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The first time I catch a glimpse of the 2009 Coachlab™ students, it is as they follow Gopolang Setumo, (Coordinator of the Coachlab™ Leadership Programme), through the corridors of the Innovation Centre. It is the first day of the programme and orientation week for this new group of aspiring knowledge worker.
Two members of the group were tasked to reflect on group experiences during the start of their journey at The Innovation Hub.
First Week at The Hub:
Our first week at CoachLab™ is exciting and everyone is happy to meet new people and to be a part of this pioneering programme. It is a little different from what we expected and of great value in terms of being briefed on the concepts of leadership and leadership skills, and on what is expected from us in the coming projects.
During this first week we also meet our project leaders and the team from Johannesburg (CoachLab™@JCSE). It is overwhelming to be in the presence of all these bright, young and hungry minds as well as a range of highly educated people from different backgrounds.
There exists a general believe in our group that being chosen to be ‘CoachLabbers’ for this year, is not merely because we are postgraduates required to fill the programme requirements, but that our project managers see potential in us and want to give us this opportunity to learn and explore our potential to help us to discover our weaknesses and strengths.
CoachLab™ is a good and exciting place to be for fresh graduates. It offers us with a unique opportunity through the provision of training and mentorship geared to ready us for the corporate world. CoachLab™ instils a sense of belonging and as individuals; we cannot wait to come to work every morning. We are honoured to have been chosen for the programme over many other applicants and look forward to learn, and ultimately to become new leaders for tomorrow.
We felt more than welcomed during our first week and, as a team, would like to express our gratitude to all the professionals who take time to support, guide, and help us to make this year’s projects a success.
Written by: Lebogang Motiang
The CoachLab™ Leadership Programme at The Innovation Hub introduces it’s the New Recruits for 2009 |
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Teambuilding:
With great anticipation, we run downstairs to pack our bags in the hired minibus. Finally it was the big day, the day we had been waiting for with baited breath for the whole week, it was finally the team building weekend retreat.
We had seen the pictures from last year’s retreat so we are extremely excited! Already the arguments start about who is to sit where - needless to say, the boys got the much coveted backseat, and so we were off, off to CoachLab™ teambuilding.
En route to our destination we are all singing and dancing along to the music that the driver selects to play, everyone having a blast. It is such a nice trip and a celebration indeed – the celebration of the next phase in the journey towards professional fulfilment. We drive past the Hartebeespoort Dam, which is extremely beautiful, and the further we travel, the further the concrete jungle starts to disappear. One moment we are driving along on a concrete road and the next, we’re trotting along on a gravel road. Then, lurking in the distance, we see a sign with a Zebra on it and the writing “Magalies Retreat…Celebrate Life”. We had reached our destination.
We are greeted by the facilitators who immediately introduce themselves as “Dineo, Enoch, Sipho, Maud” as well as by Lynnette - the team leader. Feeling at home immediately, we say our hellos to the Coachlab™ team from Johannesburg, and are shown our rooms to unpack. After a lovely lunch, the programme starts. Each member completes the required indemnity forms, receive a name tag, and feel glad to be dubbed the “A” team, meaning that we are winners already. Sitting under a tree in a circle, we each introduce ourselves and elaborate on, and identify with, the letter “A”.
Exercises include a process of identifying with nature, a time of “noble silence” or quiet contemplation, the expression of individual burdens (and the letting go thereof) by writing these on a piece of paper and then pinning the private message to the bark of a tree. Now it was play-time! Some went for walks, some took photographs, some played games but all enjoyed this feeling of being allowed to play like children again. What a refreshing first day!
Day two starts with a hike, a discussion with facilitators about our personal experiences leading up to this new phase of our lives, and various games. We are each given an egg and asked to decorate it, name it, and assign a value such as love, faith or trust to it, and then of course, we had to take care of it for the benefit of the team. Later we are joined by our project managers (now called project enablers) and the games and discussions continue - giving us valuable insight into the first phases of our upcoming projects and how this teambuilding exercise may be applied in the workplace.
Once the project enablers are gone, the real fun begins; dressed in our ‘mud clothes’ we enjoy our ‘mud masks’ even though some are petrified about going in the mud. After much needed, and well deserved showers followed by dinner, we gather around the bonfire and shared stories, jokes, songs and even poetry while enjoying our evening together.
On our last day, we are called to do an obstacle course, which required a lot of team work. I think this is the point where each of us finally let go of all our inhibitions since we had to trust each other if we were going to conquer and succeed. I am happy to report that we came out as champions. A session of reflection on lessons learnt, strengths and weaknesses, faith in each other, and the outcome of what we had achieved when working together, provided true insight to the value of team cohesion. Certificates in hand, it was time to return to the jungle with its challenges and promise. This truly was an experience of a lifetime, and I think that I speak for the whole team when I say: “we would not trade this for the world”. Thank you to CoachLab™ and all the stakeholders for making this possible.
Written by: Kagiso Hlabahlaba
For more information contact Gopolang Setumo at: gsetumo@theinnovationhub.com
2009 CoachLab™ students, Kagiso Hlabahlaba, Rose Khoza and Lebogang Motiang, enjoying the earth during Teambuilbing |
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