Author: Mona Klare

Giving a workshop at the UCP (Universidade Católica Portugal) for master students and their professor J Arthur Vasconcelos on the topic of status was a real pleasure! All of them got involved and tried things out – as always in my work practical and playful. This simply fitted to the subject ‘lean entrepreneurship’. “Yes, and”… successful: Find the coach on the photo and her status. Thanks to all! 😉

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Group workshops are an excellent opportunity not only to try out leadership and social skills but also to strengthen the team spirit. Of course.

However, the special power lies in making the strengths of the individual visible.

I am always impressed how even in workshops with 10-12 participants, moments of real personal insight become unmistakably VISIBLE for all those present:

No one speaks, you could hear a pin drop.

This moment is often the most enjoyable for the person who is open to others and just left the personal comfort-zone: the support of all (silent!) colleagues present is absolutely priceless!

A wonderful part of my work is to create an atmosphere that is not a sticky harmony sauce but invites courage, openness and constructive friction.

And if the head of the HR department participates – of course – actively in this workshop, I am grateful that I may be the one who leads this group for a day.

Thanks to Antje Reinecke for her feedback 2018:

It’s great how Mona picks up all kinds of characters – everyone is 100% involved. She creates a safe place even for more shy participants where personal challenges are shared with the group. Mona attracts people in the most pleasant way from the reserve, so that everyone really has their own personal “aha”-moment and gets a lot out of the workshop.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)

 

Basic knowledge of interpersonal communication is essential for good team work. Do you agree with this statement? And what do you think about these points?

1. If something is not clearly communicated there is room for interpretation.

People often mention something like this in my coaching sessions: “I don’t know exactly what my manager really wants me to do. I’ve asked about this several times. But I can’t get a clear statement. I’m just going to stop asking.”

But if we have to interpret behavior or unclear announcements, the probability that we are wrong is high. This is how misunderstandings occur. And resentment. Both prevent good cooperation. How often do you ask if others have understood your announcements in detail?

2. Motivation by avoiding demotivation.

Paying full attention to someone gives him a signal: “I see you”.

But when my thoughts are already in the next meeting, I’m checking my mobile phone or just finishing one e-mail while the other person should go ahead and say what he wants, the signal comes across as just the opposite.

60 seconds in which the other person receives my full attention, I make eye contact with him, listen and ask questions are better than 30 minutes of demonstrating how to multi-task.

Perhaps you are now saying: “Well, that’s very simple. Of course I do that.” My question is, “When was the last time your staff confirmed this to you?”.

 

 

These are 10 possible results of coaching:

1. Clarity and focus for your own goals. And concrete ways to implement them.
2. Promising expectations. Of others. And of yourself.
3. Your team conveys to you that your leadership style motivates and strengthens them.
4. You can trust your team and yourself. The meetings you conduct are full of life. That means that not only are results produced but also supported by everyone afterwards.
5. You are able to provide professional feedback. And to receive it.
6. You are aware of how you and others perceive who you are. And you can work with this.
7. You make decisions that make you feel good. Even the day after tomorrow.
8. You have a new view on old issues and questions that you have been avoiding for a long time, because you were afraid of losing your face or being evaluated. The new view is oriented towards the future.
9. You can hold your own even in difficult discussions and negotiations. You know your value and take good care of yourself. You are on equal terms with those you are in dialogue with.
10. Instead of just reacting and waiting for things to change: you take action, you create new reactions and initiate the change you want.

 

 

 

These are 10 good reasons for you to consider coaching:

1. You will take on a new position in the company, and that is exactly what you want!
2. You will get more responsibility, want to help shape the rules of the game and at the same time drive new things forward.
3. After changing your role (e.g. from colleague to manager), you want more clarity about your understanding of your role and motivation
4. Your behavior, your soft skills have helped you be successful so far. You want to stay that way, even if those you speak to now are different.
5. Motivation is an important topic for you and your team.
6. You know the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication. And want to work with it and on it very consciously and practically.
7. No one can meet your high expectations. Not even you.
8. Now you are “so far up the ladder” so that no one gives you feedback any more without wanting something from you. Or because they are afraid
9. You have to deal with conflicts more often than you like
10. You want to make progress, you have big plans, you need new impulses for your work and your goals.

 

 

I often hear from managers who come to me: “I would like to have employees who are more independent and motivated. They should take on more ‘ownership’, show more initiative and contribute more ideas.”

Does that sound familiar to you?

Than may be it makes sense to ask yourself the following questions as a leader:

• How do you speak to your employees?
• how do you invite your people to think creative?
• Is space and time provided to bring new things into the world and to siphon off fresh ideas from everyone?
• How do you conduct meetings? How do you manage frequent speakers? Or are you one yourself?
• How do you react to annoyed faces in meetings?
• How do you praise and criticize? With which tone do you set limits?
• Are you physically present or do you only run digitally?

“I just don’t have time for everyone” I hear a lot.

Leaders’ working hours are precious and expensive. However, it becomes more expensive to have overwhelmed or not challenged or unmotivated employees in projects.

 

 

When we did the leadership workshop with Mona, it was very important to assure that we could take the insights we’d gained and implement them in our daily business.

Mona asked us about what we wanted to know and accomplish before we started and specifically took our ideas into account during the workshop.

We have already been able to integrate what we’ve learned into our daily business.

We consider the day we spent with her a real success and can’t wait to get more.”

Yacine Coco, CEO TalentRocket

IT-professionals often have a lack of soft-/communication-skills? I can’t go with that. My experience in coaching of IT-Leaders: Their daily business is in front of a screen. May be. But in the play-and-game-mode they act couragesly and are unbeatable…

“Mona’s approach to coaching is very unusual:

her acting ability allows her to simulate situations, behaviors and characters.

This gave me the opportunity to practice what I had just learned and new skills and try them out on a practical level.

The sessions were tailored exactly to meet my needs, were very ambitious and effective.

The result of our work has positively changed my life and attitudes.”

IT – Professional/-Executive

 

 

To be honest … I wasn’t sure, if I’d join your Workshop at all, I was so tired by the information-overkill and to many powerpoint-presentations before.

Why I stayed?

• Your fresh and authentic way I really liked and motivated me.
• From the start it was clear: it is not a one way communication.
• Pretty fast I got the impression: “There is really something in for you”.

Summing up:  The workshop really was worth it! And by the way: not only for business-cases.

Heinz Löwer, Director
(about my speech about “Respect” on a 2-days-directors-meeting, 2017)