Individually-led interventions make no significant difference to employees
Far too often, I find myself questioning the ethical implications of my work as a coach in organisations, especially when the topic is wellbeing. The tension between individual choices and chronic systemic issues that are often at the heart of a person’s wellbeing at work pose several difficult questions – not least, whether I’m part of the problem by condoning a system trying to shift the accountability to individuals when the root causes sit firmly within the wider context.
Research has shown repeatedly that individual interventions, which address the symptoms but not the causes of distress among employees, are not likely to have any significant results. A recent study from Oxford University looked at the data from over 46 336 employees across 233 organisations, who participated in individual‐level wellbeing interventions, including resilience training, mindfulness and the use of wellbeing apps. The study found that those who participated in these wellbeing activities were no better off than those who didn’t. In some cases, it had the opposite effect to the one intended; for example, workplace resilience and mindfulness training had a slightly negative impact on employees’ self-rated mental health.
This is because individual-level interventions do not tackle the causes of distress in the workplace, such as a culture of working long hours, back-to-back calls with no breaks, or feeling overwhelmed due to unrealistic workloads and deadlines. In some cases, processes driven by targets, excessive bureaucracy, and toxic management practices can be simultaneously a symptom and a cause of wellbeing issues.
Individual-level interventions, such as coaching, if not part of a wider organisational wellbeing strategy that engages in scrutinizing and changing harmful workplace practices, can shift the accountability (and blame) onto individuals. Recognising what is within and outside the control of individuals is crucial to avoid their further harm.
If used effectively and as part of wider initiatives throughout the organisation, coaching can influence the system and raise awareness among individuals, teams and communities. It can be used as a tool, enabling organisations to develop and implement potential solutions and/or mitigating strategies across teams or the whole organisation. For example, group and team coaching can be used to bring together leaders and managers across functions and hierarchical boundaries to discuss unhelpful work practices and changes that can positively affect the wellbeing of staff members. This includes autonomy, flexibility, psychological safety, and supportive management – and coaching can help develop these.
