Gabi worked in HR at several large companies until she realized, on her father's business, a way to make work environment more enjoyable.

Last year, Gabriela Correia asked for help. She no longer wanted her relationships to be in turmoil and asked that her interactions with people were driven by love, everywhere. It was just the beginning of a life-changing journey.

Do you want to know more about Gabi? Listen to her episode on the Clear Purpose Podcast and discover more about her story and vision.

A psychologist, with years of experience in HR of companies and organizations, Gabi also ventured into working in small businesses. At the end of last year, she had a specific reason to do it: her father needed help with his pizzeria in Santo André, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

At the time, the restaurant went through a period of changing employees, and suddenly she was invited to help her father with management and service. What she saw was nothing different from other small businesses and large companies: an environment that faced demotivation and hard work. "I looked and thought: there is no chance that someone could be happy here", recalls Gabi.

This happened a few months after the request for improving the relationships. And she decided to start it right there.

The importance of listening

This period of working in the pizzeria coincided with the beginning of her experience at the Clear Purpose Framework. She realized how much she was interested in people, and how the everyday routine at workplace could be more pleasant.

Furthermore, the framework made her realize that she could act directly with the staff, seeking a relationship based more on trust and less on hierarchy. In the pizzeria, the idea of listening to employees came up; first, in meetings with the whole staff, and later, in individual conversations. "They've never had a staff meeting before. So, they could let us know about their pain and discomfort," recalls.

She went to the pizzeria every day, which helped her to know the employees better and the details of each one's routine. It was in this process that she also found out about the story of Miro, the man responsible for making the pizza in the restaurant 15 years ago, since when Gabi was just a teenage girl - the daughter of the owner who went there to have dinner with her family.

In one of these conversations, she perceived that becoming interested in the other could be a very important skill for the staff. "The listening was a passionate experience. It was wonderful to meet him. He had a history of dedication and courage", she says.

Less protocol and more interest

Despite the peculiarities, what she saw in the pizzeria was not very different from large companies. "All these years working in HR, I experienced many tools and methodologies. These things, usually, become just a protocol, and people are not taken in account."

In both a large company and a small business, she realized that the difficulty of time management was the same. "Many leaders do not know the skills required to be in leadership. The work cannot be limited to hiring, firing and promoting; the leader is the reference for the staff."

Through the Clear Purpose Framework, Gabi realized that she fits into a role that can be called designer of teams, or designer of circles, based on the structuring of the teams in circles and offering people notions of self-management and autonomy. "And", she highlights, "based on the recognition of everyone's importance".

Returning to the pizzeria, all these conversations and meetings brought her closer to the employees, and the atmosphere was transformed. She sees a gradual evolution in the environment after eight months working with the team.

Even with the scenario of difficulties generated by the pandemic, including the closing of the hall and the restaurant restricted to delivery service, the pizzeria managed to find a place of stability again. And this state of peace also reached the person who asked for her help in the first place.

"Last year, my father was discouraged, thinking about when he was going to sell the pizzeria. Now, even in isolation, he is much better. He is taking online courses, participating in online conferences and planning the future of the pizzeria: a renovation, a brand transformation, a modern app. My father came back to life. "