Applying Couples Coaching Techniques @Work

This is a coaching niche that really appeals to me. I have spent the last 26 years supporting colleagues find the best ways to collaborate and work with each other.

I was recently listening to a session by Michelle Brody (coach, therapist and author of ‘Stop The Fight’) where she shared her learnings from couples’ therapy and how they could be applied to good use in the context of coaching, the idea of Couples Coaching @Work jumped out at me.

I am going to add this to my offering and find ways to hone my skills as a work couples’ coach. I have been at the receiving end of support from coaches at different points in my career that have helped me navigate work relationships and make the work better. I am excited with the idea of focusing my energies on this area as I see the need every day. Navigating the hybrid workplace and a hyper-competitive and crisis-rich environment creates a pressure cooker work environment for many and the demand for couples coaching at work I believe is huge.

Work couples who want to strengthen their relationship to maximise impact could be a great place to start. Keeping the relationship strong and building on it requires regular time and attention. Learning how to repair the rupture when it happens is another area to provide support. Helping people who need to work together, work well together is an area I would love to focus on in my coaching journey.

Facilitating a deeper awareness and appreciation of the other and oneself is a good starting point. Finding common ground that is aligned with shared objectives and goals is another. Identifying complementary skills and behaviours that make the couple stronger together is part of the process. Learning to accept and or appreciate differences is also a big part of strengthening a working relationship. Being able to disagree without becoming disrespectful or disagreeable is the foundation of any strong partnership at work.

In an era of startups where co-founders are often confounded by each other’s quirks and idiosyncrasies, couples coaching could be the recipe for success. In the corporate world matrix reporting and having to work with teams that come together and dissolve as the revolving people doors turn faster makes this an important part of performing well.

Family businesses that are thriving often find the next generation of leaders needing to integrate and deal with the pressures of multigenerational leadership. How to couple and decouple at work. Couples coaching anyone? It makes work, work well.

Nikhil Dey is a certified ICF coach and founder of soul2solecoaching. He is the first recipient of the ICF India coaching excellence rising star award.