Thursday, 29 June 2023

Friday, 23 June 2023

Crafting the workplace culture of tomorrow

Here's a super read about crafting your #workplaceculture in tune with #hybridworking


From the article - "We are biologically conditioned to be empathetic and to feel each other, says Holmes, and doing so through a screen is very difficult."


Read the article here.

Sunday, 18 June 2023

How to encourage yourself

We talk to ourselves - every day.  Some of us do it throughout the day, and we sometimes miss what is happening in the world around us.

Our self-talk helps us make sense of the world we live in, as things happen to us.  The self-talk may not be positive most of time for us.  Yet, these talks shape both our moods and us as people, and help us reach wherever we are today, whether we want to be there or not.  The self talk helps us develop a Fixed Mindset or a Growth Mindset.

 Here's an interesting image sourced from Pinterest.


As you may notice, they are about a growth mindset.  These are some messages you can give (gift?) to yourself as you start your day or plan your next day.  How about reflecting on these questions:

  • Which ones would you like to gift yourself today?
  • Which ones can wait for another time?  What is the need for them to wait? Any gains?
  • What is your plan to gift them to yourself in the coming days?
  • Which of your strengths could aid you in making any of these messages a reality i.e. a daily practice?
  • Which of your strengths could be coming in the way of you making any of these messages a reality i.e. a daily practice?
  • Who in your circle needs to receive any or all of these messages? How much impact would they have on them?
  • Who in your circle should you demonstrate one or more of these messages to?


Share your thoughts and responses if you like, and I invite you to think over these messages and questions.  After all, this is about your self-development and evolving to your best self.

Need help to take the first few steps? Call or write to me on ryanbbarretto@hotmail.com

Friday, 16 June 2023

Upskilling instead of hiring

Fascinating article that discusses #upskilling of employees based on #potential as well as #performance.


To me, the line "Lead employees to a role they love by helping them identify whether their current role matches their natural interests." talks of building a #strengthsbased #organization. Just substitute the word 'interests' with 'strengths'. Of course, this means you inculcate this in the hiring process first, so that #peopledevelopment becomes more easier.


Read the rest of the article here.



Monday, 15 May 2023

Choosing your Mood - Every Day, Every Time

This post is about choosing our moods on a daily basis.

Some times we do it consciously, but most days we are reacting. 


The above image (image sourced from Pinterest) got me thinking.  Some thoughts about this interesting image (you can substitute the word 'mood' for the word 'chair') :

1) Which of these chairs did you spend the maximum amount of time last week?
2) Which other chairs did you occupy during the week?
3) Which chair would you justify your choice the most, perhaps subconsciously?
4) In this week, which chairs would you intentionally like to spend the most time?
4a) In this week, which chairs would you intentionally like to AVOID spending the most time?
4b) What exactly will you do about these intentions?

Post your responses if you are comfortable, or don't.

Definitely do reflect on them and have a wonderful week.

#coaching #coachingquestions #performancecoach #emotionalintelligence #managingemotions #strengthsdecoder #reflection #introspection #emotionalregulation #emotions #coach

Tuesday, 9 May 2023

Dealing with career setbacks

Source: pexels-cup-of-couple-6633044

Life can deal us many blows.  Some of the toughest events to deal with are those related to the career.  This is because many of us have our identity tied to what we do for a living, and when this is threatened or taken away, there is a profound feeling of loss and confusion. These events could be anything from being laid off, get passed over for a promotion opportunity, missing out on an employment opportunity, frequent rejections of your resume and so on. 

When your resume gets frequently rejected, or you don't clear the final round of the interview at the organization where you were very keen on working, or if you are laid off, your morale can really drop.  You start wondering if you are good enough, or if you ever will be.  The imposter syndrome kicks in, and you end up feeling worse. Check out my article about using your strengths to tackle your imposter syndrome.

Here are some ideas to deal with career setbacks, particularly job interview rejections:

  • First, introspect honestly on the circumstances that brought you through your current place. Clearly articulate your role in the entire process before anyone else's role.
  • Revise your strategy and keep trying.
  • Reflect on top 3 situations / interviews that you think went really well.
  • Identify and note down 5 things that you did particularly well in those situations.
  • Similarly, for 3 situations / interviews that you feel went really poorly. Reflect on what could have gone better. Note these down.
  • Consider how you could enhance the use of your strengths to improve.
  • If you can call someone who was present at the time for feedback, you can ask them for 3 things you did well and 3 things you can improve on. Don't get defensive during these calls and only make notes of their suggestions.  Thank them of course.
  • Consider how you can improve your adaptability to the environment.
  • Finally, remember that what happens to you can define you personally, only if you let it get to you personally.  It's ok to fall down now and then, just don't stay there.

Accordingly, you can now modify your approach and restart.  You could consider engaging a strengths-based career coach (like myself) to help you polish your approach.

Wish you all success in bouncing back from your setbacks.


Monday, 8 May 2023

Fighting Burnout with Strengths

Most employees across the world are facing burnout.  Many of them are asking and taking breaks, and some employers are responding positively to such requests. Some opt for medication under prescription.

There is another way - leverage your strengths for this.

From the article: "The most effective coping mechanisms people use involve positively adjusting how they think about or interpret their workplace stressors."


Read the rest of the article here.

#burnoutrecovery #burnoutprevention #strengths #stressmanagement #strengthsdecoder #performancecoaching

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