Bio:
Dr. Alan Akira is a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Mugen Psychiatry in Chicago. He aims to improve psychiatric care access, leveraging his expertise in clinical decision-making, education, and healthcare management. He’s also an Assistant Professor at Rush University Medical Center and has received multiple awards for his clinical excellence and teaching.

Links:

• LinkedIn Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-akira-md/
• LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mugen-psychiatry/
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Dr_Akira_MD
• Email: alan.akira@mugenpsychiatry.com

Quotes:
“The world doesn't get any easier. You just tend to get better if you choose to.”

“One might not know where they're going in the future, but most of the time, we know where we don't want to be.”

Episode Highlights:
Dr. Akira explores redefining happiness and success, emphasizing the importance of celebrating not just the results but the journey itself. He shares personal stories and reflections on his childhood and career that have shaped his current philosophy.

Childhood Incidents:
Dr. Akira grew up in a household where his parents had blue-collar jobs, but very little financial stability. As a young teenager, Dr. Akira experienced a lot of confusion, around money issues. These challenges snowballed into stress, anxiety, depression, irritability, and anger. At some point, Dr. Akira questioned whether this was what life had to be. Thankfully, he had mentors who offered him hope, showing him that there was more to life than his lived experience and anxiety.

Cultural and Leadership Influences:
Dr. Akira’s grandparents moved to the United States and opened a fish market in New York. One thing Dr. Akira noticed was that they always put their employees first, and the dividends of this approach paid off in their interactions with customers. For instance, they always found reasons to celebrate with their employees, and it was always authentic. At Mugen Psychiatry, Dr. Akira applies the same principle. He invests in both the clinicians’ present and future because he believes that happy clinicians do a better job.

Temperament and Personality:
Growing up, Dr. Akira was quiet, reserved, and quite introverted—always preferring to sit alone rather than interact with others. No one would have ever imagined him as a psychiatrist. Over the years, he has become an “extroverted-appearing” introvert. He has stepped out of his comfort zone and learned how to have conversations with other people.

Cultural Epiphanies:
Coming from Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Akira had a tough time understanding the Southern accent when he moved to Alabama. He recalls a day when he was attending a literature class, and the teacher was reading Huck Finn with a deep Southern accent that made Dr. Akira question if she was reading in English at all.

What Brings Out the Best in Dr. Alan Akira?
Dr. Akira thrives when there is a fine balance that allows him to lean into things that recharge him. He is working on a study to help him understand what drains him versus what recharges him. He is also learning to appreciate that what recharges him might not work for others.

Soapbox Moment:
Dr. Akira challenges us to learn to define things operatively on an individual level and to allow ourselves permission to double down on what works for us. He also invites us to check out his weekly newsletter on LinkedIn.

Support the Show.

The subtle art of embracing cultural influences.

Bio:
Agnes Yaa Serwaa Somuah is the Program Manager of the Sinkunia Community Development Organization in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The organization designs programs for new immigrant children and youth from African countries and of African heritage backgrounds.

Originally from Ghana where she was a teacher, Agnes holds both Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in education. She came to Canada in 2008 and now works at Sinkunia, engaging children and youth in activities to build confidence and cultural pride. Agnes is a published author of 13 books, including nine children’s stories called “Akan Children’s Stories,” two stories about her personal life, and four plays in Akan. Last year, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Medal for community service.

In her spare time, Agnes enjoys spending time with her children, who range in age from 8 to 25 years-old, and her husband. She loves gardening and cooking.

Links:

• Agnes’ Children Books
• Agnes’ HIV Survivor Story

Quotes:
“Every day, I get a chance to just make a child smile, like all the smiles I missed when I was a child.”

“So many things happen to us when we are growing up, but it depends on you as an individual what you choose to do with it.”

Episode Highlights:
Agnes exemplifies the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" by navigating and embracing the diverse cultures of Ghana and Canada.

Childhood Incidents:
Agnes grew up in a household where her father had three wives in constant rivalry with each other. As a child, she loved being at school more than at home because at home there was no time to play. Children always had responsibilities ranging from working on the farm and in their father’s stores to counting money from the store. Agnes vividly recalls organizing award shows for children in her neighbourhood using chocolates from her father’s store. One day, while visiting her aunt in Accra, she continued her award shows, and her aunt told her she would make a great teacher, though Agnes wanted to be a journalist.

Unlike many African compound families, Agnes’ dad always encouraged her to go to school and do her best to excel. Agnes never got close to her mother, a second wife in competition with the other women of the household. One thing Agnes learned from her mother was cooking, and believes her mother could cook a whole cow in 50 different ways.

Influential Groups:
Agnes learned communal living from her father, who united all his children. This influenced her desire to live with others when she moved to Canada. She wanted to be around people.

Cultural and Leadership Influences:
As a nanny in Canada, Agnes was supported by her employers to publish her books. She was surprised by the family's progressive views on parenting and their support for her dreams.

Personality and Temperament:
Agnes has an inside and outside personality. At home, she is quiet, contrasting with her public persona. Her quiet husband and their youngest child help balance her dual nature. She tries to blend Canadian ideas and opportunities with her own in raising her children.

Cultural Epiphanies:
Agnes was shocked by the prevalence of smoking in Canada, which contrasted with Ghanaian views on social status.

What Brings Out the Best in Agnes?
Being with people and feeling respected motivate Agnes to show up to work even on tired days. She also loves working with children, giving them the smiles she missed as a child.

Support the Show.

CLI_7: What is the Difference Between Training and Coaching?

Is there a difference between training and coaching?

Quotes:
“If you don't know what you want to see, then you don't know how to see if it has worked or not.”

Episode Highlights:
Organizations can confuse training with coaching or misunderstand their purposes. When an organization approaches me for training or coaching, there's often confusion between the terms. People think that coaching is the same as training and vice versa, or they don't understand why you would need coaching because you don't have any “so-called” problems. They also don't know what to expect or how to determine if there's going to be progress in training and coaching.

In this episode, I share the differences between coaching and training. I also touch on the different types of training and coaching and what they entail.

Training:
Training typically targets organizational goals and is often done in groups. It involves predefined outcomes and measures success through behavior changes.

Types of training include:

• Knowledge-based training: Involves presentation of material with quizzes and discussions to assess understanding.
• Skills-based training: Focuses on observable behaviors towards a specific outcome, like presentation skills or carpentry skills.
• Behavior change-oriented training: Aims to make visible changes in knowledge, skill, and attitude.

Coaching:
Coaching is complex and relationship-based, focusing on sustained action and behavioral change. It involves a continuous learning process, like mastering a sport or instrument. Combining coaching with training yields exceptional results.

Types of coaching include:

• Life coaching: Covers life skills like budgeting, emotional regulation, and anger management.
• Business coaching: Focuses on strategy, finances, marketing, and business goals.
• Executive/leadership coaching: Involves strategic planning, team management, and change management.
• Performance coaching: Targets specific career goals and leadership milestones.
• Health coaching: Concerns improving habits of nutrition, exercise, weight loss, and addictions.
• Relationship coaching: Involves communication, conflict management, and interpersonal skills.

Success in training depends on clear goals and effective engagement towards desired course outcomes, while success in coaching relies on the client's willingness to engage and the coach's ability to help the client build capacity and strength in achieving personal goals or overcoming professional obstacles.

If you're interested in discussing training or coaching with me, please email marie@shiftworkplace.com to find a time to chat and determine what best suits your circumstances.

Support the Show.