Coaching and mentoring in Africa – experiences of a practitioner in Uganda by Theo Groot:
Coaching and mentoring are largely new concepts in Uganda and they are often used interchangeably. The most common understanding is that of a teacher ‘coaching’ pupils to pass exams; in reality, these are private classes that allow the teacher to make some supplementary income to top up his/her meagre salary. Although this is a disputable concept of coaching, at least it passes on the message that coaching is not for free. Sometimes coaching is likened to a sports coach or talent programme coach who inspires trainees or pushes people to achieve what they would not have achieved on their own. In the organizational world, the value of coaching is slowly being recognized. An immediate side-effect is the upsurge of selfproclaimed coaches; since Ugandan consultants have a good nose for business, a coaching skill is quickly added to the skills set. There are few professional coaches and hardly any credible training opportunities and the ones that do exist in the region are expensive, from a Ugandan economic perspective. Return on investment is low as many potential clients are not willing to pay a reasonable price for coaching and mentoring services. Some years back, we managed to organize ICF-accredited training in Uganda by an external trainer. Peter Szabó trained 18 participants in Solution Focused Coaching, which was only possible because the trainer accepted a lower fee. We subsequently organized an informal Coaching Community Uganda (CCU) with the purpose of promoting coaching and mentoring as well as providing mutual support. Although still in existence, the group lacks the anticipated dynamic. Several things are responsible for this – among them, the difficulty in getting paid, the lack of coaching opportunities and the lack of international accreditation as an individual coach. Furthermore, for most, coaching is not a source of income and it remains mainly a valuable tool for personal use in one’s workplace. In neighbouring country Kenya, the coaching profession is much more developed: it has its own training institution, the corporate world in Nairobi is more professional and financially stronger, and accredited coaches are organized in an ICF-affiliated chapter. An opportunity for growth may be found in mentoring schemes within organizations as developed by Coaching and Mentoring International (CMI). This was founded by David Clutterbuck. These schemes are very cost-effective and allow organizations to build internal expertise. CMI now has a registered distributor for Eastern Africa based in Kampala. At the level of the actual coaching practice, several challenges keep surfacing and they are largely related to culture. Culture matters and, although an individual is never a perfect reflection of their cultural traits, the coachee’s behaviours are deeply ingrained in their culture. The acceptance of unequal power distribution, the role of an individual in society, the display of ‘male’ behaviour, dealing with uncertainties and respect for tradition are all elements that get reflected in a coaching relationship and in the coaching conversation. The challenges described are strongly intertwined. Handling Expectations – the Advice Trap More than elsewhere, coachees in Uganda tend to see the coach or mentor as the expert whom they expect to give advice. Mushrooming business coaching and mentoring schemes for entrepreneurs, where experts provide strategy and business advice, have also created a precedence for the advice trap. This is a concept strongly enforced by education and culture. Someone in power, elder or more experienced, is considered a ‘parent’ and the coachee will adopt the role of a ‘child’. Handling Commitment – the Coachee’s Commitment Once you engage the parent–child relationship, the culture prescribes an attitude of obedience and ‘pleasing’. Children are not encouraged to explore for themselves. Empowerment and initiative are considered a lack of discipline. Likewise, coachees are not used to being encouraged to self-develop. It takes a real effort from the coach to support coachees in becoming confident in taking matters into their own hands, and in relying on their own gained understanding and decisions. Handling Time Time is viewed as plentiful and although it is a platitude to say that Europeans have the watch and Africans have time, the easiness with which appointments are not kept or agreed commitments are not fulfilled is all too real. Handling Relationships The coach–coachee connection, as mentioned, is not automatically a relation of equals and, once this relation of trust has been built, the coach gets easily ‘sucked’ into the private life of the client. The coach will be invited to weddings and other family-related functions. Ending a coaching relationship is therefore equally difficult; coachees will continue to seek contact for coaching-related services obviously outside the agreed financial obligations of the contract. There is however little doubt that coaching and mentoring have an important role to play in individual and organizational development in Uganda. There is a growing appreciation for it, but there is equally a necessity to put the ‘right’ coaching in the ‘right’ market. Summary of Main Points Both coaching and mentoring in Africa are relatively new concepts. Coaching is associated with expert knowledge and with paid activity. There is a rise in self-proclaimed coaches with limited training opportunities. There has been some influence by visiting coaches and mentors on coaching and mentoring practice. In Uganda, there is a self-organized community of practice for coaches and, in neighbouring Kenya, the ICF has a strong presence. There are many cultural issues within the African setting which influence coaching and mentoring. These include: gender issues the dominance of advice giving power issues, compliance and empowerment attitudes to time are ‘African’ a lack of boundaries and professional separation.