Time for a spring clean - in life and at work?
As the weather brightens, and days grow longer and lighter, two things can happen. Some feel an urge to brighten up and lighten up – resolving to make changes that improve their lives, clearing out the old, starting afresh. Others are gloomier, their lives contrasting starkly with the brightness and lightness of spring; they feel demotivated, hopeless, stuck.
The mood can change in business, too, as people fix training and development plans, organise staff away days, look at ways to revitalise their businesses and the people working in them – and worry about how to meet ambitious targets. While some wonder how they can escape from the treadmill of routine or the slog of climbing a corporate ladder, others face the challenge of changing the corporate culture.
Although counselling or therapy treatments are known to help people manage their emotions in their private lives, their role in resolving business dilemmas is less well-understood, particularly in small and medium-sized businesses and organisations. Institutional problems such as absenteeism, underperformance and motivation are all symptoms that can be prevented and cured – if the business is prepared to treat the causes holistically.
Counselling and psychotherapy techniques can turn a business round, just as much as they can change the lives of individuals.
New potential brings not only hope but also the fears that go with change. Making no change can be equally demanding, holding back people and businesses.
If you would like to spring clean your business or your life, so you can get ahead, do get in touch.
Springing into action
| Personal |
Corporate |
| Leaving a relationship |
Training and retraining |
| Tackling new horizons |
Managing staff in transition |
| Meeting expectations |
Improving motivation |
| Managing unemployment |
Developing teamwork |
| Regaining purpose |
Changing the culture |
| Balancing life |
Encouraging good management |
Bullying - in the spotlight again
It seems as if bullying has been in the news constantly, recently. First came allegations of bullying in 10 Downing Street. Next we heard about claims of bullying in British Airways followed swiftly by accusations from bookstores in Scotland that Amazon was “bullying” them out of business. Bullying in the workplace, or in institutions, is uncomfortably common – and can become entrenched if it isn’t spotted and tackled early.
But when does taking a stand or demanding high standards tip over into bullying? How can it be prevented and, if it is already a problem, how can those involved be persuaded to change? From the other perspective, how can people who are bullied be helped – or are their only options to give in or, worse, give up?
As always with behaviour, there are two sides to the story. Understanding why someone resorts to bullying is as essential as helping those who are bullied to develop coping strategies. Changing behaviours, permanently, can often only be achieved with dispassionate and discreet help from outside. Contact us if you are being bullied or if bullying is a concern in your business
Fact file - the therapy hour
- Most therapies are conducted in a series of single sessions.
- Some therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), last for a limited and fixed number of sessions (often six or 10); others may go on indefinitely until the therapy reaches a natural conclusion.
- Each session lasts for what is known as a therapy hour which, traditionally, lasts for 50 minutes. This misnomer might seem misleading but it allows the therapist time between sessions to prepare for the next patient.
- If you arrive late, that time is lost; the session will end when it would have done, at the end of the 50-minute slot booked by you.
- The therapy hour you have booked is yours to use as you wish; at first you might find it hard to make the most of your time but most people adjust quickly and slip into each session easily.
- When your treatment ends, you can rely on your therapist to suggest a way of winding down to your final session so you can adjust to life without therapy.
Drugs - managing the reality
Many organisations have a zero-tolerance policy towards the use of illegal drugs in the workplace. While this may be wise and politic in principle, the reality is that most employers try to find alternatives to instant dismissal. A compassionate approach, helping people overcome their need to misuse drugs, could be best for both sides.
Take the case of the army. It is inevitable that some soldiers will cope less well with the stresses of combat and will use drugs as a prop. A recent report in The Independent highlighted the fact that of 6,360 military personnel who failed drugs tests, 1,300 avoided being discharged.
If another point suggested in this story applies elsewhere – that cocaine use has fallen dramatically, probably because people have switched to mephedrone which, currently, can’t be detected in drugs tests – then the use of drugs in other organisations is also likely to be higher.
Meanwhile, there will always be some people who use drugs recreationally or occasionally to help them manage aspects of their lives. They may never be at risk of drug misuse.
We can advise organisations that want to develop and implement policies on drugs – and help individuals who are at risk of misusing drugs. Get in touch for confidential advice and support.
Read the full story in The Independent.
Eating disorders in men
See the case study in the right hand column.
Therapies we offer
See the list on the right. |
