 2023 instead is a much more effective plan.
Start by breaking the year down into smaller segments and setting smaller targets to achieve along the way to attaining the bigger goal, to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you might consider setting a realistic weight loss goal to achieve in the next three months, and work on a plan that includes healthy eating and exercise to help you achieve this goal. You could use this goal-setting approach for each quarter of the year, which would support you in achieving your overall weight loss goal at the end of the year.
Reach out for support
Setting goals are often easier said than done, which is why only 19% of people end up following through with them. Part of making our goals achievable is ensuring we have the right support and guidance in place to keep us accountable and committed.
Participating in one-on-one coaching is one of the most effective ways to identify, stick to and achieve your goals, while making sure they are realistic and outcomes-based. A coach can also help you to create a plan to achieve them and stay on track along the way, guiding and supporting you along the way. Being kind to yourself to avoid the nasty effects of stress and remembering that it’s okay to ask for help are important first steps in achieving the life you want to live. Awakening Excellence would be happy to offer you the coaching support in achieving your goals this year. Get in touch with us at info@awakeningexcellence.co.za.
Looking back on the year that was, I’m sure many of you would agree that 2022 was physically emotionally and mentally tiring. Finding our feet in the aftermath of Covid-19 – overcoming grief and loss, financial challenges, connecting with family and friends again, and finding our focus in our careers – 2022 was an attempt to getting back to what was. But we were trying to do this without having fully processed what we had gone through, leaving us exhausted by the time December arrived.
In fact, many people in my circle used the words ‘burnout’, ‘mentally drained’, and ‘exhausted’ to describe how 2022 made them feel, and I must admit that my own sentiments weren’t too far off.
It had been many years since I had taken time off work, (because I really enjoy the work I do – I see it more as living my passion and purpose than a job), but last November I had decided to take a break before year-end, needing to re-group, rest and rejuvenate.
I decided to set off to India. The clichéd Eat, Pray, Love experience was exactly what this trip offered. In Kāraikkudi Chettinad, I enjoyed the most delicious food served on banana leaves. I paid my respects in Ajmer, the religious home of Sufi saint Khwaja Mohiuddin Chishti RA. I was a guest in Odisha, Cuttack, Karaikudi, Thanjavur, Puducherry, all so unique and steeped in natural beauty.
My visits to India always leave me feeling hopeful and inspired, not least because the people who call it home, being so happy despite having little of worldly luxuries, remind me to live in gratitude and humility.
It also motivates me to keep doing the work that I love, as do platforms of recognition like the Woman of Stature Awards, which has awarded me a nomination alongside some incredible female leaders in its Women in Coaching and Mentoring awards category.
It was in light of this nomination and in the afterglow of my travels that I was moved to contemplate 2023. For me, this will be the year to be grateful for the memorable moments and meaningful lessons of the past few years. This is the time to re-group within ourselves in mind and body, to re-group as a community and country to support each other, and to encourage one another to be kind to ourselves and fellow human beings.
Moreover, I am hopeful for the year 2023. It’s time to take action, to be present and take responsibility in making this year one to remember. It’s time to move away from being passive passengers on this journey, relying on inefficiencies, tolerating or blaming. Now is the time to take ownership and believe that each positive act has a ripple effect in changing our world for the better.
I wish you a year of success, healing, and strength, and if you’d like to touch base with me for support on making 2023 count for you as on a personal or professional level, I encourage you to reach out to me – my inbox, mariam@awakeningexcellence.co.za, is always open.
There has been much debate, frustration and many challenges surrounding cross-generational managing in the workplace, especially when it comes to millennials. Millennials have typically been seen as a ‘special breed’ of employees that require a different approach to manage. Labelling and compartmentalising them further adds to the mystery that we have created.
“Any new generation, when viewed by the previous generations, are seen through the perspective of being different,” says Dr Mariam Sha, founder and director of Awakening Excellence. “The truth of the matter is that those previous generations play a major role in contributing to many of the behaviour patterns of the new generation. We raised them through our value system. Each generation is also influenced by the broader environment of the time – media, social norms, new technology and new perspectives that guide their own needs and how to achieve them.”
Millennials at work: what does research really say?
You don’t have to search too far and wide through the internet to find claims being made about millennials, who they are and what makes them tick.
Some claims are negative: they’re lacking in work ethic (Marston, 2009) or overly self-confident and self-absorbed (Pew Research Center, 2007). Some commentators go further, labelling millennials the ‘Look at Me’ generation.
Other claims are positive: they are more accepting of diversity, more comfortable working in teams, better communicators and better with technology (Myers & Sadaghiani 2010).
As organisations look to improve the employee experience to drive wellbeing and productivity, these types of claims will likely influence the process, particularly as the concentration of millennials in the workplace rises.
Job-hopping is likely a marker of age rather than generation
Millennial loyalty is often called out and they are said to be more likely to job hop between positions at different organisations. There is some truth in the idea that millennials are likely to move between jobs.
However, it’s not unique to the millennial generation. In fact, figures on job tenure are the same for people in their 20s now as they were in the 1980s.
In other words, it seems a tendency to move jobs in your 20s reflects age-appropriate behaviour, rather than being linked to the generation you were born in. Job-hopping is most likely a strategic move by younger people designed to advance their careers and earn more money.
Working culture and hours are determined by life stage
Working hours typically correlate with seniority (Deal, 2007). So when people say that millennials work less than previous generations, it may simply be that they are less senior and therefore their roles do not demand such long hours.
In fact, the Family and Work Institute in 2005 found no difference between the hours worked by millennials between the ages of 18 and 22 and Generation X between the same ages.
Work may be less important to millennials, but this is societally driven.
A desire for work-life balance – i.e. how central work is to your life compared with personal domains – is more likely driven by life-stage factors, such as having a young family at home, rather than generational differences, and right now the millennial generation are marrying and having young families.
Millennials are more comfortable with technology, but this is a trend, not a generational quality. People often say millennials have grown up with technology and so are more comfortable using it, and expect good technology to be present inside organisations.
Millennial health is definitely a cause for concern
Deal, Altman & Rogelberg (2010) highlight that if health behaviours do not improve, millennials will be less healthy due to obesity than other cohorts at the same age. This is bad for society as a whole, but also for productivity as the cost of health-related absence is so high.
Of course, with the dominance of the knowledge economy, the cohort following the millennials – Generation Z – will face the same problems.
That’s why it’s important we focus on wellbeing in the workplace to enable better physical and mental health, both for public health and for productivity.
We’re looking at unconscious bias in the workplace especially in the times of diversity and inclusion.
Unconscious bias, as the name suggests, is when the bias is not so obvious or oblivious to the person dishing it or even the one it is dished against or to in the work pace.
We are joined by our resident doc, Dr Mariam Sha, author and international leadership coach and organizational culture change consultant.
The shift over the last century from agriculture to manufacturing with specialisation of labour being the predominant business operating model, an authoritarian style of management was prevalent. In the current knowledge economy, there is greater globalisation and talent mobility, quicker decision making, shorter time to upskill people, necessitating a different management style.
This is further confirmed by Valerio & Lee (2005) – Since the mid-1990s, the pace of change in the business world has accelerated. Greater demands are now placed on leadership. Corporations have grown lean and lost a great deal of talent in their downsizing. Those left in charge have often lacked the years of experience needed to inform their decision making. This means there has been precious little time for consensus building or intelligence gathering, and so the risk of errors by a leader or a leadership team has increased. Coaching has emerged as the preferred just-in-time lesson to help leverage the areas that would have the greatest impact on results.
Coaching taps into the potential of individuals, the belief being the individual with the challenge often has the solution. Coaching has a holistic approach – shifting behaviour patterns, creating awareness of the management of emotions impacting self and others to changing thinking patterns with clear focus on end goals. Organisations wanting to change the style of managing people often call in coaches to create a coaching culture. In this instance managers are trained to be coaches and are themselves coached to bring about the swell of culture change over a short period. These organisations see coaching as a strategic business imperative.
One of the frequent requests for Executive Coaching is working with the dilemma faced by executives to achieve business targets and results at the expense of supporting people. Thus, both Executives and people are fatigued, this impacting productivity, employee engagement and wellness. Targets may be achieved but levels of illness, absenteeism and staff turnover are on the rise. This begs the question of actual business results verse perceived results. What is it costing the organisation in absenteeism, and to recruit, re-train, and manage a disengaged workforce.
Each executive coaching intervention is unique to their situation. The benefits measured and observed has been tremendous; more self-awareness, improved communications at all levels, reduced stress levels, better relationships in the personal and business space, improved team engagement and clear focus and achievement of objectives. Coaching in general and executive coaching works because the ownership rests with the individual being coached, through self-awareness changes are made by the individual. The coach is the facilitator of the change but the client is the one driving the process.
“The people, led by wise leadership, will come to the realisation, “we did it ourselves.” Lao-Tsu
Globalisation of business; flatter, leaner organisations; rapid changes, restructuring and cost-cutting strategies; and the inadequacy of training on its own have been some of the driving forces behind the greater need for coaching.
The demands placed on organisational leadership in the new business environment has expanded greatly; talent, skills and leadership have been lost through downsizing. In the mean-time, those left in charge often do not have the years of experience needed to inform their decision-making.
According to Valerio and Lee (2005), coaching emerged as the preferred “just-in-time” learning to help leverage the areas that would have the greatest impact on results.
There is much confusion as to what coaching really is and how it differs from counselling and mentoring. The general definitions of coaching suggest that a coach works with an individual to unlock their potential with a focus on taking an individual from their current state, to a positive desired future state.
Counselling, from a psychological perspective, addresses historical issues of the past and focuses on understanding and working on how past experiences impact on an individual’s current behaviour. Mentoring is the transfer of skills from an experienced and skilled individual on a specific subject to another requiring this skill. A coach does not need to be a subject-matter expert to coach an individual. It is the technique of questioning, listening and motivating as well as being goal-oriented that is key to the coaching relationship.
In South Africa coaching has been introduced in organisations for a number of reasons. Retaining talent, refining leadership style, enhancing and supplementing training, and addressing under-performance are among the many outcomes an organisation anticipates from coaching. And what transpires as coaching is often a combination of teaching, mentoring, counselling and coaching.
In organisations where it has been introduced as an under-performance improvement measure, coaching as a positive tool is often tainted by negative perceptions, where people shy away from the experience. When clear and measurable objectives are not set by coach and coachees for the coaching intervention, imprecise outcomes are formed that call the value of coaching into question. In this way and for this reason, some organisations are reluctant in creating a coaching culture.
However, research confirms that coaching taps into the natural way the brain functions, improving and enhancing individual performance. Because of this, coaching is certainly valuable for underperformers, talented individuals or anyone wanting to change behaviour or achieve a goal. Creating a coaching culture empowers every individual in the organisation to take on a leadership role by applying the coaching methodology in their leadership style.
In addition, the move away from instructions and authoritarian styles of management means that individuals are respected for their contribution through an ingrained belief that they have the answers to their problems. As such, coaching is powerful and effective, because individuals reach their own conclusions, deciding on actions that they willingly commit to. This culture creates a climate that empowers individuals and teams to generate results.
Furthermore, research shows that training supported by coaching is significantly more effective than coaching alone. According to a survey by the International Personnel Management Association, the impact of training on productivity is 22.4%, whereas, training plus coaching achieves a dramatic 88% increase in productivity. Hence, coaching in the workplace has a positive impact on the bottom line.
The International Coaching Federation (2009) reported that executives who were coached for a minimum of six months experienced a 77% improvement in their working relationships with direct reports; 71% with supervisors; and 63% with peers. Additionally, job satisfaction rose by 61% and organizational commitment went up 44%.
Coaching is not a fad, nor the latest trend in management, neither is it seen as a ‘feel-good’ exercise unrelated to business objectives. Coaching is increasingly recognised as a methodology for creating effective conversations, assessing and reformulating values and goals, and reaching solutions (Zeus and Skiffington, 2002).
When we think of the most important qualities every manager should possess, the first to come to mind might be innovative, empathetic or motivating.
Google, on the other hand – known for its people-centric approach to creating a successful organisation – identified 10 behaviours that all its best managers share. The most important of all at the top of this list was ‘being a good coach’.
A coaching culture is certainly not a new concept, but one that is increasingly being adopted in businesses across the globe that have recognised the value of coaching and its impact on business, employee well-being and engagement, and management effectiveness. And, with employee turnover rates being higher than ever before, having a manager who is equipped to coach, engage and motivate their people is one of the best ways to retain talent.
How does an executive, manager, supervisor, or team leader who is equipped with the skills to coach individuals, help keep employees engaged at work?
Using coaching skills, managers are better equipped to listen, understand and empathise with team members’ experiences. These insights help to create a more accepting and pleasant workplace atmosphere.
As senior internal members of staff are empowered with coaching skills, they serve as examples to the rest of a workforce that the company values continuous growth and development.
As managers or leaders coach others (peer coaching), creating thinking partnerships, demonstrates to employees the solution focused approach of leaders and the organisation.
Coaching empowers employees to take ownership and responsibility for their work, isn’t this what most employers grapple with?
Coaching encourages diversity of thinking, bringing in new perspectives to an issue or challenge, creating an innovative work environment, much needed in this digital age we are in.
In our ‘Coaching for High Performance’ training in particular, managers are trained to measure the impact of coaching interventions undertaken with their own coachees and teams. This includes financial, non-financial, tangible and intangible impact. In this way, the ‘coach’ is able to glean how well individuals are responding to coaching and make changes where necessary.
Building coaching into the fabric of a business by imparting coaching skills to managers and, by ripple effect, across all employees, is a great way to foster a coaching culture, build a strong pool of leaders ready to tackle any challenge, and enable an engaged, present workforce.
Remember that there is no one size fits all approach to coaching, and it may not be a question of choosing either internal or external coaching as a way forward for your business, but perhaps both. Speak to us about our Coaching for High Performance training and one-on-one as well as group coaching interventions to find out how your business can prosper from building coaching culture in 2022.
The need for coaching and training interventions within organisations is now widely accepted and acknowledged, with 75% of organisations currently offering coaching and mentoring, according to a 2014 survey report by CIPD*.
The impact of implementing a coaching programme is certainly significant and measurable, however there are a few common mistakes that organisations tend to make when applying a coaching programme. To ensure practices are embedded in the culture of the organisation and there is long term sustainability, consider the points below when implementing a coaching programme.
What follows is an extract from Dr Mariam Sha’s book, The Engaged Workforce: 6 practical steps to creating a coaching culture): –
Ignoring the bigger picture, the larger map Employees do not work in isolation, behaviour is impacted by groups and peers. In an organisation, cultural norms prevail that can either enable or prevent an employee from implementing change in a positive way. When offering coaching to an employee, an organisation should adopt a holistic approach. Employees being coached cannot change their behaviour if the system does not allow and welcome the change.
Set clear measurable objectives/goals – measure return on investment Neglecting to set individual, team and organisational goals prior to commencing with a coaching programme leaves little room for measuring improvements and achieving outcomes. Track progress on the achievement of individual, team and organisational objectives. Encourage feedback on the programme and make the necessary changes to ensure that the strategic goals are met.
Participation is voluntary Not every manager has the competencies or perhaps even the desire to be a coach. When deciding to implement coaching, an organisation needs to account for those managers who may lack the will or ability to coach their employees. Start with those managers that are committed to changing their style of management to a coaching style. Their success will encourage other managers to do so.
Skills and competencies Workplace coaches should be carefully selected. The sponsor or HR need to be clear and in agreement on the specific competencies and behaviours of a coach, taking into consideration how these will be acquired and applied to ensure success.
Continuation of coaching after training Training may be a step towards accreditation for a workplace coach. It’s vital that organisations provide ongoing supervision and monitoring for sustainability.
Coaches don’t have the answers The explanations and expectations of coaching should be discussed upfront with all stakeholders. Everyone needs to understand that the coach should not be providing answers and solutions. The coach has the techniques and skills to listen, probe and question. If or when a coach responds to pressure from the coachee or the organisation to achieve ‘quick’ results, the outcome is likely to be superficial rather than a sustained behavioural change.
Coach and psychologist Whether or not a coach is qualified in the discipline, psycho-therapy should not be brought into a coaching session. A coach can state and acknowledge the need for a psychologist where necessary, stepping away from the relationship. Note that people being coached may have major interpersonal difficulties, and, as such, it is essential that a coach determines at the outset why such a relationship would not reap the expected results.
Make time for coaching Often managers raise time constraints as obstacles coaching their staff. Coaching is a style of management, it’s not an add-on requiring additional time. Create coachable moments: apply the coaching methodology during one-on-one meetings, performance appraisals or discussions on key issues. This serves to encourage individuals to think of solutions rather than the manager always providing solutions. Individuals are more likely to implement solutions they had thought of than those they have been instructed to carry out.
Order your copy of “An Engaged Workforce: 6 practical steps to creating a coaching culture”. Contact info@awakeningexcellence.co.za
There is a Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times. Chaplin is portrayed as a factory worker employed on an assembly line. There, he is subjected to such indignities as being force-fed by a malfunctioning “feeding machine” and an accelerating assembly line where he screws nuts at an ever-increasing rate onto pieces of machinery. He finally suffers a nervous breakdown and runs amok, throwing the factory into chaos.
From early history prior to the industrial revolution, it seems that humans took responsibility for their lives, made decisions favourable or not, but took ownership for those decisions.
The industrial age through to the manufacturing age introduced the division of labour and specialisation. It was a time when one or a few individuals made decisions, the often-heard phrase “you were hired to work not to think” stripped workers of their most valuable and liberating asset – the human brain. Most workers were destined to become mere “a robots with a pulse”. The Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times, provides a glimpse of the role of the employee through those ages.
Now, in the information age and moving into the digital age, we expect people to keep up, to make decisions, to think for themselves, to innovate and lead; but the pattern of behaviour created over time will not allow for this.
How do we create work environments that encourage thinking, where people take ownership and responsibility for their deliverables and decisions, where people solution focused and there are opportunities and leadership possibilities? A more relevant question would be: Why do we need to have these changes in the work environment?
From an organisational point of view, it is vital that we have solution focused thinkers in the workspace. Many individuals’ collective actions and behaviour create the culture of the organisation and ultimately impact on the all-important bottom line. Gone are the days when a few senior leaders could make a decision and see the results of that decision as planned. Firstly, a few people may not have all the answers, nor have the capacity to do so and secondly, the workforce makes these decisions a reality or not through the collective behaviour and actions of people. Do you often wonder as a manager or leader why plans and decisions do not transpire into results?
From an individual perspective, we have always made decisions. It’s part of our make-up. If we don’t re-programme our brain we will be left behind amongst those that allow others to drive us in our personal and professional lives while remaining in the passenger seat with little or no say. When we reach our destination we, wonder how we had arrived and how life has passed us by without an active role and choice in designing it.
What you could consider as an individual: –
Have awareness of your patterns of thinking and behaviour. What do you do and say? What reaction and result do you get from this. If the behaviour or programme is not working, consider an alternative and observe the results.
You spend over 70% of your life at work – choose the work you do that puts you in flow. Where your passion and energy is ignited. Motivated people are healthier, happier and more engaged. We don’t have all the answers, seek information and collaborate with people around you. Be with people who support and empower, not those that pull you down. Take responsibility and make decisions, be a leader in your space. Seek feedback from friends, family and colleagues – continuously learn, grow and improve in all that you do. Build relations don’t break them.
What do high performing organisation do?
Encourage thinking – give people permission to innovate and be creative.
Learn from mistakes – continuously improve
Coach people – ask questions from people – peers, subordinates and managers to discover solutions to problems and challenges
Clarify roles and responsibilities and decision making authority – support people in decision making
Recognise and appreciate people for their contribution
Create trust in the work environment by being human
Bring back the human being into the workplace – a thinking person is healthy, happy, engaged and high performing.
