The Business Coach: COMENSAnews August 2012

Sept. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- August in South Africa brings Women’s Day, celebrating the impact that women have had on our society and on the struggle for equality, independence and freedom from oppression.  I’d like to celebrate women in general with this issue, and we are privileged to have a contribution from the SA Board of People Practitioners, giving us some highlights from their annual Women’s Report.

In addition, we have contributions from some great women in the South African coaching arena, including Dr Caren Scheepers, an interview with Dr Salome van Coller from Stellenbosch University’s Graduate School of Business and Belinda Davies, former National President of COMENSA.  We value everybody’s contributions in making this such a well-received monthly read.

We are especially privileged to publish a report by Dr Willem de Jager of Resolve Encounter Consulting on the results of a 3 year programme in developing leadership skills within a cross-sectoral community consisting of NGO’s, Government, Donors and members of the private business sector.  The findings make for fascinating reading and are worthy of integrating into your practice.

The theme for this month’s COMENSAnews is The Business Coach. My special thanks to Wendy Johnson, President and CEO of the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches for her permission to use their definition of Business Coaching below.

“Business coaching is the process of engaging in regular, structured conversation with a "client": an individual or team who is within a business, profit or non-profit organization, institution or government and who is the recipient of business coaching. The goal is to enhance the client’s awareness and behaviour so as to achieve business objectives for both the client and their organization.

Business coaching enables the client to understand their role in achieving business success, and to enhance that role in ways that are measurable and sustainable. The coaching process may take different forms (e.g., individual or team coaching) and involve different goals (e.g., problem solving, career and succession planning, leadership/executive development, creation of high-performing teams), but throughout there is a clear focus on the business objectives of both the client and the organization.

This dual focus is what distinguishes business coaching from other types of coaching. The business coach helps the client discover how changing or accommodating personal characteristics and perspectives can affect both personal and business processes. Successful coaching helps the client achieve agreed-upon business outcomes as an individual or team within the context of an organization.
Business coaching establishes an atmosphere of mutual trust, respect, safety, challenge and accountability to motivate both the client and the coach. To that end, the business coach must conduct an ethical and competent practice, based on appropriate professional experience, business knowledge and an understanding of individual and organizational change."

(Source http://www.wabccoaches.com)

During July 2012, Dr Trevor Manual spoke at a Mail & Guardian event.  He highlighted the plight of unemployed youth in South Africa, with the current statistic being in the region of 65% of black youth unemployed.  He quoted frightening research which shows that if a young person does not get a job by the age of 24, it is unlikely that he or she will ever enter the formal employment market.

As business coaches, we have the opportunity to positively affect and effect the business environment in South Africa.  Business coaches normally deal with increasing productivity, cost effectiveness and positively impacting the bottom line.  I firmly believe that we can also impact the unemployment figures in this country by creating effective entrepreneurship, helping small businesses to grow and in turn employ more people, and to help people access necessary skills.  We can work with larger companies, corporates, para-statals and government to unleash creative employment opportunities for the unemployed.  If we believe in the future sustainability of business, we should be actively contributing to creating employment opportunities through creating successful business practice. Let’s think further than ourselves and let’s create a legacy.

IN THIS ISSUE OF COMENSAnews (please copy and paste this link into your internet browser: www.comensa.org.za/NEWSLETTERS/COMENSAnews_2012_(Jan_-_Dec)/COMENSAnews_August_2012.aspx)

The development of Bridging Leadership Competencies through executive coaching for the South African Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Sector
By Dr Willem de Jager (PhD, UJ, Psychologist. Managing Director Resolve Encounter Consulting)
Resolve Encounter Consulting was approached to assist with its panel of coaches during 2008 to develop Bridging Leadership Skills for nominated coachees for the Department of Social Development, Business in the Private Sector – Donors, and Not for Profit Organisations (NGOs) to find systemic solutions for South Africa’s crisis in the OVC sector.

Technology’s time has come – for Coaching
By Dr Caren Scheepers
Joseph S. Blatter changed his stance on technology dramatically at FIFA’s 62nd Congress by declaring: “Technology’s time has come…” On 5 July 2012 an historic and unanimous decision was taken by the IFAB (International Football Association Board) to allow goal-line technology (Blatter, 2012, www.fifa.com).

Coaching in South Africa, Credentialling and Accreditation - An Interview with Dr Salome van Coller
By Dr Salome van Coller
Salome van Coller is a faculty member of the Graduate School of Business of the University of Stellenbosch, and has developed a Masters in Management Coaching.

How the business coach affects the bottom line
by Greg Evan
What is business coaching? The concept of business coaching has been a part of the corporate development landscape for some time, but its emphasis on soft skills development means that its practical application in a business environment can be misinterpreted.

Complexity Theory: Simon and Garfunkel were wrong!
By Nicky Terblanche
“I am a rock, I am an island” This song saved my sanity many years ago when my heart was broken for the very first time. It gave me permission to cut myself off from the rest of the world, especially other people.

What it Takes To Make Good Strategy
By Belinda Davies
It has been my mission this year to build my knowledge of strategy, and this is happening both by design and by fate.

When opportunity knocks
By Andrew Pike
There is no event in our lives that is not offering us some new opportunity.

Monthly Poll Results: Coaching Fees
By COMENSA Research & Definition Portfolio Committee
You may have noticed that COMENSA has started a monthly research poll on the front page of our website.

SABPP Women's Report
The SA Board for People Practices and the University of Johannesburg launch the 2nd edition of the Women’s Report, published annually for Women’s Month.

Monthly Morsel for Making MORE out of your COMENSA Membership: If you were a book on a bookshelf, would you look like an interesting read?
By Megan Hudson
We often hear from COMENSA members how “cliquey” COMENSA is, and how there are these groups of people at COMENSA events that know each other and stick together, to the exclusivity of new members.