Workplace Coaching: A Dyslexia Coach’s Perspective

One of the hardest questions that I deal with from my clients, is usually the first one.

They say, “So, what is this workplace coaching thing?”

And it is not the easiest question because coaching is different for everyone. It depends upon that individual. I use a person-centred approach. I don’t have a programme that I dish out to everyone in the same way each time. Everyone I meet is different. Everyone has a different ‘blend’ of neurodiverse traits. No two people are the same. That is the joy, and the challenge.

Quite a lot of my clients have been having a tough time in work. For one reason or another, their dyslexic and/or other neurodiverse traits, have led to challenges in the workplace. That can lead to frustration and overwhelm, anxiety and stress, and is not great for productivity – which frustrates them and their managers!

So, What Is Workplace Coaching for Dyslexia?

It is time to consider what works well for you, what could be better, and how to do things differently and more effectively at work. I can offer ideas and strategies that I know have worked well for other people.

My clients tell me that they like this time to think and to hear about other people’s experiences. It is a chance to bring clarity to what may previously have been a situation fraught with frustration and overwhelm.

As I am the person ‘delivering’ the coaching it might sound as though I do something special to rebuild confidence and self-esteem. But actually, that’s not the reality.

I don’t know these people, or their jobs, or anything much about their situations. So, I can’t tell people what to do! People with dyslexia are in practically every occupation. I am not training anyone to do anything.

And there is no tuition – I don’t teach people anything. They have all learned to read and write. It may not be their most comfortable medium for communication, but they can do it.

But here’s the thing… the people that I coach, who come from all walks of life, are creative and imaginative, great problem-solvers, incredibly resilient and hard-working, and have great integrity. This makes life fascinating because I know that the answers to the challenges probably already exist in their minds, and are simply waiting to be revealed.

So, what I do, is ask questions. That is how, between us, we find out what their strengths are, what their values are – the things that matter most to them, and what they need to do a great job.

Before I was a coach I worked in education as a peripatetic teacher for pupils with additional needs. I worked with the pupil, their teachers, the headteacher and deputies, the parents of the pupil, and any other professionals involved. I learned how to listen.

In my last few years in that role, I managed a team, so I understand the pressures from both sides of the management divide. Listening helped then too!

I learned that asking questions was often more helpful than imposing ‘solutions’ on people. It is far more empowering for a person to come up with the solutions themselves, with a bit of help from others, than to be always given those ‘solutions’.

However, for me, it is always a temptation to tell someone to try something out.

I warn new clients of this weakness of mine, as the same thing happens every single time!

I’m listening away and a ‘brilliant’ idea pops into my head.

When there is a pause, I say, “I have just had a brilliant idea!”

“What is it?” they say, fired up by my enthusiasm.

“Have you thought of trying…ABC?” I say, bubbling with excitement.

Their face falls. “Oh yeah,” they say, “I did try that. It was rubbish. It didn’t work for me.. But now that you mention it, what did work was XYZ!”

And suddenly, they are inspired, because they have just thought of a great idea to manage their existing problem. And then they thank me – as if I had done something! Which I hadn’t – it was all their work. I was just the catalyst.

Then they say, slightly puzzled, “Why didn’t I think of that before?”

And the reason why they didn’t was because they work so hard, racing to keep up, that they don’t have the TIME to think. Coaching allows that time.

People trust me with their vulnerabilities and sessions can be emotional. For some people this is the first time that they have spoken openly to someone else about their struggles – and the first time that they have spoken to someone who understands what they are talking about.

I have been coaching for 6 years now and have spoken to a lot of people with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, dyscalculia and autistic traits. So, I can tell the people that I meet for coaching, while respecting client confidentiality, that they are not alone in their challenging experiences, and that there are many others who are going through the same struggles and frustrations. They are NOT being stupid, lazy or crazy!

Of course, there are other factors in the workplace that need to be taken into account. People need the right environment to work in, the right technology and the training that supports that, and they need colleagues and managers to be understanding and aware of the challenges that the neurodiverse brain can present. These topics feature a lot in our sessions too.