Executive training and team coaching for significant and fundamental change

The outbreak of the Corona brought one of the most exciting possibilities for coaching work. Finally, after years of resistance to remote online coaching via Zoom video and all the options, the Corona opened up and Zoom opened this possibility to everyone in a big way! Several international companies have taken this option with both hands and made online coaching the significant and immediately available means for companies interested in providing their employees with both an option for personal and managerial development, and for teams located at a distance in physical and virtual space. Many companies that I have been exposed to, many from the high-tech world, have enabled coaching for managers at a variety of levels, which was not possible before. This movement is crazy and fascinating and apparently has become a market worth hundreds of millions within about two years of the beginning of the Corona. And yes, everything is online. All for the benefit of organizations and companies.

In the two years since the Corona pandemic, I have opened several branches of my own in Hebrew and English, in Israel, Europe and the United States mainly, and I even arrived in the new Dubai in = relatively on the Israeli field. The opportunity to train managers around the world, online, has exposed me to a deeper understanding of the plight of remote work, the significant challenge of managing teams and people remotely, and the loneliness that grips quite a few people regardless of their cultural status or salary. We all need a caring and sympathetic eye, we all need a supportive and loving environment.

This summary is the tip of the iceberg of over a hundred people I have trained recently, managers at various levels with different and varied levels of responsibility, women and men. The spirit of the matter is conveyed but not the details, of course. What is certain is that you can trust me when I tell you that no headline or quote you read here will give you any idea of whether this is a man or a woman, whether this is a super senior management position or a team leader. People are people are people, our human fears are not lost because of class and status. They are there, despite and in spite of. The most important thing is to deal with them, and to allow us to bring our strengths and strengths to the forefront. A coaching process and meaningful conversations provide exactly the space that allows us to observe, think, and see that something new is possible now.

As this year begins again, I hope that more and more companies will understand the human need, and the importance of processes of this kind that allow, on the one hand, sharing and releasing internal and external fears and threats, and on the other hand, a real possibility to overcome, think differently, and find strength for something new and more precise. And that this understanding will bring with it the necessary investment in employees and managers as individuals and as teams. Because there is no possibility of growth of one without the other.

I chose five quotes from managers I worked with this year that I think represent quite a bit of what many people are going through. In the posts (by clicking on the image) you can read a little more about the approach or the ways to overcome and change these feelings. Enjoy reading!

And the one who knows everything...what about him?

"I feel exhausted from all these questions all the time. Each one of them asks me and it requires me to know everything, understand everything and be constantly on alert. Because that's what is expected of me… I'm not sure that's really my job. It doesn't make sense for me to be involved in every detail. On the other hand, I have no idea how to stop it… or how to stop answering, and if I stop answering, will they know what to do as well as I do? Or…" It's quite nice to be at the center of things, to be the important person who knows everything, and after all, you really know more than those below you, that's the reason for progress. But, what is the cost of always knowing everything, what is the cost to yourself and what is the cost to the company. Is it possible to grow next to such a person? Is there room for mistakes, for learning to think differently, for taking risks in other areas where there is less knowledge? How do you broaden your approach and what does this allow you to bring into life, into the role and into the organizational culture. The fear of letting go and the possibility of believing in someone else to succeed are two challenges that accompany many managers who move from a doer role to a manager. A manager has a different role. Beyond doing, it is also necessary to manage, and that means a different way of thinking and looking at things. Continue reading:

How to manage the most important thing

"I wasn't that bothered by what was said to me, I could still get over that, but my reaction was what really shocked and humiliated me. I didn't control myself properly and it turned out badly. I was really ashamed of myself. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to bury myself." Managing our reactions even in difficult and frustrating moments is an acquired skill and not an easy one. Because when certain triggers are pressed, the reactions that come out of us, these automatic reactions come in moments of quick drama, they are not always a source of pride. They often reveal our most vulnerable places, our insecurity, our fears and concerns, our vulnerable ego. There are places where it is not critical or the price we pay is tolerable. But what happens when these reactions happen with high frequency and with the people who least want to see us like this. What is the economic price that this type of behavior can cost us? The higher the level of pressure, the less time and space we have for an informed response. Under stress, the true self emerges, which in normal times can be seemingly hidden. What allows for change in this place is understanding what activates these triggers, and how you can slow down the time between the event and the reaction in order to find a different way to respond even in challenging cases. More on emotional management in this post:

When was the last time you cleaned up?

"The fact that someone really saw my investment and also told me that they see it for the first time in years makes me try even harder"! Everyone needs someone who really sees them, appreciates and praises them. Each and every one of us needs recognition for our effort and our work. When we receive it from our surroundings, from people above us, below us or on our side, it motivates us and gives us the energy to continue doing more. We are champions at saying what is not working well enough and what needs to be improved, and yes, that is important and significant, but also pay attention to the other side, who praises and sees the good that already exists. To see the good, you have the ability and not to take it for granted. The truth is that this ability has enormous significance in the ability to influence and get people to do more with you. Even if it is not natural to you, you did not grow up with it as a way of speaking, you did not see it enough around you, you did not experience it yourself, it is a critical management skill that can be practiced and acquired! And it is the one that will allow you to work with people and get the most out of it. How do you do it better and what do you gain from it? In the post here:

Imposter syndrome

"My biggest fear is that one day they'll realize that I'm not like that. It's true that I was really good before, because everything was under my control, I knew what I was doing and by when, and I could play with things and be great and on time. But now I don't do everything, I depend on others, I'm not involved in everything, something else is expected of me and it seems to me that I have no idea at all how I, who I am, can succeed in the new position. I feel like an impostor, pretending that I understand everything and control things, but I'm telling you honestly, no. And the great fear that exhausts me is that in a moment they'll really find out, and then…" This feeling often occurs when switching between roles or when there's too much progress. If we haven't internalized what we're good at and what we already know, if we haven't gotten a clear and structured feeling based on how we've progressed in the role, how we're seen, and what's expected of us, there's a possibility that during the first period of change we'll have this feeling of "In a moment they'll understand who I am…" in the less pleasant sound of this text. How do we deal with it better and what can really help. In the post here:

Is it possible to be happy at work?

"I've been doing this for a long time, I'm good at it too. A real professional. Anything you bring me in this role, I'll know what to do or who to turn to and refer. My life, with my eyes closed. And there's a lot of comfort in it, a lot less pressure than before, and the conditions are a waste of time. But I'm not happy anymore. The joy and pleasure have disappeared from me, and where I'm in the conditions I have, it's really scary to leave or change. It's really a golden cage, that's what it is. And it's sticking me in even more." If there's one thing that the coronavirus has brought very strongly into our daily lives, it's that life is too volatile and uncertainty is not something that should be ignored. In light of this, the question of what is the best way to live our lives is surfacing even more than before? And when work takes up so much of our time, thought, and energy, it better be worth it. Is it possible to be happy in a career or is it an option for the privileged few? In an article published in Haaretz newspaper, I presented the way of looking at a career as a significant part of life, but not necessarily from this angle of earning more and achieving more, but from a slightly different place that seeks the pleasure that comes with it and happiness. Continue reading: