Challenge
Joshua, an accountant at a large company, was on the verge of burnout. While he enjoyed the interesting work, the hours were long and worst of all, the people at his office were very challenging to work with.
The CEO set the tone at the top by yelling at upper management who then yelled at their subordinates, creating a ripple effect of fear across the organization.
Like viruses, negative emotions are contagious, filling the office with people who were stressed, competitive, afraid all the time, and who were sometimes hostile towards each other.
Approach
- Using the DISC Assessment, we identified Joshua’s primary DISC Behavioural Styles to recognize his own development areas and best ways to communicate with his colleagues and manager.
- Applying positive psychology principles and cognitive behavioural frameworks, Joshua became more engaged, confident, developed better relationships, and managed his emotions and relationships more effectively.
Coaching Results
Conflict Resolution and Improving Relationships
- Being aware of his own DISC Behavioural Styles and those of others helped Joshua better communicate with and resolve issues with his colleagues.
- Having empathy for those who were different from him enabled Joshua to manage his negative emotions, reducing conflict and resulting in more harmonious team dynamics.
Time and Stress Management
- Joshua learned to prioritize his tasks at work, enabling him to better manage his time.
- He developed greater confidence in being assertive and saying no to unreasonable requests.
- With greater focus on his own well-being, he carved out time for self-care, ensuring exercise, relaxation, and healthier habits.
- By reducing his stress at work, and taking better care of himself he was able to sleep better and have more energy and focus, leaving him better able to handle challenging interactions with colleagues.
The names of the clients and identifying features of the case studies have been altered or blended to preserve client confidentiality.
Images used to accompany case studies are stock photos courtesy of www.pixabay.com
Joshua’s Pain Points
Joshua’s objectives for coaching were to find ways to reduce his stress, namely to reduce these symptoms of stress:
- Physical impact: Inability to sleep, fatigue, and a lack of energy and concentration.
- Emotional impact: Feeling stressed all the time, being impatient, and getting angry at his colleagues.
Coaching Results
Through coaching, Joshua identified his key stressors and learned techniques to reduce their impact on his physical and emotional well-being.
Self-Development and Relationship Management
- Using positive psychology techniques, Joshua became more engaged, developed better relationships, managed his emotions effectively, and found more meaning in his life.
- Through gratitude journaling and having greater empathy, he felt calmer and more tolerant of his colleagues.
- He used the DISC Behavioural Styles to recognize his own development areas and to communicate more effectively with his colleagues and managers.
- Using cognitive behavioural techniques, he learned to catch his limiting beliefs and to re-frame them into positive actions to help him:
- overcome the fears and doubts holding him back; and
- interact with his colleagues in a more productive and professional manner.
Time And Stress Management
- Joshua learned to prioritize his tasks at work, enabling him to better manage his time.
- Through role play and the use positive affirmations, Joshua developed greater confidence in being more assertive and saying no to unreasonable requests.
- With greater focus on his own well-being, he carved out time for self-care, ensuring exercise, relaxation, and healthier habits which left him stronger and better equipped to handle challenging interactions with people at work.
