Entrepreneurs’Resources Attracting and letting go- Free Webinar 7.5.2018

 

ICF COACHES SUPPORTING YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS organise a great free webinar and probono coaching sessions in order to celebrate International Coaching Week 2018.

How do you surround yourself with the right people. What happens if the need arises to go separate ways?
How do you make your financial decisions? What is important to consider when negotiating with an investor or a supplier? What do you do if your much needed capital comes with strings attached which are not compatible with your values?
How do you deal with old habits, limiting beliefs and shiny but useless tools?These are the challenges faced daily by entrepreneurs. In this webinar we explore how coaching helps you make these decisions.

Practical details:
May 7 starting at 12pm (CEST)

Link to register:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/213757544565132035

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greece is recovering from its economic collapse. Could coaching help it ‘rebound’?

SOCRATIC METHOD

 This article is published in Coaching at Work magazine on Saturday, October 25th, 2014, filed under Articles, Letter from Greece.

Barbara Asimakopoulou, Business Coach ICF

I can vividly remember that September in 2008, when suddenly, having just got back from holiday, something had changed in Greece forever. The past was gone; things would never be the same again.

At the time, some predicted the worst was still to come. Six years later, I’m wondering about what has come to pass and what remains to be seen. Regarding the economic crisis, I can’t tell what the next phase will be like. Many here still adopt the ostrich position, believing things will go back to the way they were, that wages will rise, jobs will be available once again and good restaurants will be fully booked.

Fortunately, some of us believe that a change in our nation should begin with a change in ourselves. We don’t turn to our political leaders in despair for them to save us; we ourselves become politicians, and active citizens. This is the way Aristotle taught us – and, as Plato declared: “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

We’re searching for values: integrity, honesty, justice, cooperation. We go back to ourselves to return as better partners, better business people, better parents – it’s what we call ‘rebounding’.

We embrace challenge and seek our chance.

A missed field goal does not make us bad players. We’re reorganising ourselves, and recovery is a team game.

And there is a coach in every game.

Inspiring, helping to bring out people’s better selves, motivating and, in the end, helping people change.

Coaching in Greece is still a very fresh idea, but judging by its rapid development in the last few years, it will finally attain the status it deserves. The number of professional coaches is increasing and people are more informed about its benefits. It is needed now more than ever.

Sure, there are obstacles hindering its acceptance. We Greeks do not easily turn to specialists for help nor does proactivity run in our blood. We suffer from numerous weaknesses that we ourselves acknowledge, including lack of foresight. Fearing hard work is not one of those weaknesses, despite what some say. We also love family and friends, we savour life, we’re proud, we get through hardships in original ways, we give birth to new ideas, we easily adapt and we are 100 per cent European.

Admittedly, things are not promising. We have 30 per cent unemployment, entrepreneurship is suffocating through lack of liquidity, old ideologies are constantly challenged, political leaders are no longer trusted, and social tension is rising with the shortage of stable and secure points of reference.

We seek in Europe a powerful common voice and action against dangerous trends, such as populism and/or extreme ideologies; we hope for the existence of a common European political vision to deal with them.

Little by little, the voices of the ‘virtuous’ are joining, supported by new collective actions and trends, such as volunteerism, generosity, handcrafting, returning to nature, to our roots, to the everlasting values of love, friendship, hope and persistence, which also characterise Greeks.

As for coaching, it will unlock Greeks, the way Socrates did 2,500 years ago, in his pursuit of the truth innate in everyone. That’s why Socrates holds the title of the very first coach.

  

Introducing the Health Coach

 

 The sharp increase in health care costs can be considered the environment that fosters the maturation of the health coaching concept.

In the last decades the costs of health care escalated and posed a threat to the viability of companies and businesses.

Many companies used the rise in health care as an excuse to freeze hiring or to discriminate arbitrarily when they thought that a prospective employee might be a liability because of their health condition.

Companies that are aware that their most important asset is human potential will take care of their employee’s health because employee health correlates with productivity.

Furthermore, companies that would like to maintain the health of their employees without taking on excessive financial burden would benefit by incorporating a health coach in their management staff.

Who is the health coach?

The health coach is an individual hired by a company who focuses on maintaining a healthy working environment.  By applying coaching techniques individualized to the specific health needs of an employee, costs to the company would be limited.  In addition they advise the employer which health care plan is optimal for the company.  A health coach usually recommends a health insurance plan.

 

Coaching, according to the International Coach Federation, is a partnership between the coach and the client- coachee engaged in a thought-provoking and creative process that focuses on inspiring the client to maximize their personal or professional abilities.The employee becomes aware that when the employee becomes informed of his/her physical, psychological and emotional well being then it becomes obvious  of the control in making decisions for his/her well being.

The health coach must be aware of the working environment and the health issues or matters that arise from it.  The health coach is certified and accredited by the International Coaching Federation in ACC or PCC level.

The health coach must be informed with the latest in preventive services and medical advances that are included in a standard of care.

The health coach represents the company that supports the employee in times of hospitalization, thus, demonstrating that the company appreciates his years of experience, years of negotiations and multitasking skills.  The employee does not experience that his health is moralized and his disease is condemned by the company.

After all the financial health of a company is reflected in its healthy employees.

The health coach might be perceived as the business response to the business of health care.  For skeptics who questioning and comparing the value of the company’s health coach with established wellness groups, the answer might be surprisingly easy to obtain:  An anonymous employee survey, asking 1. What do you want your healthcare coverage plan to include?  2. Is your definition of health aligned with the policies of your company?

The preventative care and the coordination of medical care during hospitalization exemplifies that the health coach might be considered as the business response to the business of health care.   The first advantage that stems from the partnership of the health coach and employees is the identification of risk factors that are linked to the work environment, predominantly a sedentary life style that promotes a high fat diet, lack of exercise and smoking habits.  In order to restore physical activities to counteract the sedentary life style a healthy diet to counteract the chronic ramifications of obesity, cessation of smoking to prevent the manifestation of chronic diseases, the health coach supports the importance of preventative care, limits hospitalization time that reflect a decline in health care costs of the company.  In times of hospitalization, the health coach informs the patient/employee about his diagnosis and prognosis.  The informed patient is welcome by the physician since he represents the current model of health care that is a patient centered care.

A patient/employee is not stressed knowing that the health coach unlike his family members retains his objectivity in the coordinated care of the patient/employee.  The coordination of care is initiated by the avoidance of repetitive and unnecessary duplication of lab tests and x-rays, since the electronic health records, despite the efforts of physicians, nurses and information technologists have not yet been satisfactory.  Thus, while the patient is spared from being subjected to unnecessary tests or x-rays, the company’s health coach saves medical bills charged to the company.

In times of anxiety, for example, the arrival of a new born, the health coach supports a short time leave of the employee in order for him to become familiarized with the new member of the family and comfort the mother of the newborn.  Other examples that might contribute to increase levels of stress for the employee is times of celebration of the graduation of a family member or time to grieve the loss of a loved one.

In the USA there are companies that have already adapted and acted on the concept of health coach, such as Johnson & Johnson, Walmart, Kelloggs and Apple.  Companies such as GM give paternity leave to the new fathers.  No male employee has taken this paternity leave.  The absence of the father of the new born results in resentment and studies have shown that a resentful employee is not a productive employee.  Resentment might also lead to a variety of physiological or psychological diseases.

The employ must feel secure.  The sense of security must be given by the perception of employment as a social blanket that comforts health as a social good.  The benefits are that the more secure the employee feels, the more productive and creative he might be in the context of his company.  An additional advantage of engaging into a partnership with the company’s health coach and not a health information technologist was communicated by e-mail between Katerina Hurd and Steve Lopez, the director of the department of information technology of Solaris Health Care.  The health coach is not limited by financial conflicts of interest, because both the health coach and the employee share the same employer.  In addition, the health coach can always terminate his contract with the company.

If companies want to invest in their human potential in terms of their creativity, productivity and innovation, they have to pay attention to the health coach and not only to the health information technologist.

Beyond health issues

Health is not only a social good. It reflects an economical aspect especially in countries where moralizing or demobilizing health leads to employment or unemployment.

If we believe that a healthy working environment is built by healthy employees, then the practice of health coaching reflects the financial beating heart of the company. 

In other words, the health coach represents the doctor who manages the financial health of both the company and its employees.

Authors

   Barbara Asimakopoulou, ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC),  Managing Partner at Human Resources Expertise, Athens, Greece, MBA. 

  Dr. Katerina Hurd, Medical Ethicist,Madison, Wisconsin, USA, Ph.D in  Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University,    Rochester , Michigan, M.S.  Medical Physics, University of Surrey, UK

References

How Companies Try to Curb Health Care Costs, Barbara Ficarra, KevinMD.comblog/2011/12

Take Charge of Your Health Care Quality and Costs, Stephen C. Schimpff, KevinMD.comblog/2012/04

Engaging Employees to Improve Patient Satisfaction, Donald Tex Bryant, KevinMD.comblog/2012/03

Articles
US Health Insurance Cost Rise Sharply, Study Finds, Reed Abelson, New York Times, Sept. 27, 2011.
Many Medical Decissions Require Sahred Decision Making, Kevin Pho, MD, USA Today, April 1, 2012.

Where Do Our Wasted Health Dollars Go to? Roy Benaroch, MD, kevinmd.com, 4/30/12.
Can Health Coaches Help Fix our Health Care System? by Monique Brouillette, kevinmd.com/blog/2011/07
Addressing the security risks of healthcare IT, Steve Lorenz, kevinmd.com/blog/2012/03
An Insuranc eMaze for U.S. Doctors, Pauline W. Chen, MD, well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/25
Friendly Workpalce Linked to Longer Life, Anahad O’connor, weel.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/05

 

Σεμινάριο αυτοπροσδιορισμού και στόχευσης

Business Coaching: Εργαστήριο επαγγελματικής και προσωπικής ανάκαμψης.Σάββατο 22 Φεβρουαρίου 9.00 – 15.00

Σας περιμένουμε για ένα Σαββατιάτικο πρωινό διαφορετικό από τα άλλα, σε ένα περιβάλλον που εμπνέει! Στείλτε τη συμμετοχή σας στο ba@hre.gr μέχρι 10 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Καταλύτης όλων για αλλαγή: ο ίδιος ο άνθρωπος

«Ανασυνταχθείτε»

ήταν ο τίτλος του εξαιρετικά επιτυχημένου Σεμιναρίου προσωπικής και επαγγελματικής ανάκαμψης που πραγματοποιήθηκε, τη Δευτέρα 2 Δεκεμβρίου, στην κατάμεστη αίθουσα του Πολιτιστικού Κέντρου του Δήμου Διονύσου.

Το Σεμινάριο, του οποίου ηγήθηκε η διακεκριμένη Σύμβουλος Ανάπτυξης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού, Business Coach και συγγραφέας κα Βαρβάρα Ασημακοπούλου – Παπαβασιλείου, διοργανώθηκε με τη στήριξη του Δημάρχου Διονύσου κ. Καλαφατέλη και τη συνεργασία της εθελοντικής ομάδας The Rebounders.

Η κα Ασημακοπούλου-Παπαβασιλείου υπήρξε η «καθοδηγήτρια» των παρευρισκομένων για τις δύο ώρες που διήρκησε το σεμινάριο. Με τη χρήση διαδραστικών μεθόδων και νέων τεχνικών ανάπτυξης ανθρώπινου δυναμικού, δημιούργησε ένα περιβάλλον προκλήσεων μέσα από το οποίο το ακροατήριο κλήθηκε να απαντήσει σε καίρια και δύσκολα ερωτήματα. Καίρια, γιατί αφορούσαν στην κατάσταση της έντονης επαγγελματικής και οικονομικής αστάθειας και ανασφάλειας που βιώνουμε. Δύσκολα, γιατί ήταν ερωτήματα τα οποία ενώ «στροβιλίζουν» στο μυαλό όλων μας, φοβόμαστε συνήθως να αντιμετωπίσουμε ή να παραδεχτούμε.

Μπορούμε να επηρεάσουμε και να αλλάξουμε εκείνα τα πράγματα που δεν εξαρτώνται από εμάς? Ποιος είναι ο πιο δυνατός μοχλός επαγγελματικής και προσωπικής ανάκαμψης? Ποια είναι τα στοιχεία που μας εμποδίζουν να γίνουμε καλύτεροι και τα εμπόδια που δημιουργούνται? Ποια είναι η πανάκεια?

Η κα Ασημακοπούλου-Παπαβασιλείου, συνοψίζοντας από τις απαντήσεις των συμμετεχόντων, παρουσίασε ως κύρια εμπόδια εξέλιξής μας την αβεβαιότητα, την ανασφάλεια, το φόβο για το αύριο, το θυμό. Συναισθήματα που μας οδηγούν σε ακινητοποίηση, σύγχυση, θυματοποίηση, ηττοπάθεια, απογοήτευση. Καταλύτης όλων για αλλαγή: ο ίδιος ο άνθρωπος. Πρότεινε ότι η απάντηση βρίσκεται μέσα μας. Πρέπει να διαθέτουμε το κίνητρο τη θέληση και την ικανότητα, τη συνέπεια και την αφοσίωση για να αλλάξουμε. Με οδηγό μας τη δράση, την αυτοεκτίμηση, την εξωστρέφεια, την αισιοδοξία και τον επαναπροσδιορισμό των στόχων μας, μπορούμε να φτάσουμε στη συνειδητοποίηση, τη δέσμευση και την αλλαγή. «Δεν είμαι έρμαιο – επηρεάζω – αλλάζω» ήταν το απαύγασμα της κας Ασημακοπούλου-Παπαβασιλείου, δημιουργώντας μόνο θετικά συναισθήματα στο κοινό που την καταχειροκρότησε.

Ο Δήμαρχος Διονύσου κ. Γιάννης Καλαφατέλης, σε σύντομο χαιρετισμό του, σημείωσε: «Η βαθιά οικονομική κρίση που βιώνει η χώρα μας, καθιστά αναγκαίο να σχεδιάζουμε και να υλοποιούμε δράσεις για την ενίσχυση της επιχειρηματικότητας, τη συμβουλευτική υποστήριξη και ενημέρωση των ανέργων, των νέων, των γυναικών, των ατόμων με ειδικές ικανότητες αλλά και κάθε κοινωνικής ομάδας ή συμπολίτη μας που πλήττεται από την κρίση. Έτσι, επιδιώκουμε μέσα από ημερίδες που διοργανώνουμε να παρέχουμε έγκυρη πληροφόρηση, ώστε να μπορεί ο κάθε πολίτης να αντιμετωπίζει τις νέες προκλήσεις με θετικό πνεύμα και περισσότερη αισιοδοξία.» Τέλος, ευχαρίστησε την κα Ασημακοπούλου-Παπαβασιλείου, καθώς και την εθελοντική ομάδα The Rebounders, για τη συμβολή τους σε μια εξαιρετικά επιτυχημένη διοργάνωση.

Tην εκδήλωση παρακολούθησαν, επίσης, οι πρόεδροι των Νομικών Προσώπων «Θέσπις» και «ΕΣΤΙΑ» κ.κ. Καρυστινός και Γαρεφαλάκης, και η Πρόεδρος της Σχολικής Α’ βάθμιας επιτροπής κα Λαμπρινή Μήλα.

 

Was Socrates the first coach?

Was Socrates the first coach?

The ancient Greek philosophers and coaching

 Flourishing life (eudaimonia)

Excellence (aristia) –Prudence (phronesis) – Morals (ethos)

This original article (a shorter one) written by Barbara Asimakopoulou was first published in International Coaching Federation’s blog 

   The ancient Greek philosophers, motivated by their love of knowledge (the actual word “philosopher” derives from the Greek words “filos” and “Sophia” which mean “friend” and “wisdom” respectively) have been preoccupied  with the investigation of the reasons for human existence and the way men should live, so as to be consistent with their reason for being.

Their views widely appealed to the western world and formed the foundation for western philosophy and psychology, influencing the philosophers who followed, from the oldest to the most contemporary ones and inspiring passionate support but not without also being questioned.

Today, most of their views seem to have lost nothing of their lustre and stand out like shining beacons, especially now that the western world is desperately seeking answers in order to relight its fires!!!

In the text below, I refer to Aristotle and Socrates,  the principles and practices they bequeathed us, so as to prove that these have a lot in common with the principles and practices of coaching. In addition, I will attempt to prove that Socrates is the first ever coach!!!

Aristotle, a student of Socrates and Plato, the most important philosopher according to some and teacher of Great Alexander, clearly stated why and how men should live.

According to Aristotle we should pursue happiness, well-being or in other words eudaimonia. And a happy life is a life full of virtue!

• A coach urges us to lead a happy life.  

According to Aristotle, true happiness is permanent and timeless; it is achieved when people develop and leverage all their capabilities.

• The discovery, development and leveraging of our skills is primarily the aim of an authentic life through coaching. 

Our lives’ target is, according to Aristotle, the pursuit of well-being through practicing and developing virtues; Virtues, are our values and models of behaviour  which guide us as towards the way we should lead our lives. Excellence (aristia) is related to the virtuous man, who discovers and explores his/her capabilities (his/her self truth) and practices moderation; the principle of the golden median; the doctrine of the median, that is the avoidance of all excess, exaggeration and shortage. Such virtues were valour, bravery, mildness, consistency, generosity and fairness for Aristotle.

Excellence (aristia) is also common in the business world. Excellence for Aristotle does not necessarily imply perfection, as is the widely spread notion dominating our modern society. Excellence for Aristotle has to do with more action and not persistence in perfection.

• A coach focuses on obtaining the appropriate personality, which is compatible with the genuine aims leading to a happy life.

According to Aristotle, phronesis (prudence) is a virtue of the man seeking essential knowledge and its implementation, i.e. action.

• Your coach urges you to change your life, to live with integrity and for this to happen, you have to start practicing it.  

Socrates is the first Greek philosopher who investigated human nature and soul.

• The science of coaching puts man and his behaviour at its centre.

Socrates places the quest for truth, which man has buried deep inside him, at the centre of his philosophy,

• Exactly the same way coaching does.

For Socrates, self-awareness is a fundamental principle-value

• Just like in coaching.

Socrates discovers truth through dialogue. This Socratic dialectic method is called “maieutics» (midwifing) because it helps people give birth to the truth – by discovering it for themselves. Socrates’ mother was a midwife and Socrates used to compare his art of discussion with a midwife’s art. The midwife is not the one giving birth to the child, but the mother. A coach eternally seeks the truth, no matter how difficult it is to discover.

• Coaching is mainly the investigation of truth through dialogue. It is based on the assumption that everybody bears the truth inside them, they only know what is best for them and the coach helps them bring this truth to the surface – to give birth to it.   

Socrates aimed at discovering people’s limits and questioning the assumptions on which they built their lives.

• Coaching helps the individual to discover their limits and reposition themselves on new a more truthful basis.

Socrates did not teach, He listened. He made his interlocutors discern on their own the flaws and weaknesses of reasoning.

• A coach does the same.

Socrates believed that philosophers had to see beyond the obvious.

• Coaches hold the same view.

According to Socrates nobody does harm while being aware that what he does is harmful.

• In coaching there are no good or bad coachees, good or bad behaviours.

Socrates gave as a valuable lesson through his agonizing death. Every individual should accept responsibility for their own actions.

• A coach is aware and defines, from the very beginning, that the coachee is solely responsible for his/her actions and their consequences.  

Socrates believed that every human should live with integrity, that is according to their own true capabilities and desires.

• A coach believes that the best incentive for people to perform difficult acts is for them to discover what truly satisfies them and make them happy.

Socrates believed in a divine voice, conscience, which dictated what is right and what is fair.

• To a coach, a man’s conscience is his true self.

In brief, ancient, Greek philosophy regarding why and how we live is concentrated on the following.

Why: We live for the quest of “well-being”, of the flourishing life (eudaimonia).

How: in a way that we aim at “excellence” (aristia).

Excellence can be the individual who leads a prudent life (phronesis) (seeking the truth, the essential knowledge via actions), or a life of virtue (areti) (median – self-control) and goodwill (eunoia) with good – virtuous intentions and mood. In other words, the person who lives with “ethos”; who is of a moral character.

Harmony and balance is the aim of coaching; harmony is related to integrity and balance to the achievement of the satisfaction deriving from self-realisation. In other words, coaching is related to seeking the “excellence” in us, to discovering and leveraging our best selves.

Finally the ancient Greek philosophers in the past, and modern coaches now seek the “excellence”(aristia) in us not as a homogenous reality but as a unique areti (virtue) to every individual.

The uniqueness of every individual is the magnificence of human superiority and the summit of every older or modern philosophical reflection.