Conditions for coaching to contribute to the adjustment of black African professionals

Abstract

Orientation: Efforts to attract and retain black African professionals in Cape Town-based organisations are often met with challenges. Coaching has been identified as a potential strategic contributor for developing a sense of inclusivity and successful adjustment for black African professionals.Research purpose: The study investigated the contribution that coaching makes and aimed at understanding the conditions required for coaching to support the adjustment process during relocation.Motivation for the study: Too little is known in South Africa of how coaching can impact the adjustment during relocation. There is a need to identify key conditions that would enable a successful coaching process for migrating groups in the larger South African context.Research design/approach and method: A qualitative inductive methodology approach was followed to guide the study, consisting of 11 in-depth interviews with three different professional groups to elicit various perspectives.Main findings: It can be concluded that coaching contributes to black African professionals’ adjustment to living and working in South Africa. The success of the coaching outcome and capability for adjustment depends on the individual, the coach and the environment in which they work. The supporting conditions that were commonly found from the three professional groups were support and space for the individual, while depth and match played a key role according to coaches and human resource (HR) professionals.Practical/managerial implications: This article provides guidelines and recommendations for HR and senior managers in any organisation that experiences a complexity infused by racial and cultural diversity within its internal and external context. The study shows ways in which coaching as a tool can be useful in dealing with cross-cultural dynamics that prevail in South Africa and South Africa-based organisations especially during relocation adjustment.Contribution/value-add: The body of knowledge contributes to understanding coaching in a diverse society reflected in cross-cultural organisations and the key conditions influencing the coaching intervention during an adjustment process.

“We do not see color!”: How executive coaching can help leaders to create inclusive corporate cultures by acknowledging structural racism in its ecosystem.

“…These coaches' understanding of racism empowers them as actors who can foreground and disrupt the normalization of Whiteness and its underlying structures of power. Critical consciousness (Roche & Passmore, 2021;Shoukry, 2016;Tapela & Le Sueur, 2018) is seen as key to anti-racist work that challenges the status quo and is precisely what these coaches have to offer in terms of extending or revolutionizing the models and coaching approaches in ways that would make the process more meaningful and effective for BIPOC coachees. Because coaching is predominantly colorblind in its approach to difference, it is not able to comfortably navigate the history and presence of trauma that has contributed to the identities and coping and empowerment strategies of Black coaches, as acknowledged by professions allied to coaching (Brown et al, 2020;Carter, 2020;Kirkinis et al, 2021;Lentin, 2008); we can speculate that the same may apply to the coaching of BIPOC leaders in the workplace.…”

“…A review of the literature revealed 30 studies and books that explicitly studied race in coaching. This small number of studies explored the systemic and structural factors that influence the relational field between coach and coachee and examine the potential for creating inclusive workplace cultures and breaking patterns of exclusion, underperformance, and underrepresentation (Berstien, 2019; Bocala & Holman, 2021; Bragg et al, 2019; Khunou, 2019; McPherson, 2007; Stout-Rostron, 2017; Tapela & Le Sueur, 2018; Washington et al, 2020; Williams, 2017), all making the point, in a range of contexts, that race matters (Pennington, 2009).…”

How coaching aligns the psychological contract between the young millennial professional and the organisation

“…Le Sueur and Tapela (2018) found that coaching raised awareness about coachees' perceptions of themselves. Kombarakaran et al (2008:83) noted that coaching resulted in a 'better understanding of personal strengths'.…”

“…• their personality, their thinking and assumptions Both Le Sueur and Tapela (2018) and Kombarakaran et al (2008) cited enhanced self-awareness as a benefit of coaching.…”

“…Both coachee (C & E) and coach participants (X & V) perceived that coaching enhanced the young workers' awareness of their value in the organisation, for example: Le Sueur and Tapela (2018) noted that coaching raises awareness about individuals' contribution to their work.…”