Peter Tuybens (59) coaches business leaders: ‘A coach must dare to ask confrontational questions’.
“It used to be that people only came to me when things started to go wrong,” remembers Peter. “Then it almost seemed like a punishment to
to end up here. Thankfully, that has changed, and a good thing too. At a time when someone who has spent years in a technical position
has exercised a managerial role, it is logical that this person could use some help in getting used to the new aspects of his job?”

The people that Peter coaches are often at the top of large companies. After all, you don’t just stop
with growing as soon as you reach the top of the ladder. “We try to give people as much comfort as possible in the
their job, and we are looking at the results that need to be achieved, because the requirements are sometimes sky-high in certain areas.
top positions. I am also increasingly being asked to help with time management. Doing a busy job and at the end of the day
saving energy for hobbies and family: not easy”.

What the people need, influences the role Peter takes on during the coaching sessions. “Sometimes
I notice that someone just needs a sounding board, and at other times I have to take on the role of challenger. There are
people who get their best ideas only when they can talk to someone about them, and in the organisation in which they work there is not
always room for. A coach must be able to listen well, but must also dare to ask questions that are confrontational”.
And that approach dares to differ according to the age of the people he or she works with. 

“I think that people in their twenties and the management of people in their thirties is completely different from that of people who have been familiar with the job for a long time. Who already has some seniority and has built up a leadership role, sometimes finds it difficult to let things go or give autonomy to other people, I have noticed. We also coach on this, because we notice that there is a demand for this from the younger generation in management teams”
And team coaching is also on the rise. “But don’t think that we’ll be climbing the trees together in the Ardennes. Instead we will focus on improving cooperation within a team. We give tips on how to improve communication
invite colleagues to appoint which qualities or talents they appreciate about each other. We often underestimate the impact
who can have such a thing on the operation of a team.”