I reached out to Huib to learn how to deal with a tough situation I'd found myself in. The company I was working for at the time had undergone a reorganisation. This had led to a spiral of negativity all around me - and it was sapping my energy bigtime. 

It had taken a while for me to become proactive, to take the steps I needed to in order to extricate myself from the negative atmosphere and take control of my own future. This was the point where Huib came on board - to help me investigate my own stake in the situation. I was also hoping that Huib's coaching would help me rediscover my personal power and develop a new vision for the future.

Right from the start, Huib's way of working appealed to me. Huib is a good listener; he's responsive and understanding. At a later stage, he became more confrontational, at times even directive. But having someone to set direction was exactly what I needed at that point in my process. And I have to say, there was always mutual respect.

Huib got me moving - literally - during some walks together. To get me in motion figuratively, we held some purposeful conversations while walking, which helped me structure my thoughts. Huib is very good at asking the right probing questions, and this increased my self-awareness and gave me new insights about myself. Viewing the situation from a distance was very useful in helping me take personal responsibility.

Now Huib is someone who puts his own personality stamp on the coaching process, so you have to see whether there is a match or not. In our case, we hit it off straight away - it felt special! I really enjoyed talking to Huib. He doesn't beat around the bush and, as I said before, while it can be confrontational, it was always amicable and with a supportive smile.

I completely trusted Huib's way of working and I let him surprise me on occasions. At one session, for example, he introduced me to equine-assisted coaching. The way the horses responded to me when I joined them in the paddock made me aware of the power of non-verbal communication. I think this was the best session of all; I have recalled the feeling it left me with time and time again.

My coaching programme with Huib was effective: I gained a sense of calm, a certain gravitas, through it - not to mention a wonderful new position as Board Member! I'm looking forward to following up on the coaching. This time, not because I've run into personal roadblocks, but because I want to continue to develop and grow, not just in my professional life, but also as a human being.

Written by Jannie Regnerus, based on a telephone interview