Be Open and Curious about the True Voice of People

Irene Ricotta: Founder and CEO at Vision Coaching-Counseling-Consultancy.

At Forward Thinking Workplaces, we are discovering the people, insights, and strategies that lead to Forward Thinking minds, leaders, and workplaces of the future — today!

13 Forward-Thinking Insights

1. Be Open and Curious about the True Voice of People
2. Be Open to Allow People to Express Themselves in Their Own Wholeness
3. Choose to Care in a Way That Matters
4. Create Space That Enhances Performance
5. Emotional Intelligence Isn’t Enough
6. How Can We Contribute and Serve the World Together?
7. A Human’s Name and Story Is Not the True Person
8. How Can We Help You to Serve the World?
9. What Is the Best Way for Me to Increase Collective Awareness of We Intelligence?
10. Go Beyond Name and Story to Discover the True Person
11. Don’t Do Anything That Will Hurt Your Heart
12. Trust Your Heart and Live In a Space of Freedom
13. Connect and Live From a Space of Universal Wisdom

Question 1: How can we create workplaces where every voice matters, everyone thrives and finds meaning, and change and innovation happen naturally?

Be Open and Curious about the True Voice of People

Let people express themselves without judgment or criticism while being open to understanding their deeper inner voice. This creates an environment of trust that allows them to go deeper into the source of their own creativity, which is the foundation of innovation.

Be Open to Allow People to Express Themselves in Their Own Wholeness

My old boss would ask us questions and was always open to suggestions. He put the mission of the company beyond his own personality. He acted from an “egoless” state. When someone acts from a place of no ego, this allows us not to just feel important but also to be more committed to making a contribution and taking responsibility for what happens. He was never rude or disagreeable when we made a mistake. He would just say, let’s try it another way. This open approach can allow people to express themselves in their own wholeness.

Question 2: What does it take to get an employee’s full attention and best performance?

Choose to Care in a Way That Matters

People must feel that we care about them and that they are important. The difference is not in the degree but in the choice to care. It’s not easy to be a leader. It’s not easy to be a coach. It’s also not easy to be an employee. Sometimes the difference shows up in the amount of responsibilities each person has. Therefore, it’s important to be open and authentic. Doing so allows them to be and do the same.

Create Space That Enhances Performance

Acting with complete integrity as leaders allows employees to do the same, and this creates the space to enhance the level of performance.

Question 3: What do people really lack and long for at work?

Emotional Intelligence Isn’t Enough

Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba talks about something he calls L-Q or Love-Quotient. We not only need emotional intelligence but also love intelligence. We live in a society where gossip, criticism, and judgment are normal and more widespread than love. In this type of environment, people are longing for appreciation, recognition, acknowledgment, and love, which are powerful forces that people need. This is what is lacking in many workplaces. Bosses focus too much on control and don’t act like leaders. They push to get people under their control. They want to command and push people down. These types of environments are not healthy for anyone — bosses or employees. Everyone is stressed. This doesn’t work in any place.

Question 4: What is the most important question management should be asking employees?

How Can We Contribute and Serve the World Together?

How can we contribute and serve the world together in the best way we can? My heart was touched in a way that was incredible by Peter Hawkins, the father of Systemic Coaching in England. He helped me see that it’s not about me. I’m not a human being disconnected from others.

Focusing on Making a Contribution to the Surrounding People Increases Performance Exponentially

In today’s world, we need to start in terms of collaboration and co-creation. Hawkins calls that We Intelligence. I experience We connection with many people I meet. When we live in a space of this “We” awareness, responsibility and freedom arise to a level that is significant and unpredictable. While at the same time, our level of performance improves in the same unpredictable way. It is well beyond most people’s expectations. When I’m not thinking I’m great and choose to focus my attention on making a contribution to the surrounding people, then my performance will increase exponentially and beyond my expectations.

Question 5: What is the most important question employees should be asking management?

How Can We Help You To Serve The World?

How can we help you to serve the world and your purpose, vision, and mission in a better way?

Question 6: What’s the most important question we can ask ourselves?

What Is the Best Way for Me to Increase Collective Awareness of We Intelligence?

This is one of the questions I ask myself every day. I am part of that “We” intelligence and what is beneficial for me is beneficial for other people as well. When you act from a place of no ego, you can’t hurt people. You can’t do wrong. It’s impossible.

Question 7: Who have been some of the most influential people who have impacted who you are?

Go Beyond Name and Story to Discover the True Person

There have been many people but one of the most influential has been the man I fell in love with. He told me something that completely changed my perspective on life. He said, “Whenever you know the name of a human being or their story, this is not the true person. The true person is the soul. The spirit of this person that is beyond the name and the story.” This was my first revelation about our true nature.

Don’t Do Anything That Will Hurt Your Heart

My father had a big influence on me and who I am. He was a teacher of freedom, and he always said to me, "Don’t do anything that will hurt your heart."

Trust Your Heart and Live In a Space of Freedom

There was also Attilio Piazza, who was a professor of Constellation and Communication in my first counseling course. He taught me to trust my heart and live in a space of freedom and sincerity. His trust in our creativity was so deep that he always was very happy whenever he saw that we were finding our true inner voice. I understood through him what defines a true spiritual Master. It’s someone who allows people to be who they really are.

Connect and Live From a Space of Universal Wisdom

Then there’s Richard Strozzi Heckler who is the founder of the Strozzi Institute and the father of Somatic Coaching. When having a conversation with him, it feels like our spirits are dancing together. I was able to see that he is connected with this Universal Wisdom and Power that he calls in his books the Mystery. Coaching from that space results in a completely different level of understanding and impact.