Disclosure Africa

Creating agile, purpose-driven thinking

coaching in johannesburg

Leaders in the workplace need soft skills more than ever

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Here are 10 soft skills that leaders will need to influence their teams

Leaders need to cultivate soft skills to produce results

Leaders need support in the workplace

People have changed. The pandemic has raised many concerns for humanity and driven the adoption of digital transformation so fast that companies are playing catch-up.

So many new aspects of work have surfaced. Remote working causes feelings of isolation and burn-out as people no longer have a separate place to work and live.

In some ways, we have gained productivity as there is no need to travel between work and home, but some people are lacking the discipline to “switch-off” and balance their work and home lives effectively. What people need is a person to coach them through their response to the pandemic, the changes everyone is experiencing with many people finding it hard to cope.

Leaders could coach their people to achieve balance.

Coaching is such a valuable skill as it helps people to acquire new skills and practice them effectively. As a leader here are some behaviours and skills that people find important to cultivate.

1.Transparency

2.Listening Skills

3.Appreciation of and encouraging Teamwork

4.Trustworthiness

5.Consistency and Reliability

6.Willingness to Change

7.Rewarding and Recognizing Employees

8.Empathy and Sensitivity

9.Making Decisions (and Accepting Responsibility)

10.Conflict Resolution (Rather than Conflict Avoidance)

The next step is to practice these behaviours

The workplace is challenging and every leader wants to be seen as supportive, decisive and fair. By focussing on the listed attributes a leader will be able to engage his people and gain their support. This is easier said than done and therefore, I make my services available to businesses and corporates as an external coach.

Being an external coach helps me to be objective, clear-headed and effective. In order to solve a problem, it is better to see it clearly without preconceived ideas and coaching is one of the best tools to identify problems…wherever they may hide.

Contact me for more information

Rita Govender 
“creating agile, purpose-driven thinking”.

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

call: +27 82 804 6391

contact

Use the appreciative inquiry method of coaching to…

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Appreciative inquiry as a coaching method has a different focus. Did you know there are different types of focus when coaching?

Where is your focus?
Your focus is where your attention is, and we are better if we pay attention.

1) Focus on what needs to be fixed, changed or improved.

Many traditional coaching methods look at where you can improve, what you can change to get more of what you want. The challenge with these forms of coaching is that your focus is on understanding the problem, where it exists, why you see it as a problem… You focus on the problem. This limits your vision and scope of possibilities.

2) Focus on what is working, why its working and how you can get more of that.

Appreciative inquiry is a coaching method that looks at things that you are doing well. Where you feel you are successful and then asking the questions around; Why its working? What are you doing to make it happen?

By changing your focus, it becomes easier to work towards a positive change, because your Imagination & Will motivates you to manifest what you want.

It is not that appreciate inquiry ignores problems or difficulties in life; rather it shifts attention to what is the desired future. For that future to be created, problems are resolved or become inconsequential.

Kogan Page © 2021 Excellence in Coaching1

How it works

Simple and effective

The appreciative inquiry coaching model has 4 phases:

  • Discovery; looks at what your strengths are and how you use them.
  • Dream; considers what you want and helps you to envision what you want.
  • Design: helps you to place your attention on what you want and define the steps you need to take.
  • Destiny: helps you to motivate yourself, by experiencing and fulfilling your “future dream” in the present.

Contact me if you would like to know more

Rita Govender 
“creating agile, purpose-driven thinking”.

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

call: +27 82 804 6391

contact

Further reading

  1. Excellence in Coaching: Theory, Tools and Techniques to Achieve Outstanding Coaching Performance, Fourth Edition
  2. Appreciative Inquiry | Better Evaluation

Taking the right action isn’t always easy, having more information helps. Gain insights through coaching.

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I called my business Disclosure because my purpose is to discover and share insights. Knowing what to do is half the fight, the other is taking action.

Graphs show you what you want to see.

The truth about insight…graphs are the starting point.

Working in companies and consulting to business for over 20 years has given me insight into the workings of modern companies.

Managers and leaders spend time in meetings, concentrating on graphs and reports that offer a version of the truth but fails to communicate the reality.

A recent article from McKinsey and Company1 is a good example of how two versions of the truth differ but still hold true. It seems to be a matter of perspective.

Figure 5: What is most important to employees-
Figure 5: What employers think is important to employees

The question is what truth do we believe…

The best way is to start is by using the information you have to gain insights from the business. Check your understanding and ask questions.

5 tips to help you find the reality.

Conversations: I’ve found that talking to everyone in the business, from the tea lady to the cleaning crew or even cultivating relationships with employees will keep your finger on the pulse.

Environment: Creating a safe environment where people feel heard and their issues are addressed will help you focus on what matters and take the right action. It’s the small things, like hygiene factors. Walmart’s turnaround started with returning toilet-seat covers2.

Remote work: It’s hard for people to communicate on electronic channels, assessing how a change or message is received is even harder. Give people time to think, and pick up the phone to hear what they have to say.

Coaching: The pandemic has affected people in ways we are only starting to understand. Coach them through this time, it may even help you.

Focus on the people: Your role as manager or team leader has changed from simply pushing the numbers or hitting the target. People will drive their KPI’s when you help them do their best.

The greatest strides are made in conversation, not in a boardroom.

Talk to me about what coaching can do for you?

Rita Govender 
“creating agile, purpose-driven thinking”.

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

call: +27 82 804 6391

contact

Further reading / sources

1. Making the Great Attrition the Great Attraction | McKinsey

2. Walmart US CEO Asked Workers to Email Him Their Biggest Complaints (businessinsider.com)

Self-awareness is the first step to success

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Whenever I take leaders on a development journey, I ask them why they are there, what they want to learn and what outcomes they want. I get many explanations, goals, ideas or mission statements and the end results are always diverse and varied.

The first step on the journey is knowing oneself and connecting with yourself is the key to connecting with others. Our outcomes may be vastly different, but on a human level, our needs are the same.

Connect with yourself and you will connect with others.

Self-awareness helps us to connect with ourselves

Being self-aware means that we know what we want and what motivates us. We can explain our actions and emotions and we try to see our actions in the context of how they affect others.

As humans, we all seek our purpose, the reason why we are here and we need understanding. Coaching gives us some tools to help us along the way.

Coaching tools or tips

  • Do daily self-reflection, we can all benefit from being better.
  • Keep a journal, writing about our day helps us gain perspective and see things clearer.
  • Ask for feedback, at home and at work.
  • Try techniques like mindfulness, or meditation, it can lead to a calmer more confident you.
  • Take a personality or psychometric test, you may learn something you didn’t know about yourself.
Rita Govender “creating agile, purpose-driven thinking”

I use some of these tools myself, they may not work for everyone, but I am sure one of them would suit you. Perhaps let me know in the comments which one works for you.

Contact me if you want to talk about coaching and how to take the first steps to know yourself better.

Mobile: +27 82 804 6391

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

Contact us

Further Reading

Coaching in the workplace: Examples and benefits (asana.com)

6 Benefits of Coaching for Individuals in the Workplace (and Beyond) (insala.com)

Benefits of Coaching | Institute of Coaching

Coaching is more than the Session

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Coaching works when you practice the learning in the world

During the session

Many of my clients actively work with me during their sessions and the time spent exploring and sharing helps them reflect. I find that the ones that incorporate the work and insights from the sessions immediately into their work or home life get the best results.

Tips for a good coaching session

  • Be honest with yourself and your coach, remember the coaching session is a safe place
  • Consider the questions you want answered, make a list if you want
  • Decide on the actions you want to take after the coaching session
  • Reflect on the coaching session, make it work for you

After the coaching session

Once you’ve had your coaching session, think about the difference you want to see in your life. Coaching gives you a check-in and an opportunity to reflect, the next steps are to implement and practice the changes you want and see how they work.

The work between coaching sessions is very important. Think about any sport you like, notice that coaching happens from the sideline… the change happens on the field.

Rita Govender “creating agile, purpose-driven thinking”

Coaching has helped my clients be more successful and reach their goals, you can too. Talk to me to get started.

Mobile: +27 82 804 6391

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

contact us

Further reading

Celebrating the Gift of Coaching – International Coaching Federation

Find your great…inside you!

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Coaching gives you the opportunity to explore your potential

Get ready for your great!

If you want to be the best version of you, invest in yourself. Get a coach who can help you define your goals and reach them.

Coaching has helped many people across the world and below is a link to a few inspiring testimonials from the International Coaching Federation (ICF)

Coaching Client Testimonials – International Coaching Federation

I’ve coached many clients to reach their goals, contact me to get started

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

mobile: +27 82 804 6391

Contact us

More Information on coaching

The state of coaching in 2021 – SACAP (bizcommunity.com)

3 Key Trends in Employee Coaching (reworked.co)

Coaching Trends 2022 and beyond

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Coaching is an investment in our future

Coaching continues to prove that it’s a great way to unlock leadership potential, productivity, and progress.  Companies and coaching practitioners are continuing to invest in the future and the International Coaching Federation’s (ICF) research highlighted 14 top trends.  I’ve listed the top 3.

Top 3 Trends for Coaching – 2022

The trends highlight the need for coaching

  1. Coaching is used to complement leadership programmes
  2. Millennials are showing their leadership potential and companies are investing in their development
  3. Coaching is an almost peerless activity when it comes to engaging and improving team dynamics

Coaching, the next steps

As an executive coach I have worked with companies, both internally as well as externally and designed leadership training and personal coaching

I design custom solutions to my client’s needs. I can do the same for you.

Rita Govender 
“creating agile, purpose-driven thinking”.

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

call: +27 82 804 6391

contact

Links

Executive Coaching 2022: Future Trends – International Coaching Federation (coachfederation.org)

5 Big Coaching Trends For 2021 And Beyond | Library of Professional Coaching – Part 2

Celebrating Inspirational Women

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As we celebrate National Women’s Day, let us take the time to appreciate women for their capacity to:

The Parnassus, painted by Raphael in 1511 – image sourced from the public domain internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parnassus
  • Give freely and without reservation
  • Their warmth and kindness
  • Their friendship and understanding
  • Their support and resolve and
  • Their ability to inspire

Women have inspired us throughout the ages

Women have many roles in life; wives, sisters, aunts, cousins and many more, women have always made the world a more beautiful place. Let us celebrate them for the role they play in making our everyday lives, easier, better, gentler and more magical, year after year!

The nine muses, inspirational women of the ancient world

  • Calliope is the superior Muse.
  • Clio is the protector of history.
  • Erato is the protector of lyrical and love poetry.
  • Euterpe is the protector of songs and poetry of death, love, and war.
  • Melpomene is the protector of the tragedies.
  • Polyhymnia is the protector of divine hymns.
  • Terpsichore is the creator and protector of dance.
  • Thalia is the opposite of Melpomene.
  • Urania is the protector of celestial bodies.
Rita Govender
“creating agile, purpose-driven thinking.”

email: rita@disclosure.co.za

mobile: +27 82 804 6391

contact us

Interesting reading

The Muses: Nine Goddesses From Greek Mythology