D.NEWS®  mobile version   May   2022

Leadership that transforms

In 27 years of operation and more than 500,000 executive profiles analyzed, Dasein brings a panorama about leadership in the new times.

Capa Maio 2022

Team Findings

Team Findings

A story of hope and transformation

Advice from Dasein associate consultant, Janice Valentim

Produced by acclaimed filmmaker David Lynch, the documentary “My Beautiful Broken Brain” tells the story of producer Lotje Sodderland’s transformation after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke at the age of 34. According to the author and Dasein associate consultant Janice Valentim, Sodderland made her recovery a project. “She needed to relearn how to tell stories, to rebuild herself within a rehabilitation perspective. She recorded frustrations and achievements in the process of restoring speech, reading and writing.”

Although it seems like a sad story, Sodderland’s good humor and perseverance lighten the mood. In addition, the film indicates the importance of a welcoming network for recovery from difficult treatments: the presence and support of family and friends are fundamental to the whole process.  “It teaches that each of us has its importance and essence, that through the various forms of communication, silence, meditation, we can express ourselves by building a story that does not necessarily depend on what one does throughout life, but what we become with it.”

What: “My Beautiful Broken Brain” documentary. Where to watch: Netflix

How to turn strangers into a team

Advice from consultant and advisor Luiz Leal

Usually when one studies teams and teams one thinks of groups of people who know each other, have a common orientation, get organized, train, and go into action. Business professor Amy Edmondson studies “team building”, when people previously unknown to each other, of different nationalities or creeds, come together quickly (and often temporarily) to solve new, urgent, or unusual problems.

Part of this work is presented in the TED Talk How to turn a group of strangers into a team, advice from Dasein associate consultant and advisor, Luiz Leal. “This situation has become more common every day and can happen in companies, in hospitals, in open innovation projects, and in tragedies, such as the incredible rescue of 33 miners trapped half a mile underground in Chile in 2010. Edmondson shares the elements needed to transform a group of strangers into a team that can respond quickly to challenges. She concludes by calling what is critical in these moments ‘situational humility.'”

What: TED Talk “How to turn a group of strangers into a team.” | Where to watch: ted.com (search for Amy Edmondson).

Why do we sleep?

Advice from entrepreneur and designer Thiago Colares

One of the first contacts that businessman and designer Thiago Colares, a Dasein counselor, had with the book “Why we sleep”, by Matthew Walker, was in a lecture by the CEO of a large company, in which he shared how looking at sleep had impacted his life and even his professional performance.

“For a long time some maxims like ‘work while they sleep’ seemed to be the shortest path to success. For that matter, what really is the standard of success in our current time?”

Relativizing some of these parameters crystallized in us, Colares suggests, “is part of a generous process of rethinking habits and making more room for who we are as human nature,” he says. “Author Mattew Walker explains, simply and through neuroscience, how sleep is a non-negotiable action that can lead us to a healthier and ultimately happier mental and bodily state. Quoting Walker, the counselor reinforces, “No aspect of our biology is left unscathed by sleep deprivation.”

What: book “Why we sleep”, by Matthew Walker. Where to buy: high street bookstores or online.

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What i Learned from the Wines

"The world of wine shows us that we can always discover more, it's a constant exploration."

Interview with Wine CEO, Marcelo D'Arienzo
What i Learned from the Wines

Beyond sensory experiences, wine represents a world of possibilities. With it, we learn about the land, its time and cultivation. About people, their stories and cultures. We can also learn to use it to slow down, to have a moment of our own. Or, on the opposite way, to socialize and have fun with friends and family. To talk about this, one of the most plural drinks in the world, we invited the CEO of Wine, Marcelo D’Arienzo, leader of the company that has been democratizing and teaching about wine in a modern, dynamic and not at all pedantic way.

For connoisseurs or the general public, choosing a good wine is no easy task. And this curatorial role is also one of the great merits of Wine – whether for connoisseurs, with complex labels, or for beginners. Besides “uncomplicating the world of wine”, what are the other differentials of Wine?

Wine is currently the largest subscription club in the world and our value proposition involves the 3C’s: curation, content, and convenience.

First the curation of new wines every month. These are selected by our Winehunters, who taste labels from the four corners of the world in search of special products. We have a technical office based in Spain to receive and evaluate the samples.

Then there is the content that is critical to making the experience complete. The wine drinking experience offers the opportunity to learn the story behind each bottle, the reason why the product was made.

Finally, the convenience, where you can receive it all in the comfort of your home. Since the subscription process is a frictionless purchase, members have the convenience of receiving the WineBox every month and it ends up becoming a gift, a surprise and becomes the most anticipated moment of the month.

About your relationship with wines, were you a wine lover before Wine? What changed in your relationship with wines after the company?

I have always had an affinity for wine, and thought I knew what I liked and didn’t like. When I joined Wine I discovered that I needed to open my mind and try new things. You can’t say you don’t like a particular grape or region without having tried all the wines, the universe of flavors and experiences is potentially limitless.

What are the main lessons that wine culture (be it the market, contact with large and artisanal producers, new wineries and labels) has brought to your career and worldview?

With wine we work with the time of the earth, the product is almost handmade and its production is an art. We cannot simply want to accelerate these cycles. I also understood that the real challenge is to make quality wines at affordable prices and on a large scale. I joke that everyone knows how to drink expensive wine, but to find an excellent label under 45 reals, that is the real expertise.

Wine has been growing a lot in the last year, and besides being a leader in Brazil, it is expanding internationally, starting in Mexico. A good part of the e-commerce sales come from the app, which shows that the company is also increasingly more technological. What are the challenges of aligning the digital to the world of wine, which is very sensorial?

Wine posted a net revenue growth of 68.8% in the third quarter of this year, when compared to the same period in 2020. The Wine Club, a wine subscription business model based on the recurrence economy, is close to reaching 300,000 subscriptions and had a 44% net revenue growth in the third quarter of this year, also compared to the third quarter of 2020.

Technology plays an important role in the mission to democratize the world of wine by ensuring the accessibility of our portfolio to all consumers, Wine Club members and non-members, and also by offering labels with an excellent cost-benefit ratio. Today, for example, 8 out of 10 purchases in Wine’s physical stores are made through our Wine app, and the app, which has already reached more than 1.5 million downloads, is the platform that integrates the physical stores and e-commerce.

Even in one of our 16 physical stores throughout Brazil, customers can buy their wines and pay through the app, benefiting from e-commerce promotions and discounts. The consumer himself reads the QR code of each label and adds it to the shopping cart on the app. In the end, all you have to do is finish and pay directly from your cell phone in a quick and easy way.

Smell, sight, taste. The act of taking a break and enjoying a good wine is a rich source of experiences. To encourage the executives who read this, and as a leader in the largest wine club in the world, what are the benefits (either for professional or personal life) of taking time to enjoy the drink? If you can, name your favorite grapes. 

Wine is entertainment. Because of its versatility it goes well with various moments, such as a series marathon, a happy hour with friends, a family lunch… Wine is also a product that brings people together, that stimulates good conversation and inspires trips and discoveries even without leaving home. Each new bottle is a new discovery. The world of wine shows us that we can always discover more, it is a constant exploration.

My favorite grape is Sangiovese, but I confess that I have a passion for sparkling wines, and WineBox Sparkling Wine is my favorite. It is an incredible experience to be able to get to know, every month, new different sparkling wines that exist around the world.

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Inside Regenerative Economy

"We need to do much more to maintain our planet, we need to reinvigorate, revitalize, give back energy"

Chat with Gui Arruda, CEO of “VG Resíduos”
Inside Regenerative Economy

Historic storms that devastate entire cities, thermometer readings that exceed records and endless droughts have long denounced the alarming climate crisis we are experiencing. In an attempt to stop so much damage, being sustainable is no longer enough. To reverse the damage, it will be necessary to rebuild – the environment and mentalities.

Yes, doing your part to zero negative impacts (whether you are an individual or a company) is no longer useful. The measures that need to be taken, urgently, must aim at revitalizing what was destroyed. And that’s what the regenerative economy is for.

In this new system, companies concentrate their efforts to create businesses that, besides generating profit, generate positive impacts to the environment and to society.

According to Gui Arruda, CEO of “VG Resíduos”, one of the most promising startups in the environmental area, research from Scientific Reports, conducted in 2020, shows that this ‘point of no return’ has already passed. This was one of the points highlighted during the COP 26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference), which recently gathered the world’s main leaders in Glasgow, Scotland.

“The consensus is that we need to do much more to maintain our planet, we need to reinvigorate, revitalize the environment, give back energy. In general, this is the concept of the regenerative economy and one of the main ways we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 agenda.”

Generating positive impacts is a matter of survival

While in the sharing era the value was in the “customer experience”, today, in a regenerative economy, the value starts to be measured by the impacts that the business generates on people, the ecosystem and society. According to Arruda, PWC studies show that 77% of consumers intend to stop buying products that are not appropriate for ESG in the next 2 years.

In other words, provoking positive socio-environmental impacts is a matter of survival for companies and governments. “The big challenge is what to do to become regenerative. We understand, at VGR, that our role is to expand beyond our stakeholders to impact the whole society. We have stopped being a waste management tool to become one of the paths to the regenerative journey.”

The role of business in creating a regenerative society

“Companies have a fundamental role in creating a regenerative society. In this ‘new world’, I see organizations as a platform for personal development, aligning personal purpose with company purpose, allowing each person to explore their potential and impact society as a whole. For this to happen, companies need to encourage people to identify their purpose and create conditions for this purpose to be exercised. Create conditions, giving freedom, autonomy, and education that support people in this development,” stresses Gui Arruda.

In practice, and in a more immediate way, the executive cites initiatives around training and selection processes focused on social groups that have had fewer opportunities with the goal of creating a more diverse environment and with people who have different life experiences. “These are actions that can already be seen in some companies and besides social regeneration, they favor creativity and innovation.”

Regenerating is also including and developing those who have not had opportunities

According to Arruda, it is natural to think that different opinions, different experiences and views combined have a higher probability of generating a better result than just one opinion or view. And so this diverse and inclusive environment is something that companies are trying to build. However, in practice this has been a challenge because due to historical and structural problems the biggest offerings on the market are similar professionals with similar views and experiences.

“And when we study about the topic, one of the pillars of the regenerative economy is personal development,” he unleashes. Instead of trying to find already prepared professionals in the market, regenerative companies propose to train and develop people who haven’t had opportunities or are from under-represented groups, or from places outside the RJ-SP axis. And the great benefit is that they manage to create this inclusive and diverse environment so desired, and still become a place where talents want to be, because they offer autonomy and freedom for employees to exercise their purpose.”

Freedom to be yourself, without distinctions between personal and professional life

Gui Arruda also calls attention to the practices, among regenerative companies, that stimulate autonomy and freedom. “They are divided in three pillars: self-management and integrality, besides the evolutionary purpose that I mentioned above. In the case of self-management, the company is organized as a ‘living system’ where each person works as a ‘sensor’ that captures tensions or improvement opportunities and also as a ‘brain’ creating improvement proposals and having the autonomy to implement them. And this decentralization of power reaches even the most controversial points of the company’s daily routine, such as defining salaries, hiring and firing processes. An innovative model compared to the traditional one, where companies resemble ‘machines’ that have a layer on top that makes the decisions and gives the commands for the ‘gears’ to run.

In the case of integrality, regenerative organizations provide a space where people can be themselves, without the need to have a distinction between ‘personal personality’ and ‘professional personality’, this makes people feel involved and an essential part of a living organism, generating greater engagement and sense of belonging. “The ‘check in’ and ‘check out’ at the beginning and end of each meeting at VGR is an example of integrality practice. At ‘check in’ each person quickly brings how they are feeling as they enter the meeting,” he says. To illustrate, Arruda cites a situation that occurred recently with his team. “In a meeting we had about budgeting, one of the employees said he was very worried because his grandmother had just been hospitalized with Covid. The meeting was conducted very differently than it would have been if everyone was in ‘normal condition’. This is a way of considering the human being as a whole in the day to day work and not just a machine that has to ‘forget’ its concerns and personal problems to be in the work environment.”

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Guest Columnist: Cris Alves

Digital presence: Are you “looking good" in video calls?

Guest Columnist: Cris Alves

In the post-pandemic, remote work is no longer a trend but a reality for many professionals. However, I still notice a certain lack of skill from leaders and employees to deal with this new routine, its tools and ways of interaction. Physical distance has the power to make interpersonal relationships in the corporate context a little colder. And instead of working hard to overcome the limitations of the virtual world, many people have taken advantage of the convenience of cameras turned off and text messages to neglect a work variable that is essential for the healthy and efficient dynamics of any team.

By disregarding that the virtual environment is as real as the physical one, some people are missing out on important opportunities to attract new business and/or promotion in their current job. Many times, people get comfortable with the familiar environment of the home and adopt a behavior of not positioning themselves and not communicating properly through the screens. Even leaders are forgetting that it is possible to raise the level of engagement of the team even in a 100% remote work environment. Therefore, this is the time to take care of our digital presence!

But, Cris, how do you build a memorable digital presence?

If you want to be remembered, let’s start with the most basic and most important: don’t hide behind your screens! Omission, lack of prior care for your appearance, or even worse, leaving the camera off are ways to sabotage your communication. Besides showing lack of interest, it is very unpleasant to interact with someone who seems not to want to be there. Presence means being in the moment, completely. Nothing replaces an eye to eye interaction!

How is your background?

Here I will refer to the image in the literal sense, that is, the context of what is going to appear on the screen: the setting, the lighting, the sound, among other issues. These are very important factors to consider:

Distance from the camera: Cell phone and computer cameras, used by most people during digital interactions, are wide-angle and can cause image distortions (widening the face, distorting extremities such as the nose, and preventing the perception of bone proportions. Thus, in interactions over the cell phone, I suggest at least one meter of distance. From the computer, 50 centimeters is enough.

It is important that the camera be at eye level. If necessary, use a support (a stack of books will do) or a tripod to place it in the ideal position.

Lighting: Again, the idea is to be seen clearly! If you have a natural light source (work near a window, for example), perfect! Otherwise, invest in an artificial light source. Ideally, you should have two light sources coming towards you (one on either side of your face). This will avoid shadows on the face and the consequent emphasis on facial ridges. When this happens, the effect is a tired and aged look.

Ambiance: Avoid visual pollution. The environment must not draw the attention of the interlocutors more than you do. You can insert pictures and photos on the wall, but avoid those with human figures. Good options are geometric figures or abstract images. If the background is colored, avoid walls with colors that may tire the people on the other side of the screen. Plants and ornaments are welcome, as long as they are not competing with you. Bookshelves are preferred by most people and can create a very interesting composition. Just be careful to avoid that the books are so close to the screen that they make people curious to read the title of the covers. And remember: these choices of your setting will also communicate about you: your tastes, your preferences, and your life repertoire.

What about the aspect of sound?

The traffic outside, the neighbors’ construction, the noise of the children, the ringing Interphone… None of this can be controlled when you are in the home office. The ideal is that, while someone else is talking, you leave your microphone muted. This way, the background noise does not interfere with the other person’s speech, besides showing respect to the other person. When you need to make an intervention, activate the “hand up” button or let the meeting participants know through the chat box.

I do a lot of live streams and record a lot of videos to interact with my audience on social media. Recently, I discovered the Krispi app, which helps eliminate background noise for people listening to us. It has been very helpful and I recommend it!

Personal image is just as important as the technical aspects!

Since we are talking about the camera on and being seen, we cannot leave out the care for our personal image! We have to pay special attention to the part we show on camera, from the waist up. Our “3×4 portrait” has never been so in evidence as it is now! Having good personal hygiene, clean hair, choice of clothes, all this also shows concern and interest in being there. It shows that you have prepared yourself for that moment.

Do you still have questions on the subject? On my Instagram (@persoona.crisalves) there are a series of lessons on this subject, which also includes verbal communication.

And now, do you feel more confident about making your video calls “look good”? Start testing these tools, and if you want to exchange ideas with me, I’d love to!

Warm regards,

Cris Alves.

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Slow Down with Fabrício Carpinejar

Are you a bee, a mosquito or a fly in the company?

By Fabrício Carpinejar
Slow Down with Fabrício Carpinejar

You can be a bee, a fly, or a mosquito in the company.

Bee is a synonym of agility, it does not accumulate problems, it solves them within the possible. And it sews possibilities attentive to the gifts of each one around it. It unifies the team, balancing failures and successes. It cooperates even with those who are having difficulties, after all, the honey belongs to the hive. It exercises leadership by listening to all sides of the same issue. It does not rush to defend its own interests. Even when life does not help, it develops hope. It does not complain for nothing, it shares its dilemmas seeking a solution. It exposes its doubts as a starting point for collective creativity. It thinks aloud and summarizes his actions. They do not worry (fly backwards), but rather have responsibility (fly forwards). It surpasses its goals through innate curiosity, always inspired to pursue new gardens and explore other landscapes.

It doesn’t martyr itself for something that didn’t happen. It doesn’t get caught in the web of guilt. It achieves the cohesion of the environment by its joy. Joy is, at the same time, humility and leadership.

In the manifest charisma of the bee, happiness is easy and genuine. It is not only someone good at work, but good at working together.

The bee seeks pollen, prepares at length the honey of its effort, articulates its wings in the name of a common purpose.

The fly, on the other hand, does not want to draw attention to itself. It is absolutely bureaucratic, functional, and does nothing more than what is asked of it, a mere doer of tasks. It uses gossip to avoid being charged and to democratize its mistakes with others. It pretends to be distracted in order to avoid working. It waits for the customer to call when he has already been in the store for more than ten minutes. It  doesn’t take initiative, it doesn’t offer to collaborate and orient. It doesn’t really like what it does, it seems as if it’s completing a favor. Conscious of its own antipathy, it’s already waiting for failure, the confirmation of his fears. It’s always right, always replicating unpleasant expectations. It wants to prove that its colleague sucks, even if it has to deprive itself of its own happiness along with it. It flies over dead leftovers and keeps picking up implications that have been overcome in the making of demands. It employs competition to embarrass. It does not evaluate its joy by what it can offer, but by what it can receive. It does not go forward in adversity, it stops in mid-air, it fixates on the past. Dissimulated, it pretends that everything is fine when it’s bad, it pretends that everything is bad when it’s fine, it doesn’t face the truth, it doesn’t do what it said it would and ends up doing many things in parallel, it exempts itself by saying that it’s not the best time to talk (it’s never the best time), it doesn’t put his work as a priority, it has an isolated and isolationist posture. The fly doesn’t leave its place, it flies to the sides.

The mosquito, on the other hand, deceives by its false enthusiasm. He forces kindness to the point of it becoming exaggerated. The customer has not even entered the store and he intimidates with euphoric offers. He is someone who shouts, staying on top, not letting the other person choose and decide, in a complete ringing in the ears. He demonstrates to be the best friend before any intimacy. He doesn’t realize that intimacy means gaining trust little by little, as a bee does by receiving the customer firmly and understanding, first of all, what his priorities are.

The mosquito fawns over the customer, arousing suspicion and counterpointing any comment by bringing it down. Its fake laughter and the trivialization of flattery cannot be trusted. For it is authenticity that breeds sincerity.

The mosquito in the company is a disruptor, it inflames the competition with self-praise, it’s always congratulating itself and doesn’t abandon its megalomania at any moment. It extols its sales, highlights its achievements, insinuating favoritism. It sucks the energy of others and flies into attack.

The fly and the mosquito are selfish, the bee is sympathetic. The fly and the mosquito are against, the bee is for. The fly and the mosquito are conformists, the bee is curious. The fly and the mosquito take people down, the bee hastens rebirths. The fly and the mosquito turn over the garbage of contradictions, the bee reorders a chaotic environment and separates the useful from the futile. The fly and the mosquito disturb, the bee encourages. The fly and the mosquito defend no one, the bee has the sting to protect those it loves. The fly and the mosquito leave their post in adversity, the bee helps out.

The fly and the mosquito fly. But only the bee soars high in success.

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