Coaching - Mentoring
This type of coaching can be employed with coachees who are struggling with performance issues, high work stress or who want to go from good to great.
With support from a coach, coachees identify formulate an action plan in terms of the extent to which work goals of the coachee are to be accomplished as well as elements of their high performance mindset strengthened. During this process, coaches often employ methods to that help coaches become aware of and change thinking that is rigid, negative and self-defeating including helping coachees identify and overcome internal work performance blockers such as anxiety, anger, feeling down and procrastination.
Change in neural structures (e.g., pre-frontal cortex) and neural circuitry needed for higher-order self-determination (e.g., goal setting, attentional focus) and emotional self-regulation (e.g., calming of amygdala) is seen as an outcome of this coaching process.
UNIVERSITY / TERTIARY MENTORING PROGRAMS
For more than 20 years, researchers have investigated the inner world of students to see which psychological elements (ways of thinking, feeling, behaving) contribute to high performance and wellbeing at university and in their subsequent workplaces.
Now we possess a good understanding of how successful university students think about themselves, their study and the world of work. Professor Bernard has created a mentoring program that involves mentees (often upper-level university students) mentoring first-year, under-graduate students in the 10 elements of a successful mind.
Workplace Stress Management
THINK WORK SMART coaching provides coachees with an awareness of the role of stress-creating beliefs (rigid, extreme, not factual) and stress-managing beliefs (rational, flexible, non-extreme, evidence-based) as well as ways to restructure those beliefs that are creating excessive stress. Coach-coachee collaborative discussions focus on strengthening a coachee’s accepting, non-judgmental and view of themselves, others and their world of work including the importance of not blowing out of proportion and taking personally criticism, failure and setbacks. A coach may help the coachee acquire and improve their coping skills (e.g., time management, assertion, mindfulness) and healthy lifestyle behaviours (e.g., exercise, diet). Additionally, coachees learn problem-solving methods for modifying stress-creating situations/external stressors.
WORKPLACE RESILIENCE COACHING
Individuals and groups can be coached to both understand and manage work-related stressors using a three-step, THINK WORK SMART coaching model: Take Stock, Take Control, Take Action. The major influence of stress-creating and stress-minimising beliefs is highlighted. Individuals learn how to use positive, sensible self-talk in order to take control of emotional stress reactions. Behavioural strategies including confidence, persistence, organisation (goal setting, time management) and relationship skills for modifying and eliminating external stressors are illustrated.
Workplace High Performance Mindset
Michael Bernard has developed a high performance mindset leadership and management coaching program leading to growth in participants’ capacity to manage themselves and others including how to cultivate a high performance culture in teams and individuals.
