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Speaking Up at work Speaking 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. Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas Costas 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 profilewww.intune-exec.comEpisode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas KalisperasEpisode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrumEpisode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult PeopleEpisode #58: Coaching with Costas: What's Wrong with Politics? Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

What's wrong with Politics? 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.  Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas Costas 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 profilewww.intune-exec.comEpisode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas KalisperasEpisode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrumEpisode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset?Episode #57: Coaching with Costas: Dealing with Difficult People Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Dealing with Difficult People 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”)  Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas Costas 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 profilewww.intune-exec.comEpisode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas KalisperasEpisode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrumEpisode #56: Coaching with Costas: Impostor thoughts or growth mindset? Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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. Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas Costas 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 profilewww.intune-exec.comEpisode #49: Effective Coaching with Costas KalisperasEpisode #55: Coaching with Costas: The work-life conundrum Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

The work-life conundrum In 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 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 profilewww.intune-exec.com Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

The relationship between body and psyche In 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 wayTherapy as a vesselIndividual change and organisational changeThe impact of leadership Our Guest: Marta Michniewicz Executive 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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 profile www.employeeshealth.co.uk Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Mental well-being at work with Thomas Forstner Thomas 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 “productized 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 Forstner Thomas 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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Global mobility and Employee relocation This 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 Henig Michali 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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Brain Health In 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 Whedon Dr. 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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

On Naturopathic medicine 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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 profile www.arriveathappy.com Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 profile Marie Bosseur Dit Toby Linkedin profile www.mitte-institut.de About Taxfix Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 profile www.selfapy.com Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

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 profile www.raisin.com Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes