Inclusion of life coaching to supplement business coaching for young professionals at a state-owned company in South Africa

Abstract

This research explores whether and how life coaching can be included as a supplement to business coaching of young professionals in training (YPTs) within the context of a South African state-owned company (SOC). Business coaching is meant to provide them with the requisite skills and competencies aligned to their qualification and choice of career in the business world. These skills would enable them to perform at entry or first-line management level in the workplace. This research relied on a qualitative thematic analysis methodology using semi-structured interview data through purposive sampling obtained from current YPTs (between 2018 –2020), past YPTs (prior to 2018), and process owners of the YPT programme. The YPT programme content consists of hard skills and the technical skills needed for the task and job at hand, plus the soft skills required to function in the business’s social and interpersonal environment. Including life coaching as a supplementary process for business coaching would enable a holistic and integrated developmental approach, including the requisite competencies required for optimal workplace performance and personal life. The research finding provided evidence that there is a lack of formal structure and progress monitoring, together within consistent implementation of the YPT programme in this SOC, as indicated by members of all three participant groups. More importantly, this research found that all three participant groups agree there is a need to include life coaching in the programme. Although soft skills are essential for YPT development and other life skills are gained by YPTs, this is done rather informally and is unstructured: it also does not represent the full spectrum of the life-coaching field. This study confirmed the assumptions that life coaching is needed to enhance the current YPT programme. While business coaching is adequate for the professional development of YPTs it lacks the personal development or life skills aspects relevant to such a significant life event. The research also found that the YPT programme does not involve specific coaches, as defined in the literature, but instead mentors...and that these terms are used interchangeably among participants. The research identified that a broader analysis of the overall efficacy of the YPT or graduate in training programme should be conductedacross South Africa in collaboration with institutions seeking to improve graduates’ employability, thereby alleviating not just the national skills shortage but improving the economic infrastructure. This type of research could also offer a framework for companies to use and ensure their programmes are relevant, adequate, and operated formally with specific outcomes