055: Healing at Work with Susan Winchester

Evolve: A New Era of Leadership

In this transformative episode, we dive into the profound concept that the workplace can serve as a unique laboratory for emotional healing. Our guest, Susan Winchester, shares her personal journey of self-discovery, revealing how understanding the deep-seated impacts of childhood experiences can revolutionize our approach to conflicts and relationships in the corporate world.

Susan Schmitt Winchester, former Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for Applied Materials, has made significant contributions to the HR community over her 35-year career, including executive roles at Rockwell Automation and Kellogg Company. She is recognized for her innovative HR strategies that foster inclusive cultures and exceptional company performance. Winchester co-authored "Healing at Work: A Guide to Using Career Conflicts to Overcome Your Past and Build the Future You Deserve" with Martha I. Finney, addressing mental wellness in the workplace.

🔑 Key Themes & Takeaways:

• The Power of Awareness: Discover how recognizing and confronting our past traumas and dysfunctions opens the door to personal and professional growth. Learn to navigate workplace conflicts with a conscious lens, transforming "bumper car moments" into opportunities for healing and understanding. 💡

• Embracing Mental Well-being: With nearly two-thirds of people experiencing significant adverse childhood experiences, this episode underscores the critical need to prioritize mental health in the workplace. Join us in exploring strategies to foster a culture of mental wellness and empathy within organizations. 🧠💖

• Healing as a Strength: Unpack the acronym ASDP (Adult Survivor of a Damaged Past) and how it symbolizes resilience, acknowledging that while we carry scars from our past, they do not define our future. Celebrate the survivor within and leverage your experiences as a foundation for empowerment. 🛡️

• Redefining Self-Regulation: Move beyond traditional coping mechanisms like avoidance or substance use. Discover healthier ways to manage emotional triggers, including the groundbreaking "Rapid Power Reclaim" method, and how to step off the unconscious wound career path towards a more fulfilling life. 🔄

• The Role of Forgiveness and Self-Compassion: Learn the importance of forgiving ourselves and quieting the inner critic. Embrace your inner coach and step into a space where self-compassion paves the way for authentic leadership and a healthier workplace environment. 🕊️

• Practical Tools for Emotional Processing: Explore innovative exercises like the "Three Circle Exercise," designed to process and release pent-up emotions, facilitating a deeper connection with your inner child, adapted child, and highest functioning adult self. 🧘

We talk about:

• 3:58 Why we need to heal at work

• 6:58 Why is this specific work important now

• 10:10 HR's position in bearing witness to these behaviors

• 12:41 ASDP

• 17:27 Not resonating with the word ‘trauma’

• 19:17 Conscious healing career path

• 29:42 Practice of forgiving yourself

• 31:15 Extending compassion to your colleagues

• 38:54 Bumper Car moments

• 45:49 Circle Exercise

• 52:46 You are wanted in the workplace

• 54:29 Rapid fire questions

🌈 Closing Thoughts:

This episode is an invitation for leaders to embrace the journey of emotional healing. It will lead to personal growth that can be a transformative force within your organization. 💬 We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share your reflections, insights, or questions with us. Together, let's pave the way for a more empathetic and emotionally intelligent leadership paradigm.

#LeadershipHealing #EmotionalIntelligence #WorkplaceWellness #Resilience #ConsciousLeadership

Connect with Susan

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healingatwork/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/healing-at-work/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealingAtWork

• https://healingatwork.com/

Connect with me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolynswora/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/

• Twitter: ​​https://twitter.com/CarolynSwora

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolynsworkplaceculture/

• Website: https://www.carolynswora.com/

• Contact: [e-mail]