When I train managers as coaches I always warn them to
respect the power of coaching questions and to recognize
the possibility that what starts as an innocuous, business
related conversation, may lead to the unveiling of a deeper
issue. Coaching managers would be advised to develop at
least a little insight into the signs of abnormal
psychology. Consider for example, eating disorders.
The term eating disorder can apply to a variety of
conditions but here we'll consider two of the better known:
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa.
Anorexia Nervosa:
This condition is associated with a 'wrong' perception of
body weight or shape. The sufferer will often perceive
themselves as overweight and be fearful of putting on
weight. Usually however, they would be deemed seriously
underweight. Anorexia Nervosa is a very serious condition
which can prove fatal.
Bulimia Nervosa:
Unlike anorexia the bulimia sufferer is normally within a
normal body range but again will tend to have a distorted
perception of body or size. The condition is characterized
by episodes of binge eating followed by 'remedies' such as
self-induced vomiting or taking laxatives.
A number of possible explanations for these disorders have
been advanced:
Sociocultural Factors:
It is perhaps no surprise that these conditions are most
prevalent in developed western societies that have an
abundance of food and yet attach huge value to the notion
of being slim. One study (Davies & Furnham, 1986) found
that a research sample included significantly more people
who wanted to lose weight than actually saw themselves as
overweight. This suggests cultural pressure to achieve a
certain body.
Psychological Factors:
Eating disorders tend to occur in young women. This may
correlate with declining self-esteem amongst this same
group at this time in their lives. There are, of course,
different perspectives within the psychology field:
Behaviourist - suggesting that slimming becomes a habit
Psychoanalytical - suggesting that anorexia may be an
attempt to suppress sexual impulses
Humanistic - suggesting the conditions are connected to
family relationships
Family Factors:
Eating disorders could be connected to family factors such
as a history of obesity or an obsession with eating and
weight.
Biological Factors:
Recent research focusing on the hypothalamus has suggested
a biochemical explanation for these eating disorders.
However it is difficult to differentiate between cause and
effect.
Whatever the cause, signs of either of these eating
disorders must be taken very seriously as the effect on the
sufferer and their family can be devastating. Consider for
example, the famous case of the Carter family who ended up
launching an historic legal battle to compel their anorexic
daughter Vicki to eat.
What then of the coaching manager who uncovers these signs
when coaching around day to day issues such as workload
management or time keeping? Best advice would seem to be to
keep to good coaching principles. Ask questions designed to
raise awareness, generate responsibility and build trust
then listen carefully and attentively to the responses.
This is highly unlikely to make things worse and may
actually do quite a lot of good.
After that, it's a question of referring the coachee to the
relevant professional. For this reason I recommend that all
coaching managers familiarize themselves with their
organization's welfare procedure.
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Matt Somers is a coaching practitioner of many years'
experience. He works with a host of clients in North East
England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and
Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their
true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides
a simple yet elegant key to this lock. For a bumper load of
coaching tips and tricks - including FREE resources - visit
http://www.mattsomers.com
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