The Importance of Whole Self Coaching at Work

Before I was an ICF certified coach, a writer, a business owner, and a cycling instructor, I built a 15+ year leadership career in tech. On paper, by all accounts, it looked like a pretty amazing life. But I'd also suffered from low self-esteem, undiagnosed anxiety, and bouts of depression for years, coupled with a very unhealthy relationship with myself, and my work. For many years, I thought my work was everything. For a long time, I thought my only value was in my work. And, for many years, things looked good but felt utterly terrible.

After I abruptly ended my professional performance career, I had a successful leadership career building and leading teams across sectors in tech that I loved, where I’d worked tirelessly, and had grown tremendously…but I’d also continued to abandon myself for my work. My entire life was work. I thought with work at the center of my life, I'd be happy. I was wrong, and I burned out - leaving companies when I got to this point. 

But over time, with a lot of self-work, I realized there was more. I found myself, and my well-being. And, the more I focused on myself, the better I was at work. The more I decentralized work, the more resilient I became. 

Our success at work is actually in our ability to explore and develop all the facets of ourselves, and our well-being FIRST AND FOREMOST. Work cannot matter if we do not. Hard problems aren’t solved if not. You don’t sustain, if not.  We can’t develop good leaders unless we turn away from work, and more towards us. In finding equilibrium in our lives, we improve ourselves, and our relationship to our work. 

I created the Whole Self Coaching methodology with all of this in mind; with you and your people in mind. Through evidence-based coaching and consulting that enhances all facets of your well-being: Heart, Body, Soul, Mind, and Environment - where work fits in, I’ll help you and your teams develop the tools so you can all be your best selves. Unlike typical leadership coaching, we focus on employees' holistic well-being needs across all these facets before jumping right into the complexities of leadership. People first, leaders second. With this approach, we build more than strong and sustainable leaders; we develop resilient people.  

I know the tremendous pressure you’re under at work and at home, as much as I understand the goals and aspirations you have. I get the frustration at never feeling it's enough, and at the limited capacity you have. Life won’t stop throwing the mixed bag of highs, lows, and in-betweens at us all. But what we can do is develop a strong self to manage, adapt, and grow through it all.  The good news? You and your people can be and feel their very best with your support.

Here are the pay-offs with a refocus on Whole Self.

People Will Feel Better

Simply put, people’s well-being improves with well-being prioritized at organizations. People spend the majority of their time at work, so of course, it makes sense that 84% of employees say at least one work factor negatively impacted their mental health. Conversely, we bring our personal lives and those stressors into our work. We cannot compartmentalize as much as we think, nor should we. Giving an employee leadership development training isn’t going to be useful to them or to you if they’re dealing with the death of a loved one, if they’re not taking breaks and eating regularly, and so on. Invest in THEM. Invest in their holistic well-being; a PART of which work is, and they will feel better. 67% of companies with these programs reported employees are happier. 

Your Relationships Will Improve

For starters, your people will trust and respect you for investing in yourself, investing in them, and caring for them. That increased trust leads to more communication. The coaching work also increases confidence, so you’ll start to learn more about what’s really going on, and start having more open, direct dialogue that will help you creatively solve problems. Your people are also far more likely to stay. Being involved in their well-being and personal development will help you gain more perspective, and compassion that you take home with you as well to your friends, kids, even your customers. 

You’ll Have Increased Capacity

As an employee, I always wanted more face-time with my bosses. Similarly, I hear from clients how their manager doesn’t have time for them. And I certainly was one of them as well AS a manager. I just didn’t have the time I wanted to give to support them in their work or their career development. The reality is as much as we want to be a thought partner to others, we have our own priorities that don’t always align with theirs. With a coach, they get a neutral thought partner to think through and make decisions outside of their silo chamber. This reduces everyone’s load. I combine evidence-based coaching with mentoring on real-time issues, which provides the immediate support employees and managers need, with the sustainable long-term benefits of coaching (meaning they develop reusable internal frameworks for figuring out this stuff solo, or more efficiently). 

You’ll Have a Deeper Leadership Bench

40% of new leaders fail in the first 18 months, while CEOS say developing leaders are one of their top challenges. I’ve asked myself many times what might have been possible where I worked, had I focused on myself more, and had my company support coaching work. One time, I was asked what I wanted to do next. I’d done what I came to do, and I knew I needed to not do it anymore, but I had no idea what I did. It was such an opportunity to be thoughtful and intentional about what I wanted next. Here was my boss on the leadership team opening up the sky for me, but I was just too burned out from work + life to care about anything other than jumping ship. I didn’t want to stretch into something new, or something more. I just had to get out. I have these conversations with clients constantly too. A common recipe for great talent jumping ship = exhaustion + lack of support + lack of opportunity + lack of resources.

You Make Better Decisions

There are endless decisions to make at work. And in today’s climate, the kinds of decisions we make elevate us, or can have big consequences. No one makes sound decisions under duress. No one makes good decisions working 12-hour days, or by running an idea by ourselves in our heads, or without breaks. Whether it’s making a decision about how to plan and communicate a lay-off, how to manage noise and fears post-acquisition,  whether or not to bring someone new to the team, or how you’re going to support your team affected by Roe v. Wade, the state you’re in when you’re deciding matters. 

Are you ready to empower your next leaders? Click the link below to setup your free discovery call to learn how I can help!