“It’s not called Work”

This is the first of a series of interviews where principals from the The CFO Centre explain some of the work they do and how they guide their clients to make better business decisions. This series kicks off with an interview with Matthew Comins, a Regional Director where he discusses business coaching and how it adds enormous value to those he works with. 

Author: Matthew Comins

I often get asked what differentiates our principals from our competitors and I think I have distilled it down to a simple theory: “The Braai Test”.

There is no question that a high level of technical competence is required to do our jobs, but the thing that is harder to account for, is the ability to stand around a braai and have an engaging conversation on a variety of topics – and can this skill and EQ be transferred into the boardroom?

One of the areas where we are finding we can offer significant value to clients is through our professional business coaching. We are helping clients navigate some of the intangible aspects of business and better position them for growth.

Now I know that many professionals will recoil at the idea of “coaching” – I certainly did when it was first recommended to me.

It is important to distinguish between “life-coaching” and “business coaching” as they have 2 very different intended outcomes and one of my early mistakes was not understanding the difference between the two.

My view on business coaching has done a complete 180 degree turn.  To this day I still engage with a life-coach I feel comfortable with.

I often try and interrogate where the value-add lies and I firmly believe that a big part of this is that a skilled coach is able to ask the right questions and be able to share real-world insights and perspectives. It is an art and skill that few people have.

Many of my clients are able to come to me for a very unique set of insights.

I have worked in a big audit  firm, I have experience in a range of countries including Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Serbia, and South Africa. My work has exposed me to a many industries including tobacco, property (development and construction) and agriculture and I’ve seen businesses operating in a variety of different environments.

This exposure has meant that I have seen first-hand almost everything from rigid corporate cultures to the dynamics that play out in a multi-generation family business environment – each come with their own nuances and set of ongoing challenges.

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to share some of my experiences and mistakes I have made and use this insight to help a client make a more informed decision. Being able to share these insights means that we can help our clients become more confident in their decision-making ability and lean on us, our skills, and our networks to help them reach their goals faster.

These are things that you don’t learn in a textbook or from a course. Rather you learn them through experience and developing social and professional capital that means you can comfortably hold your own in either the boardroom or around the braai.

Much like the “Braai Test” – it’s actually not called “Work” if you are passionate about  what you do.

Matthew is an authentic and driven individual with a proven track record at senior finance-head levels. His leadership style is inclusive – being a good mix of a task-orientated driver, together with strong relationship and team building expertise. He is a strategic thinker with a keen understanding of the key business drivers and an eye for detail together with strong analytical abilities.