Teams are taking MAJOR strain in the current climate. When disconnection, discontent & clashes abound, it takes... No images? Click here Alchemy with MarichenDear Beloved Readers, NOTE: You are receiving this since you've been a client, or contacted us for a quote, or subscribed yourself. If you don’t want to receive the occasional letter from us, simply unsubscribe - We don't intend bugging anyone! As I write on this very cold winter’s morning, the past tumultuous weeks have us tumbling inside a washing machine at full speed. Working with teams across the African continent during this time, I became aware of the unbelievable capacity of the human race to endure, re-frame, stand together and rebuild with compassion, vision and even an exquisite sense of humour. Martin Luther King: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. Our "new world" means that although we feel the urge to “move things forward quickly”, instead I consistently hear: “we miss connecting with colleagues over a cup of coffee”, “I feel disengaged” and "I am so screen fatigued”. Especially in client-facing retail industries, staff show extreme levels of fatigue due to overwork, under-staffing and elevated stress levels. The more I worked with battered teams, the more it became clear that the training required to create connectivity and compassion whilst achieving exceptional goals, have become tougher, so I added more advanced training to my skills arsenal by completing the Advanced iEQ9 Integrative Enneagram - Tools for Teams training. As I am exploring the higher realms of ontological coaching, I've considered the flip side of what we are experiencing globally at present: a mood of depression / low energy / lethargy / etc. The flip side of this is acceptance and remembering that everyone is responsible for creating their own “state of happiness”. How can coaching assist? A coach creates the environment to safely explore essential intangibles to get wonderment back. It assists in developing health, effectiveness, interpersonal dynamics and the ability to deliver exceptional results in our synergy with others. Advanced processes assist teams to:- Create psychological safety to develop deeper levels of trust - Enable collective learning and a higher quality of engagement - Create clarity and engagement around purpose and priorities - Understand the underlying factors in how the team works - Identify ways to improve team processes and performance - Manage conflict positively as a driver of performance and not a barrier - Question assumptions and allow new ways of working to emerge - Value the contribution of each member and support each other - Increase the level of creativity and innovation in the team
In McKinsey and Company research spanning more than 25 years, involving 3 500 companies across 70 countries, two findings re strong teams stand out for me:
Recent feedback from Tatum Stacy, Tsetseng Retail Group, 2021: "Looking back as to where we were as a team in the beginning to where we are now, I would like to personally thank Marichen for giving our team the tools to really make a difference in every aspect of our working lives. On a personal level, I would like to thank Marichen for making me realize my capabilities and reach. This has helped me tremendously in making serious and forward-going decisions."Chat to Marichen!To determine how to best move your team forward, give Marichen a call; she can give some clear guidance, or quote you on facilitated work you may require. Just don't hope it will get better by itself - it won't! Coaches are friendly disruptors of patterns that no longer serve us, either as an individual or as a team. What patterns, thoughts, emotions and actions, no longer serve you? As you and your teams move forward in the months ahead, I wish you all resilience to tackle each day with energy, patience, compassion to care for those around you and the will and drive to invite the members of the team you work in to connect, care, share and proceed with focus and clarity. You may require assistance with your teams or staff, with support through coaching or building or rebuilding the teams you work in or lead - just ask! As an African proverb so aptly put it: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. As the last year has taught us, we as a human race need each other, more so than ever. Let us work together in the groups we find ourselves in to make a difference not only in our organisations, but also in the lives of those who cross our path. With warm regards, Marichen (Cell: 083 677 6677) Please follow us on FACEBOOK |