Coaching is a relatively new concept in South Africa and is gaining in popularity as results become evident. These are clearly building individuals’ performance, laying a foundation for improving management and transforming workplaces.

Several years ago, American department store Sears decided to invest in coaching their managers.
Having set up rigorous measurements for, among other things, employee attitude and satisfaction, the results consistently showed that as the quality of management improved through coaching, so did employee attitudes and, ultimately, customer satisfaction.

“A 5 point improvement in employee attitudes resulted in a 1,3 point improvement in customer satisfaction which, in turn, drove a 0,5% improvement in revenue growth,” reads an extract from the Sears study. In a billion-dollar company, 0.5% is a substantial increase.

According to the Harvard Business Review, it went even further – when employee satisfaction increased 5%, the revenue growth in the particular Sears store increased by 5.5%.
Dean Havenga, a Gauteng-based businessman, says without life coaching he would still be in the rut he found himself in several years ago.

“I was successful in all aspects of my life, but I was starting to question where I was going and how I was getting there,” he says. “Looking back on the process, a lot of what took place in the coaching sessions were obvious things to do when one is stuck, but I would not have seen that at the time. I needed an objective, non-emotional person to guide me through it, forcing me to take stock of who I was, where I was going and what I wanted to achieve.”

Havenga says it was the fact that coaching is action-orientated that drew him to it. “I did not need a scientific solution – medicine or a therapist. I just needed someone who could talk to me as an equal, be objective and look at my life in its present form, as well as my future. I knew that I had all the blocks, I just needed help stacking them.”
Coaching as an industry is relatively new in South Africa having been around only for the last decade or so. It’s growth in popularity, however, is fast increasing as the results can be seen in the numbers.

“Not only are employees more fulfilled as individual people through coaching, but it is in the fact that a workplace is transformed and developed that ultimately leads to better productivity,” says Northcliff-based life and business coach, Nicky Castles.

For Havenga, it was a deeply personal journey. “It helped me to discover my authentic self, my goals and my ideals. From this process, I was able to reset who I thought I was and align where I was heading in life, from a business and personal perspective, to who I actually am.”

According to Castles, the benefits of coaching are endless – possibly because it is a different approach to working with a consultant or a trainer.

“Coaching is an ongoing inquiry process where the individual finds their own solutions, as opposed to just being told what to do and how to do it. It strengthens the person’s awareness of their own unique strengths and talents, laying a foundation for improving management and leadership talents. In other words, through coaching your entire outlook is reshaped and refocused.”

For Kevin Liebenberg, managing director of Actuate, coaching played a major role not only in his personal development, but also his development as a businessman.

“Why do the Springboks need a coach? The cheesy answer is that a coach can facilitate better performance or enhance successful performance. The very same applies to the businessman.”

According to Liebenberg, coaching allowed him the time to break away from the frenetic world he was operating in and take cognisance of who he was, where he was heading and why he was doing it.

“It is a significant investment in yourself because it is not necessarily a cheap action in terms of money or time, but the result is absolutely worth it.”

Much like a gym contract, says Havenga. “You could exercise in your back yard, but most people know this won’t happen. With payment comes a commitment to attend and take action.”
Both Liebenberg and Havenga say through coaching they managed to find more balance in their lives as they were able to define clearly what options were available to achieve the goals they had set for themselves, and were therefore able to take action.

According to Castles, there are various models that coaches use to find effective solutions for a variety of life issues that clients face.

“Coaching provides different solutions for different situations. It takes one through the logical levels of change, where you identify the vision and purpose of yourself, and your task. Once that is in place, it is important to express your identity – who are you, what are your beliefs, your morals, your values and what is important to you that influences your capabilities.”

Castles says the individual needs to continue through this deeply introspective process, determining exactly what their capabilities are, what behaviour it elicits and how the environment impacts on it.

Most coaches agree that success is achieved through an ongoing process, for the simple reason that people are continuously evolving.

Castles says coaching is especially valuable to businesspeople, as successful executives very seldom have the time for introspection.

“Being an executive can be a very lonely place. There is no place to bounce ideas, be vulnerable or second-guess yourself. Coaching creates a safe non-judgemental, objective space where you can have conversations and ask: ‘How do I work in this world, who am I and how do I interact with others?’”

She describes it as a supportive, focused relationship, where paradigms are broken down, leading to a more fulfilled, aware individual who can ultimately perform better in the workplace.
Coaching is considered effective for people who want to affect change or transition in their lives but don’t know how to do it, the businessperson who wants to ensure more balance between work and home, and for people who want to enhance spirituality and growth.

“Too often, we get caught up in the fast-paced world we operate in,” says Liebenberg. “Coaching allows you to step back from it all and find the answers for yourself that will take you forward in life to where you want to be.”