Organisations Overview

Whether you are a corporation, small business, government department, charity or sporting club, providing support to the people who make it all possible is essential for sustainability, growth and innovation. LIFE provides a suite of professional services to organisations in the area of support which include: consulting, training, counselling, coaching, corporate theatre and community networking.

Consulting, training, counselling and coaching are different support processes for people. Each involves some common elements of care, change and growth. But how these are achieved involves a different process.

Consulting is more about the big picture. It normally involves providing support to changing systems, structures, processes and practices that impact on large groups of people, for instance, in a big organization. Training is a process of learning by instruction. There is normally an expert teacher who will impart knowledge and skills about a specific topic. Counselling and therapy involves diagnosing a problem or illness which stems from unresolved feelings and then helping that person gain resolution. Coaching is a process of learning based on active listening, powerful questioning and implementing actions that is driven by the person who wants to make the changes and supported by a coach who has a vested interest in helping the person realise the changes!

Here is a practical example showing the differences between consulting, training, counselling and coaching.

The new microchip mobile phone – how do we support people in different ways!

Consulting Our strategy is to have all employees using these new microchip nose mobile phones in the next three years. Our policy is to have clean noses first before insertion and regular clean nose checks during work hours. The practice no doubt will involve not blowing too hard otherwise the employee could break it, lose it or injure someone. We also have a system to manage the usage of nose mobiles and it includes these recommendations. The cost is millions!	Counselling/Therapy You lost your mobile phone in the past which has made you feel anxious about mobile phones generally. This mobile phone is different as it is a microchip and inserted into the nose so you can’t lose it. But what if I blow my nose. I won’t be able to blow my nose. I don’t want to lose it again. I can imagine that you are feeling anxious about this. So let’s look at some therapies that may help you to feel comfortable about adapting to this change.
Training Let’s talk about the history of the mobile phone. Here are some examples of what a mobile looked like in the past - the brick like mobile and the iphone. Today we are going to learn about the new microchip mobile that is inserted into the nose. I’ve broken it down into five easy steps. Now that you have been through that, here is a test to show competency.	Coaching You have a new mobile phone and you are wanting some guidance on how to use it. What do you know about mobile usage already? I am hearing that you understand how it works, but just need some help with how to keep it clean. What are some of the barriers to keeping it clean? What strategies could you employ to keep it clean? Practicing in front of the mirror does sound like a good action. Enjoy the nose mobile phone. Remember I am here to support you if you need help with the practice.

Research and experience shows that caring for people in organisations has many benefits including:

• Increased safety
• Higher retention rates
• Cost saving on recruitment and training
• Increased productivity
• Creativity and Innovation
• Quality customer service
• Higher levels of morale
• Lower incidence of mental health issues
• Less absenteeism
• Better leadership
• More effective team work
• Higher profitability
• and much more