Resources » Professional & Leadership Development

It’s only March, and already I’m hearing cries from all corners of the business world – from corporate executives to start-up entrepreneurs – about the grind that they’re starting to feel as we fully immerse into 2021. I won’t repeat the sentiments in Part 1 of this series on mental

Emerging as one of the key issues in the workplace that is likely to have a significant impact on a company’s performance, growth and productivity, is the mental and emotional well-being of the people who work there. And it’s up to the leaders to figure out ways to deal with

As I re-read McKinsey’s quarterly report The CEO Moment: Leadership for a new era (July 2020), I found myself inspired once more  by the stories of CEOs who managed to leverage opportunities presented by Covid to achieve extraordinary shifts, changes, goals, and milestones – opportunities they never even realised existed pre-pandemic. Indeed,

A few months (which feels like years) ago, almost the entire global workforce was dispatched lock stock and barrel to their homes, relatively overnight, as Covid-19 lockdowns kicked in. Technology infrastructure was sorted out pretty swiftly across the board, so that people would have the devices, data and apps that

One of the key factors that determines whether someone is successful or not is their ability to endure. VCP’s Director of Coaching, Gavin Shaskolsky, shares 4 questions that will help you build endurance during these uncertain times.  

VCP’s CEO, Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, was a guest on The Money Show with Bruce Whitfield this week. Is remote working here to stay? And how can leaders successfully connect with and manage remote teams? Listen below, or visit capetalk.co.za.  

This article was written by Advaita Naidoo of Jack Hammer – Africa’s largest executive search firm.   The past few months have seen the world thrown into turmoil; as one popular meme puts it, we’re all awaiting a return to “precedented” times. But we all know that won’t happen. McKinsey

Time is finite; ENERGY is renewable! To be effective and perform at our best, it is important to focus on how we manage our energy throughout the day. In the video below, VCP’s Director of Coaching, Gavin Shaskolsky, discusses the importance of managing your energy throughout the day. He shares a few

This article was written by Tracy Dawson of Jack Hammer – Africa’s largest executive search firm.   If you’re lucky enough, privileged enough and sufficiently ‘enabled’ from a technological perspective, you might just find yourself working from home a bit over the next weeks or months. Here’s some advice from

VCP’s CEO, Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, recently discussed the latest trends in the workplace with Refiloe Mpakanyane of Radio 702. South African companies are increasingly offering employees more flexibility. Why are these trends emerging, and how are companies implementing new ways of working? Listen below, or visit 702.co.za.  

“Follow your passion” is one of the most frequently repeated bits of work advice. It’s also one of the most frequently criticized, and for good reason. Experts suggest that, for most of us, hard work makes us passionate for a field rather than the other way around. We develop passion

Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, CEO of Virtual Coaching Partners, recently contributed to a Sunday Times article on burnout. View the original article on Safrica24.com.   You can talk about the technicalities of time travel in Silicon Valley, but don’t dare mention cutting the work week. “It’s like I’m proposing to bring back

There’s nothing particularly innovative about the ‘weekly check-in’ as an employee engagement tool. Somewhat different to ‘huddles’ which sometimes occur daily, particularly with teams working on fast-moving projects, the weekly check-in is an opportunity for a team (or sometimes an entire company) to touch base. The objective – mostly to

Virtual Coaching Partners Co-Founder, Gavin Shaskolsky, was recently featured in Entrepreneur magazine. Read the full article below, or visit Entrepreneur.com.   As a global leadership coach who has coached over 1 000 business leaders across more than 50 countries, Gavin Shaskolsky believes in transforming and leveraging people capabilities. Through his

This article was first published on Entrepreneur.com.     Disruption. Uncertainty. Rapid technological advancement. Obsolescence. We all know that the world of work and business is changing and transforming rapidly, even exponentially. I’ve seen some form of a Moore’s Law graph at every conference I’ve attended in the last year,

What’s going to put you ahead of the other 1 billion talented people out there? We’d all like to believe that a combination of talent and hard work will lead to career success. This is partly true. Talent and hard work may lead to some success – if you measure

I often reflect on this question and am curious about its source. I’ve realised for me, and many people I have worked with, that it comes from inside. The pressure to succeed, to look good, to know it all, to deliver results, to be the first, to not make any

For many of us, it’s been quite a roller-coaster year. It’s very tempting to spend the last few weeks of the year doing as little as possible, limping to the finish line. This year, you might like to try something different, and end STRONG. Here’s how: Ask yourself 3 key

Virtual Coaching Partners Co-Founder, Debbie-Goodman-Bhyat, shares her top tips for getting promoted.    One of the most common career complaints I hear is from professionals who feel that they’re getting overlooked for promotions, or not moving up the career ladder as quickly as they’d like. Here are a few quick

It’s that time of year when your performance at work is being appraised. Your organisation may have some kind of formal appraisal structure, some boxes to tick, or some numbers to score. I’m not a huge fan of these kinds of performance reviews, but if it needs to be done,

In our fast paced, ever accelerating, must be busy all the time world, it seems that the collective and dominant response is to do more, go faster, reach higher and multi task while multi-tasking! And yet…And yet what works best, what reinvigorates, regenerates and refocuses our energy is Recovery. The

Tom Wujec presents some surprisingly deep research into the “marshmallow problem” — a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape and a marshmallow. Who can build the tallest tower with these ingredients? And why does a surprising group always beat the average? Watch the full Ted

“For me success comes down to this: If I know myself well, I can lead myself well.” – Gavin Shaskolsky In this Seedpod podcast, Virtual Coaching Partners Co-Founder, Gavin Shaskolsky, explains what drives him, what frightens him, and what inspires him.   About Gavin Gavin has been working as an

Step-by-step plan for great daily habits   How you begin your day, manage your energy throughout it and then close out your day, all have a fundamental and direct impact on what you manage to achieve, and your energy levels. The following steps will help you identify the habits that

Adapted from Peter Bregman Spend a few minutes each day strengthening your professional development with these questions and exercises. Morning 5 minutes: Ask: Which of my key priorities can I realistically accomplish today/this week? How much time will this activity take? Schedule the time in your calendar   Evening 5

Adapted from Epiphany (www.epiphanycoaches.com) Traditionally, we define our success in terms of our professional lives. There are many different visions for a successful life, beyond our professional lives. Success may certainly be defined in terms of professional achievement, but it may take other forms. Examples of other definitions could be:

Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can boost feelings of confidence, and might have an impact on our

Based on Ted Talk by Shawn Achor   Over the next 21 days experiment with the following 5 core practices that have been proven through definitive research to increase your levels of wellbeing, happiness, productivity, meaning and purpose in the world. Keep a journal of your learnings, experiences and reflections.

Adapted from Resonant Leadership and Co-Active coaching   Introduction:   A personal vision is the deepest expression of what we want in life. It is a description of our preferred future, not a prediction of what will be. In this sense, your personal vision should describe what kind of person

Self-Reflection What are the core values which I aim to demonstrate in my leadership? What do I stand for as a leader/person? What am I here to do in the world? What defines my current leadership presence/brand? (How would others describe me?)How would I like to shift and evolve my

Download the journaling exercises below. 10-Minute Daily Practice Key questions to consider 90-Day Quick Change Plan Sharp, swift focus on one key thing you most want to change Defining Success What signifies success to YOU? Getting in the Zone Daily practice for focus and prioritisation Key Priorities Worksheet Identify and

This video was adapted from Captain David Marquet’s talk on Greatness and is based on his book, “Turn the Ship Around”. Watch the full video below.  

Renowned conductor and speaker Benjamin Zander discusses the potential to motivate by giving everyone an “A”. Watch the full video below.