Blog | Brenda Eckstein International

Sharing your knowledge through networking

February 13, 2019 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Networking involves linking people with people, people with information and people with opportunities. But we need to be open to recognising and optimising opportunities in order to be effective in helping others.

Let me tell you a story to demonstrate this. Years ago, I joined the National Speakers Association of Australia, Sydney chapter. I love meeting interesting people and holding quality conversations. On each visit to Australia I attended a meeting or conference and as a professional speaker, learnt a great deal from programmes and the amazing people I met.

Amongst them were Rob Salisbury and Monika Newman. As in any networking it is important to build relationships and sustain them. We kept in touch and I was delighted when they invited me to contribute an article to one of their annual composite motivational books. Since then I have contributed most years and am delighted that the latest book was launched in February 2019.

I am pleased to offer you a complimentary copy of Motivating your Mind – Inspiring your Spirit which you can view by clicking here.

To view my article, click on my front cover photo that will link directly to my story. My article, Use your Low-energy Times Productively can be found on pages 51 and 52.

Congratulations and thanks to Rob and Monika on this outstanding achievement.

Questions

What are you doing to share your knowledge with others?
How can you share opportunities with people in your network?
To meet exciting people what can you do, where can you go?
How can you share this motivational book with as many people as possible?
In which ways can you tell Rob and Monika how you appreciate their efforts?
If you enjoyed an article in this book, how soon can you send a positive comment to the author of that story?

For more information on networking strategy and training or executive coach please contact Brenda at brenda@146.66.90.172

The importance of continuing

December 19, 2018 by Brenda 1 Comment

Life is a continuum. However, often at this time of the year, we start considering our New Year’s resolutions in order to build a brighter future. But, how often do people follow through on these intentions?

While I wholeheartedly support developing carefully thought-out personal strategy, I believe that we often neglect plans for implementing and sustaining our goals. In addition, we tend to concentrate on what we need to start doing. For example, we may decide that we should start spending an hour at the gym five times a week. However, we might be doomed for failure because we do not have the capacity to start this new activity unless we stop doing something else.

In addition, complacency can be a stumbling block. While we plan what we wish to concurrently start and stop doing, we also need to remind ourselves to continue doing the things that energise us, bring us joy and help us to grow. These may include everyday experiences which are important to us. For example I was intrigued reflecting on the following glimpses of my life:

December 2018 – Brenda and Harps – Manly, New South Wales, Australia

The above photo, taken by my daughter, Lara, in December 2018, shows me with my special Grand-dog, Harps. We were on one of my favourite walks in Manly, New South Wales, Australia. Here you can see us at a great coffee shop in one of the alleys. The backdrop is colourful street-art. Because there is pavement seating, Harps is allowed to be at the table with us. So this outing combined my love of family, dogs, walking, being next to the sea, vibrant colours, appreciation of creativity and beauty and interest in the world around me.

I was reminded of another similar joyous occasion many years ago. I smiled when I looked at the photo below as it brought back memories of one of the other many important dogs in our lives.

January 1969 – Campbell, Brenda and Toni – Pietermaritzburg, Republic of South Africa

The above photo was taken in January 1969, fifty years ago. Let me set the scene: three days before our wedding, Ed’s brother Roy surprised us, knowing how much we love dogs. Our wedding gift was a miniature poodle puppy! Antoine Comte de Kintia (simply known as Toni) was precious. How could we not include him as the guest-of-honour at our wedding? Here, at the wedding ceremony, he is held by my father, Campbell.

January 2018 – Ed and Bella – Hout Bay, Western Cape, Republic of South Africa

Dogs are an integral part of our lives. Although we leave our own dogs at home when we travel, there are always opportunities where we can enjoy other people’s dogs. Above, in January 2018, my husband Ed is seen with Kevin and Gavin’s Bella at Hout Bay, Western Cape, South Africa where we were holidaying.

These are examples of incorporating experiences that bring out the best in me, energising me and enabling me to confidently pursue my personal strategy. I encourage you to do the same. Have a visible list of your ‘touchstones’, those sights, sounds, smells, tastes and experiences that help you to feel your best. Incorporating these on a regular basis will help you to feel good, be energised and enable you to stretch yourselves in working towards your vision.

My questions for you are:

Just as dogs are a theme running through my life, what positive recurring themes are there in your life?
In which ways do you consciously develop tactics for incorporating the sights, sounds, smells and experiences that bring out the best in you?
What are you doing to ensure that you continue doing all the things that energise you?
How can you use positive energy to build your confidence to tackle the more difficult aspects of your personal strategy?

For more information on personal strategy and executive coaching programmes, please contact Brenda at brenda@146.66.90.172

Countdown to 2019

December 18, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

I first published this article a year ago and the feedback was great. So I have decided to share a slightly modified version.

Life is full of countdowns. We prepare for events or calendar dates that will make a numerical or biblical difference to our lives. Children, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a certain date, are often encouraged to count the number of ‘sleeps’ until the event, whether the event be leaving to go on holiday, celebrating their birthday or the arrival of an important person. Anticipation and conscious or unconscious countdowns usually go hand-in-hand.

A significant event for many in the Western world is Christmas, marked on our calendars as December 25th. In the ‘run up’ (or shall we rather refer to it as ‘countdown’) to that date, a popular tradition, again presumably to capture the attention of children, is the counting of the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’. I was fascinated to read that the counting should start on Christmas Day. It wouldn’t be nearly as exciting for children to begin counting the days only once they have received their presents! Another intriguing fact is that there are hidden meanings to each of the elements in the song starting ‘On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…’.

In general, in the Western world, once the commercial and family frenzy of Christmas have passed, adults tend to focus on the lead up to New Year. Most of us have an array of ‘new years’ in our lives, marked by various religious observances and holidays or a birthday which also results in a new numerical age for us. A ‘new year’ can also come with a change in status, for example, the transition to being legally responsible, retirement age or becoming a ‘pensioner’.

But not many are linked to ‘resolutions’ the way it is expected that people should make ‘new year resolutions’. In my opinion, few people actually enact their stated intentions, whether they be promises to themselves or to others. I’m advocating that people rather first reflect on their past, make meaning out of their reflections and then decide on possible actions.

In order to make this reflection exercise more fun, I have crafted a countdown. It is intended as a means of transitioning to a better ‘way of being’ in 2019. To help you, here are my suggestions and questions. Please list the:

• 12 top achievements in your life
• 11 people who have helped you to achieve
• 10 biggest challenges you have ever faced
• 9 learnings from these challenges
• 8 activities and experiences that energise you
• 7 people you’ll avoid because you find them toxic
• 6 things you need to continue doing
• 5 activities or thoughts you should avoid or minimise
• 4 new undertakings or practices you have space to start engaging in
• 3 things you’ll do differently in 2019
• 2 plans for big celebrations during the year ahead
• 1 way in which you will honour the most important person in your life…yourself!

Further questions for you are:

How will you:
• minimise negative influences and habits
• energise yourself through engaging more in those activities and experiences that have a positive influence on you?

May 2019 be a year filled with good health, great happiness, peace and prosperity. Oh, and have loads of fun doing the things that energise you!

For more information on Executive Coaching or other programmes offered by Brenda Eckstein International, please contact brenda@strategy-leaderhip.com or visit our website www.strategy-leadership.com

Sustaining Positive Relationships

November 8, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

People continue to enrich my life. Recently I was interviewed by the amazing Michelle Pascoe of Optimum Operating Procedures and Services (OOPS!) who works mainly in the casino, gaming and hospitality industries in Australia and elsewhere.

Michelle and I became friends a number of years ago through our mutual membership of the Sydney Chapter of the National Speakers Association of Australia (NSAA) which later became Professional Speakers Australia (PSA). Over the years we have shared many wonderful conversations as our fields of interest and work are intertwined.

My recent interview formed part of Michelle’s Middle Management Movement (M3) series and can be accessed here. She describes the topic as my “tips on how to find and choose the right coach to inspire you to achieve your full potential and sustain your well-being”. The title of the interview was “Choosing the Right Executive Coach” an area of great interest to me. When a good interviewer, like Michelle, sets the scene and asks you the right questions, you discover that you can add value. So please listen to the recording and let me know your thoughts. Thank you!

The building of relationships is an ongoing process. What are you doing to move away from a transactional approach (meeting a person for the first time and holding a conversation) to following up and building the relationship so that you can help each other? Nurture your friendships, hold quality conversations, explore common ground and you will be able to recognise and optimise opportunities for each other.

My questions for you are:

What are you doing to network with like-minded people?
How are you improving the quality of your conversations?
How can you include someone else in a combined effort?

For more information on leadership development, improving your networking or Executive Coaching please contact Brenda on +27 82 4993311 or brenda@146.66.90.172 Thank you!

The golden thread running through positive relationships

September 6, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Through positive relationships others can spontaneously assist you in achieving goals you may not have dreamt of. You need to focus on your personal strategy yet be open to using peripheral vision to notice opportunities arising.

Here is an example of how a person helped me to progress. The context involves a webinar, ‘How to be a more productive coach’ which I’ll be presenting on September 20th 2018, from my base in South Africa. This will be for the International Coach Federation (ICF), Australasia Chapter. How did this opportunity materialise? Tracing the ‘golden thread’ to what made this possible was an interesting exercise.

We could go back further to building positive relationships through coaching, but let’s start in 2012, the year when I asked Janine Everson, Director of the Centre for Coaching, University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) if she could recommend coaches whom I could connect with on my next visit to Sydney. Joe Fischer and I met and immediately recognised common bonds and co-incidences through work and family. On my following trip we met for coffee again and he mentioned that Janine would be running a 6-month coaching course (training coaches) in Sydney. As I was currently mentoring emerging coaches for the GSB in Cape Town, I offered and became the pod-mentor for Joe and his group of 6 other participants engaged in the ACC course. I really enjoyed my interaction with that group and we continue meeting during each of my trips to Sydney.

Melanie Gowlland, Joe Fischer, Brenda Eckstein, Sophia Bernard, Kirsty Grace.

The story evolves and continues to span two continents: When I began studying an M Phil (Management coaching) degree at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa in 2015, I presented a mini-workshop to Joe’s group of coaches at Stephenson Mansell Group in Sydney and discovered that evening that he knew Prof Anthony Grant from the University of Sydney’s Coaching Psychology Unit. This was an amazing co-incidence and Joe spontaneously offered to set up an appointment with Professor Grant, the person who coined the term ‘evidence-based coaching’. This was particularly relevant as I was battling with a Stellenbosch assignment on that aspect of coaching! I was so very grateful to both of them for the inspiration Prof Grant provided.

Each trip to Australia, which took place roughly twice each year, I was delighted to meet with my 2014 Australian coaching pod at a lunch organised by Joe. Whenever we met, I was rewarded with new exciting opportunities offered to me. For example, my interest in Positive Psychology had been ignited and when the group mentioned a forthcoming Positive Psychology conference in Adelaide, South Australia, I was able to plan my next trip around attending that conference. Positive Psychology and my learnings from that conference helped a great deal with my research.

In May 2017, following Joe’s instigation, I presented a workshop highlighting my M Phil findings to 40 coaches in Sydney for the ICF Australasia chapter, ‘The role of coaching in developing character strengths in leaders’. That workshop led to the June 2018 workshop, ‘The Productive Coach’ also held in the city center in Sydney. The ripple effect spread and that is how it came about that I’m presenting the webinar version: ‘How to be a more productive coach’ on Thursday, September 20th 2018. This new unique work is adapted from my new learnings at the African Doctoral Academy where I attended ‘The Productive PhD’ presented by Prof Sebastian Kernbach in January this year. I have taken some of the techniques which he presented as being helpful to PhD’s, expanded on them and adapted to coaching. Introducing these new, unique techniques into my own Executive Coaching and Leadership Development work over the last 6 months has achieved rewarding outcomes in my own developmental process and helped to achieve positive shifts for my clients. In the forthcoming webinar I’ll be sharing 3 of those techniques.

That was a long story but shows the essence of my opening statement: ‘Through positive relationships others can spontaneously assist you in achieving goals you may not have dreamt of.’ I am very grateful, not only to Joe, but to the many people who have enriched my life in different ways. I do hope I have been able to be of benefit to them.

Network, build relationships, nurture and cherish the beautiful friendships arising. Meet people with an attitude of ‘what can I do for you?’ and you’ll reap bountiful rewards. I’m reminded of one of my favourite quotations:

“The people you meet should excite you, inspire you, make you grow. That’s why you should endeavour constantly to add to the number and variety of people you meet. Each one will polish a different facet of your mind and stimulate you in ways you may not anticipate.”

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen: Dare To Win

My questions for you are:

Have you sincerely thanked those people who have recognised opportunities for you?
If you look at the exciting things happening in your life right now, what is the ‘golden thread’ running through the networking you do?
What gives you the courage to risk accepting new opportunities?
How often do you provide opportunities for others that show that you believe in them?
How might you have reciprocally impacted on the life of the person who helped you achieve your goals?
How might your interaction in turn have created new opportunities, connections and inspirations for that person?

For more information on the coaching and leadership development services offered by Brenda Eckstein International please contact me, Brenda on +27 82 4993311 or brenda@146.66.90.172 Thank you!

How to build quality conversation

August 23, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Clients often express the need to improve their conversation skills. While this falls more under the realm of the training and mentoring services which I offer, conversation also provides the framework for Executive Coaching.

As humans, conversation affects every aspect of our lives ranging from public dialogue between nations to good-night stories with our children. I even talk to my dogs! Here the tone of voice is as important as the content of our message. That applies when talking to humans, too. In addition, our presence, the way we present ourselves, is also important. How do we come across? - as ‘open’, non-judgmental and friendly? – or as unapproachable?

Effective conversation skills can be learned. And the more we practise, the more confident we become. Thus we more readily accept invitations. Being able to participate or engage enables us to build positive relationships. We get to know people. This opens more opportunities leading to trust. The more we trust people, the more likely we are to view them as ‘the person of choice’ when making decisions. In addition, when we are the ‘person of choice', there is more likelihood of an absence of malice. In other words, when things go wrong we are given the ‘benefit of the doubt’.

I have given more detail on conversation skills in my two books on networking, ‘Networking Tactics: a guide to achieving success through personal networking’ and ‘ABCs of Networking: Fifty-two ways to achieve success' . My invitation is for you also to refer to the following, just a few of the 200 articles under the blog section of my website:

So, as a coach or mentor, how do I help people to improve their conversation skills? Here I am covering just a few aspects.

The ‘listen, comment, question’ technique
The first step is to build new neural pathways through practising my ‘listen, comment, question' technique on an ongoing basis. This approach can be applied to a wide range of communication skills such as coaching, interviewing and also to informal conversations.

As you can see, there are three parts to this technique. We need to listen deeply to what the person is, or isn’t saying. I also put the word, ‘look’ here as often the first step is to comment on something visual. This could be the person’s namebadge, their business card or your perception that they appear familiar.

The next step is to comment on what the person has just said. That shows them that you have been listening and that you are interested.

Next you ask an open question. I am going to expand on this part of the ‘listen, comment, question’ technique. The art of asking powerful questions can also be learned. Open questions encourage the person to talk while you listen. So making non-judgmental comments and asking powerful questions go hand-in-hand.

Let’s look at how we develop those ‘powerful questions’ whether we are coaching, taking part in a board meeting or speaking to friends. Coaching can teach us certain techniques and here I’m going to show you a few of hundreds of possible examples (of questions) of how a few simple models, fully supported by philosophical frameworks can be used:

Habermas – I/we/it

How is the issue affecting you?
Who could support you?
In the broader context of your industry, what will the benefits be of your finding a solution?

Wilber’s Integral Theory – four-quadrant model

(I – inside me) How does this (what the person has just said) align with your value system?
(I – outside me) What actions do you intend taking?
(We – inside group) Who are the other role-players or stake-holders?
(It – outside – environment) How does this impact on the system?

Time lens

What have you tried in the past?
How are you dealing with the issue at present?
What will the future look like if you resolve the issue?

Head/heart/action

If your head were to write you a letter now, what would it say?
What is your heart’s message?
Looking at the possible tension between the two responses above:
o What impasse (lack of action) are you notising?
o Which actions would be favourable?

Above I have given just a few simple example of how really listening to what a person is saying (and what they are not saying), processing that information and fitting it into models, can help frame powerful questions which will lead to quality conversation.

But take care! You can’t just learn these questions parrot fashion and fire them at the person you are talking to. You need to really listen, comment on what they have just said (so they know you really are listening) and then ask a relevant question that will stimulate them to their share more information or insights with you. This will lead to greater understanding and enable you to the ‘the person of choice’. But you need to be genuinely interested in what the other person is saying.

So, practise, practise, practise – and you are welcome to come to me if you need more help. Thank you!

My questions for you are:

Currently, under which circumstances is it important for you to ask the right questions?
How can you gain confidence in ‘leaning in’ and actually asking those relevant questions?
Think of a recent incident where your comment would have been valuable – where you missed an opportunity. In that situation what should you have said?
How can you improve in this area in the future?

For further information on Executive Coaching, mentoring, training in communication skills or leadership development please contact me, Brenda on +27 82 4993311 or brenda@146.66.90.172 Thank you!

The benefits of personal networking revisited

August 20, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

I am passionate about helping people to build positive relationships. Thus the concept of personal networking is built into many aspects of the services offered by Brenda Eckstein International (BEI).

My first two published books on this topic, ‘Networking Tactics: A guide to achieving success through personal networking‘ (1st and 2nd editions) and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking: Fifty-two ways to achieve success‘ (1st edition) are in the process of being updated for the next editions which will join the ranks of my other books currently on Amazon. You might like to visit my Amazon author’s page.

Over the years, I have included the improvement of networking skills and building of effective networks in the courses I have developed and currently run. These include the Networking Tactics, Communication Skills, and Enhance Your Executive Skills. Elements also come into all the leadership development and executive coaching programmes in my portfolio.

Often a section of any course includes asking the participants to consider their individual one-year or three-year personal visions and then to identify the part that networking can play in helping them to achieve their individual visions. I then consolidate their lists of benefits and these often provide the framework for healthy group discussion around the topic.

Below is a list developed as part of a recent 12-module Communication Skills course run for groups of mechanical and industrial engineers and other engineers in metallurgy or analytical chemistry. Their input has been consolidated, refined and expanded.

The benefits of building positive relationships and actively engaging in networking include:

Gaining new insights into your inner and external worlds.
Enhancing every aspect of life.
Interacting with others who may be experiencing issues similar to yours.
Having access to like-minded people who can help alleviate loneliness.
Gaining inspiration from others.
Acquiring and using networking skills which gives you confidence to communicate.
Using communication skills more and thus improving ability to hold meaningful conversations.
Having the confidence to accept invitations.
Meeting a broad range of diverse people and expanding your network.
Being exposed to different cultures, backgrounds and phenomena.
Gaining greater understanding thus leading to new perspectives of justice or fairness.
Building a feeling of connectedness, relatedness or safety with individuals.
Understanding others better and thus knowing their wants and their needs.
Recognising opportunities to reach out to people whom you may normally not communicate with.
Accessing influential people and other individuals whom you may otherwise not meet.
Being offered introductions to interest groups and incentives to join.
Developing a sense of belonging to formal and informal groups.
Building reputation and visibility thus enhancing our status.
Having a safety-net for testing ideas.
Being able to elicit trusted feedback from customers or others.
Developing a broader pool of ideas for sustaining the ‘status quo’ or innovating.
Helping to develop and set priorities.
Effecting change in personal or business lives.
Expanding knowledge applicable in your current position and exposure to opportunities for the future. Growth opportunities.
Gaining different perspectives on solving problems.
Boosting confidence in being able to accept challenges and achieve current or new goals.
Recognising possibilities to expand beyond the current boundaries, either locally or globally.
Increasing autonomy or control over events.
Generating a greater sense of certainty because you are up-to-date.
Saving time – knowing who to go to access information or to get the job done effectively.
Becoming more productive.

In addition to exploring the benefits above, you may wish to visit pages 50 to 53 of Networking Tactics where the benefits of networking are grouped under the Fun, Leadership, Continuous Improvement and Growth categories. In addition the following articles are relevant:

My invitation is for you as a reader to consider the following:

In which ways can you break your goal down into manageable chunks?
What are the tactics you can put into place in order to help you achieve the goals?
How can personal networking help you to achieve your goals?
Which of the 31 benefits above could help you?
In addition to the benefits listed above, what other benefits are there that may help you to achieve your goals?
Who can assist you with improving your networking skills?
What can you do to help others achieve their goals?

For more information on the services offered by Brenda Eckstein International, please visit www.strategy-leadership.com Thank you! Happy networking!

How to prepare a good cover letter and Curriculum Vitae (CV)

March 29, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Many people find job applications challenging. Having a framework helps. During my Communication Skills Courses run primarily for young engineers we work on the outline and tips described below:

When applying for a job or internship, your cover letter and CV usually provide your potential employer with a first impression of you as a candidate. Writing these can be challenging and the purpose of this article is to provide an outline of how to set about preparing these important documents.

However, please remember that if these are well written, give a positive impression and the reader would like to consider further, the next thing they are likely to do is to gain a further impression of you from social media. So, be authentic but be careful in how you present yourself publicly. Your genuine ‘personal brand’ should shine through and not just be a veneer on the surface!

In this article we are going to provide tips on two important documents:
1. The cover letter
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

1. Cover letter

The cover letter should be brief and well thought out.

In order to tailor it to the specific position for which you are applying, read the advertisement carefully and pick up key words that appear there paying particular attention to the job description.

Here is an outline of a typical cover letter:

Opening line: Dear Mr/Mrs or To Whom It May Concern

Three paragraphs:
• Why are you suitable for that position? Motivate your answer providing brief evidence
• Tell them what you can offer
• Thank the company/person for considering your application and show that you are interested in further dialogue

2. Curriculum Vitae

Your CV should provide a potential employer with an overview or summary of the following:

Your personal information (full name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, street address, webpage (if relevant) and any direct social media links (such as LinkedIn).
Your qualifications listed in reverse chronological order. Include subjects, distinctions, awards received and leadership or social responsibility positions.
Your work history. Relevant to the job that you are applying for, emphasise your main experience, achievements, contributions and key lessons learned.
The experience and skills that you can use in the position: e.g. computer literacy, leadership of teams, language etc.
Your fields of interest pertinent to that specific job.

General tips

Whenever possible, plan documents to be concise so that they fit onto one page (using normal size font, spacing and layout). People are more likely to immediately read a one-pager than a longer document which they automatically put in the ‘to do’ pile…and often never some back to it!
The image and professional appearance of your documents is important. Make sure that your formatting is good, your language is professional and there are no errors in grammar or spelling.
It is usually not necessary to include personal information like dependents, health status etc. in the cover letter or CV.

The above is a general outline providing some tips on the cover letter and CV. Explore further, see what other sources recommend and if possible, ask questions of the person to whom the application is directed. You want to provide what they are looking for in order to create a good first impression!

Prepare carefully and you are more likely to be successful. Good luck!

For more information on Communication Skills courses and other training please contact Brenda personally at brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311

Levels of Coaching

March 19, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

When engaging the services of a coach, there is often confusion over the level of coaching needed. A general rule of thumb is that there are three levels of coaching and these correspond roughly to the depth of training the coach should have in order to coach the client at a certain level and in order to achieve the desired outcomes. Although based primarily on Integral Coaching, these rough guidelines may be useful in considering other forms of coaching.

Spontaneous coaching is used where the coachee has an immediate issue that they need to address. In other words, this is appropriate where a ‘quick fix’ is required. One or two coaching sessions may help the person find solutions which will get them over an immediate hurdle. This is contracted between coach and client ‘up front’ before the start of the programme.

A minimum of a short coaching course at an accredited organisation may qualify a coach to deal with issues like this. I have found it interesting that even when coaches are qualifying at higher levels, in their practical exams, they are usually tested in spontaneous coaching. This is a matter of practicality as usually a maximum of an hour can be allocated to this part of the practical exam.

Sometimes as the coaching proceeds through the agreed spontaneous coaching conversations, both coach and client realise that the coachee would benefit through a more intense coaching programme. If this is being considered, this new programme would be contracted as a separate programme either with the same coach, if they are qualified to work at a deeper level, or with a new coach.

Competency-based coaching helps coachees to become more competent at managing their lives whether it be their roles at work or in their private capacities. Here typically a 3-month coaching programme would be contracted where coach and coachee meet every second week for an hour. The coach helps the client, through reflection and practice, to build new neural pathways and thus become more competent.

I recommend that the coach engaged in this type of coaching should have successfully completed a training course of at least 6-months – again at a reputable institution. Coaches trained at this level will also be effective at spontaneous coaching.

The next level of coaching is where a fundamental shift in the person’s ‘way of being’ is sought in order to help them flourish in their occupational and private capacities. The required outcome would be the person viewing the world differently through enhanced awareness and ability to develop new neural pathways thus embedding their new practices. This takes time and usually at least a six-month programme seeing the coach for an hour every second week is needed. In addition, the coachee needs to be committed to changing themselves and diligently practice assignments crafted together by coach and coachee. Outcomes include being able to self-correct and self-generate.

In this realm there are no ‘quick fixes’ neither for the coachee nor the coach. A programme like this requires that the coach has a deeper level of training, ideally spanning about 2 years at university post-graduate level, or other highly regarded institution. Coaches qualified at this level are competent to coach at lower levels, too. In other words, they are capable of doing Competency-based and Spontaneous coaching.

The converse does not apply. Professional coaches with insufficient training should not be working in higher levels of coaching. In other words, a coach trained to deal only with spontaneous issues should not attempt to work with someone requiring a shift in their way of being. After all, we are working with people’s lives! Similarly a General Practitioner would not practice complex spinal surgery.

Of course, the above are general guidelines. There are many permutations of these levels. However, no coach should ever go beyond their level of training and competence. Professional coaches will also refer clients to appropriate outside professionals in other fields, like counselling, when this seems necessary and they will not try to handle issues beyond their scope, or situations outside the realm of their competence, training and experience.

Furthermore, to call themselves a coach, a person should have gone through training as a coach and be qualified in that field. So let’s look at the definition of professional coaching and here I’m using the International Coach Federation (ICF) definition which is fairly generic, covering a wide range of coaching approaches:

ICF defines coaching as ‘partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential’.

No matter how highly qualified in other fields such as psychotherapy, counselling, mentoring or consulting, if engaged in a coaching role, the coach should respect those boundaries and stick to their role as a coach. I have personally found that in working with or mentoring emerging coaches-in-training, the ones who battle most with developing their coaching skills are often those who are qualified in other fields such as counselling.

In brief, make sure you engage the right coach whom you know is qualified and will provide a professional service in line with your requirements. You are more likely to gain positive outcomes, often way beyond your expectations!

For more information on leadership development or executive coaching, please contact Brenda personally at brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311

Engaging the right executive coach

March 16, 2018 by Brenda 1 Comment

There is a strong international move to professionalise the coaching industry and I fully support this approach. We want to make sure that consumers, instead of just buying ‘coaching’ as a ‘nice to have’ commodity, will consider ways of ensuring that they are gaining a professional service and value for money. Those who engage coaches – and particularly executive coaches - would benefit through being more confident as to what to expect. Coaches need to make sure they have earned the right to offer the service that they promise to provide. Currently there are too many grey areas and no real barriers to entry.

Often organisations or individuals invest in coaching without knowing what questions to ask the coach before engagement. There are many variables to be considered. I have outlined a few of the watchpoints which may lead to more successful outcomes. My questions should not be considered as a comprehensive list as many of them will be dependent on the context. So rather consider the list below as a starting point for developing your own approach, whether you are a Human Resources (HR) or Learning and Development (L & D) professional or an individual interesting in being coached. Coaches might consider this useful in creating awareness as they should be able to answer these questions without hesitation.

The suggestions below are based on my own experience as an executive coach, through mentoring emerging coaches engaged in post-graduate studies at various universities and through my own academic studies.

My suggestions

1. When contemplating engaging an executive coach, the first question to consider is whether the candidate really needs coaching or would benefit more through counselling, mentoring, consulting or other approaches? Would another modality better match the person’s needs? Is their manager trying to delegate their managerial responsibilities to an external coach? Where does the coaching need truly lie?

2. If it has been established that coaching is the right path to follow in order to address certain issues, the next question is which coaching approach would be most suitable? Bearing in mind that there is lack of clarity in defining types of coaching, examples might be leadership, executive, integral, performance, neuro-based coaching, or a combination.

There has been a shift over the last few years in the reasons for engaging coaches. International surveys show that while coaches were engaged mainly for corrective reasons ten years ago, now leadership development has become the primary purpose for engaging coaches. Thus coaching should not be viewed as punitive or something that is inflicted on some-one who is not performing, but rather as a way in which to enable individuals to become more productive and flourish. Most coaches nowadays use a strengths-based approach helping people to use their natural strengths and find their own solutions and in so doing, enhance their capabilities. An added advantage is their being able to confirm that they use and evidence-based approach.

3. How committed and open is the person to being coached? Are they prepared to uncover blind spots and build new neural pathways in order to become more productive? Are they prepared to put effort into seeing things differently, changing and finding new solutions for themselves?

4. The big question: Even if this person would benefit through coaching, and the right kind of coaching is being offered, are you sure that the coach being considered is the right coach for this candidate at this time? There needs to be synergy, relationship and trust and the candidate needs to be eager to engage in a coaching programme with this coach at this time.

5. Professional coaches are bound by a Code of Ethics and this varies according to the coaching organisation to which they belong and through which they are accredited. The candidate needs to have had sight of this document and be comfortable regarding the coach adhering to this code and be prepared to work within this framework.

6. Would the format of the proposed coaching programme suit the needs of the organisation and candidate? There are many factors to consider. For example I offer only a six-month programme with one-hour sessions (at flexible times) two weeks apart. The organisation or client may not wish to engage in a programme of that length. These sessions may either be in-person or via Skype (or other electronic means). A person may prefer ‘in person’ sessions and this may not be possible if the client and coach are in different geographic regions. In addition, my programme includes 10-15 minute assignments each day and the potential client may not be prepared to commit to that. The price is also a factor under consideration.

Those first six points can more easily be considered after a ‘chemistry session’ has taken place. Most reputable coaches will offer a complimentary compatibility check session where potential coach and coachee meet for an hour to build relationship and explore possibilities. This ‘contracting’ between the coach and participant at the outset of a programme is vital to establish expectations and agree the way the coach and coachee will work together.

7. In addition, specific questions should be asked regarding the credibility, professional qualifications and experience of the coach. You might find this table useful although not all questions will be relevant on all occasions:

In explaining why these questions are relevant the following may be useful background information:

a. Their being credentialed either through the International Coach Federation (ICF) or Coaches, Mentors of South Africa (COMENSA) or other reputable coaching body is important because it is more likely to ensure professional standards.

b. There are various levels of credentialing, e.g. ACC, PCC, Master Coach. The more experienced a coach, the more likely they are to have a higher level of credentialing. (But this is not always a true reflection of the person’s capability.) And please ask them to provide proof. Often, although coaches might be members, they are not actually credentialed.

c. It is important that they have kept their credentialing current. This will mean that they have not become complacent and they continue to develop themselves and keep up to date in line with the requirements of that qualification.

d. There is an overabundance of organisations offering training to coaches. Knowing about the institute through which they trained does give an indication of the thoroughness of their training as some organisations promise unrealistic outcomes and do not breed quality coaches.

e. Even within one training organisation, more than one coach-training course is likely to be offered. Some of these courses are more intense than others or address different types or levels of coaching e.g. life coaching versus executive or leadership coaching.

f. These courses vary in duration, too and cover different models, tools and techniques.

g. Approaches to coaching change over time and good courses continuously improve. So it is a good idea to find out how long ago the coach completed their course. If they are credentialed, keeping up to date will be a requirement, but if not, ask what they are doing to keep abreast of changes.

h. Coaches may qualify in an approach using models and techniques underpinned by specific philosophies. In some courses, such as the University of Stellenbosch Business School M Phil (management coaching) course, students develop their own coaching models based on strong theoretical foundations. However, even these evolve over time. I know mine has! Coaches may branch out into a different realm, too. For example they may shift from life coaching to management coaching.

i. Even highly qualified coaches may not spend many hours a week gaining more coaching experience. Although they might have been coaching for years, many coaches do not engage for more than a few hours a week in individual coaching. International surveys show that most coaches are involved in other activities as well, for example training. How much experience does the coach really have?

j. Group coaching has gained in effectiveness and although not relevant if you are engaging a coach in one-on-one coaching, a coach’s understanding of and involvement in group coaching is an indication of their current active involvement in coaching.

k. Building up coaching hours is important as their total number of coaching hours is an indication of experience. Many coaches qualify and then do not consistently spend time coaching.

l. Although for reasons of confidentiality a coach may not be able to divulge the name of coaches or client organisations, they may nevertheless be able to provide a reference to attest to their coaching capability. Which areas do they concentrate on? For example, I am an executive coach and most of my clients are leaders. Many of these are in professions in fields such as law and accounting.

m. Academic experience alone does not necessarily convert to quality coaching. Experience in an organisational environment adds to the coach’s capability especially if being engaged as an executive coach.

n. I believe that coaches who are bound by Codes of Ethics such as ICF or COMENSA should provide the relevant Code of Ethics to the organisational representative and to the coachee before the start of the programme.

8. Initially be clear on the desired outcomes in order to address the issue facing the candidate. These outcomes may change or gain more substance during the coaching programme, particularly during a longer programme, thus remaining flexible is also important. For example, a risk and safety manager came to me for coaching with his main issue stated as ‘no one listens to me’. We restated this as ‘I can’t get people to listen to me’. In his position it was important that people took immediate action once he had given a message. As the coaching proceeded and he became more aware of his cognitive functioning, we realised that his issue was procrastination. He didn’t deliver his message timeously or confidently and the staff would wait for him to repeat the message. So we established his main issue as procrastination which permeated through his entire ‘way of being’ affecting work and personal domains. Working on procrastination, we were able to shift his fundamental approach and enable him to flourish.

9. An important issue is how the coach will deal with ‘duality of client’. Where an organisation is offering to sponsor a candidate in a coaching programme, the coach needs to consider what outcomes the organisation (or sponsor) anticipates and separately what the individual (from here onwards referred to as the coachee) considers their needs to be. Thus in a situation like this, the coach should take into account the needs of the two clients, the organisation/sponsor and the coachee. What are the organisation’s/sponsor’s expectations and what does the coachee need to gain through a coaching programme? We all have blind spots so the coach will need to assess what the coachee’s issues are, despite what they might verbalise their issues to be. And thus sometimes, the goal of the coaching may shift as the coachee and coach build stronger relationships and as the programme progresses.

10. Before the start of the coaching programme, a meeting between the organisational representative, coach and coachee should take place to agree areas such as reporting dates, format of what is to be covered in the reports, how they should take place (e.g. in person, via Skype) and to whom reports should be directed. This contracting prior to the start of the programme is essential. I have found that in addition to the organisational representative, coach and client, various other stakeholders are sometimes included. Last year I was coaching an executive where two report-back sessions were planned where five were present and they were based in four different countries. And that worked perfectly because it was planned in advance.

11. What reporting system will both the organisation’s representative and coachee be comfortable with in order for the coach to report progress? This again affects the element of ‘duality of client’. There has to be trust between all parties. I advocate that it is agreed ‘upfront’ that neither reporting nor discussion between coach and organisational representative will take place without the coachee being included. I also believe that it is best practice to confirm, in advance, that the coach will always advise the coachee what he or she intends saying at that meeting or in the report. Where reporting is in writing, it should be agreed that the coachee be copied on all communication at that time (and not afterwards).

In summary: would this person benefit through coaching, what kind of coaching would be most suitable and is the coach being considered sufficiently qualified and experienced and the right person to coach this individual? Does the programme being offered match the needs of the organisation and the individual? Has the contracting been adequately dealt with?

The above is my understanding of some of the issues which HR Directors, L&D Managers, individual clients, or others face when considering including coaching as a form of development.

I encourage you to ask the right questions in order to match the right coach with your requirements. If you need any help please let me know and I’ll gladly help to clarify issues with you.

This is the first of two articles regarding the engagement of a coach. Next we’ll explores levels of coaching which are perhaps most relevant to Integral Coaching but certainly provide insights for other types of coaching, too.

For more information on leadership development or executive coaching, please contact Brenda personally: brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311

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