My Coaching Experience

During my time working at Amazon Web Services, one of my key deliverables as a team lead and later as a team manager was the delivery of one-on-one coaching with each of the people in my team (or direct reports, if you prefer the formal term). These conversations ranged from informal chats, to focused and targeted career development conversations, the implementation of Quality Assurance processes and developing the strengths of each person in my team. Were it not for the turnover of staff and the corporate churn I experienced there, it would have been my dream job.

In 2019 I further developed this skill by completing an Executive and Management Coaching Course through the University of Cape Town (UCT), graduating in March 2020. This additional theoretical underpinning helped me develop in my role as a team manager and further add value to the company.

I have also intermittently helped my wife deliver training and feedback sessions to high school students in the Student Leadership Community at her school. These sessions have always been used to introduce difficult conversations and highlight their value. We have done sessions around inclusivity, giving feedback and speaking truth to power, using empathy as a tool for encouraging groups to work together and I believe that more than anything, these sessions have been invaluable in helping me realize that I want to work with the energy provided by a younger target market.

If numbers are your thing:

• 2500+ hours of 1:1 coaching

• 25 direct reports have achieved promotions from their previous job role as a result of my coaching

• 100+ hours of new hire training

• 55 new hires onboarded successfully with a retention rate of 88% after 1 year

• 3 individuals privately mentored through job changes or promotions