Krystyna Litwa
General Manager at Design to Align Consulting & Coaching
I’ve spent my career helping leaders build systems that drive success—across industries, leadership roles, and high-stakes environments. - From firefighting to structured decision-making...
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- Leadership Development: Enhancing skills for effective team management
- Team Building Strategies: Creating cohesive and high-performing workgroups
- Performance Management Techniques: Aligning employee goals with organizational vision
- Executive Coaching Frameworks: Guiding leaders towards impactful decision-making
- Organizational Development Trends: Navigating modern challenges in workplace dynamics.
Meet the mentor
Tricky Workplace Situation Handled
- Feedback from my line manager, feedback from peers, feedback from my direct reports, feedback from performance evaluation process, project management team
- find 5 people and ask for honest feedback, ask question "how can I do a better in my job"?, listen to the feedback, explore it, reflect on it. Take as much feedback as you can take this day.
- When I did not receive constrictive feedback but more of a criticism, I was not open minded about it and I was not interested to learn more about this feedback. Instead of being defensive that feedback was not constructive, I could have asked open ended questions to learn more, explore more. Open my mind, heart and will to see how I can learn for that feedback (even if that feedback was not constructive), I could have learned more about the person saying it, his explanation, rationale.
- If I mentored managers I would explain the importance of STAR feedback model (the more specific example the better), I would suggest to build the conversations on strengths, highlight key achievement. STAR feedback model helps employees to see the impact their actions had and if they action changes, what different impact they would have had. In addition to that, I would explain the difference between situational feedback and feedback that can wait to the next review meeting. All feedback conversations should be based on trust and care of the manager towards an employee. There also should be two way discussions - an employee should have the space to ask questions, get clarification and there should be mutual agreement on the way forward. If I was to mentor individual contributors, I would empower them to ask for constructive feedback, ask clarifying questions and how for suggestions how they could improve in a specific competency.
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- Realization that they are initial sights visible to us that can lead to catastrophic consequences impacting the world.
- Manage the conception of media, be compassionate to self and others, keep physical distance but do not separate in mind and heart.
- Relationship does not mean physical contact - we can maintain great relationships by speaking with others via zoom / skype / MS Teams, spending messages, arranging virtual coffee breaks. Meeting in open space, in nature while social distancing and wearing a mask. Kindness to self and others - we are in it all together - allocating some time to ask colleagues how they are, how their families are and how life is.
- Minimize the time spent on watching TV / reading news on social media. Appreciate having the family with you. Focus on what you can control. Avoid being affected negatively by things that are outside of your control. Dream big and visualize the future you want for yourself and family. Then once this is clear, work every day on action that will take you closer to your dreamed future.
2020430175652.jpg)
- 7 blessings: health, family, relationship with my partner, friends, education, career till date, strong mind. 7 opportunities: involvement in new projects in my current role, better health, since I am clear about various food intolerance, opportunity for better fitness - cycling outdoor as the weather is getting better, new connections and impact on lives for others via GLEAC, travel to Japan in 2021, leaving my full time job in 2 years to start my own business, seeing my family for Christmas - having amazing time with them.
- Awareness about signature strengths, core values, Life book / wheel of life to assess the satisfaction level in various areas of life and prioritize, coaching to raise awareness regarding thinking patters, limiting beliefs, behaviours. Daily journal in which blessing can be recorded, key learning points, things we appreciate and are grateful for.
- We carry many believes, thinking patterns, value systems with us so the truth and world we see is impacted but our filters, ways of thinking, beliefs (limiting beliefs), culture - if we leave that on side and approach the truth (any matters) with no prejudice, judgement, expectations - this is freedom of seeing things differently. Freedom goes beyond our ways of thinking and limitations.
- 1. Get perspective - Assess the situation, 2. compare the good vs the undeserved bad things that happened to us, 3 toughen up, 4.be architect of own faith 5. take honest inventory of life
- 8 - I have to more frequently assess the good vs undeserved bad. There are lots of great things that happened in my life. Design the future, dream big, plan for it and make thee dreams come true.
- Working as a nanny for many years but while doing so, studying English, doing MSc degree, doing additional courses as I knew the job I wanted and life I wanted. I have been working hard for years to be where I am and designing the future I wanted and putting lots of efforts into it helped me to find motivation and energy.
- Limited physical movement may impact obesity. Sitting in an inappropriate way may impact negatively our back and neck and we may face the consequences for many years to come (prologue pain). When we sit we may constantly look into screen - our eyes may get affected negatively by looking at the screen at all times without taking breaks.
- Yes, did it. I did it to learn new technique that can help me improve my health, I love learning. I can share this technique with others who can benefit from it.
- Ergonomic of seating - positioning of screen, chair, desk, various types of stretching at the desk (putting a little poster with position next to the screen to be reminded), putting reminders in the calendar to walk regularly to stretch and get oxygen. The importance of medication, positive thinking (being aware of the voice of judgement, choosing healthy and rational thoughts).
Tricky Workplace Situation Handled
- Feedback from my line manager, feedback from peers, feedback from my direct reports, feedback from performance evaluation process, project management team
- find 5 people and ask for honest feedback, ask question "how can I do a better in my job"?, listen to the feedback, explore it, reflect on it. Take as much feedback as you can take this day.
- When I did not receive constrictive feedback but more of a criticism, I was not open minded about it and I was not interested to learn more about this feedback. Instead of being defensive that feedback was not constructive, I could have asked open ended questions to learn more, explore more. Open my mind, heart and will to see how I can learn for that feedback (even if that feedback was not constructive), I could have learned more about the person saying it, his explanation, rationale.
- If I mentored managers I would explain the importance of STAR feedback model (the more specific example the better), I would suggest to build the conversations on strengths, highlight key achievement. STAR feedback model helps employees to see the impact their actions had and if they action changes, what different impact they would have had. In addition to that, I would explain the difference between situational feedback and feedback that can wait to the next review meeting. All feedback conversations should be based on trust and care of the manager towards an employee. There also should be two way discussions - an employee should have the space to ask questions, get clarification and there should be mutual agreement on the way forward. If I was to mentor individual contributors, I would empower them to ask for constructive feedback, ask clarifying questions and how for suggestions how they could improve in a specific competency.
- Realization that they are initial sights visible to us that can lead to catastrophic consequences impacting the world.
- Manage the conception of media, be compassionate to self and others, keep physical distance but do not separate in mind and heart.
- Relationship does not mean physical contact - we can maintain great relationships by speaking with others via zoom / skype / MS Teams, spending messages, arranging virtual coffee breaks. Meeting in open space, in nature while social distancing and wearing a mask. Kindness to self and others - we are in it all together - allocating some time to ask colleagues how they are, how their families are and how life is.
- Minimize the time spent on watching TV / reading news on social media. Appreciate having the family with you. Focus on what you can control. Avoid being affected negatively by things that are outside of your control. Dream big and visualize the future you want for yourself and family. Then once this is clear, work every day on action that will take you closer to your dreamed future.
- 7 blessings: health, family, relationship with my partner, friends, education, career till date, strong mind. 7 opportunities: involvement in new projects in my current role, better health, since I am clear about various food intolerance, opportunity for better fitness - cycling outdoor as the weather is getting better, new connections and impact on lives for others via GLEAC, travel to Japan in 2021, leaving my full time job in 2 years to start my own business, seeing my family for Christmas - having amazing time with them.
- Awareness about signature strengths, core values, Life book / wheel of life to assess the satisfaction level in various areas of life and prioritize, coaching to raise awareness regarding thinking patters, limiting beliefs, behaviours. Daily journal in which blessing can be recorded, key learning points, things we appreciate and are grateful for.
- We carry many believes, thinking patterns, value systems with us so the truth and world we see is impacted but our filters, ways of thinking, beliefs (limiting beliefs), culture - if we leave that on side and approach the truth (any matters) with no prejudice, judgement, expectations - this is freedom of seeing things differently. Freedom goes beyond our ways of thinking and limitations.
- 1. Get perspective - Assess the situation, 2. compare the good vs the undeserved bad things that happened to us, 3 toughen up, 4.be architect of own faith 5. take honest inventory of life
- 8 - I have to more frequently assess the good vs undeserved bad. There are lots of great things that happened in my life. Design the future, dream big, plan for it and make thee dreams come true.
- Working as a nanny for many years but while doing so, studying English, doing MSc degree, doing additional courses as I knew the job I wanted and life I wanted. I have been working hard for years to be where I am and designing the future I wanted and putting lots of efforts into it helped me to find motivation and energy.
- Limited physical movement may impact obesity. Sitting in an inappropriate way may impact negatively our back and neck and we may face the consequences for many years to come (prologue pain). When we sit we may constantly look into screen - our eyes may get affected negatively by looking at the screen at all times without taking breaks.
- Yes, did it. I did it to learn new technique that can help me improve my health, I love learning. I can share this technique with others who can benefit from it.
- Ergonomic of seating - positioning of screen, chair, desk, various types of stretching at the desk (putting a little poster with position next to the screen to be reminded), putting reminders in the calendar to walk regularly to stretch and get oxygen. The importance of medication, positive thinking (being aware of the voice of judgement, choosing healthy and rational thoughts).