Feel the freedom and reclaim your space.

Boundaries some love them, some dont. Its a trigger word for some, and then there are those who pride themselves on how easily they can block people and say no without any problems.

Actually, there are many kinds of boundaries. Maybe youre very good at setting one of them but not that skilled yet in another. Here comes a non-exhaustive list of different kinds of boundaries:

-physical boundaries: especially nowadays, we encounter this one almost on a daily basis. The person next to you doesnt respect the safety distance, your colleague doesnt wear a mask and comes too close to you. And in pre-Covid times an example would be that a stranger or even a person close to you simply doesnt respect your personal space and makes you feel uncomfortable.

-material boundaries: does someone always borrow your clothes without asking? Did your colleague take your keyboard because his/hers was missing and forgot to tell you about it? Do you like to borrow small amounts of money for a coffee and dont return the favor? All of these are material boundaries, it could be money or actual things.

-mental boundaries: how well do you know your values and how far are you willing to stretch them? Do you consider yourself an open-minded person? How quickly do you judge others? Mental boundaries want to protect our beliefs, our values and opinions. Sometimes it might help to leave a little space open to new views and opinions and to see afterwards if you might want to expand your mental boundaries or not.

-emotional boundaries: this is most probably the gold standard of all boundaries. Once you manage to preserve your emotional boundaries, youre already very far in your personal development journey. Emotional boundaries are about separating your emotions from someone elses emotions. Its about being aware of your own emotions and to not let someone else parasite you with their emotions. Be aware of so-called emotional vampires who want to suck your emotions out of you and leave you feeling exhausted or guilty after you saw them.

All of the boundaries mentioned above are linked to a space sometimes an actual space or a space that you preserve for your thoughts, emotions and values. Its an intimate space that can be fragile sometimes and that needs your attention. Be careful about who you let enter your space, and reclaim it if needed. This space is above all yours and only you have the power and responsibility to decide how you want to treat it, and if you want to expand or downsize it from time to time. As usual, its always a question of balance and it takes some time to feel into certain situations and get an understanding of which boundaries havent been respected from your side or from someone elses. Be aware that its only you who holds the power over your boundaries.

To train your boundary muscle, here are a few tips that will help you to set healthy boundaries at work and beyond:

1.Identify the stressor: next time you feel that your boundaries have been crossed, try to identify who or what is at the source. Ideally, you can identify the who, the when and youll get some extra credit for the why. Joke aside, when you manage to identify the why, youll have the key to work through it. The why will be related to one of the different boundaries explained above and as soon as youve categorized it, its easier to take a step back.

2.Take a helicopter view: analyze the situation from afar. Especially with a bit of distance, its easier to have more clarity of who is crossing one of your boundaries and when it usually happens. It also helps to write all of this down so you can see it in front of you and get it from your head and heart onto paper. Consequently, it becomes a list of facts and less emotional.

3.Choose your words wisely: once youve identified the different players involved in your boundaries game, its important to prepare yourself for the boundaries test because it will come. It helps to always start with I (as clear as it may sound) as you want to explain your part of the story and perspective on the situation. It can be as simple as I think that I need more space if someone literally comes too close. Or: I need to think about it and will get back to you if someone wants to add another task to your to-do list. Its important to explain yourself and to not apologize or justify yourself. Its about setting clear boundaries and not having to apologize for them. Nonviolent communication is also a great help in finding the right words for difficult situations.

4.Reclaim your space: By expressing how you feel, what you need or what a certain behavior does to you, you not only make yourself heard but you literally reclaim your space. And if the other person doesnt want to listen or there are too many emotions occupying the space, it also helps to simply leave the space, take a break and return after everyone has cooled down. Yet, before you leave, make sure to express it. I need to breathe a bit. Lets continue the conversation later.

5.Create your personal mantra: This one is a little bonus. In situations when your boundaries arent being respected and you feel belittled, not seen or heard, and you feel that someone went too far, there might be an inner critic telling you that maybe you are difficult or you are exaggerating. Your personal boundaries mantra will help you to silence the inner critic and speak to you from a place of self-compassion. It can be I matter, I am enough or I deserve respect. Pick a short sentence that you can quickly remember and that will help you to re-center.

You deserve your space and this space should be spacious. Depending on the day, phase and area of your life, this space can be sometimes smaller, sometimes bigger, but it is yours and yours only. Its not easy to set boundaries and understand how far you want someone to go, but its worth training that muscle and reclaiming your space. Youll be surprised how others will perceive you and how they might even respect you more. Its worth it. Youre worth it.

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How To Set Healthy Boundaries At Work And Beyond - Forbes

Artificial intelligence has been revealed as the biggest driver of organisational growth, according to new research from Citrix.

What does the future of work hold? In a world where its impossible to predict what will happen tomorrow, its a tough question to answer, Citrix says.

"But businesses that hope to emerge from the global pandemic in a stronger, better position need to be thinking about and planning for future models today."

Citrix undertook Work 2035, a year-long examination of global work patterns and plans, to understand how work will change and the role that technology will play in enabling people to perform at their best.

Driven by flexible models and intelligent solutions that remove the complexity and noise from work, employees will be more engaged and productive and fuel innovation and growth like never before, Citrix says.

Citrix research found robots will not replace humans but they will make us smarter and more efficient.

More than three quarters of those polled (77%) believe that in fifteen years, artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly speed up the decision-making process and make workers more productive.

New jobs will be created new roles will emerge to support a technology-driven workplace and the changing relationship between humans and machines. Here are the positions respondents believe will be created: Robot / AI trainer (82% / 44% of employees) Virtual reality manager (79% of leaders / 36% of employees) Advanced data scientist (76% of leaders / 35% of employees) Privacy and trust manager (68% leaders / 30% of employees) Design thinker (56% of leaders / 27% of employees)

Work will be more flexible technology that allows for seamless access to the tools and information people need to collaborate and get work done wherever they happen to be, will fuel flexible models that the future of work will demand. 67 per cent of professionals (business leaders and workers combined) believe that a platform model which creates value by facilitating exchanges between groups or individuals using digital technology will dominate work in the future. 60 per cent of workers believe permanent employees will become rare by 2035. 80 per cent of leaders believe that technology platforms will provide instant access to the highly specialised, on-demand talent required to power future organisations and accommodate rapid changes in business and customer needs. 39 per cent of leaders believe that in 2035, the majority of high-value specialist workers will be on-demand and freelance workers.

Leadership will have a new look more than half of those surveyed (57%) believe AI will make most business decisions and potentially eliminate the need for senior management teams. 75 per cent think most organisations will have a central AI department overseeing all areas of the business. 69 per cent believe that the CEO will work in a human-machine partnership with a Chief of Artificial Intelligence (CAI).

Productivity will get a major boost technology, closely integrated with humans, will drive step changes in productivity as workers are supported by solutions that enable them to perform at their best.

AI-ngels digital assistants driven by AI will draw on personal and workplace data to help employees prioritise their tasks and time and ensure mental and physical wellness.

These worker augmented assistants will, for example, schedule meetings to take place at the most effective time based on factors ranging from the blood sugar levels of participants to their sentiments at different times of day. And while the meetings are taking place, they will monitor concentration levels and attitudes and adjust as necessary to drive optimal outcomes.

More than half of professionals surveyed (51%) believe technology will make workers at least twice as productive by 2035. Among the solutions they believe will be commonplace: AI that anticipates and performs tasks based on habits and preferences AI nudges AI personal assistants AI-guided digital wellness to ensure employees mental and physical well being Wearable technology to interact with systems Augmented reality glasses Neuro-linked technology for controlling devices Exoskeletons to enhance performance-related tasks

Employee engagement will improve as technology and AI takes over time-consuming, mundane tasks, work will become more strategic and employees more engaged. 83 per cent of professionals believe that by 2035, technology will automate low-value tasks, freeing workers to focus on the meaningful work they want and are paid to do. 79 per cent say it will be a significant factor in upskilling human workers, creating new opportunities for personal development and career growth. Innovation and growth will soar organisations will invest more in technology and AI than human capital. This will open the door to unprecedented levels of innovation and new revenue streams and fuel sustainable growth particularly among small businesses. 90 per cent of business leaders believe that in 2035, AI technology investment will be the biggest driver of growth for their organisation. 72 per cent of professionals believe that by 2030, AI will generate more revenue for their organisation than human workers. 63 per cent of professionals believe that technology will level the playing field and convey advantage to small companies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to reimagine the way things get done, and over the next 15 years, they will face more challenges anddisruptions than ever, says Tim Minahan, executive vice president of Business Strategy, Citrix.

But as Work 2035 makes clear, within this chaos lies opportunity. Savvy companies are using this crisis to begin planning for the next normal. Not just return to where they were, but to embrace new workforce and work models to power their business forward," he explains.

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AI as the biggest driver of organisational growth - Citrix - IT Brief Australia

MARION (WSIL) -- Marion will once again be one of 300 host sites for the annual Live 2 Lead Conference.

The leadership development and personal growth experience is open to anyone who wants to become a better leader, or focus on personal growth. Traditionally, the event is held at the Pavilion of the City of Marion, but due to COVID-19, the event will be fully virtual.

The live broadcast is Friday, October 9th, from 8 to 12.

This year, people can interact online and and chat with other viewers They can also join a discussion group after the broadcast.

"You don't have to go to a major city, to be able to attend this type of conference. These type of resources are available here in our area, and with it being a virtual event, it's available to their work computer, their home computer, wherever they happen to be working," says Karen Mullins, Executive Director of the Marion Chamber of Commerce.

Those who buy tickets through the Marion Chamber of Commerce will also have access to pre-recorded talks from several local community leaders.

You can find more information and buy tickets on the Marion Chamber of Commerce's website.

Excerpt from:
Marion to host virtual Live 2 Lead Conference - WSIL TV

Executive Summary

At home and at work, busy culture worsens the problems it promises to solve. We think that the busier we are, the bigger impact well be able to make. But in reality, busy culture destroys productivity, while pulling us away from our families and coworkers alike. What can leaders do to dismantle a toxic culture of busyness? In this piece, the author shares three strategies to encourage healthier work-life boundaries, including instituting financial incentives for disconnecting from work, modeling focus on your primary goal, and leaning on peers within the organization to support a more positive company culture.

At home and at work, busy culture worsens the problems it promises to solve. Its natural to assume that the busier we are, the bigger the impact well be able to make but in reality, studies have shown that busy culture destroys productivity and pulls us away from both our families and deeper relationships with our coworkers.

Like all work cultures, busy culture starts at the top, with leaders who want to appear successful, important, and productive. But what makes it so tough to overcome is that it also has roots at the bottom, where junior employees compete to stand out as hard workers eager to contribute and move up.

And then, of course, theres the problem of how porous our work-life boundaries have become, thanks to the proliferation of technologies that make it possible to work and connect with one another from anywhere, at any time.

So what can leaders do to combat a toxic culture of busyness? Theres no easy answer, but here are three strategies that can help:

Incentivize boundary-setting. Busy culture has to be fought with unquestionable company commitment. Praising employees and awarding them extra time off is a good start, but those measures can often come across as token gestures. What works better, it turns out, is paying people to be less busy.

That may sound radical, but paying people to work less is an appropriate solution for what has become a serious problem. More than four-fifths of employees send work emails on weekends. Nearly six in 10 do so while on vacation, and more than half check email after 11 PM.

These are problematic behaviors if youre worried about the health, satisfaction, and productivity of your employees. The good news is, theyre also behaviors that managers can easily track and use to promote boundary-setting.

One tech company, FullContact, has been doing this for years. Employees can earn a $7,500 annual vacation stipend by following three simple rules: No checking work messages, no working, and no staying home (although recently, staycations have also qualified). Referred to internally as a paid, paid vacation, the stipend is enforced through a combination of vacation photo-sharing, communication channel monitoring, and self-reporting.

A few years after launching the program, the companys communications director, Brad McCarty,told the Washington Postthat the program was working incredibly well, adding that when employees returned from these vacations they were shining brighter, working harder, and more excited to get back into the swing of things.

Another popular approach is to structure vacations as paid sabbaticals. In 2011, just 4% of employers offered paid sabbaticals. By 2017, more than four times as many employers did.

Because unused sabbatical time doesnt have to be paid out when the term of employment ends, companies are able to offer more generous policies if they treat that time as a sabbatical rather than a vacation. In addition, especially in the academic sphere, sabbaticals are a culturally accepted way to take time for personal development not directly related to work. Reframing vacations as sabbaticals may help employees feel less stigma around taking time off.

Focus on your core contribution. Countering busy culture means saying no to tasks that dont align with your primary duties and leaders have to set that example. Until the rest of your team sees you saying no to secondary duties, they wont feel comfortable doing so either.

Do you enjoy downtime when you get it, or do you fill it with less-than-critical work? Do you abandon side projects which are only useful insofar as they serve your core focus early and often? Does everybody you work with know what your primary duties are? Even employees you dont work directly with should know what those duties are and recognize your commitment to them.

On this front, too, a radical approach is often the most effective. In his book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, the leadership strategist Greg McKeown argues that to combat busy culture and create a healthier and more productive work environment, leaders should say yes to only the top 10% of the tasks presented to them. Show through your actions that your core duties are your priority, and make saying no to other work the norm.

Thats the approach that the co-founder of CD Baby, Derek Sivers, has adopted. If its not a hell, yeah, he says, its a no. Sivers understands that its not bad opportunities that can kill his business but mediocre ones.

Lean on lateral and external influencers. Culture is built informally, interaction by interaction. But no single individual can change the culture of a large organization alone. What works to effect change is positive peer pressure, exerted by social connections rather than top-down directives.

Consider how Ben & Jerrys finally got workers to use its nap rooms. At first, people were so embarrassed about using them that they would use phony names like Donald Duck on the signup sheet. After removing the signup sheet, Ben & Jerrys realized a simpler system could still show everyone that the rooms were being used without revealing individual users identities: If the door is closed, a spokesperson explained, you know it is being used. Although rooms can no longer be booked in advance, Ben & Jerrys realized the higher priority was making everyone feel comfortable using them in the first place.

Similarly, the founder of Gabb Wireless, Stephen Dalby, who I met while working in the nonprofit world, struggled to put his phone down after work until his 6-year-old son asked a cutting question: Daddy, can we play a game or is your phone too important? Despite founding Gabb to help young people spend less time on screens, Stephen struggled to turn off business mode. To combat this culture in himself and his team, he encouraged employees to establish small, daily traditions like device-free dinners and he talked about those dinners at work, reminding his people that healthy boundary-setting was the norm.

All companies get busy. The trick is to keep that busyness from becoming chronic and cultural, because when that happens, it also becomes corrosive no matter how productive or positive it may seem.

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How to Defeat Busy Culture - Harvard Business Review

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While the pandemic has waylaid many professional development plans, some people have still managed to pursue a lot of growth and development. And not only is that growth going to feel great, it's also likely to have a positive career impact.

A new CollegeFinance.com report surveyed over 1,000 people who self-isolated or self-quarantined in recent months, as well as more than 200 hiring managers, to assess how people spent their downtime.

An encouraging finding from the report is that 83% indicated learning something new while staying at home during COVID-19and78% expanded their existing skills or knowledgeduring the pandemic.

And for anyone who took the initiative to grow their skills, here's some really good news: 90% of hiring managers surveyed said they were more likely to hire and promote someone who worked on their professional development during the pandemic than a person who didn't.

Notwithstanding the likely career benefits,60% of people said picking up a new skill set during the pandemic was a self-development pursuit and 39% indicated they were trying to reduce their stress levels.

It's also likely that these self-development pursuits will have longer-term carryover effects. In the Leadership IQ study, "If Your Employees Aren't Learning, You're Not Leading," we discovered that employees who are always learning new things are ten times more likely to be inspired than those who are not.

The respondents in the CollegeFinance.com report didn't just dabble in learning. People who were out of work because of the pandemic spent more than 12 hours learning each week and those who were employed spent nearly nine hours per week.

Now, it would be fair to wonder how people can dedicate that much time to self-development and learning every week. There are really two answers: First, the data above makes it clear that learning generates great returns for one's career, happiness and motivation. When you have an activity with such positive benefits, it makes perfect sense that people would spend a lot of time pursuing it.

Second, a majority of people are actually more productive working from home than they were working in an office. In the study, "The Truth About Working From Home In 24 Shocking Charts," we discovered that 29% of people say their productivity is much better working from home, and an additional 24% say it's a little better.When your productivity is significantly better, it's much easier to find the time for big self-development goals.

People weren't just pursuing technical skills, as 41% indicated learning self-motivation during the pandemic. And 45% of hiring managers said self-motivation was more important than ever before and 65% said it was an essential employee trait.

One of the great lessons of the past few months is that people have far more control over their mental well-being and self-motivation than they might have previously thought.

In the Leadership IQ study, "Employee Engagement Is Less Dependent On Managers Than You Think," we discovered that employees' self-engagement (i.e., their personal outlooks like optimism, resilience, proactivity, etc.) could actually matter more than working for a great manager.

For example, having a trustworthy boss statistically explains about 22% of an employee's inspiration at work. But having resilience (i.e., surviving difficult times with little trouble) explains 25% of an employee's inspiration at work. And that's clearly a more powerful statistical driver.

None of this is meant to downplay the horrific impact that the pandemic has inflicted upon so many. Rather, these studies are pointing that, notwithstanding our current chaos, there are still ways that each of us can advance our career and our psychological health. Investing time, and even money, in professional development is one of the greatest emotional salves for stressful times, for several reasons.

First, in frightening times, there's a natural inclination to burrow under the covers and wait for the badness to pass. The problem is that hiding under the covers only reinforces our powerlessness. By contrast, learning new skills is a way to take back control and essentially shout to the world, "I'm in control of my own destiny!"

Second, few things feel better than accomplishing a goal. It's a chance to prove your resilience to yourself, and it's an opportunity to celebrate your success. When you achieve a goal to learn something new, whether it's self-motivation, a technical skill or whatever, you've given yourself license to celebrate your accomplishment. And by infusing your days with legitimate celebrations, you're giving yourself an antidote to some of chaos in the outside world.

It's no wonder that hiring managers were inclined to want to hire and promote those who pursue self-development during stressful times. Not only is self-development a smart way to protect one's emotional wellness, it's also a wonderful signal that the learner has an optimistic and resilient mindset.

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Hiring Managers Are More Likely To Hire Someone Who Worked On Their Professional Development During The Pandemic - Forbes

For one year, ICIC memberswill receive accompaniment, courses, mentoring and coaching to facilitate the processes of building their Mastery of Life. They will receive multiple benefits.

MIAMI, Sept. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- More people from all over the world will be able to join the Ismael Cala Influencers Circle (ICIC), an exclusive group of associates who work directly with the communicator and strategist.

"This year has been a test of resilience for the entire world, but that has not interrupted our personal life mission, which is to empower the leadership of Latin Americans. At ICIC, we remain committed to transforming people's lives through self-knowledge and sharing the tools of success," explained Ismael Cala.

Information:

https://influencerscircle.ismaelcala.com/ email: [emailprotected] +1 (786) 312-3341

Influencers Circle was founded in December 2018, with a Platinum membership. Now, starting in September, the program will add two new memberships: Silver and Gold, which will bring together a select group of people committed to going beyond their own limits.

"The root of the real world crisis lies in the internal conflicts of each individual, the lack of trust and personal commitment, the evasion of responsibility, procrastination and lack of focus. To solve all these problems, one must have an awakening of consciousness, a process of transformation," Cala added.

For one year, ICIC memberswill receive accompaniment, courses, mentoring and coaching to facilitate the processes of building their Mastery of Life. They will receive multiple benefits such as:

-Masterclasses with Ismael Cala and experts -Group coaching sessions -Access to all courses at Cala Academy -Access to the EsCala Meditando app for one year -Special event certificates -Access to CALA Library for one year -Seminar tickets for "The Business of Being You" -Individual coaching sessions -Cala Encuentros at the CALA Center -Cala Encuentros "Divine Consciousness" or "Secrets of Bamboo" -Cala Mundos and much more

In 2019, members of the Influencers Circle enjoyed a magnificent trip to Australia. The next destination will be Iceland, when health circumstances allow it.

"If, during a week of courses or workshops you can learn a lot, imagine how much you can transform yourself in one year. This coaching will turn your life around to create a new version of yourself," said Jacques Giraud, academic director of Cala Enterprises and author of the book "Super Resilient."

See the video summary of 2019: https://youtu.be/1TinsozfZZQ

ABOUT ISMAEL CALA

Life and business strategist. Presents and directs CALA, the light night show on MegaTV. For five and a half years he hosted CALA on CNN en Espaol during prime time. Author of eight bestsellers on leadership, entrepreneurship and personal development, including "The Power of Listening" and "Wake Up With Cala." Cala was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1969 and has a degree in Art History from the Universidad de Oriente. He graduated from York University's School of Communication in Toronto and holds a diploma from Seneca College in Television Production. He is the president and founder of Cala Enterprises Corporation and the Ismael Cala Foundation.

SOURCE Cala Enterprises

https://influencerscircle.ismaelcala.com/

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Ismael Cala Creates New Opportunities to Join the Influencers Circle, His Exclusive Group of Associates - PRNewswire

A LAKES charity is calling for young adults to apply for the Aspiring Leaders Programme (ALP), which aims to reinvigorate the voluntary and community sector in Cumbria and North Lancashire.

The pioneering leadership development programme is run by Amblesides Brathay Trust, the University of Cumbria and Common Purpose, supported by Francis C Scott Trust and a range of funders.

It takes an innovative approach to learning by combining formal academic teaching with experiential learning and personal development, aiming to keep talented young adults in their local area who can respond to the needs of their community and then work within them to make a positive impact, raising wider community aspirations, affluence and skills.

ALP is aimed at 19-32 year-olds already volunteering or working in the voluntary and community sector, and particularly those who may not have previously engaged with formal learning opportunities. Nominated by local sector leaders, candidates undergo an assessment process before being offered a place.

During the fully-funded three year programme the participants take part in leadership and personal development workshops at Brathay Hall, attend degree lectures and seminars at the University of Cumbria, are assigned leadership mentors and placements, and gain work experience and run leadership projects. The course results in a Degree in Social Enterprise Leadership.

This is the fourth time the programme has been run, and the programme will begin in January 2021, having been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Recruitment for ALP was put on hold in March and the intended September start date pushed back. With changes made to ensure that it can be delivered in a Covid-secure manner, the organisers believe it is now the right time to be re-starting recruitment, to support local young adults and third sector organisations in the area.

Andrew Woodhead, the programmes leader at Brathay, said Were looking for people who want to make a positive difference to the community in which they live and work.

The deadline for applications is November 6. For more information visit http://www.brathay.org.uk/alp

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Brathay Trust, University of Cumbria and Common Purpose in search for Cumbria's future leaders - NW Evening Mail

DETROIT, Sept. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --One of the Detroit area's oldest non-profit educational organizations, St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center (SVSF), is adding Foundational Skills Services for Metro-Detroit and expanding its reach into Pontiac, through two generous grants and partnerships.

Beginning this month, SVSF will be adding Foundational Skills Services for the community.This program is focused on men and women whose reading level is below the sixth grade and may not, for example, be able to fill out a job application. Utilizing Foundational Skills training, SVSF offers initially remote (and post-COVID, in person) one-on-one tutoring to improve a person's reading level, which then allows for individuals to prepare for a GED/High School Equivalency test. This new program is being funded through grants from Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) and United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSEM).

Heading the effort will be SVSF's newest staff leader, Audrean Williams, the non-profit's Adult Basic Education Manager.Williams has nearly 50 years in education, having spent 47 with the Wayne County Community College District as well as having taught in the Detroit Public Schools system. She is also the former director of Detroit's Youth Development Commission.

"Offering guidance, providing opportunities, ensuring connections and supporting the community are all components of an effective Adult Education program," said Williams. "I am pleased to join an effective team that understands the challenges and pursuedsuccess of adult learners. It is my endeavor to enhance the foundational skills and personal growth of our participants."

Further funding from UWSEM will enable SVSF to expand its free remote Adult Education program to Pontiac residents. Services will include Foundational Skills, GED/High School Equivalency tutoring and Workforce Development preparation. Services will be available remotely for Pontiac residents in need of Adult educational assistance.

"Serving more people than ever is so critical right now and the need has increased so much," said Diane Renaud, Executive Director of SVSF. "Our focus on all of our communities and expansion into Pontiac, will be to give people a real chance to find a sustaining job, through education."

About St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center began in 1844 as St. Vincent's Academy in Detroit, a kindergarten for orphaned children. Now celebrating its 175th year, the organization has grown and evolved, continuing to fulfill its mission of serving at-risk families by providing free, personalized educational support for children and adults. These programs are designed to help build self-sufficiency skills for academic and employment success, personal achievement and dignity. Visit http://www.svsfcenter.org/ to learn more.

SOURCE St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center

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St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center adding Foundational Skills Services and expanding reach to Pontiac community - PRNewswire

We may be near the high-water mark for recognizing the virtues of coaching. There was a time when coaching was a sports reference. Each sport has its pantheon for revered coaches, and it is interesting how different they are from one another. Temperaments range from resilient to rageful, and their methods for motivation are as difference as their personalities.

We have progressed in our time to having coaches for a wide range of non-athletic pursuits. Whatever the skill being pursued, students now recall experiences of being pushed and demeaned by a coach. Yet some praise their coach as being transformative in their personal development. Journalist Michael Lewis studied coaching, and he proudly noted that his high school coach was inspired by Goethe:

If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.

This aphorism made an impression on me for two reasons. First, it is brilliant, and it captures the abiding need for bold aspirations in life. Second, it is reported as the guiding vision for a coach feared by every student for his explosive, destructive rage outbursts. The physical demands he placed on each player paralleled the emotional ones. This coachs application of Goethe seems a bit extreme.

I encountered a surprising fondness for coaching in the business world. A senior management meeting years ago focused on the introduction of a product that included health coaching. The CEO of this large health plan gave his hearty support for coaching as being non-stigmatizing. He noted that even Michael Jordan has coaches, and so no one should feel demeaned about needing one.

This seems like a non-judgmental bonanza. Coaches can quote Goethe and unload their anger like gifts. Everyone can use a coach, recognizing that even great athletes humbly accept the need. The very term coach has more virtuous than pejorative connotations. It is little wonder that today many seek to change through coaching rather than therapy. How about a life coach? Lifecoach.com says:

Entrepreneurs, executives, business leaders, actors, musicians, creative people, managers, small business owners, start-ups, professionals and homemakers all reach their goals with the help of a life coach. If there is a gap between where you are now and where you want to be, there is room for life coaching. Not only will your life coach help you close the gap, your life coach will help you break through your limited beliefs and challenge you to think bigger.

It would appear the life coaches are also reading Goethe. The need for therapists might be shrinking as coaching proliferates. A final example closer to home epitomizes this concern. An innovative medical practice, Iora Health, uses a team model with a health coach joining the doctor and nurse. This decision to use a coach rather than a therapist to focus on motivation and behavior change is noteworthy.

Is it all the same if the results are the same? Therapists do not carry win-loss records as a testament to their accomplishments, and yet storied athletic coaches are like celebrated therapists. There are few of them, and the anecdotes seem more important than the statistics. Yet results do matter, especially in healthcare. In fact, evaluations of outcome have become a source of worry for some therapists today.

Psychotherapy research has found that therapy is quite effective, with each major clinical model roughly equivalent in results. Yet wide disparities in effectiveness are found at the level of the individual therapist. Clinical results are not predicted by the therapists education, degree, or training. This would seem to provide a legitimate opening for non-professional or peer therapists to offer their services.

How can we start recommending peer therapists within behavioral healthcare without also recognizing the value of coaches? There are two important points here. First, peer therapists as a group are not equivalent to professional therapists. Individuals may stand out, but as a group, the professional one is likely to be better. Second, no profession or specialty owns the ability to facilitate personal change.

Let us start with some common observations. Some individuals are natural healers. They easily foster emotional development while others are inept despite all training. At the same time mediocre coaches have helped people develop successfully. Similarly, children have been able to thrive despite horrific parenting. There is often a disconnect between input and output in human development.

A results orientation does not mean that anything goes or that positive ends can justify any means. Psychotherapy research instructs each therapist to work within the validated clinical model they prefer. Likewise, parents should trust their instincts and yet also learn from research on parenting. The training of the professional therapist matters in terms of broad clinical judgment. Therapy results are one factor.

Let us move to medical care. It is fine to place coaches in healthcare settings to connect with people and motivate them. They are not therapists. They generally lack the skills to evaluate a wide range of psychological issues, to probe in judicious ways about possible underlying problems, and to handle complex comorbidities. Therapists are higher level staff who cost more and can deliver more value.

There is a degree of dishonesty in the warm embrace of life coaches and health coaches. They are less expensive facilitators. They are being hired to some extent because they are less expensive. While there are few outright claims that talented facilitators are as valuable as psychotherapists, the implicit suggestion is often that one replaces the other. Yet education matters.

Here is my recommendation: I would employ licensed therapists to guide life-changing steps toward greater health and wellbeing. Therapists vary, and the abilities of any group can be plotted on a bell curve. Some are high or low on the measured skill, while two-thirds cluster in the middle. Find a therapist, preferably a good one, if you are serious about personal change. Coaching is a good second choice.

If you select a coach over a professional for any reason, be sure that person is supervised. People without advanced education do not know what they do not know. Let us take advantage of the extraordinary skills some possess to motivate, educate, or heal. Yet provide support and monitoring. People survive bad coaching or therapy, but we need ways to reduce the likelihood of that experience.

Ed Jones, PhD, is senior vice president for the Institute for Health and Productivity Management.

More here:
Would You Recommend a Coach or a Therapist? - Psych Congress Network

As a Merchandise Planner you are responsible for the planning the Kids Footwear unit of Zalando, specifically for Casual & Highstreet brands. You will be focusing on analytics, financial and inventory performance. You will be in charge of the pre-seasonal planning and the in-season trading.

WHERE YOUR EXPERTISE IS NEEDED

We celebrate diversity and are committed to building teams that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.

ABOUT ZALANDO

Zalando is Europe's leading online platform for fashion, connecting customers, brands and partners across 17 markets. We drive digital solutions for fashion, logistics, advertising and research, bringing head-to-toe fashion to more than 23 million active customers through diverse skill-sets, interests and languages our teams choose to use.

Please note that all applications must be completed using the online form - we do not accept applications via e-mail.

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Merchandise Planner Kids Footwear job with Zalando | 147267 - The Business of Fashion