Services: Team Workshops
Merck Healthcare NL
Elevating Self-Awareness in Leadership & Culture
Merck is a science and technology company focused on Healthcare, Life Science, and electronics. Known for its commitment to innovation and sustainability, Merck NL also places strong value on employee wellbeing and conscious leadership.
During my time at Merck, I recognised the need for a deeper human approach in the workplace – one rooted in emotional wellbeing, leadership presence, and inner sustainability. I proactively pitched and created the role of Culture Manager to bring this vision to life.
A few years after I moved on, Merck invited me back to reignite this human-focused layer through a series of purposeful, thought-provoking workshops.
The Challenge
The organisation was in the process of embedding new cultural behaviours and values - bringing them to life in a way that felt practical, human, and relevant.
Amidst a hybrid work environment and evolving leadership dynamics, the organisation was looking to deepen embodiment around:
✷ Empowered decision-making and personal ownership
✷ Conscious leadership and emotional awareness
✷ Giving and receiving feedback with care
✷ Inclusivity, wellbeing, and connection across teams
They wanted sessions that felt real, relevant, and easy to engage with – something that would resonate across functions, regardless of whether participants identified with holistic practices or not.
The Strategy
We designed a series of Lunch & Learn workshops, blending both in-person and remote participation to suit their hybrid setup.
The sessions included:
• Conscious Leadership – leading from awareness, not autopilot
• Conscious Communication – grounded in the Nonviolent Communication model
• Exploring the Reasons Behind Our Goals – unpacking emotional drivers and motivation
Each workshop offered practical tools, space for reflection, and insight-rich resources. Presentations were light yet impactful – designed to prompt realisations without overwhelm. And while the frameworks were structured, the experience was deeply human.
This wasn’t just a knowledge transfer – it was an invitation to pause and reconnect with oneself.
The Roadmap
It’s all connected.
A journey from inner awareness to conscious action - each session building on the last to create a culture of authenticity, emotional intelligence, and aligned leadership.
The Takeaway
This case study isn’t about long-term cultural overhauls. It’s about something more personal – and no less powerful:
Catalysing self-awareness, creating moments of insight, and offering tools that shift perception – even in a single session.
Participants left with:
✷ Clearer understanding of their internal drivers and emotional responses
✷ Language to articulate what had previously been unspoken
✷ Practical tools for decision-making, communication, and boundary-setting
For some, the shifts were subtle. For others, profound.
Quarterly
Lunch & Learn sessions.
30+ participants
per session.
Conscious Topics:
Conscious Leadership, Emotional Awareness, Goal Motivation.
Format:
Hybrid (live and remote)
The Impact
In every organisation, there are quiet undercurrents - the things we don’t say that impact how we lead, relate, and perform.
This work gave people permission to explore those deeper layers - not with fluff, but with grounded, practical tools. It reconnected leaders to themselves, and in doing so, created space for healthier teams and better decisions.
Increased Emotional Awareness
“At first I was resistant. Talking about feelings? That’s not me. But then I realised… Paula helped me understand the deeper layer behind my reactions – and that changed how I show up at work and at home.”
Teams Synergy & Leadership Transformation
“I hear so much positive feedback in the office. A big part of your impact is the energy you bring.”