BalanceJulyIssue17 - 39

E X E CU T I V E W E LLBEING

operating outside their remit. Just choosing any old
executive coach off the corporate-approved list, does
not cut it in today's 'burnout economy'. The lack of
industry regulation means there are coaches who
aren't trained in the diagnosis of early onset mental
illness and predilection to compulsive behaviour.
And it's the captains of commerce - the high
pressured leaders - who are most at risk.
There is a clear business case for change. Those
organisations which take a deliberate 'Executive
Wellbeing' stance enjoy increased productivity,
quality of work, staff retention, team morale and
competitive advantage in the market place.

DIFFERENT STYLE S
Traditional coaching and therapy start with the
same premise - each presumes we have experienced
events that have wounded us. As we grow, some
people's wounds remain raw and painful, making
them protective and, often, defensive. Others
develop callouses over their wounds to shield them
from everyday knocks. The latter may be considered
more naturally resilient but the truth is, both have
wounds within them.
In time, these wounds create self-limiting beliefs.
We find ourselves hitting the same blocks again and
again as we travel through life. Sooner or later we say
'enough is enough' and seek help.
Psychotherapy looks to the past and helps
people identify what their block(s) are, allowing
them to become more conscious of self-sabotaging
behaviours, which can otherwise govern their lives.
Coaching, on the other hand, does not generally
seek to heal. It's about developing the capabilities of
high-potential performers via specific agreed goals.
A coach provides the tools to help a person navigate
their own way around the block(s).
'Executive Wellbeing' provides a
hybrid of both, essentially giving
stretched leaders the resilience
to tackle obstacles, while helping
stop any future blocks that may occur.
But it isn't just about fixing problems.
Maintaining peak performance is of equal
significance to those with an ambitious
outlook. A regular car engine, say, only
needs a service every 10,000 miles, while
a racing car needs one every 100, merely
to keep functioning at the current level, let
alone taking on even more.

NEEDING HELP IS OK
Robust overachievers are not used to
calling out for help, often perceiving
this as a weakness. But this is a national

FI ND YOUR

BALAN CE
Tip s fo r
organisational
wel l b ei n g ...
B E AT TH E
B R E A K D OWN

It can be tempting
to push yourself
until you drop and
simply deal with
the fall-out.
However, it's
imperative to take
pre-emptive action
long before the
breakdown. Find
an organisation
that can offer a
bespoke approach,
one that can
provide a service,
which perfectly
caters to both your
needs and company
requirements.

SU P P ORT
STA FF
It is in the interests
of a company to
take a proactive
approach when it
comes to coaches.
Profile your staff
and working
environments to
see what can be
done. After all, staff
members perform
better when they
feel their company
cares about them.
A sense of worth
and belonging can
prove energising.

TA K I N G
STO C K
Do your homework.
Only hire executive
coaches who are
trained in mental
health and have a
firm grasp of when
to refer clients to
seek professional
therapy. And, if
you're in a senior
role, such moments
can also inspire you
to take a good hard
look at your own
company. Do
managers need to
work long hours?

July 2017 BALANCE

taboo we must smash through. It's vital companies
proactively support their leaders, checking in
regularly to keep them working to the best of their
abilities. Organisations must give proper backing
to key staff - those who maintain peak performance,
meet ever-increasing demands for a higher quality
of work couple with even more responsibility.
An Employee Assistance Programme is the bare
minimum an organisation can do. With advice and
tips on how to meditate, be mindful, eat better and
so on, this is a great resource, but to protect against
burnout, something must be done before the cracks
of mental health decline start to appear. It's not 'if'
but 'when' burnout will strike, for those who are in
the engine room of our economy.
However, choosing a professional coach in today's
market can be difficult. The fact that somebody
calls themselves a 'coach' doesn't necessarily mean
anything. At present, it remains an unregulated
industry, although this is likely to change within
18 months. The International Coaching Federation
(ICF) is the global governing body for coaches
and you can find all accredited coaches who

IT'S NOT 'IF' BUT 'WHEN'
BURNOUT WILL STRIKE
FOR THOSE WHO ARE
IN THE ENGINE ROOM
OF OUR ECONOMY
have met their criteria to be classified as such at
coachfederation.org.
Before coaches can call themselves 'Executive
Wellbeing', they must also possess the necessary
experience and credentials to address mental health
issues in a therapeutic manner. In this instance, I
would suggest a CBT qualification or an educational
background in psychology. This would mean the
coach has an extensive toolkit of scientifically-backed
techniques and is aware of circumstances in which a
referral to a medical professional is necessary.
Organisations need to start profiling their
staff and cultural working environments before
identifying their true coaching and improvement
requirements. In the melting pot that is the city
of London today, every executive should be
receiving from their employer a proactive, dare I say
compulsory, approach to building resilience. B
Chris Harvey is founder of professional coaching
service Harvey Sinclair. For more information, visit
harvey-sinclair.com.

39
http://www.coachfederation.org http://www.harvey-sinclair.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BalanceJulyIssue17
