Society of Consulting Psychology

Why isn't work an adventure? For many people, work sucks. The polite term for sucky work is that labor generates "disutility." Even that word "labor" conjures fatigue-inducing physical exertion. But still we can ask the question: Why isn't your job making you happy? 

Have you ever experienced leaders who seem to lose it during meetings or tense interactions with others–emotions spewing out of them like hot lava leaving an active Mount St. Helens? Or, dealing with those analytical, controlled and “closed” leaders who always appear to be emotionally constipated?

Is there such a thing as healthy Type A workaholics?

Are you working hard to build a career you love, but feeling stressed and exhausted? You could be burning out. The physical and emotional price you’ll pay means that you’re more likely to end up in a doctor’s office than a corner office.

I have had the privilege of co-facilitating a presentation at the annual Consulting Psychology Conference and at the APA National Convention for the past several years on transitioning into consulting. One frequent question has been “how to I know I have the right stuff?”

In the early hours of September 4, 2010, I was abruptly awakened by a deafening roar and violent jolts that lasted almost a minute. This 7.1-magnitude earthquake was the first of more than eleven thousand seismic events that shook the Canterbury region in New Zealand to its core over the next two years. These left an indelible mark on the community, from substantial infrastructure damage to disrupted businesses and services. The Canterbury earthquakes posed a major resilience test for the region’s infrastructure and people, the latter evident in reports of significant declines in mental health and well-being.

Does deliberate practice always lead to enhanced effectiveness and performance? In Part 2 of this blog we continue the discussion.

Practice makes perfect according to an old saying. Or at least if you do it enough you will become an expert. Or does it?

Whenever the topic of job burnout gets raised, the first question asked is usually, “What can we do about it?” Indeed, the drive to discover solutions is so prevalent that the e-journal that I coedit, Burnout Research, has just sent out a call for a special issue on “Challenges of Doing Burnout Interventions.”

While we must share that these guidelines are still in their final review by APA (and not yet formally approved), we wanted to make them publicly available as soon as possible to our membership as we recognize many are actively looking to advance their skills or develop curriculum to advance the skills of newly transitioned consultants.

For the past 10 years, the American Psychological Association has conducted the Stress in America™ survey to examine how stress affects the health and well-being of adults in the US. The most recent study, which surveyed more than 3,500 adults in August 2016, found that almost two-thirds of respondents agree either “strongly” or “somewhat” that periodically “unplugging” or taking a “digital detox” is important for their mental health.

How Much Sleep Do You Get? On average, how much sleep do you typically get on work nights?

After 30-plus years of executive-coaching practice, here’s what I see: a field poised to achieve its next level of influence—especially in work with top leaders of both commercial and charitable organizations throughout the world. We have arrived at an inevitable inflection point. The wave is here—a portent of possibility powered by more than three decades of vibrant and value-added coaching outcomes thus far.

Leadership development is big business. It is estimated to be a $14 billion industry in the United States. In my country, Denmark, with approximately 5.7 million people, the amount spent on adult continuing education, which includes leadership development, is estimated to be $4.5 billion. That’s a lot of money.

As an executive coach, I often hear well-intended executives like Bob say things like, “I need to be a better listener. I need to be more patient with people.” When asked why, Bob says he knows it is the right thing to do, or he’s received feedback about improving his listening. When pressed on how to do this, Bob says, “I just need to be more mindful. I need to tell myself to listen more.” Often several months later, nothing has changed; Bob is still described as a hothead or a know-it-all who doesn’t take time for people.