Setting Aspirational Standards

In any industry there are always organisations that stand out from their peers and set the standards of excellence that others in their field have to aspire to achieve. Based in South Africa, Chameleon Skills are an organisation that certainly meets that criteria, leading the way in terms of professional performance consultancy services. They have made quite a name for themselves over the years, establishing a well deserved reputation as one of the rising stars of the industry. If the last few years are any sort of barometer of what the future holds, then there are many successful chapters yet to be written in the Chameleon Skills story.

Values That Underpin Success

The success they’ve enjoyed has clearly been no accident, but how have they made such an impact, and what is it that distinguishes them so much from their peers? In this edition, we were lucky enough to catch up with Chameleon’s Director, Veronica Wantenaar, who gave us a fascinating insight into their success and the values that have underpinned that success. At Chameleon, they are passionate about what they do, and since their inception, they’ve held a steadfast belief that enhancing personal and leadership skills within a company leads to strong, healthy organisations, which are capable of building sustainable and enabling environments where people can thrive to benefit the organisation and its stakeholders. 

Confirming Objectives & Collaboration Ensures Success

Elaborating on the methods that they use, Veronica says, “Here at Chameleon Skills, we utilise our EAGER methodology with all client engagements, to ensure that we connect with the key stakeholders, confirm objectives, collaborate on the design, and roll out of programmes to ensure successful delivery of results and return on the investment of time and money.”

Embracing Change

Truly successful organisations are ones that are always evolving and always striving to improve. Over time all industries change with advances in technology and new trends emerging, meaning it can often be a real challenge to stay ahead of the curve. Organisations that are flexible enough to embrace change are the ones that will thrive in the long term, and it’s an area that Chameleon Skills can help with. They are experts in change management and have a long and successful track record of helping their clients facilitate change through their change and transition programmes. 

Taking People On The Journey

This can be managing the people side of any change- new technology, systems or culture transitions are successful when the people are taken through effective change processes. It also builds effective cohesive teams from top leadership down through the organisation, engaging the individuals and building the team so that it goes beyond high performing to high value. This means the team is adding value outside its own area for the benefit of the organisation through cross-functional team collaboration. 

Connecting With People And Building Relationships

Chameleon’s team of experienced professionals also provide coaching and mentoring for individuals at all levels of the organisation. Very often this is for developmental purposes such as promotions, transitions into other areas of the business, or it can be the role of a thinking partner, as Veronica explains. “We believe a lot of our success is our ability to connect to people and to build relationships. We spend time with our clients to really get to know their business, their goals and their challenges so that we can partner with them to create programmes that will deliver the desired results.”

A Foundation Of Trust

One of their greatest strengths as an organisation is the close relationships they forge with their clients, built on the strong foundations of trust. That trust is not built overnight and has been cultivated over some time. Regardless of whether they are working with a large corporation or a small start-up, they offer the same service level that would put many of their larger competitors in the industry to shame. The high regard that those clients hold in them speaks volumes. It is about the quality of the service that they provide and the honest and ethical way they operate.

The Brightest & The Best In The Industry

Another area that the management team at Chameleon Skills deserve great credit for is the quality of the team of dedicated professionals they have assembled that are amongst the brightest and best in the industry. Team members are carefully vetted through their exacting selection process and must have an attitude that is aligned with the firm’s core values, their skill sets, and their commitment to build effective relationships and to deliver value.

Facing Challenges

Like many other businesses they’ve had to deal with the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, but they have faced those challenges with their usual trademark efficiency. They have been able to continue to offer their industry-leading levels of service. Touching on the challenges and how they adapted Veronica says, “We were already working online, but had to swiftly move over to this as our main way of working. The biggest challenge in our industry is the number of people who call themselves coaches and have not had any proper training, so are not able to provide the depth of safety and support to individuals and organisations going through change.”

In terms of their aspirations for the future they remain ambitious and plan to continue to expand both in South Africa and in the UK. The challenge in the future for Chameleon Skills, as they continue to grow, and the demand for their services increases, will be to maintain the same standards of service that has given them so much success. With the reputation they have and their track record of delivering results with such remarkable consistency we think they are an organisation that is really going places and that Chameleon Skills is a name you’ll be hearing much more of in the years to come. 

Article taken from an interview in South East Star Magazine – March 2021

For for information visit www.chameleonskills.com   

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