Growth Hacking Culture

Speaking up about the type of culture or toxic practices at work is a starting points to create positive change in the workplace  — so why are so many people reluctant to do so?
There might be several reasons: first, there may be significant personal or professional risks associated with being the one speaking up. Second, many people assume someone else will step up. In reality, only few will have the courage to openly talk about toxic work cultures.
In 2018, Nike had several cases of women harassement, that ended up uncovering toxic practice almost by luck - check this article:  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/28/business/nike-women.html
 
For this episode, I needed to have a rebel mindset about toxic cultures and was happy to find her - Zoe Fragou
About Zoe Fragou
Zoe Fragou is an Organizational Psychologist - she is a fixer of TOXIC WORK CULTURES - she uses science to help organizations transform their culture
She also does research is mainly focused on the psychometrics of the corporate culture.  She writes and speaks about: equality in the workspace, stereotypes, mobbing, burnout, leadership, toxic positivity, positive psychology.
Here is where you can find her
Zoe Fragou Website https://www.fragouzoe.com/
Zoe Fragou LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/fragouzoe/
 
What we discussed on this episode on Why is it so difficult to talk about Toxic Cultures
There are so many review aggregators (GlassDoor, Indeed and others) - most of these reviews are done when a person has left their company. Today, is it difficult to speak up and name toxic cultures?
How would you define a toxic culture?
How do we quantify how healthy is a corporate culture? 
Many organizations have invested in pulse surveys - can these insights be transformed into tangible actions?
Positive Psychology has contributed on the way we understand humans thriving in the workplace - how can we be sure that we are not overdoing it in terms of happiness and that it doesn’t become a “toxic” contributor?
If you had a magic wand to make the majority of toxic work cultures change… what are the actions you would have done?
What actions would you recommend to people living in a toxic culture?
This episode is hosted by Ivan Palomino - expert on Behavioral Sciences applied to Culture Transformation and Learning.
🌟 Want to join a pledge to promote human centric values at work? Read more about the Simply Human Pledge here https://bit.ly/SimplyHumanPledge 
 

One of the most recurrent challenges for organizations is about creating a culture of learning - unfortunately the way we learn in corporates hasn't changed much in the last years - unpractical, not inspiring and not inline with the agility of business.
The change on the way organisations develop a culture of continuous learning has become urgent - it is time to explore alternatives to design rituals empowering people to learn. 
About my guest Dr. Brian Glibkowski
Dr. Brian Glibkowski is an author, researcher and futurist passionate about the role of questions and answers . Think about it - in business and society - it is encouraged to learn how to formulate great questions and not often we get to learn a process on how to answer.
In his book Answer Intelligence: Raise Your AQ. Dr Brian introduces a new science of answers. The AQ framework has been adopted by universities, including the Imperial College of London Business School. Brian Glibkowski PhD is Associate Professor of Management at North Central College in Illinois, USA and CEO of Semplar Science Corp. His research focuses on the role of questions and answers in business and society.
What we discuss in this episode on inspiring a continuous learning organization
Billions of dollars are spent on trainings in corporations - the sad thing is that the traditional way of training adults has not changed much. What are the flaws of the current learning model?
We have seen an increase of leaders that have been trained on mentoring and coaching approaches - which is often associated with knowing how to ask questions - from your famous TED talk, you mention that there is imbalance of questions vs answers. Why is that important?
AQ seems to me like of mental process (a meta-skill) that leaders can use to teach, communicate and motivate their teams - How does it work?
I am a fan of micro-habits - creating small routines to acquire skills - What could be some good routines to start practicing the AQ model
Part of your research includes a way to assess AQ - can you really measure if someone is progressing in acquiring this skill?
When a corporation invest on teaching AQ in their organization what type of outcomes can we expect - business, organizational and human
This episode is hosted by Ivan Palomino - expert on Behavioral Sciences applied to Culture Transformation and Learning.
 
Mentioned in this episode on How leaders can inspire a continuous learning organization
About Answer Intelligence (AQ)™ https://www.raiseyouraq.com/ 
TedTalk on Answer Intelligence (AQ) | Brian Glibkowski https://youtu.be/7eeXf5dfJRE 
Free explore AQ self-assessment https://www.raiseyouraq.com/explore.html 
Brian Glibkowski LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/glibkowski/ 
 
 
 

We are living times where many of us ask questions about purpose and happiness - we are living moment of rupture moving away from external motivators such as money & status to alternatives that can give us sustainable happiness - and drives intrinsic satisfaction in our lives
After watching a piece of a Ted Talk The Secret Ingredient to Happiness by Miriam Ismail- I found interesting that somehow I would have more answers about how the feeling of being in control of our lives can contribute to our happiness (and this starts by managing our time).
About Miriam Ismail
Miriam Ismail is a Personal & Professional Coach equipped with the most complete approaches such as meditation, self-hypnosis, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), Naturopathy, hypnotherapy, and Time Management. She’s an Entrepreneur, a Published Author, a Speaker and Instructor. She was a Finance College Professor and worked in a Fortune 500 investment firm.  She is a Certified in “Leadership Strategies Coaching” from Harvard University.
If you want to reach Miriam - here is where:
The Precious Time website -> https://www.precioustime.info/ 
Her LinkedIn Profile -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-ismail-joueidi/
Watch her Ted Talk -> https://youtu.be/CBiKjdavRlY 
 
What we talked about:
The ‘autopilot syndrome’ - how big is the problem of not having the control of our time in our society?
What are the consequences of not having the control of our time?
What is the correlation between managing time (life control) and happiness?
In our ‘all digital’ way of living - we often get ‘hooked’ but digital can also help us be more efficient - were do we draw the line between the positive and negative of the 'all digital' lifestyle?
There are many methods to manage time - what are the ones that you feel are more appropriate to drive long term results?
Why is it so difficult for people to take a serious grip on their time management - we always have a good excuse to say ‘I dont have time for that’ but behind there must be more than in the human psychology
If I have to start tomorrow taking control of my time - what are the actions that I should be doing?
 
This episode is hosted by Ivan Palomino -> https://www.ivanpalomino.net/ 
 

If your organization doesn’t prioritize employee recognition, you’re missing out on a big boost to your bottom line. Organizations provide various benefits and compensations to employees for their splendid work. From lunches to gift cards small goodies always seem like the right package. But do employees really want and appreciate these small goodies?
First of all randomly giving out gift cards usually does more damage than good. Often we see a companies do this and they have these recognition programs around performance. It usually happens once a year which leaves many employees demotivated with reduced productivity. So a better way to do a recognition program is to identify a set of values, for example, and what are the behaviors of those values look like that you would expect of someone who actually deserves a recognition award.
Secondly it is important for companies to realize that monetary benefits alone wont motivate employees or make them happy. Recognition in front of others is what matters the most to employees. A simple ovation, as simple clapping in front of others can pull it out quite nicely in order to have sustainable engagement of stainable motivation of people. This video also talks about the importance of recognition to be peer drive. 
Lastly, the reward system is actually in the brain located in the amygdala, where we feel emotions, to start or stop doing a particular task based on how it makes us feel. So when something feels good a fall, of course, we want to do more of it, be better at it and get that feeling again, and when we experience something unpleasant, our brain is not a fan of that. So it will steer us away from that activity in the future to the best of its ability. So by giving recognition to your employees simply put an even better peer recognizing them.
 
This episode on Recognition at Work is hosted by Elena Agaragimova and Ivan Palomino.

Influencing others is essentially an art that works wonders if done in the right way. It helps an individual indirectly grow, adapt and develop. On a daily basis this is a negotiation as we tend to influence or get influenced by the people around us. As a leader, manager or a general employee in a workplace in order to climb up the corporate leader or get people on your side to support you on a certain, Influencing is very important.
This begins with only GIVING. We have to give before we ask. If we don't put in the effort, we won't get anything back in return. As a leader, offering your time mentoring, coaching, somebody creating opportunities for people to grow, right, as an individual contributor, even you can also use this tactic by offering your help on a project or helping out a colleague. Another important one is to lead by example. If you want your team to be better at time management, then show them how you manage your time be the person that is explicit about their time management. So people are inspired by that. You want your team to have more transparent communication. Well, that starts with you, being transparent in your communication with them. Lastly build trust. The more people trust you, the better you will be able to positively influence them and create great work cultures.
 
This episode of Learn With Bessern is hosted by Ivan Palomino and Elena AgaragimovaIf you enjoy this episode follow this podcast and write a review. Thank you

Workplaces are often ever-changing and stressful environments, and the challenges they present can truly test a person’s tenacity. What’s interesting though is that some people not only comfortably ride out these waves of difficulty, but they even find success in them. Resilience is defined as individual's ability to bounce back from adversity. It really just encompasses our ability to emerge from struggle without any kind of significant impact.
It's really looking to find that positive side of things that silver lining and an opportunity in any challenge that might come up. Resilience really comes down to regulating our emotions when bad things happen. And that really just relates to how do we manage our energy? How do we use the resource of our time to our best advantage, and it's as simple as just, you know, equipping ourselves with tools that help us become more resilient and be able to manage our energy better, such as just basics of taking care of ourselves, right?
It's working on our mindset, it's again, looking to reframe situations into something that could be an opportunity in disguise. It's also about how compassionate we are towards ourselves. So are we actually kind with ourselves? The answer is mostly NO. We are way more harsher to our self than we would be to a friend or a relative. And this has to stop in order for us to grow and evolve.
Lastly this episode gives us some great tips on how to start being resilient not only in the workplace but also in our daily life!

Being self-aware is by far one of the most important factors of an individual's life. By doing so an individual obtains a deeper understanding of their feelings, motives, goals, and biases. There are two types of self-awareness that people have to be mindful about. Internal self-awareness focuses on your thoughts, feelings, strengths, weaknesses, values, and so on. However it is not always advisable to be introspective or only internally self aware. On the other hand external self-awareness is being tuned to how other people perceive you. They are more empathic as these individuals are connected with each other. When you understand yourself better, that translates into understanding others better. You become aware that everyone’s feelings and beliefs come from their experiences. You’re also a better listener, which is essential to fostering empathy. Considering that self-awareness is about understanding emotions, it makes sense that the understanding extends to others. Lastly, we need to learn to leave a moment for mindfulness or being fully present in the moment
So instead of judging the past or having expectations about the future, which are going to be affecting us emotionally, we simply learn to live in the present moment.

We humans dont enjoy talking about suicidal thoughts (specially men who are the population with the highest suicidal rate). The most awkward thing is that if don't talk about it - it becomes worst for people struggling in silence and shame.
About Chris Haill
My guest is Chris Haill founder of MindForce - a couple of years ago, he was running his own company, developing new business in media and publishing. 
I remember clearly the day I met Chris in February 2020 - some days before a life changing event had occurred to him. This was also an important moment for me to reflect on this brief conversation that had a long lasting impact on me… after a long battle of depression, Chris became a suicide survivor.
If you wish to #justreachout contact Chris Haill via his LinkedIn profile or the MindForce DXB LinkedIn page or Chris.Haill@mindforceuae.com 
About Mindforce:
MindForce is a business platform dedicated to helping people of all nationalities, religions and economic backgrounds to address mental illness and addiction problems. MindForce offers help, support and advice, not just to recover but to get people's lives back on track.
Mindforce is based in Dubai, UAE https://mindforceuae.com/ 
If you wish to discuss partnerships or business opportunities with MindForce, contact, Simon Walker at Simon.Walker@mindforceuae.com or through the MindForce DXB LinkedIn profile.
The key questions answered by Chris Hail:
What are the groups that are most affected with high suicide rates?
What are the origins of suicidal thoughts - is it the same for young people vs the 40+?
Why is it a shame to talk about suicide still today?
The series 13 reasons why was speaking about suicide in teens - according to the producers the aim was to create awareness but many reacted negatively - what is the right way to create awareness?
Suicide rate in men is higher than in women - I got the impression that we men have a hard time to open up about their struggles… is that true?
How can we provide peer support: a friend of somebody in our family with symptoms of suicidal thoughts
If you had a magic wand - how would you impact the numbers of people dying of suicide?
What is the mission of MindForce, what type of support can people having suicidal thoughts get?
 
This episode of Learn With Bessern is hosted by Ivan PalominoIf you enjoy this episode follow this podcast and write a review. Thank you
 

Being vulnerable is certainly not the top mindset of the typical leader. Most leaders get promoted into their roles because they project confidence and self-assuredness.
Leaders are humans with their own set of challenges on being open about their limiting-beliefs - and yes it is kind of a taboo to talk about it in organizations.
Some of the most common limiting beliefs in leaders are: imposter syndrome, incapacity to cope with change, believing in the capacity to learn for themselves and their teams. 
About our guest Chris McNeil - from the Thought Leadership 
In this episode of Learn with Bessern - we deep dive on the topic with Chris McNeil. Chris is an NLP Master Practitioner who has developed innovative methods of using NLP in sales and marketing. He is also the host of the podcast Thought Leadership Studio.
To reach Chris McNeil:
Thought Leadership Studio Podcast Site  https://www.thoughtleadershipstudio.com/
Get his ebook Marketer's Guide to Strategic Thought Leadership for free https://www.thoughtleadershipstudio.com/F/Free-Marketers-Guide-to-Strategic-Thought-Leadership
 
The key questions on The Taboo of Limiting Beliefs in Leadership:
What are the most common limiting beliefs in leaders at work
Detecting limiting beliefs is difficult as our brain controls the perception of our reality - what are the cues to spot limiting beliefs
Why is it so difficult for leaders to show vulnerability at work?
What can be the impact of leaders with limiting beliefs in their teams and their organization
What are the practices that leaders in the workplace can start by themselves
There are many approaches to become a better leader - you are a Master Neuro-Linguistics Practitioner - what does NLP means compared to other ways of coaching
How possible is it that if you dont take actions on your limiting beliefs - it can have an impact on your mental health
If you had a magic wand - what would you like to see on leaders today?
This episode of Learn With Bessern is hosted by Ivan PalominoIf you enjoy this episode follow this podcast and write a review. Thank you
 
 

Micromanaging is a hard habit to break. You may downplay your propensities by labeling yourself a “control freak” or by claiming that you just like to keep close tabs on your team, but those are poor excuses for excessive meddling.
For starters, let's agree that there are in fact very little things that we can control, especially in the world of work. Where essentially our main job as leaders is to manage, motivate, inspire and lead our teams. Being a micromanager and controlling every step is just simply not an effective use of your time as a leader. And let's be real this need to control stems from fear, fear of failing as well as lack of trust. And these issues are coming from something beyond the working space. These obstacles are the ones stopping you from being an awesome leader. The fact that these people who have a tendency to control are often the ones who are dealing with their own anxiety.
Controlling other people is a means to alleviate it to make it a little bit more relaxed. Individuals who have control over their emotions are better managers and have a better work-life balance than individuals who stress about taking care of their emotions.
In todays fast moving world every business has to come up with unique innovations in order to stay profitable and continue to grow in the market. Some managers panic with the thought of failing which results in them getting anxious and controlling their team.
 
Managers must learn to trust their employees and be flexible with them in order to avoid being a know it all and to start managing well. 
 
This episode of Learn With Bessern is hosted by Ivan Palomino and Elena AgaragimovaIf you enjoy this episode follow this podcast and write a review. Thank you