#PurpleTalk is our campaign to drive conversations about the personal and business benefits of a disability confident workforce. We do this by sharing stories from employees who are managing their disability or health condition and getting on at work. Ryan Compton is Director of Centre for Resolution and a PurpleSpace Ally. He talks about his visual impairment and how coaching has helped his career development.
Who am I?
My name is Ryan Compton, Director of Centre for Resolution. I was diagnosed with the vision impairment known as Glaucoma at the age of 6. I have several other eye conditions but Glaucoma is the main culprit to my loss of vision. Now registered blind it has been extremely important for me to recognise my strengths and embrace support when it is needed, which is one of the reasons I set my company up which delivers mentoring, coaching, mediation, advocacy and disability services. Today I want to share with you how coaching has helped me and how it can help others.
You are not on your own
It is often the case that people with disabilities feel isolated in the workplace and don’t always feel that they can contribute as they want or that their careers can reach the heights of their peers.
Everybody needs support and coaching makes all those who engage feel valued and supported. This is why there is such a synergy between coaching and having expertise in disability because together the two harness fantastic results.
Communication is something that is often lacking in all aspects of life and it is no different to the workplace. Working alongside a coach gives the opportunity to open up that communication between employers and employees surrounding disability issues. This is really effective in my experience as there is nothing more empowering than feeling confident with your disability, being able to share that with your employees and peers and working cohesively as a team.
Benefits to workplace coaching
There are many benefits for using workplace coaching especially for those of us that have disabilities. Workplace coaching is beneficial to both individuals and organisations. It will maximise motivation, productivity, aid employee retention, facilitate work/life balance and raise the self-esteem and confidence of those that engage. Most benefits of coaching are transferable to an individual’s personal life.
Often when employees engage in coaching it has a positive effect across the organisation they work with. It is no different when it comes to disability in the fact that when you enable someone it makes the team as a whole more productive.
My coaching experience
I started receiving coaching when I first developed my business. The reason being as I run my own business I find it can be isolating as you often don’t have someone to bounce ideas off and coaching allows you to do this. It is also my belief that every coach should have a coach. Coaching is fantastic for me as it gives me the space to positively reflect, problem solve and it allows me to grow professionally and personally. I find my coaching relationship challenging, fun and empowering.
Why should I engage?
The list of reasons as to why someone would engage in coaching is endless. A coach may support you with a variety of things including developing strategies, career progression, emotional support such as coming to terms with your disability confidence and self-esteem, problem solving and how to overcome barriers of disability in the workplace. A coach will also positively challenge you.
Are specialists better?
A specialist coach will be practised in assessing the obstacles presented to a person with a disability, sometimes overlooked by organisations, and how these can be overcome.
My view
Coaching in its essence for me is all about being solutions focused. A coach is not going to tell you what to do but is going to work with you to find the solutions to the barriers in which you face. The best thing about coaching is that it is bespoke. The reasons people engage in coaching and the experiences they have are always different.
My top three tips:
1. Do your research and find a coach that suits you.
2. Make sure your coach is qualified and has experience.
3. Make sure your engaging in coaching for the right reasons, for yourself not for someone else.
If you want to know more about disability coaching at work follow the link here www.centreforresolution.com/disability-at-work
If you would like to know how and when to share your story of disability at work please follow the link to purple space’s purple stories guide to sharing your ill health or disability at work. https://www.purplespace.org/resources/pdf/PurpleSpace_purplestories.pdf
Website: www.centreforresolution.com
Email: ryan@centreforresolution.co.uk
Phone: 07775445614
Twitter: @CentreForRes
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