Keely then got up and went out to coffee room feeling much better, and spread her own contagious smile and relaxed demeanor. After a few minutes she and Shelly were even laughing.

DIS-INFECTING

A good part of manager's job is to manage emotions in office; to notice negative emotions and stop their spread. A manager with high EQ (emotional intelligence) understands her own emotions and those of others, and effect they can have on a group. She or he pays attention to office's emotional temperature just as much as to work flow, deadlines, assignments, and productivity. Why? Because it's emotions that drive productivity. An office that's full of tension and fear is an office in a downward spiral, heading toward dysfunction.

Even if current 'problem' is handled, there will be an aftermath. High tension, fear and anger drain us after they disappear and effects can be long-lasting. People who work under constant tension burn out, stay home, engage in "presenteeism" (coming to work but getting little done), make more mistakes, and treat each other with disrespect because they're focused on their own emotional management and have little left over for anyone else. They also fall into CYA mode, where they withhold information from fear, and avoid certain people from dislike. Who likes a raging tyrant? Say what you will, you will avoid this person, will withhold information, will become inauthentic, and will function below capacity.

If you're manager, learn to be "the eye of storm," a center moving through whatever's going on who represents normality, personal power and resourcefulness. Practice good EQ. It will free people to rediscover their own motivation, and affect bottom line as much as anything else in your bag of tricks.

Once they are assigned to a client, coaches stay in close contact with their clients. They conduct three 30-minute phone sessions per month for three months with each client. In addition, they fill out monthly progress reports. "Some of clients have extreme challenges, and it's hard to avoid getting pulled into drama," says Payne. "Coaches need to watch boundaries between therapy and coaching. It's not easy to not get pulled into drama."

Gail Nape has experienced those challenges firsthand and knows how important it is to keep line between therapy and coaching clear. "I coached a woman who had a problem with drug addition, and during our time together she fell off wagon," she says. "Our sessions were disrupted, and she started missing appointments. I recognized that she needed professional support for her problem. I told her to contact me if I could help her later, and I detached with love."

Despite challenges, Nape says coaching for A Hand UP Coaching is a rewarding experience. "I like sense that I'm giving something back and helping other women. You can see results from week to week championing these women."

McNeil credits Nape with helping her change her attitude towards her job. "When I first started getting coaching, I hated my job. For me, shift was my gaining a sense of purpose. It became a challenge to see how well I could do job." Clearly, she met that challenge. McNeil was instrumental in her department meeting its sales goal for first time in eighteen months. For her work, she received a great performance review and an excellent raise. "Now, I look forward to going to work, and I enjoy people I work with," she says.

But those who run successful programs like A Hand UPCoaching know that it's impossible to do it all alone. Hunt and Payne work hand-in-hand with other organizations to reach women in need. Dress for Success, an organization that helps low income women buy clothing and accessories for workplace that have been donated by a variety of organizations and agencies, and its Professional Women's Group extension, provides educational support.

"We teach women skills they'll need in workforce," says PWG facilitator Mary Ellen Romano. "That's where A Hand UPCoaching comes in. It opens doors so that women see what they can do with their lives." Romano saw for herself difference that A Hand UPCoaching can make. "The profound effect coaching had on their outlook overwhelmed us," says Romano. "We saw their increased self-esteem and motivation. It was like Cinderella's transformation from a kitchen drudge to a princess."

Payne says that this is what A Hand UPCoaching is all about--providing women with resources that can make their lives just a little bit better. And when that happens, those women, in turn, make lives of others better. "If they can each help one person, it's made a difference."

We can all get caught up in drama of our own circumstances when life deals us challenging blows. But, with a helping hand, each and every one of us can pull ourselves up out of mire and move forward. A Hand UP Coaching offers just that.

For more information about A Hand Up Coaching contact Michelle Payne at: Office: (916) 608-1812 or via email at michelle@ahandupcoaching.org or visit their website at http://www.ahuc.org.