Robert Brain

Purpose for Coaching

As a coach I provide an open and non-judgmental space for clients to think through issues, gain perspective, identify opportunities and achieve objectives. In the process the client grows in self-awareness and is empowered to utilize more of their potential.

As a mentor I utilise my coaching skills and corporate work experience to support and guide clients.

Typical issues that clients come to resolve are:

Optimising their businesses, aligning business, partner and team members’ goals (team coaching)
Achieving a personal goal e.g. promotion
Support in a new role (mentoring)
Feeling unfulfilled and without direction

Coaching perspective

I have found that most people are capable of more than they believe. With the aid of a skilled coach a client can explore their beliefs, thoughts and dreams, create an action plan and be held accountable to achieve their goals.

An ideal client is one who is self motivated, willing to be honest with themselves and their coach and share their passions and desires for the future. He or she sees coaching as a way of improving their day to day performance and their long term effectiveness and holds themselves accountable for any commitments made.

Coaching Process

In many cases coaching can help clients identify goals (direction). If we use the metaphor of crossing a river, we explore the near bank (current situation) first. Next, objectives are discussed and a goal is defined (what is on the other side of the river). The process continues by identifying obstacles, ways of reaching the goal (bridging the river), identifying options (choosing which bridge to use), monitoring progress, addressing any obstacles and evaluating personal learning. It typically takes 6 or 8 sessions to complete the process, resulting in a client who is empowered with an understanding of their current environment, where they are headed and how they are going to get there.

Experience

As a coach and mentor I have coached a wide range of clients including entrepreneurs, managers, leaders in the corporate world and in NGOs, and private individuals.

I have played a coaching and mentoring role in the corporate world for 30 years and have chosen to use this experience as a valuable background to business coaching. My training as an integral coach has developed coaching skills that complement my work experience.

As a facilitator I am a certified Participlan facilitator, and have many years experience of facilitating project, business and strategic workshops.

My corporate work experience includes executive management, operational support, IT management, contact centre implementation and support, analysis and reporting of customer service functions and the implementation of customer satisfaction indices. It also includes a strong element of analysis and strategic planning. The business segments in which I have worked include telecommunications, broadcasting, IT, contact centres, education, oil refining, banking, and life insurance.

Personal Summary

Qualifications

Diploma in Integral Practitioner Coaching, The Integral Coaching Centre,
Cape Town, 2010
Certified Participlan facilitator
BA (Psychology) UCT 1987
Higher National Diploma Electrical Engineering, Technikon Witwatersrand 1984

Experience

I have many (more than 10) years experience mentoring staff in the corporate environment. I have also coached and mentored in the following environments: