Magriet Engelbrecht

I am also known as Maditsego, a name given to me many years ago by some colleagues. It is Pedi for ‘The one who laughs a lot’. I like to have fun and I have learnt that if I have fun, so do the people I coach, talk to or train.

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I have many passion areas, some of which are –

 

Energy and managing energy: Everything in the universe consists of energy. We are energy, as is everything around us. If we keep losing energy to stressors in our environment and personal lives, our productivity falls and our immune systems are compromised. We are less able to deal with our challenges and less able to enjoy the good things life offers.

 

Systems thinking and a holistic approach: I strongly hold to the belief that we are all interconnected in multiple systems. My body is a system consisting of many systems, like the respiration system, the circulation system etc. My body, together with my emotions, thoughts and beliefs, are one system. My family is a system, as is my workplace, my city etc. Any change in any system affects the whole of that system. Whatever happens in the thought processes of someone will affect his/her behaviour and whatever changes in one person will affect the whole system, be it a family, a society or an organisation.

 

Stories and story-telling: I collect stories and like using them in speeches and talks, training and coaching. Stories sidestep the logical left brain and speak to us on many levels. The ability to tell a compelling story is a vital leadership skill and therefore an important element in leadership coaching.

 

Leadership and change management: This stems from my own leadership experience as senior manager in the civil service during the turbulent transition period in South Africa prior to, during and post 1994. I established and managed a centre measuring the media exposure of political parties, 24 hours a day, for the Media Monitoring Commission, an important transitional structure. I also managed communication campaigns, including the Transitional Constitution campaign where I had to report both to government and the TEC, the main transitional structure. In 1995 I was the marketing manager for the first celebration of Freedom Day. I also organised the Arniston conference to establish a communication strategy for the new government. From 1995 to 2001 I was Director of Communication of the National Department of Agriculture.

 

Learning and Training: My tombstone will probably read: ‘I did a workshop on this’. I am a voracious reader and always studying some new area of interest. So beyond my formal qualifications which include an Honours Degree in English Literature and a Masters Degree [cum laude] in the teaching of English, a certificate in Coaching and Seta qualifications in conducting outcomes-based assessments and designing and developing outcomes-based assessments, I have done multiple workshops and studied many fields. I like to say that I know a little about everything except sports [on the planet I come from we did not play sports!] and machinery [beyond my understanding].

 

Besides having been a senior trainer in brain profiling and creative problem solving for the Kobus Neethling Group for the past 16 years, I also do corporate training in fields such as change management, using the enneagram as a tool for achievement and growth.