Once the domain of the CEO or senior manager, I am seeing people at all levels in small, medium and large organisations coming to me for coaching and paying for it themselves. Why? Because they recognise that to survive at work they need to invest in themselves! So what’s going on?

Today’s workplace is fluid. One day you are a highly valued employee, the next you are fighting to keep your job. Change is everywhere and we need to continue to refresh our skills and bring new approaches to the work we do – we need to add value, generate new business, innovate and keep the organisation we work for profitable and valued.

There was a time when an employee may have expected to receive training, professional development and opportunities for growth from their employer, but in today’s competitive workplace there isn’t always the time or the money to support these ambitions. There are a number of reasons for this:

A small business may be fighting to survive – investing in their employees at present may be a step too far
Uncertainty about the future may be making some businesses reluctant to invest in their people
A small business may feel that investment in skills development simply isn’t a priority
A large organisation facing reduced profits or funding shortages may not be able to justify investing in developing their people

So it may be time to take the matter into your own hands. And taking time to step outside the workplace to consider your current position, your own development needs and how they may be met could be a smart move. Here are a few examples of where coaching and mentoring can help with your own development:

There has been a change of direction in the leadership of your organisation, which leaves you wondering how you can make an impact and add value
You are trying to survive in a shrinking organisation where colleagues have less time available to support each other
You are looking for a role in a different industry or with a different employer and need some help in preparing for this
You are in a new role and you feel that support from someone outside your organisation would benefit you and improve your performance
You are facing redundancy and need help to work out your next steps so that you can achieve financial stability in the short term and plan for the longer term
You have work related problems and don’t know how to manage them
It may be time to look at your own wellbeing and what you want from life

Having your own coach means you have access to someone who will help you to recognise and build on your own skills and also identify those skills which need developing. A good coach will listen, ask questions, challenge you and give you time to reflect, draw you own conclusions, set your own goals and help you to achieve them. Making decisions and facing challenges can be hard and sometimes lonely. And sometimes dissatisfaction in a role may be because the cultural fit of the place where you work is no longer right - their values and aspirations may not be the same as yours.

Spending time talking through your options with someone who has no connection with your home or work life can be hugely beneficial and give you time to think and plan how to make those important next steps.

If you’d like more information about how coaching can enable you to take control of your own personal development, then get in touch and let’s talk about how we can help.

Izzy Ixer, Director and Principal Consultant, Blue Pebble Coaching

As you prepare for "back to school" week and the return to work, it can be difficult to adjust to the routine of the working week after a Summer break. And you may not be looking forward to the daily timetable and diary commitments.

So perhaps it's worth reflecting for a moment on what made your Summer break so exciting, relaxing, refreshing? How much of the value you gained was about where you went and how much of it was about your approach, your attitude and your state of mind while you were there?

Typically as a tourist, we might experience a sense of excitement when we visit somewhere different. We may find we are more receptive to doing something new and keen to discover something different. Perhaps we're more open-minded as we try new ways of traveling, navigating new locations, learning about a new country or a part of the country in which we live. In a new environment we need to think differently and be more observant as we navigate different routes and find new places.

Think of the way you felt when you tried something different to eat or drank a pint of the local beer! Remember how it felt to look around at the scenery, a sunset or a sea view. Recall how clear and uncluttered your mind felt at that moment.

So why not go back to work with the mindset of the tourist? Try setting aside your habitual responses to situations and start listening carefully to others instead of pre-judging what they are likely to say. Perhaps you can take a look with fresh eyes at the place where you work and notice some of the interesting features of it, which you would normally take for granted. Try a different way of getting to work is this is possible - walk part of the route or cycle to work. If you are a hot-desker, try sitting somewhere different and if you have a regular desk, maybe think about swapping with someone if you can. Take something different to work for your lunch or find somewhere new to get your sandwich.

Breaking our habitual responses and making small changes can be refreshing and keeping fresh and creative may be easier than you think. As I was finishing writing this blog I came across an interesting article about creativity from Oishii Creative, who are based in Los Angeles. They talk about breaking habits and becoming receptive to different approaches and new ideas. They say that this is part of their philosophy for maintaining their creative mindset - you can read their article here:

http://www.oishiicreative.com/get-lost-how-thinking-like-a-tourist-can-reset-your-creativity/

So if you are going back to school or work, try thinking like a tourist, keeping an uncluttered mind and opening yourself up to new experiences as they arise!

Izzy Ixer
Director and Principal Consultant
Blue Pebble Coaching

28 August 2016

Invest in yourself – don’t wait for your boss to do it!

Be a tourist in your own workplace!

Find me in LinkedIn: