“When working with a Fix Forward tradesperson you can be sure that this is a person who has really engaged with the question of what it means to be excellent in what they do. Because they have had mentoring and coaching, they are constantly reflecting on themselves” – Stephen Beukes.
Meet Stephen, one of the skilled individuals who coaches many of the Fix Forward contractors. Stephen is a trained ontological coach and is accredited with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Over and above his qualifications and work experience, Stephen is a warm and caring individual who has aided many of our contractors to thrive over the years.
Mentorship versus Coaching: a holistic approach
“Often these terms are used interchangeably, although in practice there is quite a big difference” says Stephen. He goes on to explain that mentorship presumes the mentor has a specialist skill or knowledge that they are imparting. An example would be having experience with running small businesses, and thus teaching contractors how to quote effectively.
Coaching on the other hand is rather about “providing contractors with a space to talk about whatever challenges they are facing, both in their personal and professional lives. I really enjoy supporting people in these kinds of reflective conversations, as opposed to giving them advice and telling them what to do” says Stephen.
Stephen uses his coaching sessions as a platform to give our contractors an opportunity to set clear goals for themselves, in all aspect of life. “I then help them come up with action plans to achieve those goals and look at the obstacles that come up that may be preventing them” says Stephen. “I explore with them what the problem actually is, what they’ve tried and how they would like it to be different. The contractors then self-generate solutions”, says Stephen.
An intentional approach to life
“I think the biggest take away from coaching is having an intentional approach to what you want to be achieving in life. For most of us we just go through every day and we deal with what comes up in front of us. We don’t always stop, and think is this actually generating the results I am looking for?” says Stephen.
In many ways Stephen sees himself as a sounding board for our contractors, and he aids them in verbalising their dreams and goals. His coaching thus offers a safe space to dream big, and more importantly set in place the plans to achieve those dreams. Stephen also encourages the Fix Forward contractors he works with to look how far they’ve come and to celebrate the journey along the way.
