We ask our members share a few thoughts: to introduce themselves to fellow members, and those who are interested in our community.
In this installment, we interview Anita Paalvast of Akido@Work.
What is the guiding principle of Aikido@Work?
In current times people need to manage complexity, uncertainty and high demands. With Aikido@Work I offer people in work environments a safe practice ground for experiential learning in group training and through individual coaching.
The Aiki-way is an approach to problem situations which goes beyond fight-or-flight reactions and win-or-lose thinking, and instead opens the mind to new possibilities.Through simple body exercises,people learn to apply an often unused part of their intelligence – physical thinking – to key challenges within organisations: communication, collaboration, change and leadership.
Your ultimate tip for WBII members/entrepreneurs?
Stick to the essence of your idea, and to your authenticity.
What can be considered as the key lesson for an entrepreneur?
Practice what you preach! If you do not physically embody what you want to teach others, people will sense it and will be less likely to choose your services.
For me, this means a continued practice of observing my own reactive behavior patterns when under stress. In this way I increase my self-awareness and get more and more familiar with the physical signs that I may be slipping into defensiveness. The body is the weather vane of the mind.
What is your challenge for the future?
It is now widely accepted that people are not just rational walking heads, but are beings who are at their best when they integrate mental, physical and emotional capacities. My ambition is to be hired for medium and larger-scale Change Projects where learning through ’embodying the new’ is recognized as an essential methodology.
For more information about Anita Paalvast and Akido@Work, please visit www.aikidoatwork.com
