Why spot coaching offers employees support and stability in a world fraught with change

We’re not the same anymore, are we?

Deep down, we all feel changed- at some level - by our experiences over recent years.

We’re reeling from a pandemic, while being bombarded with an onslaught of critical issues, from war to climate change, the cost of living and new, complex, ways of working.

This pressure has led to a heavy tipping point in our abilities to cope.

Our world has changed and how we work is ever evolving as companies react and pivot continuously.

It’s clear from our work, coaching senior leaders and their teams, that businesses are feeling the impact, with decreased outputs, high absence due to mental health challenges and employees with far-reaching burnout.

Everyone is affected, from CEOs to office coordinators.

We know it’s not good for our health, nor is it good for the collective health of our businesses and the economy.

It’s tough out there – employees need to know that they matter

Not so long ago, protecting the mental health and wellbeing of employees was a box ticking exercise, the mention of these subjects simply lip service to ideals that businesses vaguely aspired to but certainly didn’t prioritise.

But we’re seeing positive change in the organisations we work with.

They understand that employee wellbeing is key. It can’t be played down.

It’s no longer enough to give a well-meaning talk, a link to the company health benefits or even an extra day off. The time has come for businesses to invest in their people, to show them that they matter and to offer them solutions to the day-to-day challenges they face.

Teams need real, tangible support that gives them effective, fast-acting results.

Spot coaching then, is becoming a valued investment for companies that are interested in providing their teams with support that has noticeable outcomes in a short space of time.

It’s an employee benefit that speaks volumes about how people are valued and demonstrates a commitment to helping them find meaningful solutions to their problems.

Coaching has often been seen as an investment for the top tier only, but spot coaching proves that this type of support isn’t just for leaders.

Not only that but providing it for the wider team goes a long way to showing employees that they’re just as important as the boss.

What can we do to help right now?

Spot coaching is a one-off, concentrated coaching session designed to help people find solutions to their most pressing problems. It’s less about making a soft start to tackling issues and more about making a quick impact - really improving the quality of a person’s work life in a short amount of time.

We ask those being coached to think about what the main thing is that they’d like to change and what they must leave the coaching session with – and that can range from a definite action they must take, a change in mindset, shift in perspective or a sense of momentum towards something they want to make happen.

Spot coaching is an injection of tailored support that leaves people feeling empowered, energised and motivated.

People-focussed support

We’re seeing results in so many ways and the feedback from the organisations we work with is overwhelmingly positive – it’s not just about employees telling leaders that the coaching has worked, it’s about them being able to see and feel the immediate impact of it on their people and ultimately their business.

We know that our clients like the people-focussed support that coaching brings and the fact that at This is Glow, we’re committed to helping individuals find answers to their own specific challenges. It’s an approach that means the person being coached gets immediate benefit, as well as one that quickly filters through to wider teams.

Why is this the moment for spot coaching?

From an organisational perspective, there’s no good or bad time to support teams with coaching but three of the broad reasons this type of coaching is gaining popularity now, relate to the ways we’re suddenly living and working.

The first is all about change and the constant requirements upon employees to try things differently, fit into restructures, pivot yet still perform well. The demands become gruelling, and people burn out. Employers, who have no choice but to implement change, at least recognise the need to give their teams genuine ways of coping and indeed, thriving.

Hybrid working also poses a host of challenges that spot coaching can help bridge and overcome, including difficulties within teams that aren’t physically together, leading to fragility in trust and fractured manager / employee relationships as access to leaders is diminished.

And, one of the biggest drivers, as we’ve explored, is the focus on wellbeing, with leaders genuinely wishing to help and support in a way that is relevant. Leaders are looking to be there for working parents, enable diversity and inclusion to flourish and offer psychological safety.

The key thing here is to help employees feel they’ve been listened to and give them the power to make changes.

Coaching is connection

Sometimes when big organisations attempt initiatives to help their teams feel supported, they fall short. They’re often a blanket approach that have no relevance to people’s lives.

But coaching says, ‘we value you’.

It’s a tailored approach for every employee and generally, those who benefit from it are grateful and feel pumped to go away and overhaul the issues they’ve been grappling with.

That means leaders have made a meaningful connection, they’ve helped make something positive happen for that person and that’s really important.

Find out about This is Glow’s Spot Coaching.