Any journey in this life is a challenge and a half, and more challenging when you walk these mountains and valleys alone in all aspects of your life. Today, we are reintroducing you to a very vital subject we all needed from the day we started to have an idea of who we are, what we want and where we are going. Unfortunately, we were not always exposed to the right tools to deal with life at that right time. And fortunately, today could be the right time for all to find what we lack if we open up to unlearning and learning things the right way. Before we spoil it for you, let’s first get to know the amazing and incredible woman behind Silu Coaching and Consulting.
Tell us more about Akhona and her background: “I was born in KwaNobuhle, Kariega and raised in KwaZakhele, the notorious Vuku Street e“Grogro”. In a documentary shot in May 2021 by Arbinger Institute, on my life and professional story, I revisited the area and it is sad to see how it still remains under-developed. It’s a space I’d like to explore in future with some people in my network who come from that area”.
“First, I am a mom, daughter, sister and aunt and I am protective of those I love, to a fault. I see myself as a simple human being, imperfect but strive to learn and continuously improve. I always have a curiosity to learn new things and a quirky sense of humor”.
“Secondly, I love helping others and get motivated by seeing them doing their best to improve their lives. I’m a person who enjoys time with family, local trips to explore the beauty of our province and supporting entrepreneurs within our lovely Gqeberha. Also, I recently visited Mpumalanga, and I’m definitely going back. Our South Africa is such a rich country, in many ways”, she added with a smile.
Akhona did her lower grades at Lamani LP School, Ezikweni and matriculated at KwaZakhele High School. She believes that she is a product of great mentoring from the likes of Mrs Ketse, Mrs Hopa, Ms Johannes, including Dr. D Berry who introduced her to Human Resources. It is through their support she got to study at PE Technikon, currently known as Nelson Mandela University. She has worked in multinational organizations, with the last 10 years being in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
From June 2020 she transitioned to HR consulting, then coaching through Executive & Management Coaching studies and certification as an Enneagram Practitioner Coach. This is the space she is most passionate about and intend pursuing further specialisation in. “Starting was planting a seed, with the view to assess post COVID. However, with support from professional networks, re-skilling support from my previous employer and business incubation program with Black Umbrellas for entrepreneurial mentoring, growth became a possibility. But there is still lots of room for development”, she added.
Now please share who is Silu Coaching & Consulting and when was it established? The reason for establishing it and its service offering? “Silu is a HR Consulting & Coaching practice, the concept was a vision for later in life, however a change in my career journey set the motion to manifest. The name Silu is from my children’s names (Sikelelwa, Lutho Siphesihle & Lukhon’uvuyo Siluphiwe) and late brother’s name (Siphiwe). Interestingly, through research I found it’s a popular Hindi name for boys, which means rock. My personal philosophy around coaching is that of summiting the hills and mountains we face in our lives, so in a way the rock solid foundation is what we aim to be to our clients. We help them climb out of those comfort zone vacuums”.
The vision behind Silu is to be a hub of partnerships for business process outsourcing and human-centric solutions for medium and large organizations.
Current Services:
- Human resources consulting services.
- Life, Leadership, Financial & Career Coaching.
- Human-centric consulting & facilitation solutions under alliance with Arbinger Institute South Africa.
Who is your clientele? "Our coaching solutions are geared for entrepreneurs, professionals, first line and middle managers. We also support organisations with leadership-led effectiveness strategies. Our clients have varied from SMME’s in community development and professionals in public and private entities. Our passion for seeing people grow means we are also accessible to individuals interested in personal development, so from graduate to a seasoned leader, we co-create solutions to meet the needs. We also volunteer to NPO’s and individuals where possible".
Lastly, in your understand what is Coaching? “In coaching guru Tim Gallwey’s words “coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their performance”. To contextualize, it sits right at the self-actualization sphere in Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs”.
“Coaching is an investment that yields great dividends, and offered in individual and group package offerings it can be really accessible. It was previously seen as a space for C-Suite Executives only, because it is expensive. I always say if corporates can provide this at premium for their leaders and future talent, it shows it really works”.
“I believe there is a great need in public and higher education spaces. To help things go right and influence change starts at an individual level, then expands to a wider impact to society and organizations. I also see a need for HR fraternity tasked with leadership growth and development. A lot is expected from leaders and they don’t often have the capacity to support their subordinates 1 on 1 adequately, especially for talent and critical role pipelines, and this is where external coaching support can play a role”.
“For those wondering if it’s worth it, I always ask how much they spend on data a month or that pair of jeans, need I say more”.