Cape Town 2021 Coaching Update – Yolande Olhaus
With 2021 being my first year as the Western Cape Coach Coordinator it is my joy and honour to be writing this short article to you! They were big shoes to fill…:-) Dirk Devis, as my predecessor, had been holding the baton as the Cape Coordinator for the last couple of years and is someone that I have great admiration and respect for. I have done my best to do justice to the role during 2021 and have really enjoyed working with the incredible team of Coaches in the Western Cape. Some of the Coaches have been with RE for some time and others joined us after a Social Media appeal. I am humbled to say that we on-boarded 5 incredible new Coaches during 2021. From the bottom of my heart I thank you all for your selfless contribution to RE and its beneficiaries. It has been a privilege to work with and get to know you all during this year. As Coaches we got together mid November to talk about the year that was (well almost) and our plans for 2022. It was a face to face get together, which was just AMAZING after 20 months of online meetings. We shared some good coffee, cake and connected through conversation. I am grateful to say that most of the Coaches have committed to being with us for another year and continue to serve their current Mentors and potential new ones. We are so grateful for their commitment, enthusiasm and total dedication to our Mentors. Thank you to an amazing team, who I am so blessed to lead.
We would love to grow the Coaching Team even more in 2022, and I am appealing to you all to continue spreading the word. Anyone who is interested in joining our amazing team, can contact me on : yolande@premierlifecoaching.co.za
In closure I would like to thank Candice, Lance, Tracy and Gail for their incredible support and guidance in getting me up to speed in my new role. Wishing you all a peaceful holiday season, filled with love, joy, appreciation and fulfillment.
With love, Yolande
“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” –
Germany Kent
Gauteng 2021 Coaching Update – Gail Mervis
This was my third year as Gauteng coach coordinator – having joined the Johannesburg Releasing Eagles chapter at inception in 2016. And what a privilege 2021 has been working with Yolande – my CT counterpart, the incredibly powerful, committed and creative RE National Leadership team and more specifically our amazing Coaches who volunteer their time so willingly, so enthusiastically and so fully In their commitment to serve as coaches for the Releasing Eagles Mentors. Despite the COVID lockdown challenges and the geographical distance between coaches we were able to meet regularly on zoom sessions that were always extremely well attended – even across international waters. The sessions were essential parts of the support structure for all of us – and the conversations that were held were extremely important. Not only in having coach to coach conversations around providing the best possible support for our mentors. But also providing an opportunity for us to focus on wellness, well-being and especially self-care for ourselves and the beneficiaries we support. During these sessions the coaches were able to share coaching tools, not only for use themselves but also to share with their mentors who will in turn support and generate conversation and activities with their mentees. Coaches – the mentors are thriving under your guidance and coaching.
I echo Yolande in warmly welcoming the new coaches to the RE family and acknowledge how excellently they embraced, adapted to and adopted the Releasing Eagles framework to serve with brilliance, despite the challenges that the year delivered us. A special shout out goes to our long-term serving coaches who for years have committed themselves to guide, support and develop the amazing Releasing Eagles mentors. To those coaches we stand in awe and salute your own individual progress as you continue to serve and support others. It was wonderful to hear feedback from our coaches who had expanded their businesses, adopted new work opportunities – and despite ongoing external challenges – were able to continue with and grow their participation in the work they most love doing.
We are exceptionally proud of our coaches who took up the early opportunity of being interviewed for the Releasing Eagles newly released YouTube channel – and what a fantastic job they did. Thank you to each one of you for carrying the Releasing Eagles brand and for jumping on the opportunity to showcase yourself. Next year will definitely draw more participation from our coaches – so watch that space!
As coaches we are also proud to have drawn up and adopted a coaching guideline document and coaching code of practice that we will continue to update and upgrade that will be utilised to help support newcomer volunteers to our coaching team – and also to give guidance and structure for all of us to ensure that all times we are committed to ethical coaching practice and authentic coaching engagements.
A personal highlight in the latter part of the year was to be able to provide an online training session for an NPO that does mentoring work in the Eastern Cape – QKF. It was an opportunity to grow our relationship with Andiswa and her team who embraced a session on teamwork, understanding themselves and the different learning styles of their counterpart volunteers. There’s more of the same planned for 2022. At RE, we take joy from our opportunity to support other NPO’s working in the space of much-needed mentorship – as we carry forward the vision of our founder Candice Booysen to extend and exponentially expand the reach of our Eagle Wings.
Yolande and all our supa-dupa Coaches – Thank you!
Godspeed for a safe, revitalising and family filled festive season.