Alchemy with Marichen

Dear Beloved Readers,

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With this first newsletter of 2023, I hope you've recharged your batteries and connected with loved ones. I digested the whirlwind of 2022, while mixing in activity, peace & meaningful adventures (see below). We enter a new year with optimism, despite socio-politico-economic concerns.

As a leader, let Hope shape your future. When you sit down with your teams to co-craft the tapestry of 2023, remember these key behaviours crucial for success:

• A positive growth mindset across the team
• Leaders to introspect to see how they may be contributing to some of the challenges
• Leaders to be open to behaviour changes that will enable the team to have mature and constructive conversations for the team to thrive
• Team members to be supported in their own ongoing maturing
• To start now…

More specifically, successful leaders today are Change Leaders. Read on below...

ADAPT OR DIE:

Photo: Marichen in the middle during the beekeeping experience.

An adventure we had during my break was to experience the wonderful work done by the Honeybee Heroes, an organisation protecting our pollinators through ethical beekeeping and education. They teach the local community women beekeeping in a sustainable manner to earn a living.

As the complex eusocial honey bee has survived by selecting for traits to increase change fitness, so will the modern organisation thrive or succumb depending on its change leadership.

Despite leaders applying diverse approaches and techniques to lead their teams to a unified vision, Change Leadership is underpinned by some common traits.

Here are a few suggestions to become successful leaders of change:

1. Have a clear and inspiring vision - this will assist employees in overcoming uncertainty fears and keep them engaged in the process.
2. Create an action-oriented strategic plan - clarify key milestones, roles and responsibilities, priorities, structures and behaviours necessary to achieve goals.
3. Communicate effectively - discuss the communication needs of the team and ensure that what is decided upon is adhered to, consistently.
4. Transmute barriers to change – inevitable pushback should be confronted head-on as an opportunity for growth instead of as a threat, while providing consistent support and encouragement.
5. Collaborate with team members – build networks across the organisation and beyond.
6. Hold employees accountable - according to a CEO survey, 18% of leaders said that "holding people accountable" was their biggest weakness, yet this is required to foster a culture of accountability, performance, empowerment and a sense of ownership.
7. Regular feedback sessions - gauge progress and adjust where necessary.
8. Lead by example – people will follow what you do, so set an example that leads to success; be disciplined and consistent.
9. Consciously team-build - surround yourself with people whose skill set, experience and attitude will contribute to a successful team and organisation.

I've distilled these from hard-earned experience taking senior teams on year-long leadership journeys to help them evolve to thrive.

Feedback from Karabelo Selebogo, Lead Specialist: Strategy Planning, Liberty:

"Coaching with Marichen has been really rewarding. With the stressors that came my way, she was the perfect psychological reinforcement with her optimistic vitality and consistent support. She has a knack for meeting clients where they are emotionally & mentally, and pulling them up whilst creating a safe, yet challenging environment. She is part coach, part mentor and part cheerleader. Working with Marichen has provided me with an increased amount of opportunity, exposure and increased knowledge on how to position myself in my professional and personal lives."

FINALLY

As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness”. Let this guide us in 2023.

For those of you interested in an uplifting read, I highly recommend: The Book of Joy by Douglas Adams.

I look forward to connecting with you!

Marichen (Cell: 083 677 6677)

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