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Learning from experienceIn this episode of Stepsero, Costas Kalisperas shares with us the best and the worst thing that happened to him in his career.
Spoiler alert: they might both come from the same decision.

Our Guest: Costas KalisperasCostas is the Founder & CEO of In Tune Executive Coaching. His focus is on helping leaders to be in tune with themselves and their environment, tap into their inner resourcefulness and manage their interactions with others more effectively. To know more about Costas, please visit any of the links below.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People

Episode #58: Coaching with Costas: What’s Wrong with Politics?

Episode #59: Coaching with Costas: Speaking up at work

Episode #60: Coaching with Costas: Too Kind to Lead?

Episode #61: Coaching with Costas: Do values matter?

Episode #62: Can tough conversations help?

Episode #63: Setting the right expectations for your job

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Setting the right expectations for your jobWith Costas Kalisperas, on the importance of setting the right expecations about your job, and putting up with mundane, less exciting tasks in exchange for a healthy learning curve over time.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People

Episode #58: Coaching with Costas: What’s Wrong with Politics?

Episode #59: Coaching with Costas: Speaking up at work

Episode #60: Coaching with Costas: Too Kind to Lead?

Episode #61: Coaching with Costas: Do values matter?

Episode #62: Can tough conversations help?

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Can tough conversations help?Whether we like them or not, tough conversations happen, and it is important to know how to approach them, and when. Costas Kalisperas walks us through preparing tough conversations, focusing on the desired outcome, listening to learn, and much more.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People

Episode #58: Coaching with Costas: What’s Wrong with Politics?

Episode #59: Coaching with Costas: Speaking up at work

Episode #60: Coaching with Costas: Too Kind to Lead?

Episode #61: Coaching with Costas: Do values matter?

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Do Values Matter?Do values matter?

Broadly speaking, values relate to a sense of justice
The values that most companies openly pursue may look very similar to one another. What matters however, is whether people practise them or not.
Values at work reinforce your sense of purpose, your satisfaction in your own work. They increase motivation, enhance engagement, loyalty, retention, and performance.
At the foundation of teamwork is trust building. And you can only build trust by being authentic, transparent and fair.
It’s what you stand for and who you are that causes people to follow you.
It is important not to be too self-righteous about your values.
Leaders may be making decisions that seem unfair or unjust to you, but they are based on information you don’t have access to.
Burnout is the result of not being who you are and not being aligned to your own values for too long.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People

Episode #58: Coaching with Costas: What’s Wrong with Politics?

Episode #59: Coaching with Costas: Speaking up at work

Episode #60: Coaching with Costas: Too Kind to Lead?

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Speaking Up at workIn this episode of our mini-series “Coaching with Costas”, we discuss whether one can actually be “too kind to lead”.

Below are the main highlights of our chat:

At the root of kindness is effective leadership. Kind leadership is critically important, particularly today. But being too kind perhaps can be a challenge.
Leadership is about being inclusive and understanding others’ perspectives and their personal growth agenda, ultimately empowering them to be as successful as they can be.
You can be kind and purposeful, transparent, consistent and people centric. Kindness does mean to allow people to underperform and not address difficult topics. If you allow underperformance and don’t help people improve, that is in fact unkind.
John Maxwell suggests a framework where there are different layers of leadership. According to the top layer (5th) of leadership, people follow you because of who you are and what you stand for.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People

Episode #58: Coaching with Costas: What’s Wrong with Politics?

Episode #59: Coaching with Costas: Speaking up at work

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Speaking Up at workSpeaking up at work” is the central topic of this fifth episode of “Coaching with Costas”.

Below are a few main pointers:

Speaking up at work is an essential part of one’s career.
The fear of how it could be received should not be the reason why you don’t do it.
There are two categories of speaking up: sharing an opinion, and wanting to effect change. The former is usually a microcosm of the latter. Trying to effect change is more difficult and requires you to offer a series of solutions.
Cognitive diversity results in better outcomes for the organisation.
Remind yourself that you were hired to share your opinion.
Speaking up needs to be done tactfully and in a constructive way. Most importantly it should be backed with facts.
You do not need to have a perfectly formed opinion all the time. It is ok to share a partially constructed idea. This may help put less pressure on yourself.
Enlist, Prepare, and Center.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People

Episode #58: Coaching with Costas: What’s Wrong with Politics?

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Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?In this fourth episode of “Coaching with Costas”, we discuss how to deal with office politics.

Below are the main highlights of our chat:

Office politics often have a negative connotation. However that does not have to be the case.
It is not either performance or politics. One does not exclude the other. If anything, politics do affect performance, so withdrawing from it may be naive and counterproductive.
Poor leadership is one of the reasons why office politics have acquired a negative connotation over time.
Having a great point of view and being right is not enough. You have to persuade people and make sure they feel accountable and committed.
Self-awareness is key, and can help you find commonalities with people who share similar values to yours, without feeling that you are engaging in something that is unnatural. At the same time, it makes sense to build relationships with potential adversaries who may otherwise force you to withdraw from what is perceived as politics.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People

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Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?In this third episode of “Coaching with Costas”, we discuss how to deal with difficult people.

Below are the main highlights of our chat:

“Difficult” means different things to different people.
“Difficult people” represent challenges or risks to our wellbeing, our career path and our progress. It is natural to feel stress hormones rising when dealing with difficult people or difficult situations. Remember to be kind to yourself in these situations.
It is important to separate the behaviour from the person. Labelling people as “difficult” is usually not helpful. All in all, we deal with difficult behaviours rather than difficult people.
Try and understand what it is about a certain behaviour that is causing you less than full satisfaction in your work life. Then, try to figure out what it is that drives that behaviour in the first place.
Ask yourself: “how can I grow and learn from this experience?”
Dealing with difficult behaviour can be the source of your growth as a leader. After all, some of the most trusted relationships are built in difficult situations.
Move towards the conflict rather than run from it, and seek common understanding.
Communication is always the answer, but “how” and “when” is the key. Figure out whether it is a one-off incident or a consistent pattern, and make a decision as to how and when to do something about it.
The most important thing is to change how you describe things. Avoid confrontational terminology. You don’t have to beat the other side or beat them.
Keep in mind that you are likely to be somebody else’s “difficult person”. You may display behaviour that other people find difficult.
Use inclusive language if you are going to communicate to the other person about some of the difficulties (e.g. use “we” instead of “you”)

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

Episode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?

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Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?In this second episode of “Coaching with Costas”, we discuss the “Impostor Phenomenon”.

Below are the main highlights of our chat:

It is natural to have impostor thoughts if you push yourself towards growth.
The impostor phenomenon is a symptom of success. It is often born out of a natural tendency for self-growth and self-improvement.
The more you achieve, the more you might fear that those who look up to you will discover that you are not as good as you should be.
Some studies suggest that impostor thoughts are born or child roles and family dynamics. Too much or too little praise can be the source of impostor thoughts in adult life.
While self-confidence is a large high-level topic, impostor thoughts are driven by specific situations, people or dynamics.
It is important to label Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs), in order to come up with strategies to undermine and correct them.
The ABC model (Activating event, Belief, Consequence) can be a useful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Coaching model to help deal with ANTs.
If you do new things, new neuroconnections can be created, and existing ones can be reinforced (neuroplasticity).
It is crucial to have a sense of purpose and a solid network for support to face our challenges.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

Episode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas

Episode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum

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The work-life conundrumIn this first episode of the miniseries “Coaching with Costas”, Costas addresses the work-life conundrum.

Below are a few notable highlights:

Try to figure out which times of the day you are most effective at work, and in which times are best for you to carry out mundane tasks instead. Once you have done that, plan your time accordingly by time-blocking.
Some techniques are very useful for you to focus and manage your time. One example is the Pomodoro technique, which helps you work in 25-minute blocks. One other example is the 3-3-3 technique.
Prioritise what is important and urgent. Understand what is important and urgent for you, as opposed to what is important and urgent for the organisation.
A great tool to understand yourself is called the “wheel of life”. It is a way of disaggregating the different areas of life that you care about. The wheel of life helps you visualise which areas you are satisfied with and which areas you may need to focus on.
“Ikigai’ is a great concept to work out your purpose and be less distracted as a result. Overall, the key is to be kinder to ourselves.
Overall, the key is to be kinder to ourselves.

Our Guest: Costas KalisperasCostas is a Londoner of Greek Cypriot heritage and has worked as a barrister, solicitor, investment banker, private equity executive, angel investor and board director across a range of industries in a professional services career spanning 30 years. He has lived and worked in the US, UK and the Middle East over that time.

Now an executive coach, his clients describe his approach as one that encompasses structure and challenge on the one hand and empathy and support on the other. His focus is on helping leaders to be in tune with themselves and their environment, tap into their inner resourcefulness and manage their interactions with others more effectively. This helps to nurture greater collaboration and collective success, while having some fun along the journey.

Costas has been entrusted with leadership responsibility around team cohesion, morale, mentoring and career development in all his prior roles, including as a Head of a team and as Chair of year-end review committees at Barclays investment bank for many years, as well as in senior positions at Credit Suisse, Lehman Brothers and Bank of America. He has thereby gained valuable insights into the importance of transparency, collaboration, diversity and inclusion in achieving the best results.

Costas is a graduate of Meyler Campbell’s Mastered Programme, an accredited coach by the EMCC, a Fellow of the Institute of Coaching and a Hogan Certified practitioner.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

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The relationship between body and psycheIn this episode, we welcome executive and mental coach Marta Michniewicz.

In our chat, we cover a variety of topics, including:

The relationship between body and psyche, and the bio-psycho-social model.
The effects of treating your body the right way
Therapy as a vessel
Individual change and organisational change
The impact of leadership

Our Guest: Marta MichniewiczExecutive and mental coach with extensive experience in the healthcare industry. Marta has worked in a variety of roles from providing psychosomatic body therapy to clients in clinical settings, to product development in health promotion, to working with health tech start-ups as a Platform & Partnership Manager. In her work, she uses her coaching and consulting skills to drive individual and organisational change. With Marta, you quickly experience a foundation of trust to grow within and create deep relationships with others.

References:

Marta Michniewicz Linkedin profile

www.hifemp.com

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Leaders and remote work Kem Boggs joins Stepsero to share her thoughts on the role of leaders in a remote work environment.

Below are a few main takeaways:

The changes that occurred in the past few years forced many companies into a globally distributed and remote model. Many organizations are still in the adaptation phase. Leaders face an increasingly difficult position, as they now need to consolidate their vision and communication more than ever. Technology can help leaders offer the same experience to employees, regardless of whether they work remotely or not. Technology can make it easy to arrange AMAs (Ask-Me-Anything) and Forums to address relevant questions. Face-to-face interactions, even if just occasional, can further support remote work. CEOs are likely to experience a certain degree of loneliness. It is important that they build their own network in order to create a safe space and discuss ideas. Leaders can benefit from a structured and thought-through onboarding process.

Our Guest: Kem Boggs

Top-performing human resources and talent acquisition leader with over twenty years of experience in positions of increased responsibility and a track record of promotions during my career. Fifteen years of experience in HR leadership. Five years of experience in leading employment branding programs. Four years on the executive or extended executive leadership team in multiple organizations. References: Kem Boggs Linkedin profile

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A chat with Richard Turner from Employees Health Richard Turner, Director at Employees Health, joins the Stepsero podcast to discuss how to improve employees’ health and well-being. Here are a few main takeaways: What is the point of going through life if we aren't happy, fulfilled, and healthy? Richard’s mission is to help professionals keep an optimal health state for as long as possible.With our world being set up to be so negative these days, it is crucial that we focus on positivity, which in turn will help us achieve happiness and well-being. Companies should strive to help employees fullfill their needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Self-determination theory). A lot of this depends on the culture that is promoted within the organization.Senior leaders have a great impact on their teams and can help set the example in areas such as work-life balance, self-learning and development, setting boundaries at work, nutrition, and exercise. Our Guest: Richard Turner

As a personal trainer for nearly 10 years, Richard has been helping people live healthier lifestyles and improve their health and fitness. In 2019 he founded Employees Health to help businesses create a better workplace as well as help them improve their employees health, wellbeing and performance so that every employee can come to work and thrive. In 2018 Richard lost a friend and mentor to suicide which opened his eyes to the importance of looking after people’s mental health and the devastating effects of not doing so can have on us. Since then he has been an advocate for learning about and raising awareness for Mental Health which has led to him completing his MHFAider qualification and his Science of Wellbeing qualification from Yale as well as all the awareness activities they do throughout the year. Today, Richard’s mission is to help employees create happier and healthier lifestyles which improve their wellbeing and performance so both the individual and business can succeed. To do this, he always strives to help the companies he works with make positive, proactive changes that produce quantifiable, lasting results for employees and employers.References:Richard Turner Likedin profilewww.employeeshealth.co.uk

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Leadership and trust In this episode of the Stepsero podcast, we discuss leadership and trust with Leo Wang. Here are some useful pointers: It is important that your team members operate according to a shared set of values they adhere to and engage with.Letting your team know early on that you have their best interest at heart might help establish a baseline of trust. However, sharing your intentions is not as important as actually delivering on what you have promised.It is great to look at experienced leaders, while trying to define your own leadership style.When moving from an individual contributor role to a leadership position, it is important to help your team build bridges with other departments. Working on your communication style can help achieve better internal connections between your team and the rest of the company. Our Guest: Leo Wang

Leo is a Berlin-based sales leader in the geospatial and remote sensing industry. Having started as the first salesperson at UP42, he took the company from €0 to over €4M in Annual Revenue in less than 4 years through an unwavering customer-first operational approach. He has a passion for leadership, deeply thinking about the strategies and mindset around what makes a great leader and their powerful impact on performance. Outside of work, you'll find him playing tennis, going to concerts, and spending quality time with the people he loves.References:Leo Wang Linkedin profile

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Toxic Leadership Kasia Musur joins the Stepsero podcast to discuss toxic leadership.

Below are a few main takeaways:

It can be hard to define toxic traits in leaders. Generally speaking, toxic leaders put their image and interest ahead of the well-being of the people they lead. For toxic leaders, success is not about their team or even the company, but rather about themselves. Especially early in your career, you might think that you simply have to accept toxic leadership as part of the process. But this does not have to be the case. Toxic leadership highly depends on the company culture which tolerates it. Some businesses choose not to remove such leaders because of the short-term benefits they may bring. However, in the long-term, it is better for the bottom line if they are replaced as early as possible. Different companies have different processes, so it is important to discuss with your HR department and understand the best approach to tackle the issue. A toxic leader’s behavior may also get to the point where it affects someone’s dignity. This trauma often follows professionals into their private lives, impacting their health, social and family life as well as their next job performance. This is why it is important to spot and tackle the issue early on.

Our Guest: Kasia Musur

Bio Kasia Musur is a Berlin-based founder of an early-stage startup dealing with toxic leadership. Passionate about human dignity and human rights, Kasia also runs "lightup Germany", a non-profit focusing on human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Germany. References: Kasia Musur Linkedin profile

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Effective Coaching with Costas Kalisperas In this episode, Costas Kalisperas shares some precious insights about coaching and building trust. Below are a few notable highlights:

While most companies offer training for technical knowledge, few offer their leaders opportunities to acquire key behavioural skills, which are critical for building trust, forming alliances and creating inclusive thinking environments.

When coaching is offered, it is usually imposed on leaders as a behavioural “remedy”. Instead, coaching should be offered to the best executives and the next generation of leaders to help them strengthen their performance, rather than to remedy it.

Coaching is most effective when the asking of non-directive questions helps clients to find their own best answers.

The key to improved well-being at work is self-awareness and self-management: while you can’t affect other people’s behaviour, you can learn how to react to it in a way that is more likely to be constructive.

If you are in tune with how you are feeling, you can manage your own ego better, as well as find tools and techniques to build trust and collaboration for improved well-being and collective success.

Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas

Costas is a Londoner of Greek Cypriot heritage and has worked as a barrister, solicitor, investment banker, private equity executive, angel investor and board director across a range of industries in a professional services career spanning 30 years. He has lived and worked in the US, UK and the Middle East over that time. Now an executive coach, his clients describe his approach as one that encompasses structure and challenge on the one hand and empathy and support on the other. His focus is on helping leaders to be in tune with themselves and their environment, tap into their inner resourcefulness and manage their interactions with others more effectively. This helps to nurture greater collaboration and collective success, while having some fun along the journey. Costas has been entrusted with leadership responsibility around team cohesion, morale, mentoring and career development in all his prior roles, including as a Head of a team and as Chair of year-end review committees at Barclays investment bank for many years, as well as in senior positions at Credit Suisse, Lehman Brothers and Bank of America. He has thereby gained valuable insights into the importance of transparency, collaboration, diversity and inclusion in achieving the best results. Costas is a graduate of Meyler Campbell's Mastered Programme, an accredited coach by the EMCC, a Fellow of the Institute of Coaching and a Hogan Certified practitioner. References: Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile www.intune-exec.com

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Mental well-being at work with Thomas ForstnerThomas Forstner joins the Stepsero podcast to discuss mental well-being at work, focus, and vulnerability.

Here are some takeaways from our chat:

In recent times, many companies have provided their employees with some useful resources, including tools for online therapy. As great as these may be, however, they should come as part of a wider strategy to foster mental well-being at work.
A “productised approach” to people can be helpful to developing your company and removing part of the uncertainty (and fluff) that professionals experience at work.
To improve focus at work, you must understand your role within the organisation, and what you are building towards. For example, while some focus on building the company’s product, others may be tasked with developing people.
Companies that invest disproportionately more in the product than their people, typically tend to fail, get a bad reputation, or both.
It is hard to communicate to your company that you are not ok. However, being vulnerable could be a catalyst one needs to take a break and get the necessary energy back.

Our Guest: Thomas ForstnerThomas is the Senior Director of People & Talent at Juro – a 100-strong, collaborative contract management platform on a mission to de-throne MS Word – where he is building a human-centric, scalable team from the ground up.

References:

Thomas Forstner Linkedin profile

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Global mobility and Employee relocationThis episode covers Global Mobility and employee relocation, as well as their impact on employees’ mental well-being.

Below are a few highlights:

Employee relocations have become more popular in recent years, also thanks to the growth of the Tech industry. However, company leaders may not always understand the importance of relocation processes.
Proactive assistance can go a long way. Employees who relocate may not be aware of the hurdles they will face. These can affect their performance at work and their mental well-being.
Expectation management is a crucial skill for relocation professionals. Experts like Michali know this is a very complicated process. It is, therefore, important to be as realistic and accurate as possible.
When that does not happen, employees may get disappointed and frustrated, which can have a very negative impact on their well-being.
Relocation professionals themselves are also at risk of experiencing a significant amount of stress and anxiety, as they sometimes bear a big responsibility.
If you are considering relocating, beware of social media because sometimes information can be confusing. The subject is very complicated, and it is crucial that you speak to an actual expert.

Our Guest: Michali HenigMichali Henig is a Global Mobility Leader. During her career she had a small relocation agency which specialized in relocating highly qualified employees to Germany, and then was working as an in-house Global Mobility Partner in several companies, focusing on establishing the GM team and creating people-friendly mobility policies and processes. Being an expat herself, Michali is fascinated with international environments and is passionate about making an impact in creating inclusive environments for people on different immigration paths.

References:

Michali Henig – Linkedin Profile

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Brain HealthIn this episode, Dr. Sara Whedon joins us to discuss the importance of Brain Health at work.

Below are a few relevant pointers:

Brain Health is the main driver of employees’ performance at work. However, organizations rarely know how to help their people reach an optimal level of functioning without going over budget.
Understanding Brain Health is crucial for organizations to get a footing in areas such as high churn rates, conveyor belt mentality, and lack of productivity.
Dr. Sara helps companies by giving them tips and tools to enhance what they have and allow them to grow exponentially.
Sometimes we refer to employees as toxic, demotivated, or lazy. However, this is usually due to their brain not reaching an optimal state, thus not firing properly.
Well-being apps and training programs are great, but they are not necessarily a foundational layer for brain health. Very few people will take action and engage in said programs unless they first feel better.
Dr. Sara follows a three-phase model (Aware, Adapt, and Accelerate) which she describes during our conversation.
Her approach varies depending on the company she works with, as not every problem or situation needs the same solution.

Our Guest: Dr Sara WhedonDr. Sara has combined her years helping patients transform their lives, her desire to allow people to live their best life and her experience as a daughter of a corporate executive to bring brain-based transformations to organizations.
With over 50,000 patient interactions, she has seen time and time again, what the brain and body are capable of when they are optimized. She is changing the narrative that wellness in an organization must be expensive, generic and provide little to no return to individuals or the organization.

References:

Dr Sara Whedon

www.drsarawhedon.com

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Naturopathic medicine and Human interconnectedness In this episode of Stepsero we chat about naturopathic medicine and human interconnectedness with Dr. Antonella Aguilera Ruiz, ND. Below are a few main takeaways from our discussion:

Naturopathic medicine is a relatively new discipline and is sometimes perceived as an antagonist to Orthodox medicine. In the US, there are only five accredited colleges. It is Dr. Antonella’s hope that Naturopathic Medicine and Orthodox Medicine will manage to coexist in the near future. Ultimately, we should we able to combine different schools of education so that patients have access to the best possible care. Human beings are complex interconnected systems, made of different delicate parts which function in relation with each other. One aspect of particular importance is social connection, which is however rarely taken into account, despite having a significant impact on our well-being. Social connection can look very different for different people (e.g. an introvert vs an extrovert), and it can be expressed in many ways, such as being part of a religious community or going for a hike with a small group of friends. Agency and Control are two crucial concepts and yet they are often misunderstood. While we all are mortal beings, we do have agency over certain aspects of our life that can create a greater sense of well-being and purpose. On this note, we should be careful with telling people that they have total control over their health. Agency can actually help us rewire and reshape our brain (neuroplasticity). Through positive neuroplasticity our brain can learn and grow. This means that, for example, with the right behavior we change the structure of our brain, adjust our fear response, and develop greater resilience.

Our Guest: Dr Antonella Aguilera Ruiz, ND

Antonella Aguilera Ruiz is a naturopathic doctor based in Northern California. Her virtual clinic, Wild Lemon Health, specializes in mental health using a whole person approach. The clinic incorporates evidence- based nutrition with integrative medicine along with health coaching, group classes and mind-body medicine. After graduating magna cum laude at Santa Clara University, she earned her naturopathic doctorate (ND) from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland, OR. She is licensed by the California Naturopathic Medicine Committee and the Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine. References: Dr Antonella Aguilera Ruiz, ND: Linkedin profile Wild Lemon Health

National University of Natural Medicine

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Weekly working hours Weekly working hours are not just about mere efficacy and effectiveness.They are also about the way one handles stress and interacts with colleagues and clients. A few days of overwork and you will inevitably be grumpier, more tired, less focused, and increasingly more stressed and anxious.

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Hypergrowth and Layoffs Many Tech companies have had to opt for layoffs during the first half of 2022. Several factors have contributed to that, hypergrowth being one of them.

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Flexible Work Flexible work has been trending for a while now. News about companies jumping on the “flexible work” bandwagon keep coming in. Yet, how good is our understanding about what it takes to be successful with it?

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The Four-day work week What do we mean exactly by a Four-day work week?

Are we talking about five normal working days compressed into a shorter time? Or are actually referring to 32 hours of work?

Also, what happens to your salary?

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A Chat with Rob Stephenson, CEO at FormScore: Episode Notes In this episode we are joined by Rob Stephenson, CEO and Founder at FormScore. Rob is not only a phenomenal entrepreneur, but is also a very inspiring human being, set to build a well-being movement backed by technology.

During our conversation we talk about the struggle of dealing with bi-polar disorder, as well Rob’s plans for FormScore. Here are a few takeaways:

Bi-polar disorder is characterized by extremes of mood. People affected by this condition may jump from depression to mania. While depression may have individuals feel like they are in a lethargic state, manic episodes could lead them to take irrational decisions and take huge risks, among other things. Sometimes, Rob sees his own condition as a superpower, as it leads to moments of great creativity inspiration. Unfortunately, these usually come at a cost. Being open about his own situation has helped him a great deal. FormScore is first and foremost a movement to help people become more intentional about their mental well-being, and help them facilitate peer support with people they care about. To have a blend of different people in your FormScore circle may help generate enough resilience to deal with whatever life throws in your direction. FormScore can be very effective for companies to aggregate insights at a team level, and therefore identify mental well-being trends in real time.

Our Guest: Rob Stephenson

Rob Stephenson is an international keynote speaker, campaigner and wellbeing consultant who is on a mission to help create happier, healthier and higher performing workplaces. He experiences bipolar disorder personally. Rob is the founder of InsideOut, a social enterprise with the mission of smashing the stigma of mental ill-health in the workplace by showcasing senior leader role models with lived experiences of mental ill-health. This is done by virtue of a published annual list – The InsideOut LeaderBoard.

As a consultant, Rob works with Boards and senior leadership teams on the design and implementation of an integrated wellbeing strategy. Rob is the CEO of FormScore, a revolutionary technology start up helping people to monitor their mental health using a score out of ten with a mobile app to help friends, family and colleagues support each other. Rob is co-founder of the InsideOut Awards and G24, the world’s first global 24-hour mental health summit. In his keynote talks, Rob inspires audiences to think differently about mental health and wellbeing. References: Rob Stephenson Linkedin profile www.formscore.today

www.inside-out.org

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During our conversation we talk about the struggle of dealing with bi-polar disorder, as well Rob’s plans for FormScore. Here are a few takeaways:

Our Guest: Rob Stephenson

www.inside-out.org

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Positive thinking with Tia Graham: Episode Notes In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we discuss positive psychology and happiness at work with Tia Graham. Tia has helped numerous organizations by increasing employee happiness and morale, and has provided many leaders with tools and strategies based on the science of happiness and neuroscience. Here are a few takeaways from our chat:Simply put, Positivity is about focus. People who are affected by a negative event can react very differently based on what they decide to focus on.For positive thinking to work effectively, focus needs to be followed by action. While you are going to attract a lot more positive energy by focusing on positive thoughts, you will eventually need to put in the right amount of effort in order to improve your situation.Our genetics and our life circumstances affect our way of thinking, but that is not all of it. Our daily choices, in fact, might make a greater difference than we think, including rewiring our brains for the better. Exercising, eating healthy food, sleeping a reasonable amount of hours, among many other things, are only one choice away.Happiness is a personal journey and we don't all start on an equal level. However, anyone can increase their happiness. For Tia, happiness comes from helping others and limiting their suffering. Our Guest: Tia Graham

Tia Graham is the Founder of Arrive At Happy and a Chief Happiness Officer. She has worked with dozens of global companies such as Goldman Sachs, Hilton Hotels and Kashi to elevate engagement, sales, and drive bottom line results. With multiple certifications in neuroscience, positive psychology, leadership coaching, and employee morale she has supported leaders for five years at Arrive At Happy. Tia is also the host of the Arrive At Happy leaders show available on Spotify and iTunes. Prior to running aah!, she led sales & marketing teams at luxury hotels in the United States and Turkey for brands such as W Hotels, Westin, and The London. She has a Business Degree in Tourism from The University of Hawaii. She is widely regarded by the corporate happiness community and is a speaker at the annual World Happiness Summit. Her insights have been featured in national publications like Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, Well + Good, and Yoga Journal. As a Certified Chief Happiness Officer, she helps C-Suite Executives drive productivity and results through utilizing her evidence-based AAH Business Growth Program.References:Tia Graham Linkedin profilewww.arriveathappy.com

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Dr. Böttiger and Taxfix back on Stepsero: Episode Notes In this episode we share a success story featuring two former guests of the Stepsero podcast: Neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Boettiger (founder of Mitte Institut) and Marie Bosseur Dit Toby, Head of People at Taxfix.Thanks to their appearance on Stepsero, Taxfix and Dr. Boettiger and her team from Mitte Institut embarked on a fruitful collaboration aimed at combining bottom-up and top-down approaches to mental well-being at work.Below are a few highlights:Burnout develops over three main stages: overexcitement/over engagement, resistance, and exhaustion.Taxfix operates in a very open minded environment, where conversations about mental well-being are not only welcome, but encouraged. Because of this, Dr. Boettiger quickly became sort of an extension of the TaxFix workforce.Burnout has severe impact on employees, that is why it is important for managers to be adequately prepared. For such reasons, it might make sense for leaders to take on a coaching approach, while leaning on a psychotherapy expert for questions related to mental health.Taxfix has implemented a culture based on what they call “effectiveness and fun”. Based on this, individuals are allowed to privilege long term success rather than short-term gain and are encouraged to take advantage of down-times whenever necessary. Our Guests: Caroline Böttiger & Marie Bosseur Dit Toby

Dr. Caroline Böttiger holds a PhD in Neuroscience and works as a psychotherapist and business coach in her office "Das Mitte Institut" in Berlin. She also runs the online platform "emotional-mind" for improving mental health through holistic approaches such as online courses and webinars.In 2019 she published the book "Das Hungertier in Dir" about emotional eating and the connection between mental and physical health. Being an expert in mental health, burnout, leadership, team building and psychological safe communication skills, she provides workshops and coaching for multiple companies in Germany and Europe.Marie Bosseur Dit Toby: Currently Head of People & Organisation at Taxfix - a 100 million euro funded start-up based in Berlin, Marie previously served in various international HR and change management roles in large global corporates such as Danone as well as hypergrowth fintech start-ups.Her passion is to make people, hence businesses thrive. She believes that de-tabooing the topic of mental health in the workplace would enable a more holistic and balanced approach towards work and life which would in return empower people to be at their best.References:Dr Caroline Böttiger Linkedin profileMarie Bosseur Dit Toby Linkedin profilewww.mitte-institut.deAbout Taxfix

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A chat with Selfapy's CEO, Nora Blum: Episode Notes In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we enjoy a laid back conversation with Nora Blum, CEO and founder at Selfapy, a well-known digital platform for self-help against depression. We kick off our discussion with a few considerations on self-isolation, namely one of the many negative effects caused by the current Covid-19 pandemic. We then move onto Nora's personal take on the new normal, and conclude with future plans for Selfapy.Below are a few highlights:The lack of social interactions, combined with the anxiety given by the spread of the virus, has caused more and more people to experience a higher degree of loneliness compared to the past.It is becoming increasingly difficult for employees to establish a structured work-life routine, and employers are quickly realizing how much of a problem this is.In times like these, it is highly recommended to try and maintain social connections. One great solution is to go for regular walks, while keeping a safe distance from others. Other than this, engaging in physical exercise can truly make a difference.For Nora, establishing a good morning routine is a great step towards better self-care (although not an easy one). After work walks and short (5-10 minutes) meditation sessions can do wonders!One practical solution that helps her take a break in the evening is to make use of softwares that help regulate access to work-related programs on her phone.Since December 2020, Selfapy is the first depression program in Germany to be fully reimbursed by all health insurances.In the future, Nora hopes to achieve the same for their programs related to anxiety, panic disorders and burnout. Our Guest: Nora Blum

Nora Blum (29) is CEO and founder of Selfapy. She studied psychology at the University of Cambridge and has already worked in various clinical settings (e.g. UKE-Klinikum Psychiatrie in Hamburg). She then switched to the world of business and worked for Rocket Internet in corporate development. Already during her studies, the desire arose to provide accessible help for people with mental illnesses through online programmes. Nora is from Hamburg and comes from a family of psychotherapists. She has long been committed to reducing the stigma around the topic of depression. In 2017, she made it onto Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.References:Nora Blum Linkedin profilewww.selfapy.com

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The positive effects of a career change: Episode Notes In this episode we discuss employee well-being with Raisin’s Head of Learning and Development, Maja Bazan. Raisin is a well-known deposit marketplace, with a network of over ninety partner banks. Maja’s interest in mental well-being has grown further thanks to her experience with individual coaching, which opened many opportunities for her own career development. Below are a few points that we had the chance to cover during our interview: With the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdowns, Learning and Development professionals need to find new ways to deliver impactful training and maintain a healthy level of engagement. This may include learning (and promoting) new tools.At Raisin, People leaders have conducted various surveys for employee satisfaction. On top of that, they have also brought about so-called “happiness discussions”, where employees can express any concern and offer suggestions for improvement.At Raisin, developing leadership management skills is a key priority. After all, while team leads need to focus on improving their own team’s performance, they also bear a social responsibility to support employees' overall well-being (including their families’).Managers at Raisin pay particular attention to the concept of agile leadership. An agile mindset helps stakeholders be vulnerable, listen openly, and adjust themselves to ever-changing circumstances.Among many useful initiatives, Raisin strives to make meetings more effective by establishing clear guidelines around length, stakeholder involvement and meeting agendas (among others). On regular occasions, leaders promote “no meeting” days to allow employees to prioritize their work accordingly.The main goal of Raisin’s female empowerment forum is to support women in growing both personally and professionally. This may help them develop into leadership positions and the more tech-driven sides of the organization Our Guest: Maja Bazan

Since childhood, Maja knew that she wanted to work in an international environment. Thanks to her family she was exposed to the travel and freight industry. She was always curious about cross-cultural collaboration. People’s behaviour and motivation always encouraged her to explore more. Maja’s mission is to develop business through people’s growth, she combines two educational paths that gave her a solid background in her HR career - MSc in International Relations and Postgraduate Studies in Modern HR Management. A turning point in her career was when she participated in coaching sessions. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to pursue a diploma in that field in order to help people in discovering their purpose and strengths. She has 10+ years of experience in HR, all processes from hire to retire. Currently, she nurtures talents at Raisin, a German FinTech company, as the Head of Learning and Development. She is also still actively supporting people’s growth as a life and business coach. In everyday work, she sees herself as a gardener who takes care of people’s growth. Her optimistic approach to life helps her to survive through difficult times.References:Maja Bazan Linkedin profilewww.raisin.com

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AI and mental health: Episode Notes In this episode of Stepsero we speak about AI and its application to mental health. Our guests, George and Amir, are part of The Data Analysis Bureau, a UK-based data science agency that has recently developed a virtual AI assistant tool called SAM. Below are a few highlights from our conversation:The recent lockdown has forced people to pay closer attention to mental health and its complexity. The same goes for organizations who need to find ways to engage their employees remotely.Overall, employees are still not fully comfortable with being totally transparent, as the stigma surrounding mental health is still very much present. At the same time, the lockdown made it more difficult to speak to a confidant, or develop a close network of people with whom to share any personal concern.With the development of their platform SAM, The Data Analysis Bureau wants to put AI at the service of mental health.On one hand, their AI-powered chatbot is a great solution for employees to share private thoughts and get immediate access to useful suggestions and information. On the other hand, SAM allows companies to monitor anonymous insights and highlight areas where groups of people may need support.While an AI platform isn’t the solution to everything, it is definitely enough to start a discussion around mental health. As a matter of fact, SAM allows people to understand more about a specific problem so that they can take the necessary steps.Ultimately, George and Amir wish for companies all over the world to reach a point where having a conversation around mental health at work becomes the norm, rather than the exception. Our Guests: Amir Bhatti & George Hancock

Amir leads the mental wellbeing offering at T-DAB, who have leveraged their AI and machine learning capabilities to help teams monitor mental wellbeing in their workplace and support their employees. Outside of this, he is a bodybuilding competitor and qualified nutritionist and fitness coach, strongly advocating physical health and self-care as a crucial step towards attaining overall quality mental wellbeing.Naturally curious, George is a business technologist and leads business development at The Data Analysis Bureau to help businesses understand the impact of technology and solve problems with AI and machine learning. As an avid outdoorsman, George is very active with fitness, sports and self-care being a focal point in his day to day (as much as possible anyway with lockdown measures).References:Amir Bhatti Linkedin profileGeorge Hancock Linkedin profilewww.t-dab.com

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Wooga and employee mental health: Episode Notes Wooga, a well-known Berlin based game developer, have recently made it to the news for being 100% carbon neutral. Given their impressive achievement, we approached them to discuss their employee mental health initiatives. The gaming industry has long been under scrutiny for its long work hours (also referred to as “crunch”). In fact, game developers can be extremely passionate about their jobs, and often run the risk of wearing themselves out in order to deliver outstanding results within specific deadlines. Since their foundation in 2009, Wooga have strived to implement a culture based on transparent communication and role-modeling, and have promoted several initiatives to foster their employees’ mental health. Below are a few highlights from our discussion:

Developing a sustainable culture is a long process. Before suggesting specific initiatives or even start collecting feedback, it is crucial to build trust with employees. Wooga first leveraged their own resources to create an internal counselor position. At a later stage, they partnered with an external provider to better measure feedback and expand their scope of support. Especially during the current pandemic, managers should be able to assess situations where they can be of support. On top of offering to help, it is important to proactively suggest that employees choose which tasks can be handed over or postponed. At Wooga, it is not uncommon for employees to attend knowledge exchange sessions, where experts in their field can share their views with like-minded professionals. This has turned out to be an effective Learning & Development exercise which requires limited time and effort. In July 2019, Wooga partnered up with Take This, a non-profit organization poised to address mental health issues in the game industry.

Our Guests: Lenka Kaciakova & Maike Steinweller

Lenka joined Wooga in 2012 as HR Business Partner. Back then, Wooga was a 3-year-old games company, enjoying tremendous success and going through a phase of hyper-growth. Almost 8 years later, Wooga is dominating the hidden object games genre and is growing. Climbing to the top came with challenges and lessons learned. Lenka’s focus in this period was on sustainable workplace culture, change management and leadership development. In her current position as VP HR, Lenka and her team work on creating a working environment where people are driven to contribute to Wooga’s success. A clear vision together with a people-centric culture keeps playing a major part in this. Prior to Wooga, Lenka worked at eBay, Accenture and startups in various HR roles.Maike is Wooga’s Head of Communications. In that role her mantra is “Thoughtful Communication”, which is Wooga’s core company value and demonstrates the importance communication has for the Berlin based developer of story-driven casual games. Her focus for both external and internal communication is to share news in an authentic and transparent way, always ensuring to choose the right channels and spokesperson for each message. Maike has been with Wooga since 2012 and held various roles within the PR & Communications team. Before joining Wooga she gained experience while working for trade associations as well as agencies.References:Lenka Kaciakova Linkedin profileMeike Steinweller Linkedin profilewww.wooga.com

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The positive effects of a career change: Episode Notes Thinking about a career change can be scary and stressful. Rebecca O’Brien joins Stepsero to share her own journey from Marketing & Sales to Wellness Coaching. Following a debilitating burnout, Rebecca made the brave choice to go back to study and finally embrace what she felt was her real purpose in life. As a first step, rather than pursuing what was expected of her and keep climbing the corporate ladder, she set out to follow different therapies including breathwork, CBT therapy and trauma healing, among others. Below are a few takeaways from our discussion: As scary as it may sound, a career change may lead to a healthier and happier future. For these to be successful, we should avoid pushing our emotions away, but rather listen to our inner voice.Hitting rock bottom may sometimes be necessary for us to realize that we need to follow a new path. Thanks to her painful experience, Rebecca was able to re-evaluate many important aspects of her life, including some of her previous relationships.Wellness by Rebecca is based on four core principles, namely Self-mastery, Powerful Mind, High-performing habits, and Unbreakable Boundaries. Our own well-being starts with us and requires a significant amount of inner work. This includes setting healthy choices for our body, mind and spirit, and building a sustainable foundation for ourselves. Our Guest: Rebecca O'Brien

Rebecca O’Brien is a Certified Stress Management & Burnout Prevention Coach, Mindfulness Instructor, Nutritionist, and former Sales & Marketing Executive. She is the Founder and CEO of Wellness by Rebecca, which is posed to help IT professionals through private coaching and corporate programs.Rebecca She splits her time between San Francisco and Stockholm and uses techniques from both cultures with her clients. When Rebecca isn't helping professionals reduce stress and prevent burnout, she walks her talk by spending time in nature, practicing mindfulness/meditation, cooking, and loves traveling the world.References:Rebecca O'Brien Linkedin profileWellness by Rebecca - website

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How to overcome the negativity bias: Episode Notes Negativity Bias is a term that refers to our tendency to focus on negative experiences more than on positive ones.Such inclination is the result of our natural evolution as human beings, given that our species has managed to survive thanks to the ability to quickly detect dangers and threats.In this episode of the Stepsero podcast, we discuss some implications of the negativity bias, as well as a few ways to keep it under control. Below are some highlights:About 60 to 70% of thoughts occurring in the untrained mind are of a negative nature. Thanks to the plasticity of our brain however, it is possible to train our mind and keep the negativity bias in check.Positive experiences take about 12 seconds to sink in our memory, which is much longer compared to negative ones. This partly explains why it seems easier to focus on challenging situations.While it is in our nature to escape negativity by seeking distractions, it is important that we try and consciously assess our feelings, instead. Rejecting our negative thoughts may eventually make them stronger, therefore resulting in a counterproductive effort on our end.We need to bring compassionate acceptance to our negative experiences, rather than wanting them to be different. When we can relax into them, they are likely to change. In this regard, we could start asking ourselves: Which areas of our body are being affected by our thoughts, and how does it make us feel to experience them?Compassion is based on the willingness to engage with our own experiences and accept them for what they are. Leaders who bring compassion to both themselves and their staff are more likely to establish authentic, strong bonds at work. Our Guest: Karen Liebenguth

Karen Liebenguth is an accredited mindfulness teacher and supervisor, a certified coach, mentor and facilitator.Karen works with individuals, groups and teams and offers tailored mindfulness and coaching programs for the workplace as well as corporate retreats days in nature.She set up Green Space Coaching and Mindfulness in 2008 to foster personal and professional development, self-leadership and mental resilience. Karen is a member of the Association of Coaching and an accredited and associate mindfulness trainer with Breathworks. She follows the Good Practice Guidelines set out by the Association for Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA)Karen has worked with clients such as Kew Gardens, Deloitte, GAMA Healthcare, The Royal Town Planning Institute, Trades Union Congress, Working Well Trust, The City Centre (Corporation of London), NHS Trust London, Collinson, Chobham Academy and others. Karen offers a free initial coaching / mindfulness conversation. Contact her to arrange your complementary session.References:Karen Liebenguth Linkedin profileGreen Space Coaching - websiteTo reach out to Karen: karen@greenspacecoaching.com

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The benefits of journaling: Episode Notes Journaling is a practice that has been proven to be very effective for both our body and our mind. In fact, according to a few authoritative studies, expressive writing (which includes journaling) can lower blood pressure, improve immune system functionality and positively affect our mood, among other things.In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we host Amánda Efthimiou, Mental Health Advocate, Writer, and Entrepreneur, to discuss some benefits of journaling, as well as different approaches to it, including poetry.Here are some highlights from our discussion: According to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, the chemical processes that are provoked by our emotions end within 90 seconds. Everything that happens after that is the result of the stories that you tell yourself. Based on this, journaling could help label your emotions, and ultimately allow you to regulate and balance your feelings.A gratitude journal can be a great way to start, and it can be as simple as writing three things that you are grateful for in the morning.Writing in free flow for just 15-20 minutes can be a very liberating act, even if you don't read again what has been written. This is not limited to only creative writers, but rather to anyone who wants to experiment with different forms of writing and journaling.Bullet-points can also be useful, especially when compiling a list of things you want to get done on a specific day, as well as the feeling you want to have by the time you go to sleep.Companies can also benefit from bullet journaling, as their employees can use this method to prioritize their goals and plan their week better.For Amanda, poetry is a great way to interpret her thoughts and give them a special meaning. Given its peculiar form, poetry allows her to express herself in a more articulated way compared to more traditional forms of journaling. Our Guest: Amanda Efthimiou

Amanda Efthimiou is a mental health advocate, writer, and community creator. She founded I.ÁM with a mission to help people design their lives around caring for their mental health. As part of her passion for nurturing communities through experiences, she’s now built a network of women around the world who use I.ÁM’s core principles to refocus conversations on women’s healing, psychedlic therapy and integration. She also uses poetry and creative fiction as an artistic practice to highlight the shared human experiences of our inner states and to spark conversations about mental health. Her writing has been published in online publications such as The Mighty and Designing the Next Decade, and her poetry was recently featured in a Lisbon-based art exhibition. She’s currently also pursuing her MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health at King’s College, London.References:Amanda Efthimiou Linkedin profileAmanda's WebsiteAmanda's Blog (Medium)

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Global mobility and mental health: Episode Notes In this Podcast episode we discuss the relationship between Global Mobility and mental health. Our guest Holly Maria Creed, co- founded Next Gen GM in 2018 whose aim is to support Global Mobility Professionals, both corporate and vendor, with less than fifteen years’ experience within Global Mobility. More specifically, with the Next Gen GM, Holly hopes to create an environment where Global Mobility Professionals are free to discuss a variety of topics, while potentially expanding their own network and creating long lasting relationships. In 2020, Next Gen GM has focused on addressing mental health implications within the Global Mobility industry and below are a few takeaways from our discussion: Being on assignment can be a difficult experience. Whether it is about finding the right school for your kids, or fitting into a whole new culture, you may face significant challenges unless the right provisions are in place. The hardships of being on assignment could have repercussions on your personal life, as well as your own mental health. For this reason, employees on assignment may want to rely on Global Mobility Professionals to empathize with their mental health concerns. Due to the nature of their job, Global Mobility employees tend to work very long hours and place their client’s satisfaction above their own well-being. This is clearly a problem when they become too exhausted to help a client in need. As a Global Mobility worker, you may get concerned with the wrong initiatives and forget that the main purpose is to look after other individuals. In this regard, it is not uncommon to get caught up in strategic decisions involving analytics and data, while your clients may first and foremost need someone to discuss their mental health struggles with. Our Guest: Holly Maria Creed

Holly Maria Creed’s Global Mobility career began when she started a graduate scheme in US and UK expatriation tax before moving to EY to specialise in Global Mobility. Over the next eighteen months Holly ran a FTSE 100 client account and undertook her first Assignment to India. Upon Holly’s return from India, she moved into Global Mobility consulting before undertaking the role of project manager to help the Head of Global Mobility establish a new operating model for an international energy company. Holly is a passionate and inspiring leader who is fast gathering a positive reputation as a thought leader and innovator within the industry.References:Holly Maria Creed Linkedin profileNext Gen GM website

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General Practitioners and mental health: Episode Notes When we experience mental health issues for the first time, we usually turn to General Practitioners (GPs) for professional advice.Depending on our doctors’ specialization however, we may not always find the answers we are looking for. Why is that? In this episode of the Stepsero podcast, we adopt the perspective of a general practitioner, thanks to the intervention of Gustavo Vidal, a digital health professional trained as a Medical Doctor. On top of that, Gustavo gives us a glimpse into his experience working with victims of trauma and torture in refugee camps. Below are a few takeaways from our interview: General practitioners are experts in treating organic diseases, where physical or physiological changes can be assessed and measured.Due to their training, general practitioners may not always be able to treat psychosomatic disorders. Unfortunately, this often results in a very unsatisfactory experience for both the doctors and their patients.General practitioners operate under serious time constraints. Because of this, once they have addressed all organic aspects, they might not have the chance to dig deep into their patients’ overall psychological attitudes.When no evident organic alterations are found, GPs consider the problem to be a psychological one. At this point, they may refer their patients to a psychologist or a psychiatrist.Lately, science is bridging the gap between organic and functional medicine, by showing a clear connection between pathological and organic disorders. Our Guest: Gustavo Vidal

Gustavo Vidal sees himself as a ‘Jack of all trades and a master of none’. One of his many interests lies in the field of psychology, which has been deepened by his experience working with victims of trauma and torture on several international missions with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, also known by the English name ‘Doctors Without Borders’). Trained as a Medical Doctor, he has worked as a clinician as well as on the supervising side of projects, managing projects and teams in a variety of contexts. Currently, his responsibilities involve managing a team of medical doctors developing medical artificial intelligence in the field of digital health.References:Gustavo Vidal Linkedin profile

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CBT at work: Episode Notes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also referred to as CBT, is an approach that can help significantly improve people's quality of life. As a recruitment professional, Chris Hart is clearly passionate about individuals' mental well-being. A few months ago, he started having a closer look at CBT practices, as well as different ways he could bring mental well-being initiatives to his organization. Below are a few highlights from our discussion: CBT works around the ABC model, which stands for "activity, belief system, and consequence". Specifically, CBT allows us to become aware of our thoughts and behaviors (consequence), in order to identify what triggered them (activity). By doing so, we can tap into our belief system and replace negative habits with positive ones.Before implementing any specific policy related to well-being, it is crucial to establish the right working culture.In order to build a long-lasting support strategy, leaders should let employees dictate what is important.While leaders can be involved in mental health committees at work, they should allow employees to drive the initiative.One great way for managers to establish trust at work, is to show their own vulnerability. Our Guest: Chris Hart

Chris Hart is 39 and Dad to his three boys, Tate (8), Zac (4) and Finn (1).He has worked in Recruitment for 13 years, covering technology, mainly Infrastructure and Security and is currently a Team Lead at Client Server based in London. Having experienced his own ups and downs with Mental Health, he is a passionate Ambassador on the topic and a certified CBT Coach & Practitioner.Chris has recently launched his own podcast, "Mintally Speaking". References: Chris Hart Linkedin profile Mintally Speaking - Podcast

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A discussion on learning and development: Episode Notes Learning and development is usually seen as a subset of the Human Resources department, and it is related to improving employees’ competencies and performance. Oftentimes, just like it happens with many other well-being practices at work, companies do not treat learning and development as a main priority for their business. As a matter of fact, revenue growth, profitability and technology investment tend to come first. But why is it so hard for companies to embrace a “people first” mentality?In this episode of Stepsero, we ask Christoph Spiessens, who has spent the last fifteen years in learning and development.Below are a few highlights from our conversation: Learning and development should be approached holistically. This means that L&D practitioners should strive to identify employees’ needs and motivation factors outside of conventional practices.Learning and development is about gaining employees’s trust by listening, rather than performing. In this regard, no amount of conventional off-the-shelf training, no matter how brilliantly designed, will hit the target if it is focused on the wrong objectives.Managers and company leaders can take the first step to establish a circle of trust at work. One way to do this is to show their own vulnerability.Individuals generally benefit by deliberately choosing a “being mode” over a “doing mode”. The doing mode is usually about trying to change one’s own status, which causes people to avoid facing their fears and anxieties. The being mode, on the other hand, allows people to accept their situation, therefore lifting any unnecessary pressure. Our Guest: Christoph Spiessens

Christoph Spiessens is an inspirational author, certified coach and accredited mindfulness teacher. His book, "Life of a Lifetime" is published by Business Expert Press, NY. Christoph helps people thrive with mindfulness workshops and talks, and brings secular mindfulness to employees across all sectors and all levels in a practical and usable way.When people ask him where he gets his “calm energy” from, Christoph always replies: “Life itself. It’s an incredible, humbling experience and the journey teaches us so much. The good, the bad and the ugly. We can -if we choose to- grow from it all. I have a huge passion for life and the opportunities it brings us to evolve into happier, more fulfilled, self-actualising people. This excitement fuels my work.” He is particularly fascinated by the intersection of neuroscience, spirituality and wellbeing. Christoph is a childhood abuse survivor. The recovery journey was not always easy but he cultivated a practical, secular spirituality along the way that continues to empower him. He believes his message can help you thrive too.References:Christoph Spiessens Linkedin profile www.christophspiessens.comChristoph's profile on Insight Timer

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Mental health in Academia: Episode Notes In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we draw attention to mental health in Academia once again. According to the available data, the prevalence of depression in academic communities is 6 times higher compared to the general population. On top of that, about 40% to 50% of PHD students are affected by anxiety or depression.Jelena Brasanac knows this all too well and co-Founded Dragonfly Mental Health, a non-profit organization created to address mental health in Academia at a systemic level. The typically hierarchical structure that is often found within the academic world led Jelena and her colleagues to ideate what they call “Wellness Wheel”, which operates on five distinct domains of excellence: Department committee:An additional layer between different hierarchical levels in academia, represented by people from different backgrounds and all career levels of an academic community. It is poised to work on sustainable actions and strategic initiatives regarding mental health.Peer Network: to offer support and integration within the community and facilitate reach outs. Peer networks would work closely with department committees to help promote relevant activities.Mental Health Literacy: Talks and workshops for individuals to better educate themselves on all matters related to mental health in Academia. Skills Workshops: Primarily focused on the relationship between mentors and students, being this a complex and delicate power-dynamic within Academia. Thanks to these workshops, research leaders can be better equipped to support their students, for example by spotting early signs of burnout.Fighting Stigma: There still is a significant stigma attached to mental health within Academia, as individuals often struggle due to their fear of being judged by others. Educational Initiatives targeting such stigma are set to alleviate any negative perceptions around mental health challenges within this environment. At this moment in time Dragonfly Mental Health counts on more than 100 volunteers coming from more than 15 different countries and over 22 disciplines, and is looking to attract partners that could help make their plans financially actionable. Our Guest: Jelena Brasanac

Jelena Brasanac is a PhD candidate in the Medical Neurosciences graduate program at Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany. She received a NeuroCure PhD fellowship for pursuing her research on stress and depression. Her work is investigating stress signaling dysfunction in subpopulations of blood cells and its relationship to stress-related brain areas. Jelena holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and Physiology from the University of Belgrade in Serbia, where she also completed her master’s studies in Experimental Biomedicine.Always driven towards action when recognizing problems and preferring bottom-up approach, Jelena has experience from working in NGO and student-led initiatives to organizing by students for students conferences. Considering mental health as an essential part of our overall health and a major determinant of the quality of our lives she co-founded Dragonfly Mental Health, a non-profit on a quest for cultivating mental health in academia. Jelena believes that giving the voice to and empowering early career researchers will lead to better and more credible science and foster a cultural shift in academia towards a more open, inclusive, and supportive environment.References:Jelena Brasanac Linkedin profileDragonFly Mental Health - website

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On the mental health of researchers: Episode Notes Not enough attention is being paid to the mental health of researchers.For this reason, a few researchers, researcher groups, organizations and non-profits are working hard to raise their concerns.In this episode of Stepsero we are joined by Clarinda Cerejo and Andrea Hayward, who are two professionals behind a recent survey involving 13,000 researchers from across the globe.The report that followed, published by Cactus Communications with the support of several other partners, provides a comprehensive picture about the good and the bad side of researchers’ activities, and suggestions for positive changes in academic culture that can be implemented across institutions all over the world.Below are some key takeaways from the CACTUS Mental Health Survey Report 2020:Close to 40% of the respondents stated that they had felt overwhelmed by their work situation fairly or very often in the previous month.Over 30% of the respondents stated that they typically work more than 50 hours a week. 37% of the respondents stated that they had experienced (or were experiencing) some form of bullying, discrimination and harassment within their organization. Despite the prevalence of mental health difficulties in academia, many researchers find it difficult to seek support or ask for help. In many ways this could be due to the lack of safe and confidential spaces within universities and research institutions where researchers can access support. In line with this, almost half of the survey respondents said they would not discuss work-based feelings of severe stress or anxiety with relevant people/authorities in their workplace. Some of the key reasons holding them back from an open discussion about these feelings were; a sense that others would be unable to help, fear of not being taken seriously, and a sense that these feelings were part of normal academic life. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have brought on additional stress and concerns for researchers as they simultaneously take on changes brought on by a global crisis. In a tweet by PhD Diaries (a popular academic Twitter profile), she explained what academia has been like in a post-COVID world – “…since you can't leave your house, I expect all of you to: write 12 papers, teach 8 classes, learn R, review 16 grants… Oh and, don't forget to 'take care of yourself' during this pandemic, whatever that means.” Our Guests: Clarinda Cerejo & Andrea Hayward

Clarinda Cerejo is Senior Director, Thought Leadership at Cactus Communications.Clarinda's mission is to improve the research culture and the way scientific research is published and shared globally. To this end, she leads various content and research projects touching upon science communication, publication success, and mental health among researchers. The most recent project she's been involved in is a global survey on mental health in academia - an initiative through which she hopes to start an important global conversation on what organizations can do to create a more supportive and nurturing environment for researchers. She is currently turning her attention towards science communication in Life Sciences and Medical Affairs and working to help research from these sectors be widely read and have the real-world impact it should.Andrea Hayward is Senior Associate, Global Community Engagement at Cactus Communications.Coming from an educational background in Psychology, Andrea has always been very interested in and passionate about the cause of mental health. As part of her role at CACTUS over the past one year, she has been managing Joy and Stress Triggers - a global survey on mental health among researchers. Andrea hopes that the findings and insights from this survey will spark more open discussions around mental health in academia, and trigger a much-needed change towards a more positive academic culture and better instituti...

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Systemic coaching for companies: Episode Notes Can we create a healthy work environment through systemic coaching? Systemic coaching aims at aligning individual and team goals with company goals. In order to do that, it is important to visualize employees in relation to the system they operate in, rather than treating them as individual contributors.Doris Friedl is a systemic coaching expert who is intrigued by all aspects of someone’s life. In this interview, she walks us through the relationship between our personal and professional lives, and the importance of prioritizing our values across their whole spectrum. Whether we care about respect, creativity, consistency, or any other value, we need to find ways to fit within a larger environment, in a way that we can thrive harmoniously with all the other elements involved.For this to happen, both employers and their employees need to commit to a change. On one hand, employers need to be willing to question existing structures. Should that not be the case, the chances for it to work are exponentially lower. On top of that, leaders need to understand that such a process may require a long time, although in the long run it will greatly pay off.On the other hand, employees need to be willing to proactively work on their own values and needs, by first identifying them and then asking for what they need. As a matter of fact, being aware of their own priorities is not enough, unless they are brave enough to share them with their managers and colleagues.What to do with those employers who are resistant to change?While there is no standard recipe for it, it is a personal approach as it has a lot to do with the personality and stance of the founder and the company as a whole.Overall, bringing a change through systemic coaching implies creating a new vision, driven by a shift in individuals’ mindset. Our Guest: Doris Friedl

Doris Friedl is an Austrian-born People Manager and Systemic Coach, she has over twenty years of work experience and has lived in Brussels, Barcelona and since 2006 in Berlin. She has specialized in the creative sector and start-ups as well as in intercultural environments.The new awareness of values is the reason why employers and employees are increasingly questioning old structures. More than ever before, they are intervening themselves to adapt the time and space of their work to their own ideas. This is not always successful and sometimes leads to frustration and excessive demands. Doris supports in professionally accompanying changes, so that motivation arises from excessive demands and personal growth from frustration.Doris supports leaders and teams on deploying their full potential, creating a respectful work environment by improving transparency and implementing good communication.Doris has extensive business organizational and human resources experience and dedicates her profession to being a “good leader” as interim HR professional. Additionally, as a certified career and life coach, Doris accompanies people through personal and professional changes, helping them to identify their goals, overcome blocks and to adopt new perspectives.Doris loves to travel cycle and hike and she spends most weekends in the nature.References:Doris Friedl Linkedin profileDoris Friedl - website

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Why cognitive diversity matters: Episode Notes Leaders need to know why cognitive diversity matters, in order to apply an individualized approach to their work processes.But first things first: what is cognitive diversity? Sarah Allali, co-Founder of Think Confluent, explains that cognitive diversity refers to the inclusion of individuals who follow different thinking patterns, including the ones related to attention, memorization, learning and execution.As humans, we all think in different ways, and therefore have different cognitive profiles. This happens even among people who work in the same department or belong to a similar social environment.However, since employees are often conditioned to follow standardized processes at work, people leaders are usually unaware of these substantial cognitive differences. When this happens, managers can only try and make global assumptions about organizations, departments or teams as a whole, and apply a one-size-fits-all solution, at best.But what if they had access to specific data about individuals and their own preferences?Think Confluent is a Saas company that wants to apply neuroscience for better people management processes at work.The company founders, Sarah Allali and Nicolas Cabrignac, created a software that aims at providing a personalized work experience in three main steps:Employees express their preferences at work by filling in their own cognitive profile.The current workplace gets assessed according to the above, to see whether it satisfies employees’ preferences.Training is provided in order to narrow the gap between company processes and employees’ preferences.All in all, ThinkConfluent offers a way for professionals to come together and address cognitive diversity, in a way that people can finally be themselves at work.Because of this, companies could finally have the chance to focus on people first, as they build their processes based on unique individualities. Our Guest: Sarah Allali

Sarah is the co-founder and CEO of Think Confluent.After studying Cognitive Sciences and particularly Neurosciences, she made a clear observation: the lack of information and knowledge on brain functioning induces unadapted managerial practices, not focused on employees' expectations and personalities. And yet, today, more than ever, we need to put the human being back at the center of the company.She wants to show that by putting an end to one-size-fits-all HR and management strategy, each team member can finally be fulfilled at work. Thanks to Think Confluent, she can help business leaders to offer a work experience adapted to the needs of all employees in their teams.References:Sarah Allali Linkedin profileThink Confluent website

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Guiding future leaders at work: Episode Notes The way we work has changed significantly, and so is the way we educate the future generation of leaders. Processes have become much faster, and data gets shared in bigger amounts than ever. While In the past we searched for the right information, today we need to be able to filter the right knowledge and documentation out. Organizations know this and need to adapt their education methods if they want to form the next generation of leaders. Guiding people nowadays includes keeping your workforce healthy, productive and happy. As a matter of fact, only a well-balanced organization can hope to keep their talents in the long term. You need to invest and educate people in order to grant an organization with a so-called “multiplier effect” and create an effective machine. It is no secret that leaders usually hold the key to people’s success. Individuals who want to develop as modern leaders need to ask themselves questions like: What is expected of me?How do I provide feedback, and how do I receive it?How do I listen?How do I take care of people?Ultimately, what does leadership mean? Answering the above in the right way can be very challenging, especially for younger managers who have not received any strong guidance. The second part of the interview focuses on the right behavior to adopt when professionals outgrow their company and become unhappy with their role.Some best practices include: Working out together with your colleague what the reasons are and whether there are alternative options within the organizationListen rather than speakBe patientOffer to help them find other roles in different organizationsHelp them review their Linkedin profile and CVConnect them with the right contacts in your networkRealize that it is not about what is best for you, but it is about what is best for themShould there be no alternative, be happy to let them go Our Guest: Romy von Roeder

People Team Leader with experience in both, corporate and start up environments of more than 15 years. The people focused career started with responsibilities for People & Leadership Development and Global Diversity Management at Vattenfall and continued with building People Teams from scratch at Wire and Casper or rebuilding at Applift. Today Romy is heading the People & Culture Team at TIER Mobility, one of the leading micro mobility providers with the vision to change mobility for good.References:Romy von Roeder Linkedin profile

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Wellness for women: Episode Notes Sanctuary Wellness Collective provides a coaching and community framework for women to reach their full potential.Lissette Gole, their founder, knows all too well what it means to cope with ever growing demands both on a personal and a professional level, as she struggled with chronic stress and anxiety for a long time.During our conversation, Lissette stresses the importance for women to turn to a place where they can have a safe and open conversation about their own journey.Specifically, women often experience a high degree of loneliness while approaching maximum psychophysical capacity, and for this very reason they often seek a consolidated approach that can help them reach for wellness.While there are a lot of resources out there for women to get support from, it usually takes a lot of time and energy to find one that is truly life changing.The Sanctuary Wellness Collective wants women to become their higher selves by transforming mind and body, and is based on three core pillars:Growth MindsetEquanimityNutritionGetting these three different aspects to work in harmony is what will ultimately allow women to strike a healthy balance in life, therefore preventing them from being forced to make a hard choice between career, family, and extracurricular activities.Ultimately, Lissette’s hope is that these coaching practices get applied more and more within corporations, as it is well-known that retaining employees has a much more positive ROI than hiring them over and over again.We conclude our conversation with two practical pieces of advice for everyone to work on their own wellness:Spend 5 minutes of your day in silence and allow your body to settle in and regroup and move into rest and repair (and away from fight or flight).Focus on your breathing, no matter where you are at any particular moment. It helps regulate your body and it is a great way to combat stress. Our Guest: Lissette Gole

Lissette Gole is a holistic health coach and women’s empowerment advocate. She is focused on helping women achieve their highest potential through alignment of mind+body connection and using their voice to advocate for their own balanced lifestyle.She is the founder of Sanctuary Wellness Collective, a holistic health and wellness empowerment community for high-achieving women looking to align with their highest and healthiest selves. We simplify the path through tools, expert resources, community and coaching. The Collective is anchored the importance of the mind+body connection as guided by yoga, meditation, mindfulness, food as medicine, and positive psychology.Lissette holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, is a Certified Meditation Instructor and a member of Google’s leadership team. She has nearly a decade of experience hosting multiple speaking engagements and workshops on the topics of self-empowerment, holistic health, mindfulness and business success frameworks.When Lissette isn’t focused on Sanctuary Wellness Collective and Google initiatives, you will find her with her husband, two boys and two Golden Retrievers. The entire family loves the water so in summer months, you will find them on the lake.References:Lissette Gole Linkedin profileSanctuary Wellness Collective

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Managing people in the modern workplace: Episode Notes Managing people requires a wide set of skills, including the ability to be vulnerable in front of others. Scott Leese and Richard Harris are two well-known sales leaders who have shared their personal and professional struggles on several occasions.Despite adopting different management styles, they both advocate for mental health awareness, and are strongly in favour of a work culture based on authenticity.In this episode of the Stepsero podcast, Scott and Richard open up once more about their experience with mental health, and share some invaluable advice on effective communication at work. With Richard, we touch on the importance of surrounding ourselves with the right people. Especially when experiencing some level of mental stress and discomfort, it might be a good idea to approach things gradually and consider the following steps: Accept that you want to explore your own feelings.Have an honest discussion with your closest peers and friends outside of work.Open up with your co-workers, then your manager. With Scott, we discuss the value of owning our narrative, and the importance of being proactive rather than reactive. Specifically, we examine the power of authenticity, and its pivotal role in creating trust within the team. When leaders are open about their flaws, they automatically create stronger bonds, which might even transcend the specific work environment they originate from. On top of that, we talk about the power of creating communities where people find voices that they can resonate with. All in all, both Scott and Richard agree on the necessity for leaders to constantly evolve, as sticking to old-school management strategies could lead to inevitable failure. Our Guests: Scott Leese & Richard Harris

Scott Leese is a 3x American Association of Inside Sales Professionals Top 25 Award Winner, and one of the top startup sales leaders in the country. Through domestic and international consulting, he has trained an army of salespeople thousands strong. Leese puts his nearly two decades of sales and leadership experience to use as the CEO & Founder of both Scott Leese Consulting, LLC; and Surf & Sales. A highly sought-after consultant, advisor, leader, and sales trainer, Leese has a proven record of success building and scaling businesses from the ground up.Richard Harris brings 20+ years of sales and Saas experience working with companies like Google, Zoom, Pandora, Visa, Pager Duty, Gainsight, and others to the table when teaching about sales. His passion is helping companies close the gap between the old school feature and benefits approach to focus on earning the right to ask questions, which questions to ask and when to do it. Richard believes success comes when people stop talking about what they do and get them to start talking about the pains they solve. He ties all this together by focusing on a more relaxed conversational selling style that helps people go from strangers to acquaintances to trusted business allies. Richard has been named a Top 25 Inside Sales Professional by the American Association of Inside Sales for the last 4 years. As well as a Top 10 Sales Development Leader as voted by Inside Sales and Sales Hacker. Published in Huffington Post, Inc, and most recently NBCNews.Richard lives in Northern California with a wife, Cathy, 2 boys, Riley (9) and Bodhi (7), and their dog LolaReferences:Scott Leese Linkedin profileRichard Harris Linkedin profileSurf & SalesThe Surf & Sales Podcast

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Creating a culture of impact: Episode Notes Many workplaces are still focused on performance while they really should be working on creating a culture of impact. Professionals at every stage of their careers are evaluated exclusively on immediate profit and revenue growth despite little attention being paid to the impact that they bring over the long-term.Because of this, individuals are usually not always comfortable with being vulnerable around colleagues, as that may be associated with a weak professional profile.In this episode of Stepsero, Noor brings our attention to the importance of institutionalizing micro-initiatives at work in order to build a more impactful culture.Specifically, she offers a few practical suggestions that can be implemented within any company:Introduce check-ins and check-outs.A the beginning of every meeting, leaders should make it a habit to ask how everyone is feeling. People should be encouraged to be completely honest, to the point that meetings could be even rescheduled in case the conditions for it to happen are not right.Avoid leaving the office being angry or worried.It is quite common to drag our professional concerns over into our private lives. In some cases, we even spend our entire weekends being overly-stressed because of something that happened back in the office. In this regard, leaders should not only encourage employees to reach out, but proactively make sure that their colleagues have the chance to immediately address any issue they may have.Leaders should regularly make themselves accessible by leaving free slots in their calendars. In this way, workers will know when they can book a time to have a transparent and private conversation. Our Guest: Noor van Boven

Noor has over 15 years of experience in international Human Resources, specifically building, scaling and transforming organizations. Before joining N26, Noor was the VP People at SoundCloud; led the Recruiting, Talent and Organizational Development initiatives at TomTom and worked as a HR Business Partner for several international tech companies, including Dell. Noor is a Dutch native with a passion for travel. Work has given her the opportunity to live in New York, India and now Berlin.References:Noor van Boven Linkedin profile

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An interventional approach to burnout: Episode Notes In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we dive deep into the complexities of of burnout.Nowadays, many current approaches focus on preventing burnout from developing in the first place. To this purpose, working on one's resilience or practicing yoga and meditation can be very effective.Some organizations however, focus primarily on interventional practices rather than preventative ones. Among these, The Burnout Clinic advocates an interventional approach which helps patients free themselves from any limiting beliefs and break unhealthy habits.According to their co-founder Duncan So, it is in fact possible to address people's deep-rooted beliefs and counter them with alternative paths. By doing this, individuals manage to successfully shift their own thoughts and abandon certain negative behavioral patterns.This is particularly important for companies at risk of developing a toxic culture. By spotting destructive habits and identifying pockets of toxic behavior across the organization, leaders are able to track most problems down to their root cause and start a precise intervention process based on behavioral change.Along the conversation, Duncan guides us through 5 main paths directly associated with burnout:Exhaustion path: people are overworked, tired, and therefore performing at a slow pace.Anxiety path: Panic settles in and individuals fear for their future.Productivity or creativity block: People experience some sort of paralysis, usually due to missing clarity on things that were once natural to them. This can get pretty daunting when professionals hold a role of great responsibility within the organization and find themselves unable to make decisions.Cynicism: People experience apathy, and generally see themselves as being simply realistic, which makes them hard to deal with. Cynicism can lead to micro-aggressive behavior at work, and can lead to a very toxic environment.Dark night of the soul: Individuals lose grasp of themselves and their purpose in life, and feel completely stuck. Our Guest: Duncan So

Duncan So is the Co-Founder & Executive Director at The Burnout Clinic. Duncan has been a child of corporate burnout that has led him professionally into the field of human flourishing for over a decade working on systemic social change projects. He’s a social entrepreneur and change agent, on a mission to create a more passionate world building systems and programs for companies and communities on the path of making social good. Board Certified with the Association of Integrative Psychology. A Master Practitioner in Mental Emotional Release, NLP and Hypnosis. He graduated with a degree in Applied Sciences specializing in Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. At the Burnout Clinic, we help HR Leaders and Entrepreneurs develop and integrate burnout intervention programs within their organization. Our flagship 2-day burnout intervention program stops the cycle of high anxiety, fatigue, creative slumps, and burnout, and rapidly returns leaders back happy, productive and creatively engaged at work.References:Ducan So Linkedin profiletheburnoutclinic.com20-minute free therapeutic recording by The Burnout Clinic

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The importance of setting boundaries: Episode Notes Setting boundaries is crucial to avoid stress. Dott. Boettiger explains that stress occurs when there is a friction between our inner world and the outer world. Specifically, when we are stressed we usually experience an imbalance between the expectations that are set by the outer world and our inner selves. While some of us try and tackle this friction, others prefer to step back, therefore allowing this tension to persist. When we resolve to do something about it however, it is important that we become vocal about it, and share our concerns with people around us rather than hold them in. If we don’t do so, we maintain a system that is totally unhealthy. How can this be applied to the workspace? First of all, we need to reframe the feeling of shame and guilt that comes from expressing our boundaries. As a matter of fact, we all tend to fall into the trap of "this is what is expected of me, and if I don't do it I am a bad person".By feeding such fear we are doing nothing but creating a toxic bottleneck for ourselves. By opening up about our internal struggles on the other hand, not only do we manage to depersonalize them, but we also allow other people into our own system, which is the starting point for a healthy conversation. Setting boundaries is a process that we learn by experiencing and learning about the outer world, which in this case could be represented by the set of beliefs of our colleagues or our boss. For the same reasons, leaders should strive to create the right conditions for their colleagues to open up about their inner world. More specifically, leaders could create psychological safety by proactively addressing frictions within the organization. Our Guest: Caroline Böttiger

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The influence of the environment on our mental health: Episode Notes Many neuroscientific studies have addressed the influence of the environment on our mental health.While it is true that the genetic factors we were born with could predispose us to develop mental issues later in our lives, it is also true that the environment can either accelerate, slow down, or even prevent the onset of these issues.Our mental well-being is therefore determined by a combination of both biological and environmental elements.Recent research looking at the effects of the environment on mental health has been focusing more on a few key areas, which will be discussed in this podcast episode:nutritionexercisesocial interactionOverall, differences in our environment can affect the levels of inflammation in the body, which can have a negative impact on our mental health by reducing the blood flow to our brain cells. When this happens, our brains receive less nutrients and are therefore less able to protect and repair themselves, leading to more neurological degeneration. On top of that, oxidative stress can be induced through a bad diet, which causes a build up of toxic chemicals in our body, and can also lead to more neuroinflammation.Given the tight relation between our gut and our brain, nutrition plays a significant role in the development of neuroinflammation. Specifically, a bad diet can provoke an imbalance in our gut bacteria and consequently affect our mental well-being.With this in mind, foods that are either high in sugar or heavily processed should be avoided as they have both been linked with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. New research is showing that mental health can be improved with nutritional supplements (also known as “nutraceuticals”), such as magnesium, zinc and omega-3 for depression.Physical activity is another key aspect of our mental health. Through exercise we increase blood flow, therefore also increasing the possibility of carrying nutrients to the brain. Research shows that ideally we should seek a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training and meditative practice such as yoga.The third and last factor that we discuss on this episode is social interaction. We know that social isolation can quickly and drastically degrade our mental well-being. A lack of social contact can even be as bad for your health as high blood pressure, smoking or obesity. Positive social contact and feedback directly increases our levels of oxytocin ("cuddling hormone") and helps regulate stress, therefore reducing inflammation in the body and the brain. Social interaction can also promote healthy behaviours through following social norms, like going to the gym or quitting smoking.Because of these reasons, it can be healthy to change our belief system around social interactions in order to turn them into positive experiences whenever we can. A piece of practical advice would be to make the most of social interactions every time we have the opportunity, to connect with others, to experience empathy and to give and receive positive feedback in social situations, especially if we suffer from social anxiety. Our Guest: Elliot Brown

Elliot is a neuroscientist and mental health advocate who has been doing clinical research in psychiatry for the last 12 years. He wants to get people talking openly about their own mental wellbeing, and to see mental health treated equally as general physical health. Elliot has lived experience of mental health problems, spent lots of time with people suffering from serious mental illness, and has seen how mental health is tragically neglected on many different levels. He wants to change this. One way he is making a change is by raising awareness about the brain and mental wellbeing, especially for academia and in the workplace.References:Elliot Brown Linkedin profileOnline screening tool by Mental Health America (Formerly known as the National Mental Health Associat...

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The science behind depression: Episode Notes Studies on depression have been changing their approach in recent years.In the past, there was a tendency to categorize all people with depression under the same umbrella, without really distinguishing specific problems with functioning.Nowadays however, neuroscientists have started to focus more on how differences in neural and psychological systems can lead to functional impairments in our daily lives, rather than focusing on typical symptoms. This approach can better help identify targets for treatment.In people who are affected by depression, one key brain network that is found to be abnormal is the reward network, which includes the "pleasure center" of the brain.In depressed individuals these reward centers in the brain tend to be under-active. Practically speaking, this means that people with such characteristics don't enjoy things as much as they would normally do, and they have much less drive to go out there and seek rewards.The inactivity that often follows a drop in motivation normally generates negative thoughts, as well as a sense of guilt. This feeling is even stronger for highly ambitious people, as they realize that they are far from the way they should behave according to their own standards and expectations. How can we make things better? On an individual level, start talking openly about our mental health to break the stigma for ourselves, and for others. The first step could be to reach out to someone we trust, and would not judge us, so that we can begin to share our experiences and our feelings. Following this, we could then find others to open up to whom we might not be so close to. This process will allow for opportunities for positive reinforcement, giving us confidence to be more and more open about our own mental health.On an organizational level, it would be best to first identify what policies and support systems are already in place, as these might not be properly advertised. Where there are not enough measures (or none at all), change would likely require big shifts in organizational culture, so it would make sense to start small, identify people who could be mental health ambassadors and help push initiatives forward. The ultimate goal would be to normalise mental health issues at work. What other knowledge from neuroscience could be helpful to us? People can experience depression in many different ways.“Smiling depression” is a high functioning type of depression, where individuals can lead a seemingly normal life and even maintain a mostly healthy lifestyle. On the outside, many depressed people might look just fine. However, this could be a mask, or a coping strategy to hide their true feelings. Many high-performers experience this kind of depression, and it can be one of the hardest to treat as it often goes unnoticed until it is too late and people are already in crisis or commit suicide.The negative thoughts associated with lack of motivation when experiencing depression are actually generated by biological changes in the brain, not just mere laziness.For this reason, it is really important not to beat ourselves up or feel guilty for not fulfilling ambitious goals, or even being able to do basic activities when depressed.In many cases, we can change our biology through professional psychotherapy or even using self-help tools, depending on how severe our depression might be.People suffering from depression often have a very hard time to fight their condition on their own, and should seek professional help whenever necessary. Our Guest: Elliot Brown

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A Mental Health Solveathon: Episode Notes TACTHUB, a think-do thank rooted in sustainability and human values, are organizing a Mental Health solveathon starting on August 28th, 2020.Poonam Balan and her team came up with a unique approach to social change, which involves incubation support, global leaders and innovation coaches. Specifically, their solveathon wants to develop a concept-level solution in one of the following applicability areas:Education and LearningPhysiology and TherapyEmployment CareFamily and CommunityLife Purpose DesignFinance and wealthThe winner idea and its solving team will be awarded with a wild card entry into an acceleration program. In a nutshell, this means that the solveathon will not limit itself to a brand effort, but will rather focus on a very practical outcome.Given its focus on mental health, and the significant impact that this initiative could have on so many areas, organizations from all over the place are encouraged to take an active role in sponsoring teams and absorbing any promising idea into their own cultural competence and employee management strategies. Our Guest: Poonam Balan

Poonam Balan is the Founder & CEO of TACTHUB and is a tri-sectoral brand integrity leader whose career has spanned across six industries on three continents. A continuous improvement and governance expert, Poonam has created some of the most disruptive cross-sectoral impact identities and digital strategies affecting national talent retention, diaspora knowledge exchange frameworks and foreign policy.References:Poonam Balan Linkedin profileSolveathon by TACTHUB

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Setting clear processes at work: Episode Notes Industrial and organizational psychologists agree that many occupational problems are caused by a lack of clear work processes.Companies need to rely on a framework that is suitable for their size and that is flexible enough to prepare them for future growth. In the absence of a right structure however, companies rarely manage to thrive and their employees' mental health gets negatively affected.When it comes to organizational structure, our Guest, Felix, is particularly vocal about the importance of setting clear guidelines and conducting regular performance reviews.Guidelines are particularly useful to provide employees with a clear operational framework. For example, establishing a specific amount of holidays per year (rather than allowing for complete flexibility) may provide a higher level of security about what is allowed and what isn’t, which in turn reduces potential levels of stress at work.For performance reviews to be effective companies should make sure that they happen on a regular basis and that they are set for both individual growth and professional progression. On top of that, everyone should be assessed based on the same set of assumptions in order to create comparable standards across the entire organization.Overall, restructuring an organization is a complex matter. Below are some additional suggestions covered during our conversation:Avoid rigid frameworks. Privilege a fast implementation and adopt a "build measure learn" approach.Clearly identify both employers’ and employees’ responsibilities, and provide them with the right training.When necessary, consider promoting workshops in order to address groups of 10-15 people from the same department.Manage your own time. For example, consider turning off notifications from communication softwares like slack or e-mail.Do not focus solely on perks, but rather build the right structure in order to make perks actually useful. Our Guest: Felix Berghöfer

Felix Berghöfer is VP People at Urban Sports Club. He started working as a freelance consultant while still studying Organizational Psychology in Berlin. Later he was heading the HR departments of the Customer Care of Zalando as well as of Visual Meta (LadenZeile.de – part of the Axel Springer group). In 2018, Felix spent four weeks in Silicon Valley researching OKRs, performance management & employer branding. References: Felix Berghöfer Linkedin profile

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Individual and Team coaching: Episode Notes In this podcast episode we touch on the importance of both individual and team coaching within organizations.Individual coaching is generally aimed at helping workers get back to their performance zone, which is where they can keep moving towards their better self. This is particularly effective when professionals find themselves at a stall point, and wonder about ways that they can achieve more in life. With team coaching the focus is on people’s relationship and dynamics, to make sure that individuals know how to listen and work as a group. In an organizational setting, professionals are often drawn to speak their own mind rather than listen to each other. Team coaching however allows to hone one’s observational and listening skills in order to thrive at a collective level, in a way that everyone’s perspective is taken into account. Based on his own professional experience, Conscious Leadership Coach Peter Wolff is eager to improve people’s well-being at work by practicing both individual and team coaching. In the second part of our conversation, Peter speaks about the importance of looking for the root cause of stress, whether that is coming from fear of failure, unmet expectations, unrealistic demands, or any other triggering situation that may happen in the relational space at work. We approach the end of the discussion by discussing purpose, both on an individual and an organizational level. Specifically, Peter mentions how purpose serves the following outcomes, among others: Aligning individual values with the company’s wider perspective.Giving people a chance to know themselves better. Giving people permission to offer what they are good at, so that it can be received by others. Our Guest: Peter Wolff

Peter Wolff The Art & Science of Thriving At Work About Peter: With a unique background in engineering, social science and mindfulness, Peter Wolff coaches individuals in mastering mindset and authentic communication, as well as practicing creative collaboration. A native of San Francisco, CA, Peter spent 15 years in both government and corporate settings applying leading edge IT and software solutions to transportation problems. In between managing product innovation for Daimler and beginning graduate school in Integrative Health Studies, he spent time in Egypt, Morocco, Brazil and India, exploring how sacred music is used for healing and connection. He lived in Varanasi for nearly a year studying yoga and Indian Classical Music. A long-time student of consciousness, these core themes continue in his organizational consulting and coaching work. Motto: “I coach leaders at all levels to create excellence in collaboration and innovation, while simultaneously optimizing individual performance and well-being.”References:Peter Wolff Linkedin profilePeter Wolff Medium ProfileThe 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership (book)

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The power of improvisation: Episode Notes Improvisation is commonly perceived as a fun hobby that has no practical implication for businesses. Our guest Rory is here to tell us that this is not quite the case, as teaching improvisation techniques to professionals can positively impact their mental well-being.The business world is evolving at a very rapid pace, and professionals need to learn how to continuously adapt to new situations. Improvisation helps individuals find their own identity and stop associating their worth with their jobs only. As a matter of fact, when improvising, people tend to develop trust in both themselves and others, and gain confidence in their own capabilities.On a bigger scale, improvisation techniques allow companies to develop a collectivist culture of "We" as opposed to an individualistic culture of "Me", which not only help retain employees but also attract a bigger talent pool.All in all, improvisation can help organizations embrace uncomfortable changes, and provide people with the right tools to achieve the following:Embrace mistakes as a gift. When you are improvising on stage, you need to be 100% present in the moment, as you are going to mess up your performance otherwise. In this regard, leaders should encourage employees to "fail forward" and help them get rid of the idea of "getting it right the first time".Stop over-complicating things and learn to take a short break. If you find yourself obsessing over something, it is usually a good idea to pause and focus on something else. For instance, should you find yourself being stuck writing an email to an important prospect for too long, take a moment to stand up, breathe and re-center, so that you can come back with a fresh perspective and execute better. Our Guest: Rory Berry

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Rory spent 10 years as a professional actor during which time he did 8 years of Improv theatre. Getting a Bachelors degree in management and layering this on top of his acting background provides him with a unique viewpoint on the world. He is passionate about helping everyone as a coach and focusses on identity and mental health as two topics he speaks about a great deal. When he is not helping others he is often found wandering in nature or powering in his garden to help him recharge.References:Rory Berry Linkedin profilewww.roaringberry.com

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A self-development journey: Episode Notes In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we take you on a self-development journey that starts with loneliness and ends up with meaningful relationships. In today's hyper connected society people find it difficult to engage in valuable interactions. This partly happens due to the unprecedented amount of options and information that individuals are presented with, which somehow justifies that sense of immediate gratification that many of us go after (After all, it is said that 96% of people who set a goal for themselves fail to follow through on things).Loneliness is therefore the result of complex societal changes and is directly linked with a plethora of different feelings including low self-esteem, anger and sensitivity to social judgment.Our guest Arturo is on a quest to lead people towards a balanced and happy life thanks to an innovative methodology that eradicates the feeling of loneliness and aims at building a community where individuals can finally thrive. His approach focuses on three main pillars in combination with four main content areas:Pillars:KnowledgeGuidanceSupportContent Areas:Professional DevelopmentRelationship BuildingStress ManagementOverall HealthA seamless combination of the elements above would encourage individuals to address their mental health as a whole, rather than focus on specific stages of self-development. As Arturo explains during our interview in fact, many marketed solutions tend to address one specific aspect of mental health rather than trying to analyze the full scope of self-development.A complete process however will ultimately provide people with the right tools to take action and build consistent behaviors to become the best version of themselves. Our Guest: Arturo Ambrosio Guerrero

With over a decade of sales management and consultancy experience in multiple countries and industries, Arturo understands the importance of Mental Health in achieving peak organizational performance. Due to a history of anxiety, ADHD, depression, low self-esteem and an early-career burnout, Arturo has learned to cope with the uncertainties that life brings and has developed a method to implement behavioral change towards one's best self. Arturo has used his knowledge to inspire both corporate and startup teams to reach their full potential through better Mental Health and well-being, and is ready to further develop his methodology to help professionals excel in their lives.Arturo has been able to validate his approach through an early-stage Venture Capital firm called Antler, and is currently looking for prospects that want to learn and achieve a better version of themselves through his platform, Exist.References:Arturo Ambrosio Guerrero Linkedin profile96% of people fail when they try to better themselves — here are 3 ways to make sure you don't (Business Insider)

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Embracing challenges as opportunities: Episode Notes During his whole career Xavier has always strived to look at challenges as opportunities. As a business leader with about 15 years of experience in the digital advertising industry, Xavier leads a very hectic life, which saw him operating across different cities including Paris, San Francisco, Berlin and Barcelona. While this was never easy, it proved to be a developmental experience over and over again.In this episode of the Stepsero Podcast, we discuss the importance of stepping out of our comfort zone and keeping a positive attitude during the process.In today's work environment, many professionals are called to adapt to new situations all the time, as their businesses operate in a fast-paced world where what is relevant today might lose its value very quickly. For the exact same reason however, individuals might be drawn to overwork themselves and strive to be at the top of their game day in and day out, which is clearly detrimental for their mental well-being.So, how can leaders look at challenges as opportunities, while preserving a healthy mental balance? How can professional step up their game without exceeding their stress limits? Over the course of the discussion, Xavier shares a few actionable tips that worked for him:Give more room to people in your team and steer away from trying to be in control all the time. Proactively look for feedback and open yourself up for growth.Communicate transparently, whether it is about good news or not. Sometimes leaders might want to avoid specific conversations in order to protect their colleagues, but this is not a sound approach in the long term. Make enough space to take care of your life outside of work.Listen to both your rational and emotional inner voices. While it is in our nature to rationalize at all costs, sometimes it is ok to follow your gut.Seek inspiration from the people around you rather than focusing on celebrities only. Our Guest: Xavier Bourlard

Xavier is an entrepreneur and an international business leader, with more than 15 years of experience in the digital advertising industry, and most particularly the last 8 years with mobile ad-tech companies. Over the past 5 years Xavier worked at Headway, a business unit of Entravision Communications Corporation (NYSE: EVC) since March 2017, where he built an international team of business development managers, account and ad-operation managers with a strong focus on coaching teammates and growing the international Revenue. More recently, with the acquisition of the mobile DSP, Smadex, his core focus is on the global growth of our programmatic initiatives by educating the market and coaching business development teams over 6 international offices: Barcelona, London, Bangalore, Seoul, Los Angeles and St Petersburg. In the past 10 years, he has been living between Paris, San Francisco, Berlin and more recently, Barcelona.References:Xavier Bourlard Linkedin profileStart with Why by Simon SinekThe Culture Map by Erin Meyer

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Impostor syndrome at work: Episode Notes In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we discuss a series of relevant work-related topics, including a common psychological phenomenon known as the impostor syndrome.Albert, is an HR leader who decided to intensify his focus on people following a very trying experience that involved a mass layoff.Our conversation starts with covering specific traits of the modern workplace and its impact on individuals' well-being.Specifically, Albert explains that in very fast-paced environments professionals might find themselves in great difficulty due to factors like high demands and intense competition. Individuals might be pressured into working harder than ever while often dealing with inadequate resources. On top of this, some workers may develop a tendency to minimize their own achievements and see themselves as total frauds, therefore falling into the trap of impostor syndrome. Among the reasons why this happens, Albert mentions an innate fear component paired with our need to seek approval, which is rooted in our upbringing and can become dangerously addictive.Along the whole interview, we discuss several pointers for leaders to create a safer work environment. Below are a few examples that we find particularly useful:Know yourself and understand what makes you feel serene. Encourage others to do the same by creating a safe workplace.There will always be areas where you are less prepared, and that is only natural. Make sure you regularly check in with yourself to avoid losing touch with reality. Simple things like listening to music and spending time with your loved ones can be extremely powerful.Be open to learn from others, regardless of your seniority level, and engage in meaningful conversations.Set clear expectations and be vocal about them. For instance, if your email is not urgent and its past work time, make sure you specify that you don't need any feedback about it. Our Guest: Albert Alabau

Albert has developed a career in HR for more than 15 years, having spent over one third of that being an active part of leadership teams within hyper-growth, tech startup companies. He specializes in building organizational cultures that foster high-performance and allow talented individuals from anywhere in the world flourish and be happy while making the highest possible impact. Albert has an outstanding track record growing, developing and managing top-performing, highly customer-focused teams both face-to-face and remote, where employees are more than owners and brand ambassadors: they are satisfied and are thriving on a mission which fulfills them. References:Albert Alabau Linkedin profileThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick LencioniRadical Candor by Kim Scott

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Diversity and Inclusion: Episode Notes With conversations about mental health becoming increasingly frequent, professionals today are paying more attention to a wide variety of related aspects, such as diversity and inclusion in the workplace.Our guest Manjuri is particularly well-versed in this area, and has agreed to share her own thoughts on the Stepsero podcast.Diversity is not only related to race and gender. To care about diversity means to identify existing stress factors in someone's life and be mindful about them. In this respect, it is important for leaders to think of whether they are creating the right conditions for people to be comfortable enough. For example, consider a colleague who is busy taking care of a sick parent, or those people who need to meet a deadline while taking care of their kids: Are leaders conscious enough about their needs?Diversity and Inclusion is also particularly relevant in the recruiting context. Individuals might not feel confident enough to show the best version of themselves during an interview, or might not even dare to apply to a job they are actually suited for. It is therefore the interviewer's job to bridge that gap and make sure that the right conditions are set for people to be safe and comfortable. Especially in times like these, when professionals are required to work remotely, a significant amount of empathy is required. Manjuri was kind enough to share a few actionable insights:Should either the interviewer or the candidate not be at their best, it is ok to agree on a short break or even reschedule the conversation.Candidates should avoid restricting their search scope and be ready to venture into opportunities that they have never considered before. In this sense, building a network, blogging and being creative can make a whole lot of difference. Our Guest: Manjuri Sinha

Manjuri heads the technology talent acquisition team globally for OLX Group ( A Naspers Company ). She possesses 15+ years of international experience in leading HR and Talent Acquisition teams for mid to large organizations such as Zalando, Accenture etc, and has worked and lived in India, Czech republic and Germany. Being an avid traveler, she also wears a dual hat of a speaker, mentor and a blogger.References:Manjuri Sinha Linkedin profileSEE Change Happen - Joanne LockwoodRecruiting BrainfoodThe Mindful Leader

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A gym for mental health: Episode Notes Javier is a successful entrepreneur who came up with the idea of building a gym for mental health. He had this intuition while going through a rough time himself, as he realized that the approach to improving mental well-being is outdated. Specifically, he has resolved to tackle the following pain points: People get lost among many different solutions and find it hard to come across the right expert.Clinics and consulting rooms often feel sterile and impersonal. How to solve this?Create a pleasant experience for anybody who wants to improve their mental well-being.Build a brick and mortar gym for mental health, where individuals can consult with a wide range of experts, such as psychologists, nutritionists and life coaches.Offer to move the experience online via a mobile app.Leaders like Javier understand that you need to make your employees your primary focus as the success of your organization directly depends on that. If you decide to ignore the fact that at some point people will struggle with their mental health, you are not leading the right way.Javier concludes the interview with a few precious statements:Just because you are going through a hard time, that does not mean that your worth is any less than anybody else.Build the courage to speak up with friends and family.Be consistent in your commitment to improve your mental health. Just like you don't expect to get in perfect physical shape after one week of exercise, realize that achieving mental well-being might take time, and that is ok. Our Guest: Javier Suarez

Javier Suarez is an Entrepreneur based in Barcelona and most recently, founder of TravelPerk, one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech startups. Prior to founding TravelPerk, Javier worked in several strategic roles within Booking.com’s HQ in Amsterdam. Javier was born in El Salvador, grew up in Berlin and is a proud father to two boys with his partner Elise.References:Javier Suarez Linkedin profile

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Sales and mental health: Episode Notes The relation between sales and mental health has always been fairly controversial due to the nature of the job. Sales representatives are continuously exposed to a wide range of stressors, which makes them an easy target for issues like burnout, anxiety and depression. Statistically, over 40% of sales people experience mental health problems, and if we consider entry-level roles the percentage is even higher (above 50%). On top of that, the best performers seem to be as exposed as the rest of their team, if not more. In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we are joined by Jeff Riseley, a people leader with extensive experience in the field of mental health.Based on his own research, Jeff shares interesting insights about the triggers that sales people commonly experience. Among these, "micro management" and "missing the target" top the list of stressors, while "getting rejected" seems to be the last concern on their minds, likely due to the levels of resilience that professionals in the front lines build over time.What can leaders do?According to Jeff, it makes sense for leaders to avoid approaching the whole organization at once. Sales teams are used to being evaluated on specific indicators, therefore making it easier to measure the effect that improvements on their mental health have on performance metrics.A good way to go about this is by focusing on two main areas:Self-care - by building healthy habits around sleep, nutrition, and self-esteem, among others.Stress-management - by helping individuals respond to stressful situations in a mentally healthy way. In this regard, leaders can help employees navigate strong emotions and rebuild themselves from the ground up.We conclude the interview with an interesting take about the flaws of the current academic system, and the reason why it often fails to adequately prepare students for their professional careers. Our Guest: Jeff Riseley

With a decade of sales experience, Jeff understands the importance of Mental Health in achieving peak sales performance. Battling anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks throughout his sales career - Jeff has used his knowledge of Mental Health to inspire sales teams to reach their full potential through better Mental Health and well-being. This became especially important, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the summer of 2018. The same strategies involving - mindsets, perspective, self-awareness, empathy, self-control, mindfulness, optimism, grit and habits - that made him successful in sales also aided in his swift recovery. As a successful individual contributor, sales leader and of late - sales mentor/consultant - Jeff has experience working with sales teams of any size at any stage of growth. Jeff is the primary voice of the Sales Health Alliance and available for Speaking Engagements, Custom Tailored Workshops, Virtual Training and One on One consulting projects.References:Jeff Riseley Linkedin profileSales Health AllianceSales Health Alliance - Online CourseWhat events in sales impact mental health the most? (2019 Survey)State Of Sales: Can Meaningful Work Improve Mental Health, Happiness & Sales Performance? (2020 Survey)

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Design thinking and mental health: Episode Notes Leaders often miss the close connection between design thinking and mental health. This happens mostly because they think of design as something purely aesthetic that is not relevant for their business.Design thinking is a hyper-iterative process that encourages individuals to fail fast in order to keep experimenting and improving over time. Specifically, design thinking helps cut through rigid frameworks and radical systems by making use of creativity and navigating new processes of creation through three key lenses:ViabilityFeasibilityDesirabilityBecause of the dynamic nature of design thinking, individuals understand that it is ok to make mistakes and deliver suboptimal performances in the initial stages of any process. On top of that, people who embrace this mentality learn to value the power of human-to-human connections that stem from open-mindedness and collaboration. Ultimately, to design an organization around people means to create a safe space where all stakeholders have their own voice.In order to achieve that, managers need to act as sponsors and lead by example, so that everyone around them is drawn to help co-create a new structure based on the right values. By the end of our conversation, Emily suggests a practical way to re-assess your personal balance in a few easy steps:Get a hold of (sticky) notesWrite down what areas in your life are consuming too much energyWrite down what areas in your life take little energyCompare steps 2 and 3Should there be a significant imbalance, redesign your personal system Our Guest: Emily Anding

Emily is a thought leader in design thinking and learning, with a background in organizational & experience design, change management, and strategy. She has led projects around the globe for Lyft, IDEO U, GE Digital, and General Mills (the most exciting in Saudi Arabia, although the best street food goes to Bosnia), across industries including digital transformation, aerospace, manufacturing, higher education, oil and gas, and transportation. She believes that innovative solutions are created by leading with empathy, spotting patterns among disparate data points, and thinking beyond seemingly disconnected lenses.Emily is on a mission to bring authenticity, silliness, and play to her teams, empowering people to do their best work. Outside of the office (virtual or brick and mortar), you can find Emily rock climbing somewhere in the desert, fossil hunting, playing banjo, propagating plants, or trying a new combination of spices to make the best sourdough pancakes in the world. She holds an MBA from the College of William and Mary and a BA in Environmental Policy from The Colorado College.References:Emily Anding Linkedin profileBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererUntamed by Glennon DoyleWomen who run with the wolves by Clarissa Pinkola EstésBrené on FFTs (from the Unlocking Us Podcast by Brené Brown)

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The power of empathy: Episode Notes When it comes to understanding the power of empathy and its impact on society as a whole, look no further than Mimi Nicklin. Thanks to her impressive professional experience, and a strong belief in the importance of kindness and decency at work, Mimi has embarked on a journey to bring empathy to the role of leadership.Empathy is all about taking perspective, and standing in someone else's shoes in order to achieve mutual gain. During our conversation, Mimi explains how empathy is a skill that human beings have honed throughout millennia, which has helped us develop cohesion and social understanding. We also clarify that making use of empathy is a choice, as all individuals are equipped with it and are able to practice it.One of the concepts that stands out in this episode of Stepsero is that of regenerative leadership, aimed at regenerating an organization's workforce. When empathy is correctly and consistently applied to one's leadership style, people tend to thrive within the workplace.Such way of conducting business will be more and more required as Millennials are increasingly moving towards leadership positions. Below are a few other pointers that we touched upon together with Mimi:People with a high IQ are not necessarily proficient in EQ.Empathy is a skill needed in any sort of organization, no matter what industry it operates in.Being empathetic creates confidence, peace and stability, both inside and outside of work. Our Guest: Mimi Nicklin

Mimi Nicklin is an experienced marketer and communications specialist, and a well-known empathetic leader. For over thirteen years she has been working across the globe with her clients to drive stand out creative interventions that lead to business and culture change. Driven by the pursuit of bringing conscientiousness to the role and impact of Regenerative Leadership, with a desire to make the world of work a more empathetic, valuable and sustainably healthy place to be, Softening The Edge is Mimi’s first book. She is also a keynote speaker and columnist. Having lived and worked in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Dubai, Mimi’s approach changes organisations from the inside out, focusing on cultural, behavioural and mindset change. Currently based in Dubai, she is a natural coach, writer and creative mind, and has held roles as diverse as Strategic Director, Vice President and Creative Officer in some of the world’s leading advertising agencies. Her passion for balancing humanism with capitalism, drives her commitment to leading the practice of Regenerative and empathetic leadership, as well as her ‘principles of people’, into organisations worldwide.References:Mimi Nicklin Linkedin profilewww.miminicklin.comEmpathy for Breakfast by Mimi Nicklin (YouTube channel)www.safespacedxb.com

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Healthy engagement at work: Episode Notes Over-engagement is a real issue in most occupational environments nowadays. While leaders appreciate that workers are serious about their jobs, at some point people's excitement can get our of control and turn into stress.In this Episode of the Stepsero podcast, Marie provides us with relevant insights about the problem of over-engagement and its impact on employee retention. When peak activity levels are not backed by regular breaks, employees' capacity for creativity and innovation decreases.What are some early signs of over-engagement at work? Minimal vacation count. When employees don't plan with enough holidays it might be worth to have a conversation with them.Constant activity levels that keep stable over the weekend.Individuals getting emotional for reasons that can be hard to justify.Inability to disconnect after work hours.What can you do as a company to address the problem of over-engagement?Set company policies that help employees set limits on their workload.Be aware of business seasonalities, and plan for company breaks accordingly. For instance, if you know that Q1 is a slower period on average, plan with initiatives that help employees slow down.What can you do as an individual?Be honest with yourself and know your limits.Stick to healthy routines, whether that includes meditation, sports or anything else (to this purpose, we highly recommend that you read the book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear). Our Guest: Marie Bosseur Dit Toby

Currently Head of People & Organisation at Taxfix - a 100 million euro funded start-up based in Berlin, Marie previously served in various international HR and change management roles in large global corporates such as Danone as well as hypergrowth fintech start-ups. Her passion is to make people, hence businesses thrive. She believes that de-tabooing the topic of mental health in the workplace would enable a more holistic and balanced approach towards work and life which would in return empower people to be at their best. References: Marie Bosseur Dit Toby Linkedin profile "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

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Disconnecting after work: Episode Notes This episode of the Stepsero podcast is about disconnecting after work and finding the right mental balance. With mental health being such a personal matter, individuals need to focus on themselves and the reasons why they are not feeling well in the first place.In the first part of the conversation Mirela speaks openly about the chance to address mental health concerns from the very recruitment phase. She also brings our attention to a UK survey where 56% of respondents would not hire someone with depression despite having the right skills for the job (see our References section).In the second part of the episode we touch upon ways in which individuals can take a break from stressful situations, and specifically the importance of disconnecting after work. Below are a few take aways:Disconnect in order to reconnect.Look back at what you already tried and examine why it didn't work.Find your own balance. Do not embrace any solution just because others told you it would work. Take the time to listen to yourself and discover what works for you.Mindfulness does not come through meditation only. Look for alternatives that suit your mood or your personality. In this sense, taking a bath, listening to music, going for a walk or just being silent can be as effective.Connect with people in person or on the phone, attend parties and social events. When you engage in social interactions you have a better chance at regulating your emotions compared to when you are working. Exercise regularly and take up activities that are new to you.Set boundaries. Resist the temptation to check your phone or answer work emails unless it is an emergency.For individuals who are required to make constant cognitive efforts (such as knowledge workers in Tech), activities related to challenges and learning new skills can be highly beneficial. Here are some suggestions:Code and learn new softwares.Attend courses.Learn a new language.Learn how to play an instrument. Our Guest: Mirela Tocco

Mirela is a psychologist with professional experience both in HR and clinical psychology. Following the beginning of her career in HR, she started facilitating peer support groups for people diagnosed mainly with schizophrenia, with a focus on individuals dealing with social stigma on a daily basis.Currently, she works as an IT recruiter for tech startups, and she is also providing psychological counseling in her private practice for cross-cultural, TCK, and global nomads. Thanks to her background, she realized that there is still a big stigma around mental health in the workplace. More specifically, she sees a lack of psychological safety in business environments, which is the reason why individuals may put on a mask and set their feelings aside, further aggravating the stigma itself.Ultimately, Mirela wishes to improve the wellbeing of individuals, to the point that mental health finally gets the same visibility and recognition that physical health has. References:Mirela Tocco Linkedin profileTime to Change - Mental Health Awareness week 2020 (PDF file)(Pag. 7 to see the exact reference to the mentioned survey)Papers recommended by Mirela:Fehrmann C & Depenbrock F (2014). Recovery from Work-Related Stress: A literature review. Maastricht Student Journal of Psychology and Neuroscience. 3, 85-96. Colombo, V. & Cifre, E. (2012). La Importancia de Recuperarse del Trabajo: Una Revisión del Dónde, Cómo y Por Qué. Papeles del Psicólogo, 33(2), 129-137. Hu, X., Santuzzi, A. & Barber, L. (2019). Disconnecting to Detach: The Role of Impaired Recovery in Negative Consequences of Workplace Telepressure. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 35(1), 9-15.Verbeek, J. et al. (2019) Interventions to Enhance Recovery in Healthy Workers; a Scoping Review. Occupational Medicine, 69, 54-63.

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Change management and mental health: Episode Notes Nicole started as a change management consultant in the late 90s, when there wasn't a lot of room for vulnerability at work.Throughout the years she experienced several situations that made her realize how often organizations suffer from a misalignment between values and behaviors. While it is important for leaders to be active and visible sponsors for change, that might just not be enough. As a matter of fact, change management is a much deeper process, which requires managers to connect with individuals in a way that they can be heard.We live in a society where people are conditioned to be constantly competing with their peers rather than trying to establish a more meaningful relationship. Such an attitude, which is usually ingrained in people's brains since their very childhood, creates a very weak mental foundation, which needs to change. Nicole's focus on people and connected leadership has made a significant impact in her career. No matter what business companies operate in, she believes that organizational change and progress can only happen when individuals are able to fully express themselves rather than try and hide their vulnerability. Nicole concludes our interview with a terrific piece of advice: do not separate your own persona from your work persona: be yourself at all times. Our Guest: Nicole Paquet

Nicole is a Senior Change Management Consultant with over 20 years of experience in both industry and consulting, supporting leaders and teams through the people impacts related to change and business transformation. Nicole has worked in a number of industries throughout her career, including the Public Sector, Oil & Gas, Power & Utilities, and Technology & Communications. Her focus has been driving business improvement through strategic change programs, including leading numerous transformational change initiatives, developing comprehensive people strategies, and facilitating strategic planning workshops. Nicole speaks and writes passionately on her blog about the leader’s role in driving real and meaningful change, by modeling behaviours based in trust, connection, and resilience. Nicole makes her home on the beautiful East Coast of Canada with her four children, and thoroughly enjoys living life outside as much as she can!References:Nicole Paquet Linkedin profileNicole Paquet - Inspiring better conversations (personal website)

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Connecting with People: Episode Notes Selin and Hilary are all about connecting with people. As recruiters and people partners they understand the value of building meaningful relationships, both at work and outside.While they are based in different locations (Berlin and New York), they share a similar perspective on living in a hectic and fast-paced environment, which includes the difficulty of focusing on one's own mental well-being while keeping up with ever growing demands. To manage professional and personal growth nowadays can quickly turn into an everyday struggle that needs to be put under control before it gets too stressful. To this point, Hilary and Selin discuss the necessity for people to be self-aware and open to communication.The second part of our interview is centered around the concept of resilience.Specifically, we become acquainted with the challenge of bouncing back from tough times and connecting with people who are headed towards a common goal. After all, a successful organization is a living and breathing organism made of individuals who believe in the same values.Among the many outtakes from this Stepsero episode, we find the ones below to be particularly meaningful:Make time for yourself, no matter how busy you are.Don't underestimate the importance of breathing. Identify areas of strength and weakness, and act upon them.Look for the right information, either via a podcast or a good read.Get comfortable with opening up to someone, whether a friend, a colleague, a therapist, or a mentor. The sooner you do so, the quicker you will realize that you are not alone. Our Guests: Selin Songur & Hilary Gardner

Selin navigates her career in a similar way to her life values: Authentic, honest and people focused. She is happiest when part of building an inclusive and progressive culture.Her most recent learning and reflection on wellbeing in the workplace comes from her role as a Senior Recruiting and People Partner at SoundCloud. Prior to this, she was part of hyper-growth at Glispa where she supported the leadership team in Berlin, Beijing, São Paulo, San Francisco, and Athens as Recruiting Partner. Selin is also on the founder journey, with Wild Mission, an organization that supports people who are ready to change the way they eat in a collective effort to respect animals and preserve our planet.In 2010, Hilary started her recruiting career at a boutique agency, focusing on social and mobile gaming. While there, she learned the ropes and hustle of technical recruitment - and her love for startups was born. From there, she joined the US office of a large Japanese gaming company, helping to double the office in size in a short five months. But New York’s bright lights pulled her to the East Coast, where she joined the social AdTech start up Adaptly, centralizing, building, and maintaining all recruitment channels. Hilary moved on to the music streaming world, and now leads the effort of supporting and growing SoundCloud's ever evolving brand as their Director People US & Global Recruiting. Her love for the hustle and start ups has never changed.Please note that Hilary and Selin joined the Stepsero Podcast on their own account, and represent exclusively themselves. References:Selin Songur Linkedin profileHilary Gardner Linkedin profileWild MissionThe School of Life

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When leaders care about people: Episode Notes Michael is one of those leaders who truly care about people. He comes with invaluable experience both as a C-level executive and an entrepreneur, and has a lot of insights to share about growing a team.

In this Episode of the Stepsero podcast, Michael opens up about the responsibility that comes with being a people manager. Among several other valid points, he specifically directs our attention to the following:

To be able to support your colleagues, make sure to keep your own well-being in check. Being approachable helps you gain trust. As a leaders you must make yourself approachable. In this way you are able to establish a direct line of communication with your colleagues. Do not wait for individuals to step forward and discuss their problems with you. Proactively approach them whenever you sense that something is not right.

In the second part of the conversation we inevitably touch upon the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, Michael shares a few practical tips to safely handle remote cooperation. Among these, let us mention the ones below:

Try new things on a regular basis. Take enough breaks. Do not overdo the one-on-one check-ins. Just because you cannot have face time with your colleagues, there is no need to turn a weekly meeting into a daily appointment. Make sure that you give people enough room to breathe. Pay special attention to those employees who live by themselves, as they might not always be vocal about needing your support.

Our Guest: Michael Duning

Michael Duning is a business development leader, entrepreneur, and tech executive with over a decade of combined experience with various SaaS technology and mobile advertising technology companies. In May 2020, he joined PlaytestCloud as Chief Growth Officer. Within the mobile ad tech space, Michael served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Berlin office of Glispa (a Market Group Company) and also co-founded Koneo Mobile, an international mobile advertising technology company for which he served as CEO.

Michael has lived and worked in Chicago and San Francisco and currently resides in Berlin, Germany. Michael can be reached through his LinkedIn and welcomes new connections and opportunities to share knowledge and expertise.

Please note that Michael joined the Stepsero Podcast on his own account, and represents exclusively himself.

References:

Michael Duning Linkedin profile

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Introduction to mental well-being: Episode Notes In this introductory episode with Dr. Caroline Böttiger we touch upon a few interesting topics related to mental well-being.Following a brief presentation about her background in neuroscience and her vast experience in both individual and business coaching, we move onto an insightful discussion on burnout. Dr. Böttiger carefully explains how burnout is actually the end result of a process that can be broken down into three main stages:Great excitement and intense activity levelsSense of imbalance and tirednessHigh levels of stress and exhaustionUnfortunately, it is only in the third stage that many people realize they have a problem. For this reason, it is crucial to prevent symptoms from deteriorating.In the second part of our interview we discuss the impact that the current COVID-19 pandemic has on individual mental well-being, and we specifically share a few useful tips for people to react both on a personal and professional level. Among these, we will delve into the following:The impact of morning and evening routinesThe necessity to speak up when things get toughThe importance of transparent communicationThe value of accountabilityIn the final phase of the interview Dr. Böttiger stresses how crucial it is for all of us to step forward rather than wait for anybody to reach out. Asking a friend or a colleague for help may seem very hard, but it is the right thing to do if we want to feel better in the long-term. In this regard, being able to visualize a positive outcome helps us move towards the life that we want. Our Guest: Caroline Böttiger

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We are glad to welcome you on a journey to raise awareness on the many facets of mental well-being in the modern workplace. Our aim is to provide professionals and organizations with informative content about mental health at work, including its influence on productivity, organizational design, employee motivation and management style.

Stepsero debuts with a podcast hosting professionals in People Leading positions. Some of the topics discussed during the one-on-one interviews include:

The impact of mental health in the modern workplace Mental well-being Initiatives in the modern workplace The impact of mental health on personal and professional development Specific aspects of occupational stress, such as burnout Individual and professional experiences Areas of improvement and opportunities for growth

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