Coaching Arrives on a Calendar. Work Doesn’t

Hi everyone,

This edition is a special one. For the first time, I’m sharing a full walkthrough of the Worksparks app and our new website. Press play below, and you’ll see exactly what happens when someone opens Worksparks five minutes before a hard conversation.Play

But first, why this matters so much to me.

The spark: new managers are sinking quietly.

We promote our best people into management, then leave them to work it out alone. The research is hard to ignore:

• 82% of new managers have had no formal management or leadership training (CMI/YouGov).

• 71% of middle managers feel overwhelmed, stressed or burned out, rising to 76% for those under 35 (Capterra).

• 74% rarely or never receive ongoing training once they’re in the role (Capterra).

• 22% of managers globally are engaged, down nine points since 2022, with women and under-35s falling hardest (Gallup).

And here in Australia? It’s the same story. 73% of Australian middle managers have experienced burnout, only 30% were trained when promoted, and 80% rarely or never get ongoing training (Capterra Australia). Just 23% of Australian workers are engaged at work (Gallup).

Women are carrying the heaviest load.

Gallup found the sharpest drops in manager engagement were among women and managers under 35. Female middle managers are almost twice as likely as men to say they’ve never had ongoing management training (Capterra).

If you’re a woman leading in construction, mining, transport or engineering, you already know this. You’re often the only one in the room, with the fewest people to call when it gets hard. Support shouldn’t be a privilege you have to fight for.

And because managers drive 70% of the variance in team engagement (Gallup), their burnout becomes everyone’s burnout.

The research: coaching works, but few get it

A peer-reviewed meta-analysis of workplace coaching found positive effects on skills, wellbeing and performance, and online coaching worked just as well as face-to-face (Jones, Woods and Guillaume, 2016).

Yet only 36% of executives say their company gives them access to coaching (IIC Partners). For new managers and frontline leaders, it’s far rarer.

“Everyone needs a coach.” — Bill Gates

I believe that with everything in me. Not just the CEO. Not just the high potentials. Everyone.

Inside Worksparks

Worksparks is an AI-powered coach for the people part of work. The conversation you’re dreading. The manager you can’t read. The decision you keep circling at midnight. No booking. No waiting until next Thursday.

In the video you’ll see the three steps:

1. Say it badly. Talk or type it, unedited.

2. Sort it. Separate the emotion from the problem.

3. Walk in ready. Leave with the actual words to open the conversation.

You’ll also see our new website, including the moments people actually open Worksparks for, and our privacy promise: your employer will never see a word.

Your next step

• For you: Try Worksparks free for 14 days at worksparks.com. It’s A$29 a month after that, less than one hour with a coach, for a year.

• For HR and L&D leaders: Join our online early-access session on LinkedIn on Friday 30 October at 12pm AEST. I’ll walk you through the platform and invite you to become an early adopter.

• For everyone: Hit reply and tell me the hardest moment your new managers face. I read every one.

Until next time, lead with courage and kindness.

Sonia, Founder, Worksparks and LeadershipHQ