In the competitive business arena, there are a number of business challenges that are optimally addressed with business psychology and executive coaching services. Sometimes the best approach is to provide large or small group workshops, sometimes it is best done one-on-one, and it often includes both.

Let’s take a look at some of the needs and challenges facing people in businesses from small family owned enterprises to multinational conglomerates:

Worry and Anxiety: Just as fear is one of the biggest issues seen amongst teams, athletes, and people in general, businesses are no different. At all levels of a company are often uncertainties about the future, job security issues, angst about market conditions and the need to stay competitive, concerns about making a mistake and being fired, difficult communication situations and so much more. Having a solid business psychology consultant who can properly assess and treat this anxiety is a significant asset for any company. Employees and executives alike need to feel free to operate without being micromanaged or unfairly treated, and resolving this anxiety does wonders and is accomplished best with professional assistance.

Goal Setting for Teams and Individuals: Without a proper goal setting plan in place for both teams and individuals within the company, “any road will take you there,” as the popular saying goes. It is extremely important to determine what the dreams and objectives are, and then to translate these objectives and dreams into realistic performance standards and process goals that are monitored properly using many principles known in the science of achievement. When this approach is done properly, and remains flexible to change, the entire company and its people gain clarity and efficiency in accomplishing important missions.

Recruiting and Hiring Decisions: A small or medium-sized business might not require all the benefits of a human resources department, and so they often do this in a haphazard or less than professional manner. When the business flourishes and hiring becomes a bigger priority, knowing quickly and far in advance the qualities needed in a candidate is key. This is accomplished using standardized and specially designed assessments in addition to allowing the business psychology consultant to interview candidates and provide valuable input. It all comes down to finding the best person for the specific job in the specific corporate culture. The challenge of doing this right can be immense without proper professional assistance. One benefit of including the consultant in the hiring process is that working with new hirees to bring them up to par and excel beyond expectations is natural since the consultant was part of the recruiting and/or hiring process from the beginning.

Teamwork and Communication: There is a tremendous value to knowing exactly how to get along better with specific co-workers, function better as a team, and deliver the corporate agenda at both the lowest and highest levels. Much of this requires understanding people better, how people within the company are the same or different, and being able to adapt to individual differences in an ideal way. It all comes down to good communication and commitment. It is facilitated by informal and formal assessments into the unique personality characteristics and styles of the people involved. Learning to flex styles to enrich communication between quite different types of people, for example, is just one example of a benefit provided. Proper communication must never be assumed. It requires understanding derived from hard work. We are not born, for example, to engage in solid active listening, or to know how to ask questions or direct information in the proper way at the right times.

Improving Customer service: Putting the end user of the product or service first has to be a key priority. Customers more and more expect the best these days, and consistently providing quality customer focus and great servics is essential. Goodwill in a company is built up over many years but can be destroyed in a single moment of carelessness. Business psychology consultants are experts at finding ways to assess customer service and to bring it to the highest levels possible.

Change Management: There are many changes in the lifespan of a company including downsizing and growth periods, company relocation, leadership changes, and industry changes just to name a few. Since change is stressful, dealing with change requires proper understanding, and a proper coping strategy for stress. Group discussion sessions, guided imagery with relaxation, and goal setting are examples of frequently used tools of the business psychologist in these uncharted waters.

Here was the reaction to one of Dr. Murray’s workshops discussing how people and groups can adjust to change better and use high performance psychology skills in any business challenge: “Hi Dr. John, “Thank you so much for your presentation at the Crowne Plaza earlier in the month. I really enjoyed your enthusiasm and great insights! All the best!” Julia Emrick, Director of Sales – Meetings & Events, Ovation Corporate Travel, New York, NY