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Where a growing circle of business leaders comes to share, learn, and inspire organizations to put people first

Whirling Chief

Past Workshops

Human-Centered Leadership

Humanity Needs a New Form of Leadership
Drawing from a significant body of research, we are delighted to present key findings of our recent collaborative study with Stanford University’s CCARE on the core human attributes necessary for human-centered leadership.

We invite all 21st century leaders to join us taking part in the process of re-generation and making the experience of work better!

View our Human-Centered Leadership e-guide to learn more.

Get info on our Human-Centered Leadership assessment and check out our course offering on LinkedIn Learning.

Compassionate Leadership Summit – Human-Centered Leadership

Sesil Pir will be conducting this workshop as part of the Compassionate Leadership Summit, designed for leaders who are committed to developing cultures of compassion, consciousness, and civility in their workplaces.

Humanity Needs a New Form of Leadership
Drawing from a significant body of research, we are delighted to present key findings of our recent collaborative study with Stanford University’s CCARE on the core human attributes necessary for human-centered leadership.

We invite all 21st century leaders to join us taking part in the process of re-generation and making the experience of work better!

Facilitators: Sesil Pir
Where: Seattle, WA
When: November 8, 2019

Lean Transformation Conference – Human Centered Leadership

To transform into 21st century organizations, businesses and government agencies they need to find a way to balance new capability growth, capacity gain, and legacy. That balances calls for action and agility, but, let us not forget rejuvenation is not only an outside intervention. We believe sustainable change is not external nor normative, it’s an inner tendency development that takes place naturally and continuously! This session will focus on 21st leadership and visualization of work environments free of asymmetry of power and free of apathy, allowing people the necessary space to remain connected to their humanity and to bring their whole selves to work in reach of productivity and sustainable growth.

Facilitators: Sesil Pir
Where: Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma, WA
When: October 9, 2019

Awakening Humanity at Work: Leadership that Cultivates Compassion, Wisdom, and Well-Being in a New Age

Business 4.0 transformation drivers affecting all industries and sectors globally are having a significant impact on the experience of today’s work.

While for some, this new era of constant change invites in prosperity, for others it ushers in isolation, loneliness and fear.

It is becoming clear in the new context, business will need to serve a purpose broader than just revenue generation and organizational cultures will need to be grounded on trust and well-being.

Humanity Needs a New Form of Leadership

Drawing from a significant body of research, we are delighted to present key findings of a recent collaborative study focusing on the key attributes of human-centered leadership.

We invite all 21st century leaders to join us taking part in the process of re-generation and making the experience of work better!

Audience
Corporate executives, organizational leaders and those in influencing roles who want to immerse in the new science of compassion and well-being and explore the strategic value of human-centered leadership to create stakeholder and shareholder value.

Program Objectives
In this powerful two-day program, we will use the latest research, exploring how a neuroscientific and physiological approach to building an organiza-tional culture of compassion, wisdom and well-being changes what we think we know about the basics of human and organizational psychology.

Along with like-minded fellow travelers on a journey of evolution, we will jointly participate in a discussion about how to develop new qualities within ourselves and within the organizational ecosystems lived and create action plans that inspire our own thriving.

Benefits
Key experiences are consciously designed to provide discovery of core human attributes and gaining self-awareness on the road to self-mastery.

Some of the benefits realized through a combination of classroom learning, experiential work, discussion, and case study will include:

  • Gain a better understanding of the scientific basis for an emphasis on compassion and well-being in the workplace,
  • Increase consciousness and build skill in expanding inner and outer capacity,
  • Recognize thinking habits and biases that work for you and against you in unlocking potential in self and in others,
  • Learn about and experiment with some new taxonomy of ‘being’,
  • Develop methodologies to lift self and practices necessary for mastering effective culture transformation.

Program Facilitators
Developed as a collaboration between Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and SESIL PIR Consulting GmbH, the program will bring together facilitators that are  expert in their field of neuroscience, organizational psychology, positive psychology and organizational development.

Agenda
Day 1: The New World of Work and Exploring Human-Centered Leadership
Day 2: Applying the Framework and Building a Plan Forward

When
May 30–31, 2019

Venue
WA State, TBD location.

Pilot Pricing Info
Discounted rate 6,000 USD / person, plus travel costs.

Download Brochure

Awakening Humanity at Work: Leadership that Cultivates Compassion, Wisdom, and Well-Being in a New Age

The rise of artificial intelligence, robotics, and “smart” technologies powers change faster than ever. For some, this new era has ushered in prosperity and the potential to address some of humanity’s most vexing challenges in creative new ways. For others, however, this era of technological and social change has ushered in isolation, loneliness, and fear.

Humanity Needs a New Form of Leadership
A significant body of research shows that when people in positions of power adopt a human-centered view of business that emphasizes a culture of respect, trust, compassion, and wisdom, the performance of the organization rises along with individual well-being. Rigorous evidence from multiple disciplines demonstrates that organizations can recruit more talented people, retain them longer, draw out higher quality service, and engage in more rapid innovation when performance goes hand-in-hand with human thriving. Where people thrive, business thrives.

Audience
Corporate executives, organizational leaders and those in influencing roles who want to immerse in the new science of compassion and well-being and explore the strategic value of human-centered leadership to create stakeholder and shareholder value.

Program Objectives
In this powerful three-day program, we will use the latest research in neuroscience, the bio-physiology of compassion and well-being, and dynamic findings from organizational behavior and psychology to learn the skills of resilience and creating thriving organizations.

We will explore how a neuroscientific and physiological approach to building an organizational culture of compassion and well-being changes what you think you know about the basics of human and organizational psychology. Along with like-minded fellow travelers on a journey of evolution, we will participate in a discussion about how to develop new qualities within ourselves and within the organizational ecosystems where we live and create action plans that inspire our own compassion and well-being.

Some of the benefits you will experience through a combination of classroom learning, experiential work, discussion, and case study include:

  • Gain a better understanding of the scientific basis for an emphasis on compassion and well-being in the workplace and the motivators for compassion in business,
  • Increase consciousness and build skill in managing the physiology and psychology of human well-being,
  • Recognize thinking habits and biases that work for you and against you as you endeavour to cultivate compassion, wisdom, and well-being,
  • Learn about and experiment with some new taxonomy of ‘being’,
  • Use scenario planning to envision future states of ‘doing’,
  • Develop methodologies to lift self and others into new states of thriving and vitality in your organization
  • Develop approaches to reducing and responding to suffering at work that may otherwise be invisible or unaddressed in order to build collaboration and enhance working relationships.

Agenda
The three days of this program will emphasize a blend of classroom-style learning, expert presentations, and discussion with experiences that help you fully internalize and practice the skills and ideas that will change your life and your workplace.

Day 1: What is the new world of work and how shall humanity respond?
Day 2: Awakening humanity in leadership: The crucial element of success in the new world of work
Day 3: A new kind of being, a new kind of business

Program Facilitators
Developed as a collaboration between Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and Whirling Chief, the program will bring together best-selling author and renowned neurosurgeon Dr. James Doty with leadership expert and business guide Sesil Pir, principle of Whirling Chief.

Other facilitators include Monica Worline, research scientist at CCARE with expertise in compassion science and the field of Positive Organizational Scholarship; Aslı Aker, global leadership and organizational development expert; and Sinan Canan, neuroscientist and co-founder of Açık Beyin Academy.

Venue
Allegretto Vineyard Resort, Paso Robles, California.

Download PDF

 

Facilitators: Dr. James Doty & Sesil Pir
Where: Allegretto Vineyard Resort, Paso Robles, California
When: October 21–24, 2018

Transition into People Management

Transitioning into people management roles requires one to step up to the leadership mark and changing some ways in communication and relating to colleagues even when you’re a technically competent individual contributor in the same workplace.

This workshop is designed for new managers and/or individual contributors getting ready for people management roles

Program Objectives:
Class completion effectively supports the transition from individual contributor to manager. It grants you access to the concepts and skills critical to a successful assumption of leadership.

Curriculum:
Enriched by latest research from Harvard Business School, Stanford University and Wharton People Analytics/ Applied Positive Psychology and organizations that drive best practices such as Google, Inc., we will cover topics as such:

  • The shift from peer to manager
  • The role of a manager
  • Understanding, knowing and expressing self
  • Managing and leading through values
  • Management styles, authenticity
  • Time management
  • Effective listening
  • Influencing, connecting with and motivating others
  • Ability to think strategically and drive meaning
  • Attracting, retaining talents
  • Managing performance through team building: inspire and motivate
  • Complexity, conflict, risk and crisis management
  • Effective decision making, delegation and coaching

Outcome(s):
Attendees will benefit from learning how to:

  1. Building new skills required for people management
  2. Techniques around introspection, perspective shifting, emotional intelligence
  3. Awareness building

Cost: 2500 CHF

Facilitators: Fateme Banishoeib & Sesil Pir
Where: Zurich, Switzerland
When: TBD

Leading HR into 21st Century

Is your HR organization ready for 21st century? Can you balance between requirements of today and future? Are you in a position to leverage technology and respond to digitalization of work in response?

This workshop is designed for senior business and human resources professionals who wish to take their people management skills and processes to the next level.

Program Objectives:
Class completion effectively enhances your proficiency in developing, implementing, and executing on people strategy, and grants you access to a wealth of tools and resources that will help you lead people management into 21st century.

Curriculum:
Enriched by latest research from Harvard Business School, Stanford University and Wharton People Analytics/ Applied Positive Psychology and we will cover topics as such:

  • Overview of changing demographics & business environment
  • Sharing of research findings & real-life case studies
  • What’s the role of HR in 21st century?
  • How to build people strategy inside an organization?
  • How to think about organizational culture?
  • The significance of strengths-based management
  • Evolution in people processes
  • Influence in technology
  • The promise behind organizational capability building
  • Discussion around competencies required for the future of HR
  • Practical tools to self-develop and support evolution of our function

Outcome(s):
Attendees will benefit from learning how to:

  1. How to relate to business environment and strategy
  2. How to formulate a HR strategy/ people agenda
  3. How to develop right capability, processes and tools to enable a culture of inclusion, connectivity and creativity

Facilitators: Vendula Pavlikova & Sesil Pir
Where: Zurich, Switzerland
When: 2 November 2017, 09:00-17:00 CET

Emotional Intelligence

In today’s highly volatile and complex work environments, many of us struggle to bring our best selves to work.

This workshop is designed for business professionals who wish to take their leadership skills to the next level. Inspired by Cheda-Men Tang’s ‘Search Inside Yourself’, Susan David’s ‘Emotional Agility’ and Google’s Emotional Intelligence courses, the attendees will grow skills around emotional mastery, self-awareness, collaboration, more open and effective communication, transparency, less posturing and less ego required to drive organizational success.

Program Objectives:
Class completion effectively enhances your proficiency in emotional intelligence competencies and grant access to a variety of tools and resources that will help you achieve your full leadership potential.

Curriculum:
This workshop is designed for senior individual contributors, people managers and entrepreneurs across all sectors with focus on the following topics:

  • Why our emotional intelligence matter?
  • EQ vs IQ (Emotional vs. cognitive quotient and how brain works)
  • 5 elements of EQ (Understanding core emotional intelligence skills)
  • Self-awareness as a pre-requisite
  • Self-expression (identifying the emotion and voicing it)
  • Decision making (the impulse, the acceptance)
  • Become more mindful in stressful situations
  • Grow interpersonal skills
  • Cultivate positive mindset

Outcome(s):
Attendees will benefit from learning how to:

  1. Strengthen self-awareness,
  2. Increase stress resilience,
  3. Develop emotional mastery.

Facilitators: Vendula Pavlikova & Sesil Pir
Where: Kulturpark, Pfingstweidstrasse 16, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland
When: October 24, 2017 09:00-15:00 CEST

TAD® Strategy Execution Certification Training

Statistics show 61% of companies underperform at key strategic activities due to poor execution. We want to inspire and equip all business professionals to be more successful.

The TAD® Strategy Execution Certification Training class gives you the knowledge to put the industry proven Think.Act.Deliver.™ methodology and TAD® software to work in your everyday consulting. Class completion effectively enhances your proficiency in developing, implementing, and executing on organizational strategy, and grants you access to a wealth of tools and resources  that will help you successfully engage with your clients.

Facilitators: Sesil Pir & Carol Bubar
Where: Bellevue, WA
When: Thu, May 11, 2017, 9:00 AM – Fri, May 12, 2017, 12:00 PM PDT

HR Tomorrow Conference: Trends and Transformations

Is your HR organization ready for 21st century? Can you balance between requirements of today and future? Are you in a position to leverage technology and respond to digitalization of work in response?

This workshop is designed to equip HR professionals with the following information:

–       Overview of changing demographics & business environment

–       Sharing of real-life case studies & research findings

–       Discussion around competencies required for the future of HR

–       Practical tools to self-develop and support evolution of our function

Facilitators: Carlson School of Management
Where: Minnesota, MN
When: April 21, 2017

How Can Companies Make the Most of the Freelance Revolution

Organizations have increased their dependency on external talent. This is a global trend that cannot be overstated. Advisors, contractors, and gigsters play an increasingly important role in the work of corporations, governments, and not for profit agencies.

This workshop is designed with two fundamental goals in mind: (a) assist organization leaders to identify and implement new and better ways to build productive and collaborative relationships with their agile talent, and  (b) help agile talent providers and external experts with tools and assistance to more effectively develop and maintain win/win working relationships with client organizations.

Come and join us for our initial introductory webinar with our co-founder, Dr. Jonathan Younger and contributor, Sesil Pir.

Facilitators: Sesil Pir & Dr. Jon Younger
Where: Online Meeting
When: March 13, 2017

Strategic Talent Management Course

This three-day program provides line and staff managers, HR executives and senior specialists, with an overview of the best practices and new thinking in Talent Management. You will gain practical as well as conceptual knowledge of the elements of strategic
Talent Management, learn frameworks and skills to assess gaps and limitations in Talent Management processes, and will be able to identify the actions needed to significantly improve the current effectiveness of your Talent Management systems. You will also be assisted in developing strategies for retaining and improving talent.

Where: Indian School of Business, Hyderabad Campus
When: February 15, 2017 - February 17, 2017

TAD® Strategy Execution Certification Training

Statistics show 61% of companies underperform at key strategic activities due to poor execution. We want to inspire and equip all business professionals to be more successful.

The TAD® Strategy Execution Certification Training class gives you the knowledge to put the industry proven Think.Act.Deliver.™ methodology and TAD® software to work in your everyday consulting. Class completion effectively enhances your proficiency in developing, implementing, and executing on organizational strategy, and grants you access to a wealth of tools and resources  that will help you successfully engage with your clients.

Facilitators: Sesil Pir & Carol Bubar
Where: Bellevue, WA
When: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at 9:00 AM - Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 5:00 PM (PDT)

Avoiding Pitfalls in Executing Strategy

Whether strategic planning season is just ramping up for your organization, in full swing, or around the corner, it’s a critical part of the job for nearly all chiefs of staff.

This workshop is designed to raise your awareness of common pitfalls in the strategic planning process so you can avoid them, and also to help you ensure that plans turn into results.

Welcome to the September chiefofstaff.expert peer group, where you’ll network with and develop professionally with other chiefs of staff through case studies and guest speakers so that you can make the most of your time in the role. There’s power in coming together.

Shorten your learning curve. Reduce your ramp-up time. Extend your influence.

Facilitators: Sesil Pir & Carol Bubar & Tyler Parris
Where: Bellevue, WA
When: Friday, September 23, 2016 at 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM (PDT)

Strategic Thinking Workshop

Strategic Thinking is a cognitive process for scanning competitive environment, assimilating and analyzing data, drawing sound conclusions about a situation, building a desired future state, and a plan for how best to proceed. It is a necessity for enabling better business outcomes — especially in a complex, volatile and ever-changing environment.

In this powerful three-hour workshop, you will experience workshop pre-work, preparation steps and a simulated workshop leveraging TAD methodology, tools, techniques and software. Through a combination of lecture, discussion and case study work and simulation, you will be able to:

  • Describe strategic thinking, differentiate it from strategic planning, and explain its relevance for organizational decision-making,
  • Recognize thinking habits and biases that work for you and against you and develop skills to reduce the negative impacts of bias,
  • Apply TAD methodology and tools to drive decision-making,
  • Use scenario planning to envision future states and develop questions that allow you to test implications.

Facilitators: Sesil Pir & Carol Bubar
Where: Bellevue, WA
When: Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (PDT)