I had the privelege of spending the day with Meg Wheatley at a Nedbank Women’s forum.

She shared such simple, but profound insights with us, which I’ll share with you over time.  But I think my most profound insight was my own, derived after a really lovely facillitation method called ‘world cafe’ (more about that later too!

‘Trust your intuition’!

Maybe it sounds ‘duh’ to you, but to me it is huge!  I’ve always been a reluctant ‘gut’ girl.  Although I make many decisions based on that ‘feeling’, I’ve always had a bit of ‘imposter’ fear about it.  I have always considered my intuition to be a naive voice - primitive in it’s perceptions and understanding of what’s really going on.

But on that day I suddenly saw that my intuition has travelled the same road as me.  It is (nearly) 40 years old, and has access to everything I know, plus some things only my subconscious knows! When it sends me panic signals, huge ‘NO’s, ‘YES!’s’, and ‘DONT GO THERES’, it’s speaking with a lot of experience and wisdom, and is not naive at all!

I’m going to work with it some more, and see how far it takes me.  Maybe that will become my message to the world: trust it - it really is my true north!

Thought you may be interested in an article in the latest Financial Mail: I was interviewed for my insights on mentorship and the retention of skills across the generations.

Click here for more…

Hi All,

You all know that Noma is one of our tadpoles doing her industrial attachment with Avocado Vision. She is currently in her third year of her B.B.A in Finance. Her focus  at the moment is on Investment,Economics,Insurance and Strategic Planning. She is as yet not sure which one she will specialise in.

Noma has just found out that she has passed her course with flying colours. Well Noma, no surprises there we would expect nothing less from you but excellence and brilliance. Well done !

A copy of an email received from Discovery:

Dear Clint

On behalf of Discovery Institute and the Learners: A huge THANK YOU! We really appreciate your contribution towards the skill development of our learners and for making a difference with the skill that they will use in their daily lives.

Thank you for partnering with Discovery’s Values of liberating the best in our people.

Cherel Shepherd

Discovery Institute

Decansos - “the makeshift roadside shrines that symbolise loss and transformation”. Courage - “will in extreme difficulty”.

Decansos and Courage both imply moral strength to nurture and persevere. Decansos - Spanish for resting place marking the spot where there has been a death - ressurection: rest within the very symbol of pain. In order to heal, we need to go back to a place of grief and loss.To do this takes courage - Decansos.

On the April 6th,2006 Tracy and I had the privilege of taking our Nedbank delegates to Robben Island to start the first leg of their Decansos programme.

The Decansos programme allows the delegates to revisit places of hardship or turmoil in an attempt to heal . While our basis is understanding and acceptance of the diversity of our country, the Decansos journey is a incredibly personal one.

Every person born of South African origin has a story to tell. Whether they fought in the struggle, whether they were conscripted, whether the threw a stone or were a consciencious objector …we all have stories, and all of them are powerful. The program is as much about understanding yourself as it is about understanding others and accepting others.

The Decansos programme started with us getting insights into the lives of those who work on the island. We chatted to Derek Basson and listening to him, to his childhood, his understanding of his motives, and feeling his pain and melancholy I was struck by his almost hopeful outlook for our future. In fact he challenged Tracy and I. As we drew our conversation with him to a close he commended Avo for the work we were undertaking to build bridges of understanding but he also asked us how we were going to reach out to others who had no platform to tell their stories. Yes, he was talking about all those who were conscripted, all those who were imprisioned for fighting the conscription campaign, and all those who were on the borders and in the security police. I, for one, stood in awe of that request. I had as yet not thought about the other side (being black and part of the struggle myself) or of the turmoil they must go through on a daily basis. I wonder where all those poeple are…who’s helping them heal? Derek told Tracy and I about a member of the security forces who had been on his tour, who broke down and cried who needed to tell his story. I was humbled that Derek, who had been imprisioned for fighting Apartheid, now saw the need to heal his former enemies. Derek felt his pain. If he can do it so can I.

This interaction set the tone for the program.

As I look through the arial pics of the island, I notice the airstrip. It forms a cross on the far side of the island. Very poignant. I suddenly realise that this place of banishment, of misery, of human frailty is for some many people a Decansos. Derek, Eugene , Lionel and so many others who live and work in their place of pain and difficulty find courage and hope by telling their stories.

That’s what this program is about: it is about making yourself vulnerable, it’s about stripping away the protctive layers that we have shrouded ourselves in and allowing ourselves to communicate with, and interact with, an unknown.

It moves beyond the theoretical basis of diversity, it moves beyond the clinical understanding of culture and it grapples with the heart of our pain. It allows us to display and interact with our fears and misunderstandings. It allows us to relate to, discuss and explore our interpretations of events and it allows us to acknowledge our fraility. It is perhaps one of the most difficult journeys one could take in your life time but it is for me the most worthwhile.

Too often we assume that because Apartheid is over and we are all basically nice people we should just understand our differences and just get along. If only it was that simple.

Our workplaces have become such a melting pot of cultures, views, opinions, and ways of being in and understanding the world that superficial acceptance just does not make for real team integration. By allowing our own vulnerability to show, by showing and eagerness to learn about others and accept them we build the strongest bridges of all.

It is really incredible that corporate companies like Nedbank are challenging and growing their teams by taking them on programs like ‘Decansos’. What they are effectively saying is : We want more for our people, our clients, and more for our country !

Well done Sharon Kersten !!

Every time I see what this program does for people I understand my role and my passion in this country.

I was trying to figure out whether this new ‘phase’ of mine is due to the seriously delicious weather we’ve been enjoying over the past few days (it’s autumn and suddenly summer shows up? There’s a limit to being fashionably late… I should know!), or if it’s the upcoming Easter holidays, or the new nephew I’m about to meet (okay, in a few weeks…).

But having pondered this for a smidge I’ve had an ‘aha’ moment.

This mysterious new ‘phase’ of mine is thanks to the avo’s starting to throw all sorts of creative projects into my (excuse me while I clear my throat), Creative Genius space!. It’s so much fun, I’m having a blast!. Can it really be that easy to say, “I want to be doing more creative ’stuff’” and to get the ball rolling instantly?. Well, definitely at Avo!

So this is just a warning. With Carrie showing me the ropes I am soon to become an Einstein of Creativity (actually, i think that accolade goes to our lovely Hanli, but I’m going to catch up soon!!). 

I’ve finally come through the fogginess of my confusion and am seeing bright new skies (actually I’m thinking more along the lines of Rainbows - colour, colour, colour!).

So watch out darlings, I have arrived!

After completing my Honours degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, I spent 3 years as a teacher and then 10 in Sales and Training in the field of Presentation Skills and Effective Communication. Over the last few years, operating as a member of Avocado Vision, and then an independent coach and consultant, I have become a specialist in helping clients understand the fine art of interpersonal communication. This includes insight into personality styles, cultural diversity, generational theory, presentation and facilitation skills, managing conflict and other aspects of the communication moment.

At present I manage the development and training arm of Avocado Vision, preparing and delivering course material and designing tailored learning interventions for clients, as well as one-on-one coaching. I am certified in the ‘Results’ coaching methodology, and am also passionate about helping clients to leverage their own potential by becoming the most effective communicators they can be.

To select me as your coach e-mail Carla-jo Barry.

I have been a coach and/or manager for eight years. I have always used coaching as the most important tool in my management toolkit and I have combined management and coaching in every role that I have ever had.

Coaching philosophy / approach:

I believe coaching is about helping people find their own tools to enable themselves and their teams to shine. A coach is there to help an individual discover their strengths. It’s important for me to understand who my coachee is as I get to know you better, it’s so much easier for me to help you unlock your personal keys to success. I try to be as straightforward and truthful as I can so that people can grow from the feedback I give them.

Strengths as a coach:

I am good at listening: probably the most important thing a coach must do.

What makes me passionate about coaching:

There’s nothing more exciting for me, than having the privilege of being invited into someone else’s world for a while, and being allowed to have the objective, outsider’s point of view. And then there’s the part where people have those ‘aha’-moments that change their personal paths forever. I feel that it’s wonderful to be able to walk with my coachee’s through those moments.

To select me as your coach please email Carla-jo Barry.

I’m a Business and Sales Coach with a wealth of hands on experience in these fields and I coach across various different industries.

I have a passion for developing people to enable them to reach their full potential. Specialities of mine include personality matching, developing talent and recruitment.

I have extensive experience in managing sales teams, both direct sales people as well as third party and relationship selling, having been a Provincial Manager at Sanlam and a National Sales Manager at Absa.

My passion for coaching has encouraged me to learn more about the field; I have done the Coaching to Excellence course through UCT Graduate School of Business and the six month Associate Coaching Course through the Centre for Coaching New Ventures West (USA) (current). I have been accepted to do their one-year Professional Coaching Course through the same institution, which is an internationally recognised qualification, required to become a master coach.

My other qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wits University and a diploma in Marketing Management through the Institute of Marketing Management.

I am currently coaching in the corporate and SME environments.

To select me as a coach e-mail Gill.

I am passionate about the self management and interpersonal skills development of myself and people I work with. This is what drives and motivates me because at the end of the day, those skills are, what I believe, the deciding factor of success in life. There is nothing more rewarding for me as a facilitator and coach to know that someone has changed some aspect of their life, through our interaction.

There are two areas of focus that I enjoy and where I believe that the right self management skills can make a difference.

The workplace:

We are no longer guaranteed a job for life in today’s working environment. Gone are the days where we could just do our jobs and expect a pay check at the end of the month. Therefore we need to ensure that we are taking control of our own marketability and employability.

The bigger picture:

I love to help people take a holistic look at their lives, where they are at and where they want to be. To be successful you need to take responsibility for your own choices, career and life. At the end of the day, you are the CEO of your own life.

My strengths as a coach:

My strengths as a coach are my ability to truly connect with my client and step into their vision; my creativity; my intuition and my ability to stretch you.

Why should I be your coach?:

My reply is that I have twelve years of experience in consulting, training and soft skills facilitation. Over the past three years I have been developing my skill set to empower myself as a life skills coach and I believe that I have knowledge, experience, ability and passion in this field. My relationship with you will be based on honesty, respect, confidentiality, professionalism and my unwavering believe in your unlimited potential.
If you’d like to have me as your coach, please e-mail Carla-jo Barry.