Leadership Coaching

1
Jan

Clarity for 2020 – Create Your Own Crazy Vision!

Create Your Own Crazy Vision

Ever caught yourself staring out of the window day-dreaming and then wondering what the heck you’re doing conjuring up such crazy “imagine if” ideas?

Well my response would be “imagine if you don’t!

Neither you nor your idea(s) are crazy you might be wanting a little more focus, energy or clarity so take a look at Clarity Question #1 that will start you on a transformation-al process.

Remember to take your time – a-l-l good things take time (and a bit of work)!

Please note that this thought provoking question is not a goal-setting exercise. Questions are designed to help you find out why you only achieve some of the things you set out to do and while doing that you will find your answers which will either inspire you to go out there and make it (that crazy dream/vision and more) happen, or help you to let go of un-serving beliefs enabling you to and invest your energy on something else!

Ready?

“If I could have anything, change anything, do anything or be anything I wanted to be and, there is absolutely nothing or anyone standing in my way of realizing my vision, what would it be?”

Start here. Start with this.

It doesn’t matter how crazy, absurd or preposterous your idea may seem to you right now – write it down and if there is more than one, make a list.

This is going to be your decade of #twentyplenty!

If you would like to get more reflective questions, contact me 

Lots of love and light, Hester

14
Aug

Power From Within is Pure Empowerment

Power From Within is Pure Empowerment

Power: a.k.a. ability, potential, talent and gift

Em-power-ment: a.k.a. permission, green light, go ahead, consent and OK.

It’s not possible to empower someone else – each and every one of us is already empowered.
No one, especially not people “in power” have this power or hold over others.
Real empowerment only happens when people are doing something because they WANT to. Empowerment comes from within and you get to see it when people are doing something to the best of their ability – in any given situation.
Empowerment is unleashed human desire and potential. That is power-full!
And they will only make that decision – give themselves the “green light” – when they feel good, feel safe and when they know what’s in it for them.
Happy people are empowered people.
And only then can knowledge become power!

When was the last time you went out of your way to make someone you work (or play) with, happy?

I work with teams; cross-cultural teams and support them in recognizing their diverse strengths and allowable weaknesses to unlock their potential and power within.

If you’re interested in doing a cross-cultural workshop, contact me!

25
May

Titles, entitlement and the sweet success of serving others!

Titles, Entitlement and Sweet Success

Titles, entitlement and the sweet success of serving!

Discovering more about ourselves, our values, cultures and how to contribute to a better world through the sweet success of serving others. Written by Hester Bergh-Appoyer. Published in Business Goa Magazine, April 2017

Sweet success. Have you ever asked yourself why success is referred to as sweet? The sweet taste or smell of success? Here’s a thought. Some of us have stronger sensory filters than others, we can see, hear, feel, taste and smell success and there is the linguistic idea that sweet has been used metaphorically to refer to something pleasing since 888 CE. The earliest mention of it being used with success is 1684.

I started my career in an American company well known for its baby products and less known for its enormous global market share in surgical and optical products. But I’m not sure those “formative” years of my professional life, which have been the foundation of all my business interactions, were always to my benefit. Sometimes it served me sweetly, other times not.

So what was it that made such a big impact on my rookie mind?

It was the sweet sound of being called by my name. (Not the tone my mother used to use when she was less than pleased with me – but that is another read!)

On my first day at Johnson & Johnson I was welcomed at reception, shown around and taken to meet lots of people. Important people. I met truck drivers, warehouse packers and managers, kitchen staff, accountants, telesales staff and some of the big shots sitting in plush floored offices (bigger than my newly rented flat) as well as the CEO who was introduced to me by his first name. He already knew mine.

The embodiment of J&J’s company culture and credo is consistently demonstrated by the way they extend value to their patients, clients and employees. Click on “credo” above. Enduring mutual success is a spirit of serving that smiled and smiles through the offices and corridors in the sweet absence of titles and entitlement.

It was with this spirit to serve and eagerness to sample my own sweet success that I later went into the big wide world of international business.

Serving Others and Sweet Success

Fast forward to Kuala Lumpur and I have joined an international educational institute as lecturer in charge and head of department for the business and marketing department. Sounds grand doesn’t it?

Read more

13
Mar

How to walk your talk and get more likes!

7 THINGS YOU’RE DOING THAT GET YOU MORE REJECTION THAN AFFECTION

An excerpt from The Collaboration Kickstarter which offers straight talking tips on how to get real heartfelt collaboration – right from the start!

You’ve got it made.

Compliments like “you’ve done/achieved/come far…” aptly praise whatever it is that you define as being a success – at this point of your life – and up to now you’ve systematically ticked off the things that lure and promise eternal rewards and recognition. But. Not everyone is buying and in some areas of your life – be it work or play – you’re getting more rejection than affection.

Family, friends and some colleagues are always going to support you with things you want and like to hear. That’s why they’re still on your party invite list. Unsavoury and un-nice behaviour can be dismissed with a host of adjectives. And, to support you, you live in a world that promotes and perpetuates wonderful and awe-inspiring you. But. You know and I know that you are still turning people off. Relax. You’re human and you really are awesome but you might be doing too much of one of the following: blowing your royal trumpet, taking too much, talking ill of others, too right, righteous and opinionated, making too many excuses, demonstrating favouritism, bias or racism, and last but not least, whinging too much. Which one is it?

Turn Off #1 Big Talk

Cultural core values are a huge big thing when it comes to honesty and harmony. Just like cultures differ in what they value as nice or not, some cultural groups demand a more straight forward tell it like it is way of talking while others, appreciate a more…

Read more

9
Mar

It’s Simon Sinek’s Fault! Here’s why!

It’s Simon Sinek’s Fault – Here’s why.

Ever wondered why some of us do what we do?

Simon Sinek in his book and Ted Talk “Start With Why” asks us to imagine what it would be like if we could all learn to think, act and communicate like those who inspire? Imagine that! Thinking, acting and communicating like leaders! For someone like me – in fact anyone working in the world of communication and getting people to say what they mean and mean what they say with heartfelt clarity – this idea is super important!

Why did Simon write his book? He mentions that he hopes to inspire others to do the things that inspire them so that together we may build the companies, the economy and a world in which trust and loyalty are the norm and not the exception.

Why am I writing my book? I’ll get back to that! First this. Long before discovering Simon and his brilliant “Start With Why”, I had stumbled over my own – but – had silenced it with enough internal noise on not being good enough, qualified enough, researched enough, name-it-whatever-you-want-enough. I put my idea, and the why I thought it urgent then to write a book, on the back burner. But then my why started burning my butt. Badly. In that time I read Simon’s “why”, got the inspiration and a no-but kick-butt call to action – just like he sets out to do. Mission accomplished.

But.

Still.

Why risk making a fool of myself?

Why risk exposing myself?

Why risk making myself more unpopular than popular by making others feel uncomfortable in their comfortable realities and truths?

Read more

3
Jan

May the force be with you! Welcome to 2017!

When it comes to some tasks and to dos there are some you are never going to feel like doing and you have to force yourself to do them. Do them anyway.

Some may even feel like you need your own task-force. Do them like you own one.

Get out of your autopilot mode and quit pulling up your emergency brake. Do that stuff.

Your problem is not that you don’t have ideas, that you don’t know how to or that you can’t figure out how to. Your problem is that you don’t act on the deeds and it’s high time you fall in love with the idea of marrying your ideas with action. No time better than now.

Here’s how to in 5 seconds and in 5 easy steps:

  1. F = force yourself
  2. O = out, get out of your head
  3. R = routine – get out of or into the routine of doing it.
  4. C = comfort zone – take on your parent role and parent yourself right out of it!
  5. E = energy – eat, drink, sleep but do what you gotto do to get going. Fall in love if you must!

Whatever you do. Do it.  This isn’t about you, it’s about what you do.
Honor the deed and celebrate your integrity.

Let’s do this. All year long.

May the force be with you! Hester

Your no-buts kick-butt sparkplug keynote speaker and coach. If you’re interested contact me!

Let’s do it! May the force be with you! Jan, 2017

 

Lines and ideas taken from my book: “Being Nice Isn’t Enough – How to communicate for cross-cultural collaboration!”

4
May

Home

Connect. Communicate. Co-create.

WELCOME  TO MY WORLD

I support people across cultures in cultivating connection through clarity in communication.

My work in

South Africa, South East Asia, India and the European Union

has taught me that

  – collaborative co-creation can only happen through curiosity –

   – cross-cultural success relies on how well we know ourselves and our culture –

– intercultural savvy (CQ) goes beyond sharing a common language and “being nice” –

This is what I do

I support you in your cross-cultural business activities and communication skills. My coaching and training provides insights and “user friendly” tools to assist you in understanding complex cultural and communication issues.

Much of your/our success depends on the words we choose to use. When we understand how our own culture and social conditioning affects our communication and behavior, we become better at understanding others.

Language acquisition, honed communication skills, as well as a shift in perspective and attitude, fosters an inclusive approach which promotes individual as well as team success.


WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?


Why I do what I do

I so enjoy being instrumental in and contributing to “a change for the better” in our world. We all need to change our personal and collective thinking – 2020 has proven this – and the only way to do this is through the conversations we are having. We need to put a better message out to the world!

What I do

In a nutshell? “cultura”(Latin) which comes from the verb “colo” or “colere” means to tend, care, look after and cultivate. I support people in communicating and bringing their ideas and ways of doing things, together.  Meaningful communication and interpersonal collaboration is achieved with curiosity, compassion (EQ) and cultural understanding (CQ).

What others say

They say you’ll fall in love! And, get excited, inspired to “get going” and get what you want by my encouraging no-buts, kick-butt style!

How I do it:

Through conversation and thought provoking questions to inspire reflection, clarity, action and change. I also blog a bit.