Participation in a survey seldom has a reward beyond the sense of fulfilment that comes from contributing to a research data set (and perhaps perusing the research findings thereafter). When Hylton Gudmanz from
Johannesburg, South Africa answered the IAPCM Education survey, he had not been thinking about its promised reward and was deeply surprised to receive an email confirming that he had won a coaching session with (Master Coach) Nikki Wild.
As an experienced executive coach and leadership consultant in Africa, I know that a fresh perspective on my business is always useful, and I see myself as a “lifelong learner”. After a financial crisis left our country’s economy in tatters, I had set my sights on building global partnerships and am blessed to have found some awesome partners to build with. What I hadn’t realised was how operational I had become – working “in” my business (practice), and therefore how much I had neglected working strategically “on” my business.
As our scheduled session arrived, I was between client meetings and paused at a golf club to gain Wi-Fi and prepare for our chat. My expectations were low: I saw the session as likely gratuitous – a marketing exercise on the coach’s part – but still an opportunity to gain some value, perhaps clarifying a goal or two I had for a client intervention and expanding my network. Ten minutes later, after rapid rapport-building, I was challenged to my core by Nikki’s insightful questions and found myself wondering how I had missed connecting at this level for so long. I realised that the way I had been positioning myself and my business needed attention – all the more embarrassing since I do a fair amount of personal brand work with clients! An hour later, only one question remained: when our next session would be. That decision was not taken likely – our currency was 18:1 at the time – and reflected a profound value exchange that prompted an investment in the future of my business. I love the fact that Nikki has a background as a CFO and enjoys the NLP methodology, since neither of these are my frame of reference as a leadership consultant schooled in Inner Game coaching. It’s great to bounce ideas off someone who works at a senior executive level constantly, yet is still able to empathise and connect at a deeply personal level.
I am delighted that Nikki agreed to work with me and with how my thinking has evolved, my client communication has been clarified and my business rebooted in a more relevant way – this after just a few sessions. Words are inadequate to express my gratitude. The level of interaction and depth of understanding I experienced is something I will now regularly seek out. Thanks, too, to the IAPCM team for providing this platform. Your selfless service in the interest of reframing coaching and mentoring positively is leaving a profound legacy, and I am honoured to have been one of its beneficiaries. Here’s to the “more” of what we can do together globally!
