Bernard Cheung

What led you into health coaching?
The idea of having coaching as a career pursuit first came to my mind in 2007. There are two driving forces that inspired me to get into coaching.

First, having led a successful career in the commercial sector for 20 years, I found myself increasingly interested in people development. When I held general manager and vice president positions in Hong Kong and China, I always enjoyed mentoring and coaching staff members of my business units. In fact, my previous employer also invited me to formally mentor young high performers for a number of years. Although a successful corporate employment did bring with me the rewards of handsome income, status, and sense of achievement, I had the feeling deep inside that there is nothing more meaningful and satisfied than helping people to succeed in their development.

The second driving force has been my endeavor to do something which transcends the normal retirement age of a corporate career. I want to have meaningful and interesting work to engage myself well beyond mid adulthood.

Coaching fulfills these two requirements well. It is an effective people development approach that enables people to leap forward to achieve more in life or work by unleashing their potential. It is a profession that we can continue to practice as long as our health permits.

Who do you typically coach?
My clients are mostly professionals and senior managers. Most of them are in their late 30’s or early 40’s; they have already achieved a certain level of success at in their work, and would like a breakthrough in their personal life or career.

What do you think is the most unique aspect of your coaching style?
My coaching style is supportive yet at times challenging. My clients appreciate that I am respectful, patient, thoughtful, and attentive so that they feel a secure space for their focused exploration. They also appreciate that I know their business language and setting.

What is your favorite tool/technique/psychometric assessment?
Tell us what you like most about it.
I advocate that all assessment tools are ancillary in coaching. They only serve to provide feedback to the client information necessary for their exploration, and as such, different coaching scenarios may require different assessment tools.

The one assessment that I like very much is DiSC. It measures four main behavioral types according to two very salient dimensions - decision making style and people-task orientation – that underlie behavioral patterns of people.

It is simple for the client to understand yet it can be applicable in fairly diverse coaching circumstances. There is also richness in it as 15 sub-types can be identified from the test scores.

What do you find most satisfying about coaching?
I am fascinated about coaching as coaching believes in individuals and organizations having resources and emphasizes self-discovery, self-determination, and accountability.

As a result, any learning and change are client-centered, inside-out, and long lasting. Furthermore, coaching is an intimate partnership over a period, and as a coach, I feel most satisfied when my clients are experiencing noticeable changes due to the collaborative interactions and coaching process in which I had a direct contribution.

What’s the most memorable coaching moment, either as a coach or coachee?
There was a time in a coaching session where I asked the client, “What do you like to do when you have the money you want to accumulate and the free time you desire?”

There was a dead silence for a complete minute. The client realized that he lacked internal desires that would have guided him and this has contributed to him feeling perplexed for many years. As a coach, I do not know which question may invoke a deep insight, but I know that traditional development techniques could not achieve the above.

What is your greatest accomplishment??
I consider my greatest accomplishment not as in how much money I helped companies gained or saved but in seeing that many of the individuals I mentored and coached succeed in their careers. Some of them have created and been managing great businesses and some have been so successful that they elected early retirements.

What do you do for fun and relaxation?
I like hiking, playing golf, and sailing. I also like taking photographs.

How long have you been involved with HKICC?
I have been a professional member of HKICC for a year.

As a leader in HKICC, in what direction(s) would you like to take the organization?
It is still a long way for coaching to be popularized in Hong Kong. HKICC should endeavor in promoting coaching to the public and the different industry sectors. We should run more programs to educate the public and industry what coaching is and is not, and in what way coaching can be most effective in enhancing their lives and performance.

Bernard KT CHEUNG 
CEG (Coach U), RCC (WABC), ACMC (ISNS), MBA (CUHK), FCCA, MHKIE
Tel: 9097-8891
E-mail: bernard.cheung@i-Radiate.net