• Home
  • Coaching
    • Executive Coaching
    • Personal Development / Life Coaching
    • Team Coaching
    • Communication Coaching
  • Programs
  • Coaches
  • Testimonials
  • Self-help Books
  • Blog
  • Contact / FAQ's
The Coaching Group of Switzerland
  • Home
  • Coaching
    • Executive Coaching
    • Personal Development / Life Coaching
    • Team Coaching
    • Communication Coaching
  • Programs
  • Coaches
  • Testimonials
  • Self-help Books
  • Blog
  • Contact / FAQ's

Coaching Blog
The Coaching Group Of Switzerland

Open Letter to a Leader: You Cannot Take the Emotion Out of It - Rebecca Winter

28/6/2016

0 Comments

 
by Rebecca Winter as posted on Linkedin

I recently had the pleasure of supporting an event that was attended by an amazing and diverse group of Leaders. During an interactive session, I heard the often repeated phrase among corporate leaders from one of the participants: “When I make decisions, I try to be logical. I like to leave emotion out of it”.

Dear Leader,

Did you know that it’s not possible to ‘leave emotion out’ of anything?
That’s right! Neuroscience has exploded the notion that the best decisions are purely rational processes. We now know that decision-making is largely governed by emotion, and as such – the wisest leaders will update their world view. Not only is emotion always involved – science has also shown, that intuition is just as important and can even be superior to logic under the right conditions. Logic, on its own, may lead to incredibly flawed decisions. So, instead of trying to excise emotion - you would do well to strive to understand how best to master this new terrain and use the current body of scientific knowledge to your advantage. This will ensure you become the best Leader that you can be.

So where do you start, you ask me? Let’s start with some basic info.

Did you know that the brain in your head is not your only brain? Did you know that science has acknowledged the existence of at least three ‘brains’? Each person has a completely functioning complex, adaptive neural network in their Head (Cephalic Brain), in their Heart (Cardiac Brain), and in their Gut (Enteric Brain). These three ‘brains’ do important things that impact your thinking and your behavior. They are co-enervated by the Vagus nerve and information passes between and is shared by these ‘brains’. Each individual is taking in vast bits of information via their unconscious mind every second of every day – these varying neural networks will each have accessed different bits, processed them according to the prime functions and competencies of that neural network, and as such – each brain has a contribution to any given decision making challenge. It’s when these ‘brains’ are all functioning optimally and in coherence - and -  when you actually attend to the ‘knowing’ that they provide, that you get the most transformational, generative, and simply accurate decision making.
Sound Crazy? It gets even more interesting. Neurologically speaking, evidence shows that the most powerful sequence to integrate the information processing of these three brains (if you want the best results as a leader) is: Cardiac Brain (Heart) out in front, followed by the Cephalic Brain (Head), and then supported by the Enteric Brain (Gut).

So, let’s focus on your Heart first. 
It’s really, really critical that this brain is engaged. I’m not saying you have to “be emotional”. But one of the prime functions of this brain is processing what’s important to you and your priorities (and its relationship to the emotional strength of your aspirations, dreams, desires, etc.) We do our best work when we want to do it, when we believe it is truly important, and when it aligns to our values. Why would you not appeal to someone’s sense of purpose to get the most out of their capabilities? You need the right amount of emotionally driven energy to ensure that people prioritize and act appropriately amidst competing demands. Anything less is just plain uninspiring and we all want to be inspired. 

Let’s focus on your Head next:
 
This one is easy for you and for most leaders, as the Cephalic brain is the site of thinking, cognitive perception, and meaning making. And what gets this brain functionally optimally? When you have a fantastic and motivating reason to show up fully and commit 100% - e.g. when your heart is in the game first. At that point, your head brain is on fire and able to dream up options and possibilities that support this vision that is shaped by the heart brain. This process of creativity becomes fully boot-strapped by your Purpose and then innovation and ideation become easy when you don’t “take emotion out of it”. 

Finally, let’s close on a conversation with your Gut Brain: 
This brain absolutely has to be engaged to get the nitty gritty work done. Evidence demonstrates that it is the seat of core-identity, self-preservation, and - very important for you and the team you lead - Motivation. When are you most deeply motivated? As we said – when you truly are inspired by your task, your creativity and idea making are engaged in service of that mission, which then boot straps your courage and motivation appropriately in service of making your desired impact.

So dear Leader, let’s not leave emotion out of it! Let’s seek to understand the complete wisdom of the body and all ways of ‘knowing’. Let’s integrate that information effectively and allow your brains to work together powerfully – for an even better, even more coherent and wiser YOU.

Sincerely,
Rebecca
​
0 Comments

Core Values - Core What...?

23/6/2016

0 Comments

 
by Suzie Doscher

​In order to live your life feeling contented and on track, it is vital to know what you truly value in life, what makes you feel fulfilled and what gives you a sense of meaning.
Core Values are about YOU – not about what society, the media, your education, your colleagues and friends or family deem as important or of value, but what is important to YOU. What YOU value.
 
Core Values are individual to you. They can be described as your code of ethics, your fundamental principles, your standards or your personal rules. Stress tends to set in when you are not treating these values with the respect they deserve.
 
Not respecting your core values means you are not respecting your true self.
 
In turn your Self Esteem could suffer which can decrease the quality of your day to day life. Living true to your values (hence true to yourself) allows you to be at peace and to feel your own power. When the feeling of calm and peacefulness is present, the quality of day to day life is high. You will have the feeling of being a good person.
 
Caroline Myss, a five-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned speaker in the fields of human consciousness and mysticism says, "Being able to speak and live with the truth, your truth, means you have to become comfortable with having your power, be comfortable with all that is true about you, all that is beautiful about yourself, this is being okay with yourself."
 
As an example of a core value let's look at Honesty, I imagine that everybody can relate to that feeling of not having been quite honest about something. The twinge felt deep inside even if it was a little 'white lie.' You still feel something, somewhere inside is off. If Honesty is one of your core values, this means you need to not only be honest, but also to be treated with honesty. Should you find yourself not being totally honest about something, this lack of respect for your core value will leave a bad feeling inside. This is the feeling of not being the person you know you are at heart, the feeling of not being true to yourself.
 
Being a good person means you are being true to yourself and thereby honouring your values. It is all in the choices that you make.

Living in line with your core values improves the quality of your day to day life, which in turn means being a better role model, parent, friend, co-worker, child, sibling etc. It means you are maintaining your personal power. This applies to your personal life as well as your professional life.

Honoring your values by making them a priority means you are choosing your behavior based on the right foundation, based on your personal code of ethics.

You can only gain – it is a win-win!

 
Do not know what your Core Values are?  Let me guide you through a process to discover them in a single coaching session. Get in touch and let’s talk about it.
​
Schedule Your 'Values' Session
0 Comments

Two Words That Kill Any Conversation

18/6/2016

0 Comments

 
By Marshall Goldsmith as seen on Linkedin

​It doesn't matter how friendly your tone is or how honey sweet you are in a conversation, when you start your sentences with one of these words (or both), the message to your recipient is "You are wrong."

What are these conversation stopping words? They are "No” and "But.”

These words don’t say, "Let's discuss this" or "I'd love to hear what you think about this" to people. They say, unequivocally, "You are wrong and I am right." If your conversation companion is also dedicated to his need to win at any cost, you will have a potential battle on your hands. The result? Nothing more can happen that will be productive.

Are you interested in a little test to see how competitive your co-workers are? Try this. For one week, keep a scorecard of how many times each person uses "no" or "but" to start a sentence. You will be shocked at how frequently these words are used. And, if you drill a little deeper, you'll see patterns emerge. For instance, some people use these words to gain power. You’ll see how much people resent it, consciously or not, and how it stifles rather than opens up discussions.

I use this technique with my clients. Practically without even thinking, I keep count of their use of these two little words. It's such an important indicator! If the numbers pile up in an initial meeting with a client, I'll interrupt him or her and say, "We've been talking for almost an hour now, and do you realize that you have responded 17 times with either no or but?" This is the moment when a serious talk about changing behavior begins.

If this is your interpersonal challenge, you can do this little test for yourself just as easily as you can to gauge your co-workers. Stop trying to defend your position and start monitoring how many times you begin remarks with "no” or “but." Pay close attention to when you use these words in sentences. For example, "That's true, but..." (Meaning: You don't really think it's true at all.) Another oldie but goodie is "Yes, but..." (Meaning: Prepare to be contradicted.)
​
Along with self-monitoring your behavior, you can also easily monetize the solution to this annoying behavior to help yourself stop. Ask a friend or colleague to charge you money every time you say, "no" or "but." Once you appreciate how guilty you've been, maybe then you'll begin to change your "winning" ways!

Lacking motivation to change how you communicate?
Get in touch - Life Coaching for Personal Development in Zurich, Switzerland

Email Us
0 Comments

Project Success -- People Over Numbers

8/6/2016

0 Comments

 

by Davide Costella

Having worked in the supply chain field in big organizations for quite some time, I have heard a few times how number-driven we are, how we trust metrics, lean six sigma methods over an empathetic, listening and coaching approach.

I can counteract this argument with an authentic success story, a story of people over numbers.

It is January. It is raining. It is cold and foggy. The holidays are just over and a big project meant to improve the warehouse operations of our third party logistics is assigned to me. It is the kind of project that has a huge scope, resources still unknown, challenging timelines and tons of traveling involved. Sound familiar? Well, it turned out to be one of the greatest personal experiences and most successful projects I have ever worked on. And you know what made it such a masterpiece? People. Yes, you heard that right: People.

So what made it so different from any other supply chain project? What did we do to make people more significant than the usual key performance indicators (KPIs)?
  1. Giving Transparency. As a master practioner in NLP, I have studied how the brain works. I know how inclined we are to delete, generalize and DISTORT information. It follows that the more details we give, the less of an opportunity people have to play their own movies and operate out of the amygdala part of the brain.
  2. Co-create over dictating. Let's say you buy a house and move in with your partner. Would you allow your partner to decide everything about the apartment? Or would you prefer co-creating and designing the future together?
  3. Belonging. It does not matter how much technology we have created, we are still animals with primitive needs and the need of belonging it is one of the strongest. This is why, after co-creating, you want your team to feel a strong sense of belonging. After all, we fundamentally still work in tribes..
  4. Consistency. Anthony Robbins mentions Certainty while describing the Six Human Needs. Your team needs to know that they can trust you and that this trust comes with consistent behaviours
  5. Open Questions. We all talk about it, but very few of us actually ask them. Asking open questions takes time, but these questions empower and give ownership and - most importantly -  sustainable results.
  6. Empathy: I often hear colleagues saying that business is different from normal life. They say that in business we should not talk about being a family, that patience has a limit, that we already gave someone a chance, etc. But let me ask you: would you show empathy if a member of your family needed help? Would you want some empathy from your beloved? So, what makes business interactions so different?
  7. Show results. We are visual animals and we all need to see our contribution and progress. By showing the team the progression of the project, they feel energized with the resulting boost of Dopamine (a natural result -- and the most addicting chemical in our body). Hey, this is not black magic! It is called Neuroscience.
  8. Recognize achievements,publicly. Ever wondered why you feel so good when a crowd claps hands at your speech or when you get a "like" on your Facebook post? This is because of your friend, Seratonin, that chemical that flows in our body when we are being recognized. Powerful!
  9. Listen and observe. Learn! Getting feedback through listening and observing is a powerful exercise that you want to do throughout all the stages of the project. Learning comes from asking what they liked, what they are excited about, what they are anxious about, what they want to rethink and what the next steps are.
  10. Leaders Eat Last! Like Simon Sinek says in his book of that title, our teams need to know that we have got their back. This feeling of support gives them Oxytocin, the relationship chemical, and will avoid Cortisol, the stress chemical.This type of response has them be capable of doing things they could not do if they were afraid or stressed.

None of these are magic tricks. They are things that will work only if you truly believe in what you're doing.. If you do not, it is better you do not practice them at all or you will likely cause the opposite effects.

If you strongly believe in people over numbers, share this post as many as you can. Let others be inspired as well!



0 Comments

7 Positive Ways to Raise Your Self-Esteem

5/6/2016

0 Comments

 
Article from The Spirit Science, January 26, 2016

​It’s hard to live your life in a confident way. We face nearly constant pressures from society to conform to certain expectations that you may not agree with. Society tends to put us down when we don’t fit the bill as a model citizen; pretty, successful, rich. As a result, our self-esteem is always taking a beating. How can we improve our self esteem?

Make mistakes.
Making mistakes is the easy part. More importantly, accept your mistakes as things which grow you as a person. Don’t let your mistakes cripple your spirit, and definitely don’t allow your mistakes to become ammunition for someone trying to bring you down. Accept them, learn from them, and move on.

Accept criticism.
I was once told that the way the message was delivered doesn’t matter, but the contents of the message do. Accept criticism, whether it’s intended to be constructive or hurtful. Don’t take anything personally. Use what others have to say to better yourself. If what they’re telling you is simply a personal attack, disregard and move on.

Don’t speak badly of yourself.
If you’re paid a compliment, accept it! Don’t try to talk yourself out of enjoying a little bit of praise. Tell yourself positive affirmations. You are good enough. You look fine the way you are. There’s nothing wrong with you. Any improvement should happen because you really want to be better, not because you don’t think you’re good enough.

Hold your head high.
Truly confident people don’t stare at the ground as they walk. It may seem silly, but your posture is important. When you hold your head high, you signal to yourself and the world that you aren’t afraid, that you can handle anything, and you have high self-esteem.

Don’t accept abuse.
Abuse is one of the biggest causes of poor self-esteem. Many times, when people are treated poorly, they find themselves believing they deserve it. I’m going to tell you a truth that cannot be debated:
No one deserves abuse of any kind.No, you didn’t do anything to deserve it. Yes, you can walk away from toxic relationships at any time. 

Take risks.
Some things in life are worth proceeding with caution on, like going into debt buying a home or switching careers. But don’t let negative self-talk keep you from taking risks and achieving the big goals in life that you want. You’re smart enough to handle it. 

Be the best you that you can be.
​
At the core of it all, to best lift your self-esteem, allow yourself to be the best you that you can be. Only you know how to be you, so proceed through each day with your head held high knowing that you are exactly who you want to be. And if you want to improve, do it for the right reasons.
For support with this - book a session
0 Comments

Millenials Like Life Coaching

1/6/2016

0 Comments

 
by Suzie Doscher AMC

My life-coaching practice includes quite a number of millennials looking for answers. The topics covered range from issues at work with the boss or team, a desire to improve communication skills, lacking of support and/ or a neutral ear as well a work/life balance questions.

Unrealistic and Unhealthy Expectations

Often there is pressure to meet unrealistic and unhealthy expectations. To name a few:
  • Long hours,
  • Frequent travelling,
  • Lack of support
  • Expectation ‘to hit the ground running’ with little 'onboarding'
    (the induction and assimilation of a new employee into a company or organisation[1]).

In many cases, no time, thought or consideration for personal development is available from companies. It can be worse in a start-up, a company that has downsized, merged or bought by an overseas firm.

Millenials Love to Learn
 
It is said that millennials are obsessed with growth and learning. They have no problem given assignments forcing them to stretch. The mindset is: You figure it out, and learn from the mistakes. For some, this might be a scary thought whilst others love the challenge. It all depends on one's strengths and weaknesses.
 
Baby Boomers
 
As a mother of two millennials (1984 and 1986) I see very clearly the differences from my baby boomer years. One difference is a natural level of emotional intelligence. Millennials are more in touch with their feelings. Also a career does not necessarily mean staying with the same company for decades. Designing a career that connects with their natural talents, their strengths and passions is often the goal rather than strictly financial security. It is not the number one reason for staying in a job, especially if it is not making them happy.
 
Non-work related interests and activities are valued. They are aware of the ill effects of stress. Millenials are quite naturally not prepared to sacrifice their health and well-being for work. That is a very healthy attitude!
 
There is an abundance of trainings, seminars as well as information available online. It takes time to convert the learning and knowledge into action and behaviour. Time is missing. How to convert this intellectual knowledge into action and behavioural changes is where I see life coaching comes in.
 
‘Human–doings’ 
 
So much time is spent ‘doing’, by which I mean achieving, keeping up, staying stimulated and challenged. The price being feeling unsatisfied or not having a true sense of achievement. The good news is that unlike many baby boomers, millennials think that asking for other peoples' insights, mentoring and hands-on support is the natural thing to do. Millennials are open to coaching, look for it and do not see it as a weakness. They are interested and willing to do what it takes to feel successful and balanced.
 
If you are eager to enhance your strengths, ask for some life coaching for personal development from your company, seek it on your own, or feel free to get in touch and ask me how I can support you.
 
Keep in mind you are going to be the next leaders and could be running the show.
 

[1] Collins Dictionary Definition

Book Your Free Intro Chat
0 Comments

Millenials – Enhance Your Strengths at Work with Life-Coaching

1/6/2016

0 Comments

 
by Suzie Doscher

With life-coaching for personal development my clients and I initially explore where exactly the sense of ‘something is not quite right’ comes from or what specifically is draining the energy, motivation and focus.
 
Can you relate to any of these?  
  • Communication. Is it open, clear enough, or even available?
  • Support. You would be happy to ask for support but the environment does not allow for it. Your manager is unapproachable.
  • Constructive Feedback. Not getting constructive feedback? Feedback yes, but not constructive! Millennials are ‘hyper-connected’, used to rating/reviewing everything and want as well as value feedback.
  • Multi-Cultural Teams. In Switzerland, where I live, teams are often so multi-cultural, not even a single member is a local. A team of ten can quite easily be made up of six different cultures. Such teams often work for a company with an entirely different culture – in many cases, American business culture. This in itself can present issues where knowing how to accept and respect other cultures is most valuable.
  • Inspiration. Lack of inspiration from within the company. This will undoubtedly kill anyone’s motivation.
  • Strengths / Weaknesses. Not sure what exactly your strengths and weaknesses are, let alone how to manage them.
  • Management Style. Struggling with the outmoded ‘top-down’ management styles.
 
 
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn, rather than teaching them. Or as applied to the business world, coaching is not about telling people what to do, but helping them to achieve all they are capable of doing and being. The best managers are the ones who understand this important distinction.”[1]
 
If you are not as lucky to be in the hands of such a manager or any of the above issues resonate with you, know you are not alone.
 
There is an abundance of trainings, seminars and information available online, yet it takes time to convert the learning and knowledge into action and behaviour. Rarely is there free time at work to adapt the intellectual knowledge gained in a training session. Support with, and time to convert this intellectual knowledge into action and behavioural changes is where I see the life coaching comes in. 
 
Ask for some life coaching for personal development from your company, seek it on your own, or feel free to get in touch and ask me how I can support you.
 
Keep in mind you are going to be the next leaders and could be running the show.

[1] Tim Gallwey, author of books about the Inner Game
​

“Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way”
Unknown
(My father, an international marketing expert, this quote on his desk  - and he meant it!)
 ​

Get in touch - Let's make it happen
0 Comments
    Blog Home

    ​Self-Help Book / Personal Development
    by Suzie Doscher
    3
    rd Edition

    Picture
    Buy your book at Amazon
    BALANCE - offers you support  in life's difficult moments. 
    This book is about change and finding balance in life. Full of self-coaching exercises to help you learn and grow.

    Available in Paperback and Kindle at Amazon stores worldwide
    Audiobook narrated by Suzie Doscher on Amazon, Audible or iTunes

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Balance
    Business Coach In Lausanne
    Business Coach Zurich
    Coaching
    Coaching In Lausanne
    Coaching In Zurich
    Coaching Switzerland
    Coaching Switzerlandd
    Communication
    Core Values
    Covid 19
    Covid- 19
    Davide Costella
    Effectiveness
    Emotional Intelligence
    Empowerment
    Executive Coach
    Executive Coaching In Zurich
    Happiness
    Joy
    Leadership
    Life Coaching
    Life Coach Zurich
    Mindfulness
    Motivation
    Networking
    Neuroscience
    New Years Resolutions 2019
    Organizational Culture
    Other
    Pandemic
    Personal Development
    Seb Jauslin
    Start Ups
    Staying Focused
    Susan Begeman Steiner
    Suzie Doscher
    Team Coaching
    Virtual Coaching

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013

Contact info:


Suzie Doscher
Executive Coach for Self Development
​
Email Suzie
​Phone: + 41 43 443 59 54
www.suziedoscher.com
Linktree
Susan Steiner
Executive Coach
Team Coaching / Team Facilitation

​Email Susan
​Phone: + 41 78 798 83 99
www.sbsteinercoaching.com
Davide Costella
Communication Coaching
​NLP Coach

Email Davide
​Phone: +41 76 358 37 28
www.davidecostella.com
Seb Jauslin
Executive Coach for Daring Leaders and Lawyers 

​Email Seb
Phone: +41 76 202 01 13
​www.sebjauslin.com
Linktree

Naomi Wernecke
Personal Development and Life Coach

Email Naomi
Phone: +41 76 830 67 15 
www.werneckecoaching.com


  • Home
  • Coaching
    • Executive Coaching
    • Personal Development / Life Coaching
    • Team Coaching
    • Communication Coaching
  • Programs
  • Coaches
  • Testimonials
  • Self-help Books
  • Blog
  • Contact / FAQ's