Organisational Psychologists need to be able to recommend and use appropriate interventions at the individual level. Below are some examples of individual interventions used in everyday practice.

Corporate Coaching

All executive coaches are not alike (for an insightful article regarding the very real dangers of coaching, see here); qualifications vary wildly. The coaching that an organisational psychologist may provide will be an evidence-based approach and will have these phases, (as identified by Brough et al. 2009):

Contracting – At this phase, a coach will help clarify boundaries that define a performance coaching relationship. This includes sharing their theoretical approach, being clear about confidentiality arrangements, and declaring conflict of interest.

Exploration – Coaching aims to foster increased self-awareness, which serves as the foundation for growth. Exploration involves clear goal setting and exploration of issues of concern, but also exploration of the 'coachee'; including relevant internal processes (e.g. problematic thought patterns related to the workplace) and external processes, such as relationships with others. This does not mean that a couch should engage in counselling - but it does mean that an effective coach will have a handle on how your relationships with yourself and with others impacts goals.

Diagnosis – Feedback is an important constituent of coaching as a process. This is because feedback facilitates the basis for a coachee’s learning process, personal development, and talent enhancement. Feedback on objective facts can serve as the foundation for this growth. A coach may draw from a variety of assessment tools, including questionnaires, interviewing techniques, etc., so that they are able to get a clear picture. Examples of assessment tools include the NEO Personality Inventory, a detailed personality description that can be a valuable resource for the coaching process; as well as the Measured Leadership Qualities (MLQplus) suite of assessments, which include a 360 degree assessment of leadership qualities.

Action Plan (also called an 'intervention plan') – Based on the information obtained through exploration and diagnosis, at this stage a coach and coachee collaborate in creating an action plan that is compelling, realistic and which leverages optimum pathways to success. (I.e. an evidence-based, individualised way forward - not guesswork, nor a one-size-fits-all solution).

Follow Up (or ‘evaluation’) – Follow up assessment of the coaching process is essential to really see the level of change that has occurred and to identify further growth opportunities. Without measuring success, it is hard to know what the impact of coaching has been, and whether the identified goals have been met.

Reference:

Brough, P., O'Driscoll, M., Kalliath, T., Cooper, C. L., & Poelmans, S. A. (2009). Workplace psychological health: Current research and practice: Edward Elgar Publishing.