Working with your team to create a psychologically safe working environment

Q: I work at C-level – which programme is best suited to me?

The Leadership Circle Profile® (LCP) is most relevant for C-level leaders. It highlights the urgency of the impact a leader’s behaviour has on the organisation. Why? The entire organisational culture is strongly influenced by the behaviour and attitude of its leaders. The LCP reveals what is holding things back and what is helping.The pressure on cognitive ability and emotional maturity is high at this level. The LCP reveals the extent to which a leader acts out of dependence, self-direction or control. Blind spots at the top. The higher the position in the organisation, the less direct feedback you receive. The LCP overcomes this with 360° data that colleagues rarely dare to voice aloud. Strategic scalability. The effectiveness of leaders in the top 10 per cent is directly linked to the best business results. And conversely: the less effective the leadership, the poorer the business results. Leadership development is transformational development. It starts from within: identity, motivations and beliefs. Uncovering these immediately provides concrete tools to get to work on them.

Q: What is a 360° leadership assessment?

A 360° leadership assessment gathers feedback from people around the leader who experience his or her behaviour at close quarters. Managers, colleagues, team members, staff and others outside the immediate working circle – such as partners, friends, etc. – all share their perspectives. Together, they provide a rich and multifaceted perspective. These people assess the leader’s skills, attitude, influence and overall effectiveness. They focus on the competencies that really matter in practice.

For managers who notice tension, reluctance or irritation in the workplace. People do not express their true opinions, avoid addressing issues head-on or do not dare to discuss their mistakes openly. As a result, they are unable to learn from each other’s mistakes, and the team’s overall development lags behind.

Aprezo offers team coaching where you work with the whole team to uncover what is really going on. Together, you work practically to foster openness and trust, and to build a psychologically safe working environment. This isn’t just about talking about these things, but also putting them into practice in day-to-day work. The aim is to create a working environment where people can excel and enjoy going to work.

When tension, silos and silence are holding the team back

Collaboration requires more than just good intentions. In many teams, there is an underlying tension that nobody addresses. Colleagues avoid difficult conversations and mistakes are swept under the carpet. And as a manager, you can sense this, even if you don’t always see it clearly.

That underlying tension costs more than you might think. People are unable to perform to their full potential and feel stressed. Productivity declines. The working atmosphere deteriorates.

Aprezo’s team coaching brings to light what is really going on. Behaviour, communication and deep-rooted patterns become apparent. This insight is the starting point for a team that communicates openly and candidly, dares to hold each other to account and shares responsibility. A team that excels and delivers results.

Does this sound familiar?

What are the benefits of team coaching?

Together with Aprezo, you will build a team characterised by trust, clear frameworks and a working atmosphere in which people trust and support one another.

Space to acknowledge mistakes, learn from them and prevent harm
A team that innovates because it feels safe to experiment
Team members who demonstrate ownership and commitment
Self-sabotaging thought patterns are identified and overcome
Improved performance, strong interpersonal relationships and job satisfaction

Testimonials

4 / 5

7 reviews

Marianne is a very pleasant and knowledgeable coach, with whom I feel very much at ease. I’ve been seeing her for a number of years now and am very satisfied with the way she coaches me. She connects well with who I am and with my questions, and she challenges me to reflect and take action. I’ve learnt a great deal from her over the past few years.

Judith Uiterwijk

After a hectic period at work where I was thoroughly criticised by a director, I lost my self-esteem. Thanks to Marianne’s support, I managed to get back on my feet and learnt to stand up for myself better. I was also inspired by an excellent leadership training course.

Marcel van den Eng

Marianne is a warm and empathetic coach who holds up a mirror to you in a positive way. With her, you feel safe and understood, even when confronted with deeper, often unconscious patterns. She guides you with care to become aware of these patterns and helps you let go of habits that aren’t working. Thanks to the full programme I completed with her, I have made noticeable and lasting progress in my mental health.

Frank de Jongh, doctor

I’m glad I chose Marianne and followed my intuition. I’m most grateful for her recommending the book *Positive Intelligence* by Shirzad Chamine. Inspired by this book, I started the online Mental Vitality Programme, and my coach, Marianne, guided me through it. I am also very satisfied with the way she helped me gain insight into my own strengths and qualities. I also really appreciated that Marianne took the initiative to check in with me from time to time to see how I was getting on and also drew my attention to practical matters.

C.E.

Thanks to our fruitful conversations, I soon realised that I’d taken on too much (both at work and in my personal life). It turned out I was suffering from burnout. Marianne was a great help to me during this difficult time. And the great thing is that Marianne is also very adept at adapting and can intuitively sense what is important and necessary at any given moment. Marianne has given me many insights on a number of points, which I find very valuable and which can bring me even closer to my goals in the future.

M.S.

Marianne’s team coaching has made a very positive contribution to team spirit. Team members are more aware of their communication patterns, and communication amongst the team has improved significantly. We now engage in much more dialogue with one another and are working constructively to improve our collaboration.

CK, Director

I’ve been seeing Marianne for years, and that really says it all. She has taught me to reflect: to pause where I used to rush straight through, and to look at situations through different eyes. In quiet periods, she gets me thinking; in challenging times, she brings calm.

What makes Marianne special is her combination of genuine commitment and professional expertise. She listens without judgement, asks exactly the right questions and provides practical tools that you can really put to use. Even between sessions, she continues to think alongside me and shows genuine empathy.

Over the years, I’ve developed thanks to our collaboration, both personally and professionally. I can wholeheartedly recommend Marianne to anyone who wants to grow further, reflect and take concrete action themselves. It’s simply a matter of taking a good, long look in the mirror with someone who guides you through the process with warmth and expertise!

Gert Kornet

“I’m so glad I found Marianne at a time when I really wasn’t doing well. I was incredibly tired, couldn’t think clearly any more and didn’t really know how to carry on. Things were very hectic at work and my private life was on autopilot. I just didn’t know what to do anymore. I confided in Marianne and she never betrayed that trust. She guided me in very small steps. At first, I really didn’t know the answers to her questions; my head was too full to think properly, but bit by bit, space opened up to consider how certain things needed to change. Both at work and in my own mind. Certain thoughts and habits have become so ingrained, yet sometimes they’re not good for you. Marianne confronted me with this and helped me realise it.

I really wanted to get ‘better’ again, so I took this programme very seriously – and it worked! Creating a new daily routine, dealing with thoughts differently, building in moments of calm, setting and maintaining boundaries, finding and drawing on my inner leader – I could list so many things that are now going so much better and bring me peace of mind. Now that I’ve had a chance to reflect on it, I realise just how much progress I’ve made, and I’m genuinely so happy about that! I’ve now completed my programme, but I know I can always turn to Marianne, and that’s a really lovely and reassuring feeling!

Melanie Clemens

I have taken part in many different self-empowerment courses, but I have never had such a life-changing experience as with Marianne!
I deliberately call it an experience as it goes far beyond coaching. The sessions include so much more than I had expected when I signed up for her coaching programme. With her enthusiasm, professional attitude and a sort of ‘superwoman’ radar, she always asks the right questions to establish clear goals for each session, no matter what area it relates to. She combines kindness with firmness in a remarkable way to achieve the best results, even without knowing in advance what those results will be or which direction to take.

Karin Oversloot-van der Zel

Coaching with Marianne van Oosterhout is not just an investment in yourself; it is also a gift to yourself. Sessions are always a combination of intensive work and moments of calm.

Intensive, because coaching with Marianne involves a – sometimes profound – confrontation with conscious and subconscious patterns and beliefs, exploring where they originate and how they influence you. It also involves hard work to internalise new patterns. This simply cannot be achieved without a bit of trial and error.

Finding peace, because Marianne creates an atmosphere in which you are allowed to be yourself, with all your quirks and struggles, and can focus on what you need at that specific moment to continue growing.
The reason this can coexist within coaching sessions is that Marianne combines thorough professionalism with a high degree of personal commitment, which extends beyond the sessions themselves.

Coaching with Marianne is therefore the most valuable gift you can give yourself.

JMG

Although I am a highly qualified coach and mentor myself, I have benefited greatly from Marianne’s intuitive and compassionate coaching and mentoring on a number of occasions over the past few years.
I have no hesitation in highly recommending Marianne for her insights, particularly in leadership and personal development. You’ll be glad you chose Marianne’s support.

Linda Ambrose

Choose targeted coaching for psychologically safe and effective leadership

Team coaching for a

A team of professionals

We begin with an intake session with all team members and leaders. This is followed by at least five team meetings featuring discussions, practical exercises and concrete actions for everyday practice.

We help identify the patterns that influence collaboration and psychological safety. Together, you’ll determine what’s needed to create a safe working environment and establish clear agreements on how to interact and work together. You’ll then practise these in real life between sessions. At each session, you’ll evaluate your progress, make adjustments and reinforce what works, so that you can continue to maintain this as a team in the long term.

Team coaching for a

Leadership Team

For a team of managers. We begin with an introductory workshop to set the objectives. This is followed by a Collective Leadership Assessment for the leadership team taking part in this coaching. Staff are also involved in the evaluation so that the 360-degree feedback provides a comprehensive picture.

This provides a comprehensive picture of how employees perceive and assess the current effectiveness of the management team or executive team. It also identifies what they would like to see. This ‘gap’ between current collective effectiveness and desired effectiveness provides immediate starting points for development.

By utilising a variety of methodologies, you will work in a targeted manner towards achieving your desired outcome.

Introductory workshop in which the objectives are set out
Assessments are carried out on an individual basis
Discussing the assessment results with the group
4 to 5 targeted workshops to help achieve the objectives

Break through limiting patterns of friction within your team

In my coaching, I address the small things that hold people back at work: persistent patterns of toxic behaviour, feelings of insecurity, a need to please, conforming or remaining silent. These patterns are reinforced by the way people interact with one another. Stress and tension arise when people do not feel safe enough to speak their minds or contribute fully to the team. As a result, individuals and the team as a whole never reach their full potential and are unable to excel. Team performance and results consequently fall short.

My mission is to work with you to make these limiting patterns visible and break through them. So that, together, you can build a safe working environment and help people feel more confident in themselves. You’ll work on building mutual trust and having open and honest conversations, even when things get a bit rough. This ensures that all team members are seen, heard and valued, and that you work together continuously on each other’s growth and development, as well as on achieving results. An environment in which all team members can operate with confidence, strength and professionalism.

Interested?

Book a no-obligation introductory meeting

Does any of this sound familiar to you? In a half-hour, no-obligation chat, we’ll explore together what’s going on and whether coaching is right for you. No sales pitch – just a straight-to-the-point question right from the start.

Frequently asked questions

Here you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions. Can’t find your question here? Please get in touch with me.

Who is the Leadership Circle Profile intended for?

Managers at various levels and leadership teams form the core of the target audience. The Leadership Circle Profile is suitable for organisations in healthcare, science, biotechnology, the business sector and the public sector.
The questionnaire is valuable for any individual or organisation seeking to make leadership more effective. It is also useful for those who wish to understand the beliefs underpinning that leadership – beliefs that are often hidden and unconscious.

I work at C-level – which programme is best suited to me?

The Leadership Circle Profile® (LCP) is particularly valuable for C-level leaders. It highlights the urgency of the impact that a leader’s behaviour has on the organisation.

Why?

The behaviour and attitudes of leaders have a significant influence on the entire organisational culture. The LCP highlights what stands in the way of this and what helps.
The demands on cognitive ability and emotional maturity are high at this level. The LCP reveals the extent to which a leader acts out of dependence, self-direction or control.
Blind spots at the top. The higher your position in the organisation, the less direct feedback you receive. The LCP breaks through this barrier with 360° data that colleagues rarely dare to voice aloud.
Strategic scalability. The effectiveness of leaders in the top 10 per cent is directly linked to the best business results. Conversely, the less effective the leadership, the poorer the business results.
Leadership development is transformational development. It starts from within: identity, motivations and beliefs. Uncovering these provides immediate, practical tools to put into action.

What is a 360° leadership assessment?

A 360° leadership assessment gathers feedback from people close to the leader who observe his or her behaviour at first hand. Managers, colleagues, team members, staff and others outside the immediate work environment, such as partners, friends, etc., all share their views. Together, they provide a rich and multifaceted perspective.

These assessors evaluate a leader’s skills, attitude, influence and overall effectiveness. They focus on the competencies that really matter in practice.

What makes the Leadership Circle Profile® different from other 360° assessments?

The Leadership Circle Profile goes a step further than a standard assessment. It measures two dimensions simultaneously: Creative Competencies and Reactive Tendencies. In this way, it maps out both a leader’s observable behaviour and their inner motivations. The Leadership Circle Profile is unique in this respect; no other 360-degree assessment does this.

The outcome provides the leader with a clear insight into how others perceive them. Strengths are highlighted, as are the areas that are currently hindering their effectiveness.

The Leadership Circle Profile (LCP) combines insights from leadership, psychology and personal development into a single, coherent whole. This makes it the first tool to provide a truly comprehensive overview of leadership development. So, in addition to behaviour, it also examines thoughts and beliefs, revealing why someone behaves in a certain way. And the results can be seen at a glance within the circle. With the LCP, you can therefore quickly get to the heart of what helps and what hinders the effectiveness of your leadership. This provides several starting points for initiating transformational change.

The LCP is based on extensive scientific research and a universal leadership framework.

Will I be told who gave which answers?

No, this is completely anonymous, and we take this very seriously. The people evaluating you must feel free to give honest answers. The only exception is your manager. They have a responsibility to help you with your development, and that includes giving honest feedback. This enables you to learn from it and continue to develop yourself.

How long does a leadership programme at Aprezo last?

A leadership programme typically lasts between 9 and 12 months. People are ‘creatures of habit’ and may hold fixed beliefs. These are often linked to how you see yourself – your identity. They cause you to exhibit certain behaviours. This is related, amongst other things, to the connections in our brains.

Developing new, effective habits requires time and plenty of practice and repetition. The same applies to challenging old beliefs and habits that stand in your way. By working on this regularly, new, strong connections are formed in your brain.

How can I track my leadership development?

Developing your leadership begins with self-insight and awareness of your own thought and behaviour patterns, as well as your beliefs. This enables you to recognise them and decide what and how you wish to change them. You can make this visible to yourself and others through interim assessments using Pulse®.

What does it mean to become more creative, and what are creative competencies in leadership?

Becoming more creative is about the skills and behaviours that deliver results. So this isn’t directly about artistic creativity. This form of creation involves a sense of purpose with a vision for both the short and longer term. You act out of passion and strength. “Play to win-win.”

The creative leadership competencies in the Leadership Circle Profile measure key behavioural patterns and inner assumptions that result in effective and capable leadership.

What are reactive tendencies?

Reactive tendencies relate to the inner beliefs that hinder a leader’s effectiveness and inspiring leadership. They also concern how authentically a leader speaks and behaves. You (unconsciously) feel you must meet others’ expectations in order to feel successful, safe and valued. You react to problems out of fear and a desire to avoid certain outcomes. “Play not to lose.”

Examples:

You don’t dare speak out about something that isn’t right. Because if you did, you might well end up being told off.
As a manager, you keep a very tight rein on things and control everything. Because what if something goes wrong and you’re held accountable for it?
Someone is withholding information and not being open and honest.
You don’t give (honest) feedback because you want to be liked.

What is the relationship between Positive Intelligence and Leadership?

Positive Intelligence offers a new perspective on resilience, mindset and inner strength. It encompasses the ability to respond to life’s challenges with a positive attitude, to tap into untapped potential and to develop better leadership practices.

Sabotaging thoughts (also known as ‘saboteurs’) undermine your self-confidence and success in various ways. For example, by causing you to people-please, control (to the point of micromanagement) or procrastinate. Or by striving for perfectionism.

As soon as you make the shift from reactions driven by Saboteurs to the positive mindset of the ‘inner Sage’, you increase your personal satisfaction and your professional effectiveness. As a result, leaders provide purposeful leadership with clarity, compassion and creativity. These are qualities that are indispensable for fostering a thriving, supportive work culture.

The concept and methodology were developed by Shirzad Chamine, based on scientific research from fields including positive psychology, neuroscience and cognitive behavioural science.

How long does the Positive Intelligence Programme last?

The Positive Intelligence Programme lasts from three months to a year, depending on your requirements.

Over the first seven weeks, you’ll build the foundations of your Positive Intelligence through weekly videos, daily mini-exercises and in-depth online discussions with Marianne from Aprezo. This is followed by consolidation through the integration of the content with daily mini-exercises and in-depth exploration. In addition, there is a wealth of content applicable to various situations, such as conflict management, stress management, productivity and resilience.