Stepsero

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 Learning

Physiology and Therapy

Employment Care

Family and Community

Life Purpose Design

Finance and wealth

The 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 profile

Solveathon 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 profile

Peter Wolff Medium Profile

The 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 profile

www.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:

Knowledge

Guidance

Support

Content Areas:

Professional Development

Relationship Building

Stress Management

Overall Health

A 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 profile

96% 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 profile

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

The 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 profile

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Radical 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 profile

SEE Change Happen - Joanne Lockwood

Recruiting Brainfood

The 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 profile

Sales Health Alliance

Sales Health Alliance - Online Course

What 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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