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Workplace stress: Can it be reduced by coaching?
Abstract
Workplace coaching is becoming increasingly popular and it has been suggested that it could be useful in tackling stress (Hearn, 2001). However, there is a lack of research investigating the effectiveness of coaching in reducing stress. Indeed this was the aim of the current study. The research consisted of three parts and two large organisations participated. Part I measured stress before and after coaching (N=31). It was found
that coaching did not significantly reduce stress. Part II investigated the relationship between coaching and
stress (N=103). Participation in coaching did not have a relationship with lower stress levels. Nevertheless,
high levels of coaching effectiveness were reported by the participants. In Part III a qualitative design was employed and employees were interviewed about their experiences of coaching (N=9). Four main themes emerged from the analysis. It was found that coaching helped the participants to manage and reduce stress indirectly; the coaching relationship was very important; coaching helped to increase confidence; and the
provision of coaching was viewed as a sign that the employer cared for their employees.
Citation: Gyllensten, K. and Palmer, S. (2006). Workplace stress: Can it be reduced by coaching? The Coaching Psychologist, 2, 1, 17-22.
... Vi vil til sidst vende tilbage til de perspektiver vi kan fremdrage på baggrund af naervaerende litteraturgennemgang og dette studie. Gyllensten & Palmer (2006) benytter i deres studie af effekten af coaching i forhold til at reducere stress, den kvalitative metode for derigennem at diskutere de forskellige positive og negative aspekter fra den enkelte deltagers subjektive perspektiv. Konkret anvendte forskerne IPA metoden, som i øvrigt også anvendes i den kvalitative del af naervaerende undersøgelse. ...
... Metodisk er netop dette studie interessant, da det er en del af et større overordnet projekt hvortil der også er benyttet kvantitative målingsinstrumenter. Resultaterne fra de kvantitative og kvalitative undersøgelser stemmer dog ikke umiddelbart overens, da de kvantitative resultater ikke viser at coaching har en effekt, hvilket imidlertid er tilfaeldet ud fra de kvalitative interviews (Gyllensten & Palmer, 2006). ...
Et studie med anvendelsen af kvalitative og kvantitative metoder Abstract Mål: At undersøge hvorvidt fire coachingpsykologiske sessioner kunne reducere stress, angst og depressions ni-veau, samt forøge velvaere hos 1.semesters studerende. At belyse hvilken betydning coaching får for de studerende. Design: Mixed method design med før-og eftertest, samt kontrolgruppe, (N=52). Kvalitative interviews med fire deltagere før og efter coaching interventionen. Metode: Ni erfarne coaches gennemførte fire sessioner med 52 første semesters studerende fra Aalborg univer-sitet. Deltagerne udfyldte DASS-21, Subjective Wellbeing Scale og Adult Hope Scale før og efter coaching inter-ventionerne. De kvalitative interviews blev analyseret med Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Resultater: En markant lavere stigning i depressionsniveau (DASS-21) hos coaching gruppen. Angstniveau-et faldt i begge grupper, men et større fald i coachinggruppen end i ventelistegruppen. Håb-niveauet steg i coachinggruppen, men faldt i ventelistegruppen. Konklusioner: Fire korte coaching interventioner af 45 minutters varighed mindskede angstniveauet hos interventionsgruppen, som også havde et lavere niveau af depression samt en øget fornemmelse af handle-kraft og målorientering. Ydermere oplevede deltagerne i interventionsgruppen en forøget indsigt i rollen som universitetsstuderende og øget refleksivitet. Blandt andet omtales den bevidste brug af alternative tanker, som en frugtbar måde at håndtere studiets udfordringer på.
... For example, Green, Oades, and Grant (2006) Foster and Lendl (1996) reported the eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) was effective in helping participants to desensitise and upsetting event that was impairing their performance. Gyllensten and Palmer (2006) found that coaching was effective in helping clients to manage and reduce workplace stress, and also served to increase selfconfidence. These studies are indicative of the breadth of coaching research that is beginning, and reflect just how many open questions there are. ...
The remarkable growth of coaching to date has not, so far, been matched by a similar growth in the research corpus that underpins it. There may be several explanations for this, including the pace of growth relative to the pace of research; coaching’s location at the juxtaposition of business consultancy and applied psychology; and competing imperatives that leave coaches themselves torn between being coaches and being researchers. Drawing from a model of these competing imperatives of research and practice in occupational psychology, this article outlines some of the core issues that coaches might face when thinking about research. It suggests some possible answers to the questions of who, what, where, when and why of coaching research, and concludes by identifying the critical questions that will likely shape the future evolution of coaching.
... Few studies have a pre-post design (we noted the following: Luthans & Peterson, 2003 ;Peterson, 1993 ;Thatch, 2002 ;Toegel & Nicholson, 2005 ;Wolfred, 2003), thus respond to the previous flaw, but, due to the absence of a control group, they are unable to isolate the effects of the coaching intervention from those of other interfering variables or development methods used simultaneously. Few have a pre-post measure and control group design (we noted: Bozer & Sarros, 2012 ;Cerni, Curtis & Colmar, 2010 ;Evers, Brouwers & Tomic, 2006 ;Gyllensten & Palmer, 2006 ;Kochanowski, Seifert & Yukl, 2010 ;Ladegard & Gjerde, 2014 ;Moen & Skaalvik, 2009 ;Offermanns, 2004 ;Smither, London, Flautt, Vargas & Kucine, 2003). Almost none have a pre-post measure, control group with randomized allocation (RCT) design (we find these in : Finn, Mason & Bradley 2007 ;Grant, Curtayne & Burton, 2009 ;Grant, Green & Rynsaardt, 2010) It is important to highlight that the three studies which have set up an experimental design with pre-post randomized controlled trials (RCT) to evaluate the impact of executive or professional coaching only use self-reported measures, and no assessment by peers, supervisors or direct reports 1 . ...
Although the use of executive coaching as a developmental intervention for managers has increased dramatically during the past decades, rigorous empirical research on executive coaching impact remains scarce. My research aims to address this shortage by investigating the impact of a specific coaching intervention with a rigorous experimental design. A longitudinal study was conducted in a large telecom company on 48 executives. They were randomly assigned to the intervention group and to the control group. All 48 participants underwent a 360-degree assessment (involving 541 peer-assessors) on management skills. The participants of the intervention group then received six individual coaching sessions, spread over a year. One year later, all participants passed again the same assessments (involving 499 peer-assessors). The coaching sessions were conducted by a single coach – the author of the study – in order to control the coaching methodology used with the various participants. Quantitative analyses indicate a positive and significant impact of coaching on management skills and goal attainment. These results provide rigorous support to the use of coaching as a developmental tool for the executives’ managerial competencies. Other practical and theoretical implications of these results are then discussed.
... Others assert that there are Duty of Care issues that need to be addressed as many coaches may have insufficient training to recognise and refer on clients with mental health issues (Spence et al. 2006). It is worth noting that although qualitative studies may have found that coaching may reduce work related stress, quantitative studies have had less statistically significant results (e.g., Gyllensten and Palmer 2006). ...
This case study describes the therapeutic work with a client suffering from depression. A cognitive approach was used and
a brief summary of the problem and the therapy is outlined. The client had suffered from procrastination for a long time and
this was one of the key areas to be addressed in therapy. This case is presented to highlight that cognitive behavioural,
rational emotive behavioural or multimodal coaching may be able to prevent mental health problems. It is possible that the
client’s problem with procrastination could have been tackled in psychologically based coaching at an earlier stage. Psychological
coaching could have provided the client with tools to deal with the procrastination and increase her self-awareness. This
could have prevented the development of the depression or helped the client to intervene at an earlier stage.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide a classified list of the factors that are most influential in the success of an executive coaching process, arranged in order of importance.
Design/methodology/approach
– Selection of factors from an exhaustive literature review, and development of a qualitative investigation, applying a Focus Group, a Nominal Group technique, and the Delphi method to a group of experts comprising coaches, coachees, and human resources managers, in order to complete and assess the factors selected.
Findings
– The most outstanding factors needed in executive coaching are confidentiality, trust, and empathy between coach and coachee; the coach’s ability to generate trust, and her/his competence in communication skills, vocation and commitment; the coachee’s need, motivation, responsibility for his/her own development and commitment to the process; and a guarantee from the organization of the confidentiality of that process.
Practical implications
– This research furnishes a quantitative criterion for the evaluation and ranking of the determining factors in coaching success, which facilitates a justified selection of factors, both for research and professional purposes.
Social implications
– This study makes it possible to better channel the allocation of resources and gearing of business decisions for the implementation of coaching programs.
Originality/value
– This paper provides a systematic review of the empirically based literature dealing with the main success factors in the effective application of executive coaching, and contributes new factors derived from the knowledge of professional experts, along with a classified and ranked list of those factors, assessed in terms of their relevance to the satisfactory outcome of a coaching process.
This paper focuses on the specific relevance of workplace risk assessments to help educate and inform all personnel, especially managers, human resources, health, safety and welfare professionals. The paper includes a model of organisational stress highlighting the relationship between potential work-related stress hazards, individual and organisational symptoms of stress, negative outcomes and financial costs (Palmer et al, 2003 1,2). The key components of this model relate directly to the Health and Safety Executive publication (HSE, 2001 3) that centres on employers taking work-related stress seriously and actively working to improve and maintain employee health and wellbeing. This article also refers to the revised HSE Management Standards launched in November 2004.
This paper presents the main findings from Part I of a study investigating if workplace coaching can reduce stress. Thirty-one participants from a UK finance organisation took part in the quasi-experimental study. Depression, anxiety and stress were measured before and after coaching in a coaching and control group. Levels of anxiety and stress had decreased more in the coaching group compared to the control group, and were lower in the coaching group compared to the control group at the end of the study. However, levels of depression had decreased more in the control group compared to the coaching group. Mixed ANOVAS found no significant interactions between time and coaching for depression, anxiety or stress. Nevertheless, high levels of perceived coaching effectiveness were reported by the participants.
There is a limited amount of research investigating the relationship between coaching and stress. This paper will present the findings from Part II of a study investigating whether workplace coaching can reduce stress. A correlational design was used and 103 participants from a UK and a Scandinavian organisation participated. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate whether participation in coaching was a significant predictor of levels of depression, anxiety and stress as measured by the DASS-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond 1995). Demographic factors and the workplace stressors included in the Health and Safety Executive's Stress Management Standards were also included in the analyses (Cousins et al 2004). It was found that workplace coaching was not a significant predictor of levels of depression, anxiety and stress. However, the participants reported high levels of coaching effectiveness. Lack of control and high role ambiguity were found to be significant predictors of depression, and high demands and role ambiguity were found to be significant predictors of stress.
Despite its high media profile and growing popularity there have been no empirical investigations of the impact of life coaching on goal attainment, metacognition or mental health. This exploratory study used life coaching as a means of exploring key metacognitive factors involved as individuals move towards goal attainment. In a within-subjects design, twenty adults completed a life coaching program. Participation in the program was associated with enhanced mental health, quality of life and goal attainment. In terms of metacognition, levels of self-reflection decreased and levels of insight increased. Life coaching has promise as an effective approach to personal development and goal attainment, and may prove to be a useful platform for a positive psychology and the investigation of the psychological mechanisms involved in purposeful change in normal, nonclinical populations.
Research commissioned for the UK's Health & Safety Executive (HSE) supports the view that a preventative, risk-assessment based approach would be more effective than case-based methods in achieving a nationwide reduction in work-related stress. The background to this approach is described and discussed in a companion paper in this issue (Mackay, Cousins, Kelly, Lee, & McCaig, 200421.
Mackay , CJ ,
Cousins , R ,
Kelly , PJ ,
Lee , S and
McCaig , RH . (2004). ‘Management Standards’ and work-related stress in the UK: Policy background and science. Work & Stress, 18, 2: 91–112. View all references). The present paper describes the development of HSE's new stress Management Standards—which offer organizations continuous improvement through a three-phase stress preventative process—and the development of a supporting ‘Indicator Tool’ (a two-phase questionnaire to assess employee perceptions of working conditions). The Management Standards comprise a series of ‘states to be achieved’, which are statements of good practice in six key stressor areas: demands, control, support, relationships, role and organizational change. For each stressor area there is also a ‘platform statement’ that outlines the main aims to be achieved by the organization. This statement may include a target percentage of employees finding that the organization meets the standard: this matter will be settled after the standards have been assessed in a public consultation campaign. To use the new process, an organization's state can first be assessed using the Indicator Tool; liaising with workers in focus groups enables a further exploration of issues raised; finally, there may be formulation of interventions and subsequent review. It is not intended that the standards will be legally enforceable. HSE's aim is that they and the associated methodology will enable organizations to effectively tackle work-related stress, and subsequently reduce both its incidence and prevalence.
Contact telephone numbers: 02476 523510 or 01367 860005 I thought my most useful role would be to describe recent patterns in British data. 1. Reported levels of job satisfaction are high in Britain. For example, on a standard numerical scale from 1 ("I am not satisfied at all") up to 7 ("I am completely satisfied with my job"), the single most common answer is a 6. 2. However, through the decade of the 1990s, Britons' job satisfaction fell. Stress, measured on a standard GHQ scale, increased during the decade. 3. Levels of job satisfaction in the public sector declined especially sharply during the 1990s. 4. Job satisfaction is U-shaped in age. It is higher among women than men, lower among blacks that whites, slightly lower in union workplaces than non-union ones, high in small workplaces, and largest of all in not-for-profit workplaces. The self-employed also report high job satisfaction. 5. It is Britons with university degrees, surprisingly, who report the lowest levels of satisfaction at work.
The use of an executive or life coach in order to enhance one's work performance or life experience is increasing in popularity. However, there is little empirical research attesting to the effectiveness of executive or life coaching, and there have been few attempts to outline a psychology of coaching. This paper reviews the empirical and theoretical psychological literature on executive and life coaching and, drawing on previous clinical and counselling psychology details a solution-focused, cognitive-behavioural framework for a psychology of coaching. The review finds that there is some measure of empirical support for the effectiveness of coaching, but coaching research is still in its infancy. A number of directions for future research are outlined which may further the establishment of the emerging discipline of coaching psychology.
Stress can wreck people's lives and health and those of their families at home. It is equally harmful at work, will seriously affect people's productivity and can also have disastrous effects on their colleagues and their work. The book fulfils a vital need. It is easy to read with short punchy chapters and helpful diagrams, which clearly explain what stress is and show how to remain relaxed when, for example, receiving a visit from the tax inspector or when speaking in public. Contents include: an introduction; what is stress; mapping your stress; behavioural interventions eg time management; emotional interventions eg letting off steam; sensory interventions eg relaxation; imagery interventions eg coping imagery; cognitive interventions eg constructive thinking; interpersonal strategies eg assertion techniques and communication skills; biological interventions eg diet and exercise; social and family stress; occupational stress what it is and how to deal with it; dealing with a range of problems; public speaking; developing a personal action plan; a list of useful organisations and websites; further reading; references and an index.
This paper describes a piece of academic research that explores the experiences of a group of managers taking part in an externally-provided coaching programme. It describes the background to the programme, outlines the benefits identified by participants and offers a model arising from the research. Data from individual managers on the perceived benefits of coaching were gathered through semi-structured questionnaires. This provided the basis for the creation of the ‘Inner and Outer Model of Development’ that describes how the internal qualities of self-awareness and confidence enable and stimulate the five external competencies of management, assertiveness, understanding difference, stress management and work/life balance. Acting as the conduit and mediator between these two groups are communication skills. The research concludes that coaching substantially increases the effectiveness of the links between self-development, management development and organisational effectiveness.
The author suggests the use of Arnold A. Lazarus's multimodal therapy model as an integrative and holistic approach to executive coaching. So as not to overlook any significant factors, the coach evaluates the executive on seven dimensions. The eclectic-oriented practitioner is encouraged to use a variety of interventions and tests that uniquely suit the client. Suggestions on potential new markets for consultants are discussed. A case study is presented of an executive whose new job demands the undertaking of a major reorganization and corporate culture change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)