How can you use coaching assessment tools to help a coachee manage stress?

For insight on behaviour under stress the Energy Leadership Index (ELI) is very insightful. It helps managers to learn more about their behaviour under stress and their behaviour on a 'good day'. In total there are 7 levels and every individual has a unique profile of how these levels show up in their lives and during the day. This helps to recover faster to get out of stress related behaviour. ELI is a tool from iPEC.

Using tools like the Stress Profile helps identify stress patterns, revealing how the ego amplifies stress by focusing on past regrets and future worries. Guiding coachees to see beyond ego-driven reactions encourages a present, mindful approach to stress. This awareness leads to strategies promoting inner peace and resilience, shifting from reactive stress management to holistic practices. The process aims at fostering self-awareness and mindfulness, enabling coachees to align their actions with a deeper sense of purpose, enhancing their overall well-being and capacity to handle stress effectively.

Sometimes, stress is a consequence of 'not knowing'. This a real life example of a blue collar employee with limited means and his ambitious meritorious son who has secured admission into a new management institution that is yet to build its market reputation. He simply did not have the knowledge of the ecosystem to make his decision and came to me. I used my reach and network to find suitable information - such as fees, living expenses, academic rigor and most importantly campus placements, recruiting companies and potential salaries. (at a time when we could not google away). This lead to an informed decision for the long term good. I think developing the coping skills inventory is very much a function of quality information.

The wheel of life can be useful for self-assessment and creating awareness. It is simple, intuitive, and with the right coaching very profound in figuring out what to work on and how to spice up your game as an executive. There are many different wheels to use with different wedges, I created a specific Wheel of Leadership or a Wheel of Resilience.

One of the concepts that has found traction in recent times for developing insights into one's life is Michiko Kumano's IKIGAI (a Japanese word for 'what makes life worth living'). It involves understanding the four ''wheels of life' and finding an enriching common ground that helps find and pursue personal goals that leads to fulfillment and satisfaction.

It's important to acknowledge that assessment tools don't often provide sufficient insight to fully understand a client. Assessments may leave gaps or create situations favoring confirmation or cognitive biases. If we rely on assessments, we fail to fully serve our clients. It's imperative that a Coach spend adequate time with a Coachee to understand their perspective and eliminate potential biases. Individual differences in coping and resilience may not be identified and will impact the stress experience. Ensuring comprehensive assessment takes priority.

Becoming a Master in Resilience, it all comes down to Mindset, Self-Confidence, and Choice. This may sound obvious, and yet it takes practice and coaching to become a master and recover from setbacks faster and healthier. This means: fostering a growth mindset, building self-confidence which includes self-doubt and self-reflection, and making conscious decisions about what to say no and yes to. And last but least take full responsibility for your impact.

It's important to gain insight from a variety of assessment tools. These may provide insights to help you understand yourself and manage your relationships. As you build self-awareness and competency in reading others, you may find new ways to understand your stressors and learn how to respond effectively. Be sure to work on your EQ by developing competency in emotional intelligence.

When I work with leaders on building resilience, one thing I most often see missing is the ability to recognise and appreciate their personal resilience. I always challenge them to answer two questions - "How have they managed to reach where they are" and "How have they managed to prevent things from going worse"

Understanding stress is about understanding our inner conflicts. The Goldratt Theory of Constraints (ToC) thinking process enables one to construct our 'conflict clouds' to develop insights. One can then find solutions by approaches such as (1) 'Evaporating the cloud', ie. dissolving one side to make an insightful choice, which is not always obvious at the outset (3) 'Using the power of & ', ie. creating an innovative solution that mitigates both sides of a conflict and brings a previously unknown synergy (3) 'Invalidating an deep rooted assumption', and removes an existing blind-spot or mental block in resolving a conflict.