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The Conversation Corner
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7 key shifts for working from home
Racheal Govender Spaces for leaders to develop | Organisational Psychologist | Global Leadership Development and Advisory services | Executive coach | Leadership Faculty | Author | Executive PhD candidate *Originally published in 31 October 2020, adjusted and updates since Covid, to include good practices for remote working The new normal is working from home The new normal is working from home during this lockdown period. If you’ve never worked from home, it is a vastly dif
5 min read
Why coaching works
Racheal Govender Spaces for leaders to develop | Organisational Psychologist | Global Leadership Development and Advisory services | Executive coach | Leadership Faculty | Author | Executive PhD candidate *Orginally published on February 12, 2015 in the International Coaching Federation Whenever anyone asks me about my job, and what I actually do during a coaching session, I find myself stumbling over explaining the essence of what it is. Yes, there are very specific areas o
4 min read
Inspiration: Life I learnt from a Jigsaw puzzle
Racheal Govender Spaces for leaders to develop | Organisational Psychologist | Global Leadership Development and Advisory services | Executive coach | Leadership Faculty | Author | Executive PhD candidate Originally published on February 24, 2015 Having worked in Leadership development now for many years, I have noticed some patterns emerge. I have found that while most leadership stories are different, the challenges remain the same. And although the composition of in
2 min read
Play is serious business!
Racheal Govender Spaces for leaders to develop | Organisational Psychologist | Global Leadership Development and Advisory services | Executive coach | Leadership Faculty | Author | Executive PhD candidate *orginally published on September 12, 2017 Using play to build resilience: Social, Mental, and Emotional resilience What are some of the first things that come to mind when you think of play? Is it that it is mainly for children? Or is it something you do after-hours
3 min read
In support of equality, and valuing men and women
Racheal Govender Spaces for leaders to develop | Organisational Psychologist | Global Leadership Development and Advisory services | Executive coach | Leadership Faculty | Author | Executive PhD candidate *Originally published in March 6, 2020 None of us will see gender parity in our lifetimes, and nor likely will many of our children. Gender parity will not be attained for 99.5 years ~ Global Gender Gap Report 2020 I am an advocate of equality for women and the many ways th
7 min read
Why Psychological Safety Isn't Just a Buzzword
By Racheal | Organisational Psychologist & Executive Coach You may have already heard the term Psychological Safety. And I understand why it can sound like another piece of corporate jargon — something that sounds good in a strategy deck but rarely makes it into the day-to-day reality of how teams actually operate. But here's the thing: the research doesn't lie. Harvard Psychologist Amy Edmondson has spent decades studying what makes teams perform at their best. Her findings
6 min read
Future-Proofing Your Organisation
The Case for Leadership Development Training and Coaching: A Research-Backed Guide for Senior Leaders and HR Professionals The Urgency Has Never Been Greater We are living through a period of unprecedented organisational disruption. Artificial intelligence is reshaping roles at every level, hybrid work has permanently altered how teams function, and demographic shifts are draining leadership pipelines faster than most organisations can replenish them. Accelerating change, A
8 min read
What to expect from your coaching journey
By Racheal | Organisational Psychologist & Executive Coach I've worked as a coach for over 15 years now, about 1500+ hours of coaching leaders around the world. Here's a few things you need to know about coaching, based on my experience. Not all coaching is equal There have been many times when a leader approaches me for their first coaching session and says: 'I've worked with a coach before, and I have not found it useful at all.' I usually acknowledge their resistance and
6 min read
Resilience in the face of tough times
When did you last stop long enough to actually notice how you were feeling? And what have you been carrying this year that you haven't yet named out loud?
4 min read
Be the Dreamer: Dream big
Dream Big By Racheal | Organisational Psychologist & Executive Coach Who we you before the world told you who to be? What is the big dream that you have? And most importantly, what is stopping you? When I work with leaders, most of the time that answer is themselves. The fear of not being enough, not knowing enough, or even who are they to think that they could actually do that. The best way to silence that fear, is by taking a small step. Know that you will stumble, almost n
2 min read
What's the story you're telling yourself?
By Racheal | Organisational Psychologist & Executive Coach The Two Wolves Stories are powerful mediums in which we make sense of the world. The stories you tell can reveal a lot, and it can also reveal limitations in the way you view yourself and the world. During the coaching conversation, I often ask leaders, what is the story they are telling themselves. Sometimes the story is one experienced through the lens of fear, instead of courage, so we say things like 'If I tried t
3 min read
Roadblocks to DEI
By Racheal | Organisational Psychologist & Executive Coach I was once asked to speak on a panel on some of the roadblocks to Diversity and Inclusion, and provide some concrete actions. It naturally got me thinking, and I came up with 7 roadblocks (there are more I am sure), and a few concrete actions that any of us can put in place. When I refer to diversity and inclusion, I am talking about race, gender, age, physical challenges and sexual orientation, perhaps there are some
4 min read
Coaching through the frame of neuroscience
As executive coaching gains momentum worldwide as a valuable part of the leadership development journey, the field of neuroscience is providing a better understanding of the inner workings of the brain, and evidence of the benefits of coaching. Coaching can be defined as a partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that supports them to identify and take steps that move them between their current reality to where he or she wants to be. The bigges
4 min read
The Wisdom in Storytelling
In many cultures, the passing down of history and wisdom has come in the form of stories. Story-telling in coaching and training is useful as it allows the listener to reflect and find individual and relevant meaning in the story. A story lingers in your memory for a longer period, and also can reveal multiple levels of wisdom as circumstances change. Here is one of my favorite stories that I think is very relevant in our current society. A boat docked in a tiny Mex
3 min read
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