Three Key Insights for Coaches from the World Congress on Positive Psychology, 2019

In July, I attended the World Congress on Positive Psychology, held in Melbourne (YES! No flight to the Northern hemisphere for a change ?? ) and was lucky enough to spend 4 days with 1600 Researchers and Practitioners in Positive Psychology from over 60 countries, learning and sharing best practice. What a blast! As a Professional Coach, and blessed to be part of the ICF Australasia Leadership Team this year, I was of course particularly interested in the Coaching Psychology stream of talks and workshops and would like to share some key insights with you, today. Whether you’re an experienced Coach or a beginner, an internal, external or blended Coaching practitioner, I am sure there’s something here for you. Read on, Coaches! Our work is found in all kinds of interesting conversations…

Insight One: Coaching WORKS. I know, I know…we all know it…but the data says so, too! Some of the world’s foremost researchers and educators in the field of Coaching Psychology are actually right here, in Australia. In a panel discussion that included two of the best, Dr. Anthony Grant from the University of Sydney, and Dr Gordon Spence from Sydney Business School, the question of “does Coaching work?” was deemed to be no longer a question (hooray)! The evidence, according to Dr Grant, is that Solution-Focused, Cognitive-Behavioural Coaching is the most effective approach and makes a real difference in Clients’ lives. An especially important part of the overall effectiveness of Coaching, according to the research, is the strength of the Coachee-Coach working relationship, as well as a strong focus on goals, which can help mitigate for other factors that might otherwise negatively effect outcomes. Serious research bears out what we already observe to be true, adding further weight to the value of Coaching for individuals and organisations. This research also signposts the way, for what really works, in Coaching practice. So make sure you spend time investing in co-creating a great working relationship with your Clients, and keep them focused on their goals, to enhance outcomes for all.

Insight Two: IRL, Clients want practical tools and micro-actions, not buckets of theory! In a dynamic presentation with several other speakers, Australian Consultant Marcia Ryan from Wellbeing Works shared her learning about working with organisations in team and individual interactions. Her message was clear – as much as she might get excited about the reasons for her recommendations to work in certain ways, and the research behind them, at the end of the day her Clients just want things they can DO. So be sure to include lots of targeted tips, tricks, small implementable micro-actions (e.g. remember to thank three people for what they did for you at work today) that your Clients can implement, fast. Over time, these small changes add up to a culture of continuing improvement – and that’s why we are there! Pure Coaching is a wonderful tool, and as we well know, achieves incredible results. But it can’t hurt to make sure clients can see the value you’re adding with simple, practical tools and little takeaways to add to their working days. Consider building up a (branded) collection of great one-minute actions, one-line inspirational ideas, or one-day-at-a-time practices that you can leave with Clients between sessions, to further enhance your value proposition to an organisation. I’ve been doing this for a while and absolutely agree with Marcia – it’s incredibly effective and easy to do. 

Insight Three: Our greatest trials can become our greatest sources of meaning and happiness in life. Throughout several presentations over the four days, an underlying theme was often present – that in working to improve ourselves and our lives as humans, we must not avoid the difficult times; but instead turn to them as sources of meaning to fuel our future. The work of Viktor Frankl, and Austrian Psychologist who survived the Holocaust and penned his great work, “Man’s Search for Meaning” was referenced frequently, as we discussed and learned about ways to make sense of the hard times, as well as enhancing the good. (Side note: if you haven't read it yet, I believe this is an essential case study for Coaches in making the most of the worst imaginable circumstances.) Professor Michael F Steger, in his presentation about increasing a sense of meaning in our lives, made the poignant point that “The thing that makes life precious is that it ends”. He was talking about how important it is to be fully present and not shy away from the difficult times; if we work to learn from them, understand and transform them, we can gain a rich sense of purpose and depth of understanding of life, which just wouldn’t be available if things were perfect all the time. Our pain can give us meaningful directions for the future, and ways to help others through their challenges, too. As Coaches, we have a wonderful opportunity to not only help our Clients make life “happier”, but to also heal painful past experiences, using the lens of Meaning as a way to transform the difficult times. Appreciating all sources of learning and growth, and working with their whole lives, our Clients will be much more resilient to face an uncertain future as a result.

As you walk into another fresh week of Coaching, I encourage you to think about how you might incorporate these points of learning into your days as your journey of Coaching Excellence continues.

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Thank you for reading my article. I'm Catherine Bell, Director of Bell Training Group, specialising in Applied Positive Psychology for the Workplace through Coaching, Workshops and Speaking. Find out more or get in touch here: www.belltraininggroup.com.au or leave a comment below.