Stepsero

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:

Viability

Feasibility

Desirability

Because 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) notes

Write down what areas in your life are consuming too much energy

Write down what areas in your life take little energy

Compare steps 2 and 3

Should 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 profile

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Women who run with the wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Brené 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 profile

www.miminicklin.com

Empathy 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 profile

Time 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 profile

Nicole 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 profile

Hilary Gardner Linkedin profile

Wild Mission

The 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 levels

Sense of imbalance and tiredness

High levels of stress and exhaustion

Unfortunately, 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 routines

The necessity to speak up when things get tough

The importance of transparent communication

The value of accountability

In 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

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.

References:

www.mitte-institut.de

www.emotional-mind.com

Dr Caroline Böttiger Linkedin profile

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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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