What 'Coaching' means to a hotel management team

Managers at Orion Safari Lodge in Rustenburg describe what 'Coaching' means to them

South Africa, Johannesburg – November 2007: "Coaching is more than just a word to us. It is something used by hundreds and thousands of great business leaders who truly know how to develop their people, by believing in them, challenging them, supporting them, giving them more positive than negative feedback and making sure they take care of themselves. It is not a substitute for managerial control, it is the manner in which we can be empowered and learn to delegate in order for us to create a culture of responsibility and self-generated actions. To us, coaching is the art of bringing out the greatness in us, as managers of Orion Safari Lodge, in a way that honours the integrity of the human spirit."

"What coaching is not - it is not a set of instructions, rules or regulations; it is not an opportunity for criticism and negative feedback; it is not a session for structured teaching of curriculum and examination (we don’t say that there is no room for it in coaching only that it is not the main objective/ goal thereof)."

"What coaching should be and is - an opportunity to share lessons learned and experience gained with others; it is a session in which you learn, and are supported, to do your job more effectively; it is a tool for accessing guidelines to make everyday tasks more effective thereby empowering you to constantly challenge yourself to come up with new and better ways."

"The 'Team' brings in the unity, functioning as one, knowing team performance is also measured by individual performance and individual performance influences team performance. Coaching also teaches discipline in order to focus on what needs to be done and to effectively complete every task; it helps you to get back in the game and focus on what needs to be done and what is happening now; it makes us aware of responsibilities imposed on us as line managers and it coaches us about accepting responsibility in every way, every day."

"The Orion Safari Lodge Management team is committed to embodying the meaning of coaching, to actively participating in playing the game as a team; to striving to commit to our goals, to taking responsibility for the consequences of our actions, to taking time-out and refocusing when everyday business overcomes our daily goals."

"Thus, our mission statement at Safari is: ONE COMPANY (Orion), ONE TEAM (Safari Lodge), ONE DREAM (to be a star above the rest), ONE GOAL (to make coaching an active part of our everyday operations)."

Orion Business Solutions, responsible for regular coaching within the Orion Group, says that business coaching has emerged as a vital activity to support individual and team development and performance and provides new directions and outcomes in customer satisfaction, productivity and overall organizational effectiveness.

"Coaching essentially focuses on the development and practical application of core personal and business skills that the manager already has but does not fully demonstrate or utilise. Coaches facilitate the transformation of skills and knowledge into positive action and results," says Professor Antoinette Gmeiner, CEO and Master Executive Coach, Orion Business Solutions (OBS).

“The process of coaching assists in the meaningful utilisation of information and provides clarity and focus which expedites efficient and effective goal setting, strategy and action. It thus drives the achievement of positive results. The executive coach collaborates with line managers to identify the specific competencies that they require for success in their institution; this assists them in defining short and long-term business, management, and behavioural goals and competencies linked to the institution's strategic business plans and the individual’s own personal long-term career objectives." 

Gmeiner says that Coaching has become a popular mainstream way of developing individuals, teams, managers and executives in organizations. “Coaching is one of the most effective strategic and tactical tools available to business today.”