✨ Coach Spotlight: Christopher

Christopher is a Performance Coach based in Mauritius. He also currently heads the HR function for a large conglomerate in a strategic role where he provides guidance and supports to their Leaders and HR team to align the Business strategy with the HR strategy. Christopher is a Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner and completing his ICI coaching certification.

What motivated you to become a coach? 

I have always enjoyed listening and helping others. Whilst training for my Master in Neuro Linguistic Programming, I did some work on my Life Purpose and discovered that helping others was what I not only enjoyed but was good at. This is also one of the main reasons why I chose Human Resources as my career path. Now with coaching, I have a structured way to help others achieve their goals

What was one of your biggest learnings while training to become a coach? 

Talking less and listening more! I realised I often listened in order to respond and advise. Coaching is more about holding a space between you and your client and really listening. And when you do open your mouth, you ask questions and guide them to find their own answers.

What do you typically talk about with a prospective client during a free discovery session? 

I generally start by asking what has led them to pursue the need for a coach. This helps me understand their underlying motivations and from there we work on clarifying their outcomes.

Tell us about one of your most impactful career coaching client engagements on CoffeeChat.

With CoffeeChat, I’m currently working with a young leader who is working at a leading career platform in Kenya. We are now working together on developing certain leadership skills that will help her grow personally and professionally. She has been lovely to work with!

How should someone approach an engagement with a coach in order to achieve a significant impact or transformation in their management or leadership role? 

Trust is important as you need to be able to converse in a safe space. Everything is connected, so the conversation may dive into the personal life of the coachee which may unlock helpful insights. They must therefore be ready to be honest and open with their coach. And be patient. Real transformation takes time and it’s the small changes that we make over time that lead to big changes in the long run.