Author: MAGDALENA

Workshop: Core Leadership Competencies

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Scenario

The client was a state-owned company, specialised in security solutions. The company outlined this year their company strategy for the next ten years and started a process of identification of core competencies for their employees.

Client Challenge

Human Ressource department, which is responsible for the outline of the competence model, wanted to develop a model based on the company’s strategic goals and values. The competence model should take into consideration: what knowledge, personality and behaviour are required by an employee to contribute to the best possible success, the challenges of the digitalisation and specifics of each work areas. HR Department wanted to involve the leaders in the process and was looking for an independent facilitator, who had an experience not only with the implementation of the competence model but also with facilitation of big groups.

Our Way

After the clarification of the expectations of the Human Resource department, we delivered a two-step program:

1. A workshop where the management team chose and defined the core competencies for employees and managers were described. We started the workshop with a case study, which showed the importance of competencies in the teams and motivated the participants to get involved. After that, we started with the selection and the definition of the competencies. During the process, we used different facilitation methods for big groups (such as spontaneous online surveys, Open Space and World Cafe) as we wanted to ensure that the involvement of participants stays at the same level and that the process went smoothly and efficiently.

2. Short training where the basis of competencies management was clarified and trained. We started the training with a team-building exercise which also should illustrate how differently are people approaching tasks and how important is the precise process of goal definition for the performance of teams. During the training, we talked about the leadership process (using model of Malik), communication in the process of goal setting and SMART goal definition.

The program was designed and delivered by Magdalena Kishizawa. She has 20 years of experience in training managers at different levels (from team leaders to group management) and with the implementation of competence models in the companies. She also facilitates big groups and with her dynamic and proactive way, she able to lead big teams during an arduous and lengthy process of competence definition. She holds a Master Degree in Psychology from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. She also studied Educational Science at the Catholic University in Lubin, Poland, and Business Administration at the School of Management at the University of Bradford, UK. She works with the languages English, German and Polish. Ms Kishizawa brings teams together with her dynamic, optimistic and empathetic approach, creates a safe space for exchange and supports the participants as they try out new methods and overcome challenges.

Online Training Program: Transition from Home to Office

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A series of mini-seminars and lectures for managers on team management during the transition from remote working to working in the office. The program is conducted online and is divided into three two-hour meetings of managers in the same groups.

Session 1. Challenges faced by management when returning to “new normality”. Theoretical discussion from the perspective of the experience of Chinese research and companies’ experiences and translating them into best practice and theories of Health & Safety.

Session 2. Motivating teams when returning to the company’s headquarters: Responding to extreme groups of employees: managing an anxious person (the so-called fear of returning to normality) or a person with risk tendencies (i.e. not following the rules). Conducting difficult and motivating conversations to increase team efficiency.

Session 3. Group coaching to activate support in the training team. Exercises of methods discussed in session 2 on examples from participants. Final questions and perspective for the next 6 months.

Magdalena Kishizawa online trainer

COVID-19 Psychological Hotline for Employees and Leaders

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Since March our team with psychotherapeutic and psychological background dedicates part of working hours to assist those, who might be overwhelmed by self-isolation and virtual workplace. Social distancing measures forced almost the whole workforce to remain home. Sometimes we had to isolate from those we love or had to stay with a full family and full workload. That may bring forward uneasy feelings and thoughts that might have been missed during our busy lives. Our hotline and individual psychological support addressed those people, who experience emotional stress in their teams and need the advice of a therapist or a professional experienced in working with people under stress. We worked with certified multilingual consultants (psychotherapists), who were under the supervision.

During our consultations, we supported people with anxiety or panic attacks, depression, relationship problems, overwhelmed and stressed by the workload or dealing with virtual working environment for the first time and self-organisation issues.

We closed our open helpline by the end of May, but we continue working with companies supporting them with a designated hotline for their employees.

Webinar: Charismatic Leadership of Virtual Teams

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Scenario

For the German-Polish Chamber of Commerce, we delivered a webinar about charismatic leadership in the time of Covid-19 pandemic.

Clients Challenge

Exceptional circumstances require unique resources … For many managers, virtual meetings and workshops are already part of everyday life. However, managing a virtual and distributed team is an even greater challenge. The webinar, which we conducted in cooperation with the Polish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, supported those managers who have had little experience in the management of dispersed teams so far. We showed methods and tricks for managing a virtual team. Managers often have a natural fear of working online. Especially when it comes to such personal and difficult topics as delegating, motivating, encouraging employees to accomplish and follow directions. The webinar aimed at the management style and how to adapt it to the conditions of virtual work. The target group were members companies of Polish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which during a crisis (Covid-19 pandemic) faced the challenge of working from home and wanted to prepare for online work with a distributed team.

Our Scenario

Our webinar discussed which leadership styles work in virtual work. It also looked at how you can use personal attributes/personality traits to your advantage while having a limited impact due to the virtual environment. Also, it explained what elements of charisma work well online and translate into team effectiveness. Key concepts discussed: leadership styles, authentic leadership, charisma and leadership, exerting influence in a dispersed team. Magdalena Kishizawa led the webinar. She is a consultant with twenty years of international experience and ten years of experience in working with teams spread around the world (for companies such as Bombardier, Porsche and Perkin Elmer). She is a coach, trainer and also works during a Covid-19 pandemic as a crisis psychotherapist.

On-Boarding / Intercultural Training: “Living and Working in Poland”

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Scenario

The training participant was a German manager in Poland. The customer worked for a German car manufacturer and was transferred to the Polish location at the beginning of the year.

Clients Challenge

The German participant has already worked on several international projects and also participated in a training course on intercultural awareness as part of a corparate personnel development program. Our onboarding training aimed to prepare him specifically for employment in Poland.

Our Way

The training lasted one day and included the following topics: 1) Understanding Poland and the Poles 2) Polish business culture and Polish work practices: etiquette and hot spots from a German perspective. 3) Corporate culture: effective business communication, effective business communication (in writing and on the phone), Polish reality of life. 4) Effective team communication: direct and indirect communication patterns. 5) Leadership in Poland: leadership styles, setting goals and planning, team management and building cooperation within the Polish team.

The session was led by Magdalena Kishizawa, who delivered several intercultural awareness trainings for the managers from different cultures. Magdalena has 20 years experience in working globally and has worked with participants from more than 20 different cultures. She lived and worked in Germany, Irland, United Kingdom and Portugal and is very closely connected with Japanese culture via her family links. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She works in English, German and Polish.

Training Program for Managers: Developing a Safety Culture in Teams

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Scenario

The client was a German construction company that specialized in the construction of scaffolding and work at heights. The customer wants to develop a culture of proactive safety and regularly conducts health and safety training but also workshops for employees to increase awareness of their own safety, to minimize risky behaviour and to encourage collaboration.

Clients Challenge

The client wanted to develop a culture of safety awareness by improving the leadership skills of site managers, forepersons and constructions project managers. At the end of the training managers developed an understanding how to effectively lead a team and how to promote a safety culture in teams. The development program was designed for employees of the construction project management team in the Netherlands and (due to the multiculturalism of company) was carried out in English, German and Polish.

Our Way

The management program was created in discussions with the participants and their superiors and was also based on the experience of the trainer in employee workshops on the safety culture.

The first stage took place in German. The participant was the site manager. It was a one-day training session with the topic: Leading employees in such a way that they take safety in the workplace into account. The following was discussed: role and expectations of employees, management cycle – individual phases with a focus on performance evaluation and security offences, praise and criticism.

The second phase of the program was a two-day training session with forepersons and project managers in English. The following topics were discussed in the training: the role of the foreman, the expectations of the managers regarding the employees, the management cycle: individual steps with a focus on performance evaluation and occupational safety, motivating discussions with the employees – criticism and above all praise, regular employee interviews (on safety-relevant topics Construction sites: e.g. JSA, discussing dangerous situations, promoting proactive behaviour, discussing suggestions for improvement), dealing with difficult employees and managing conflict situations.

The third stage consisted of one training day, where the experiences were gathered, and specific problems and situations of the participants discussed in everyday life. The program ended with individual mentoring sessions in which each participant had the opportunity to discuss personal challenges in team management.

The training program was designed and delivered by Magdalena Kishizawa. She has 20 years of experience in training managers at different levels (from team leaders to group management). She holds a Master Degree in Psychology from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. She also studied Educational Science at the Catholic University in Lubin, Poland, and Business Administration at the School of Management at the University of Bradford, UK. She works with the languages English, German and Polish. Ms Kishizawa brings teams together with her dynamic, optimistic and empathetic approach, creates a safe space for exchange and supports the participants as they try out new methods and overcome challenges.

Human Resource Management Across Cultures. Workshop Cultural Diversity (Life Science)

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Scenario

The client was a global corporation, specialising in diagnostics, life science research and environmental and industrial testing, operating in 150 countries.

Client Challenge

The client had several individual Human Resource departments based in different countries in Europe. They needed to develop strategies for cooperating and supporting a new Central Support Centre based in South Poland. In order for the Central Support Centre to be successful, they required an opportunity to increase cultural awareness and develop a strategy to support Centre in all HR-related matters.

Our Way

A one day workshop delivered in English for an international group of Human Resource professionals. The workshop started with a team-building exercise, then there was theoretical input including the impact of culture on our brain and cognition, cultural standards and their impact on behaviour and how we deal with cultural diversity. Finally, there was a World Cafe session (an opportunity to identify future action) which included discussions on the challenges of leading teams and working globally and resources for working with other locations and cultures.

The session was led by Magdalena Kishizawa, who not only worked with the client before but also delivered several intercultural awareness trainings for the managers of the Central Support Centre. Magdalena has 20 years experience in working globally and has worked with participants from more than 20 different cultures. She lived and worked in Germany, Irland, United Kingdom and Portugal and is very closely connected with Japanese culture via her family links. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She works in English, German and Polish.

Individual Development Program of Managing Director (Finance)

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Scenario

The client was a German financial leasing company based in Germany. Polish subsidiary in Warsaw required a Polish- and German-speaking consultant to set and deliver a personal development program for the Managing Director in Poland to identify ways to manage her team and develop the company.

Client Challenge

The MD needed to work on her personal and leadership potential to better manage the team and company targets. She wanted to gain an increased understanding of how a team works and which roles are given within a team and how this affects the dynamic and performance. She also wanted to explore personal and company goals and identify key milestones for the year ahead.

Our Way

Individual Development Program was composed of five elements; orientation and assessment, face-to-face coaching (6 two-hour sessions), in-between assignments with online coaching tool, feedback and learning activities.

Development Program took about six months and was delivered by Magdalena Kishizawa. Magdalena is a Polish speaking trainer and coach with an experience in financial industry and knowledge of the Polish and German market. She worked for major German and Polish banks on Learning & Development projects.

Effective Communication in Matrix Organisational Structure. Leadership Program. (Logistic)

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Scenario

The client was a Polish logistics operator which had undergone many changes in the previous ten years which included being privatised and then being sold to a total equity company.

Clients Challenge

The company managers required a training program to assist with the transition to leadership within a matrix organisation. They needed a training program that would equip 120 managers from operations to lead change within their departments.

Our Way

Two day leadership training in Polish. Topics included; challenges in matrix organisation, leading and influencing direct and non-direct reports, effective communication (from giving feedback to effective email communication), working in a virtual environment, motivating others and managing change. Additionally, three months later we delivered a group coaching session which addressed case studies brought by the participants. Individual coaching sessions were also provided for managers working in operations where they had to strengthen their influencing skills.

Training Programm was delivered by Magdalena Kishizawa. She is an experienced trainer with 20 years of experience in training of managers different levels: from team leaders to executives. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She delivers her training in English, German and Polish. With her dynamic, optimistic and empathic approach, Magdalena brings teams together, set a safe space for exchange and support participants while they are trying new approaches and overcome challenges. She worked herself in a global matrix organisation and knows challenges, which managers face while leading their teams in a matrix and a fast-growing environment.

Cross-Team and Cross-Cultural Collaboration. Series of Workshops (Aerospace)

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Scenario

The client was an expanding German production company with sites in Germany and Poland. They required a German and Polish speaking trainer to deliver training on working in a global environment.

Client Challenge

The two teams needed to work together, but remotely, on many projects. Not only did they need to overcome cultural differences, but they also needed to address the very different characteristics of each site. One was very traditional and experienced whilst the other was very young and dynamic. They needed to build a sense of team spirit and identify ways to collaborate and communicate effectively.

Our Way

10 two-day workshops were delivered in English, Polish and German. The workshops centred around cultural awareness and defining rules for successful intercultural communication and cooperation with each other. Additionally, participants participated in an exchange through a series of cultural events.

Series of workshops was led by a polish speaking consultant, Magdalena Kishizawa, who not only worked with the client before and knew all global company sites but also delivered international development program for high potentials. Magdalena has 20 years experience in working globally and has worked with participants from more than 20 different cultures. She lived and worked in Germany, Irland, United Kingdom and Portugal and is very closely connected with Japanese culture via her family links. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She works in English, German and Polish and during workshops she worked simultaneously (as required in this project) in all three languages.