Over lunch
A talk and discussion over lunch, about 60 minutes. The social part takes place separately in the evening.
International Men's Day event for employees · 19 November
An International Men's Day event for your employees: a short talk and a facilitated discussion
A space where the men in your organisation can talk about what men face in today's working world: a short input, reflection questions and a facilitated discussion. In English or German, on site at your company.
In short: International Men's Day falls on 19 November every year. For companies, I design an event for employees around it: a short talk, reflection questions and a facilitated discussion, about 60 minutes or longer, designed for about 30 to 40 people, in English or German. I tailor the content and flow to your company; the quote is tailored too and follows a no-obligation briefing call.
International Men's Day as an occasion at work
International Men's Day falls on 19 November every year. Your event does not have to take place on the day itself: a date in the week before or after that suits your calendar better works just as well.
It is not the same as Men's World Day (Weltmännertag) on 3 November, which focuses on men's health, and it is not Father's Day either. In November, the Movember movement also puts men's health in the spotlight.
More on the history and objectives of the day, how it differs from Men's World Day, and further ideas, from a short check-in to a facilitated talk: International Men's Day ideas for the workplace.
Sources: International Men's Day, "History & background"· Falter, "Wienbild", 8 November 2000 (in German)· Meryn & Jadad, BMJ 2001· Movember, "About us"
Why companies mark International Men's Day
Many companies already have formats for women in the working world, such as a network or an event for International Women's Day. Some look for a counterpart: a setting where male employees can exchange views and reflect on the topics men face at work today. As a complement, not a competition.
There is no shortage of topics: performance pressure and role expectations, fatherhood and how to combine work and family, stress and exhaustion, friendship and loneliness, health, and the question of who you actually talk to when things get heavy.
- Work and family: In the second quarter of 2024, 14.3 per cent of fathers in Switzerland with a child in the household worked part-time, compared with 74.9 per cent of mothers. Since 1 January 2021, employed fathers have been entitled to two weeks of paid leave, to be taken within six months of the birth.
- Exhaustion: In the 2022 Job Stress Index of Health Promotion Switzerland, 30.3 per cent of people in work felt emotionally exhausted, the first time since 2014 that the figure was above 30 per cent. The figure covers all employees, not only men.
Why many men find it hard to talk about strain is the subject of my article Why men stay silent.
Sources: Federal Statistical Office (FSO), part-time employment release, 2 September 2025 (in German)· Federal Social Insurance Office, "EO bei Vaterschaft" (in German)· Health Promotion Switzerland, Job Stress Index (in German)
Three possible formats
All three combine a short input with discussion and can be paired with a social part. Your company organises the room, catering and the social part.
From 4 pm
Input and discussion from 4 pm, about 60 minutes, followed by a social part, for example an apéro.
Together with a barbecue
Input and discussion combined with a social event, such as a barbecue from about 4.30 pm, in or around Zurich.
Workshops, for example half a day (3–4 hours), and online sessions via Zoom or Teams are available on request.
Example: what an hour can look like
An example, not a fixed programme: I always tailor the content and agenda to your company's needs and topic, together with you in the briefing call. The emphasis and methods are adapted to your group and your goal too; activating exercises can be added depending on the goal. One possible flow for 60 minutes:
- approx. 5 min
Arrival and framing
Welcome, the purpose of the session and the shared ground rules: everything is allowed, nothing is required, and anything personal shared here stays in the room.
- approx. 15 min
Short input
A short talk on the topic agreed in the briefing call, for example pressure and role expectations at work.
- approx. 5 min
Reflection question
A question everyone answers for themselves: where do I recognise myself? Quietly, with notes for those who want them.
- approx. 15 min
Exchange in small groups
In threes or fours, with a clear guiding question, so that everyone can have their say, even in a large group.
- approx. 15 min
Facilitated discussion in plenary
What comes out of the groups is collected and discussed openly. I facilitate, hold the frame and keep time.
- approx. 5 min
Close
What am I taking away? One thought per person, voluntary, and a short look ahead.
Possible topics
Which topics fit is something we clarify in the briefing call: what concerns your employees and which format suits your company. I then design the content, flow and setting to match.
Pressure and performance at work
What drives us, what drains us? Other people's expectations and our own.
Changing roles
Which images of a 'real man' still shape us, and which no longer fit?
Fatherhood and work-life balance
Juggling work, family and your own role as a father.
Emotions at work
Anger, uncertainty, joy: how men deal with feelings at work and what emotional intelligence means here.
Stress, recovery and sleep
Where the strain comes from and how to regain some distance in everyday life.
Friendship and isolation
Lots of contacts, little real exchange? On friendship between men.
Talking about strain
Why it is often hard, and when and where to find support.
Positive role models
Which men have shaped us, and what do we pass on ourselves?
How the space stays safe
Pressure, roles and strain are not topics people talk about at the push of a button. For the exchange to work, there are clear ground rules, and as facilitator I make sure they are kept.
Voluntary
Everything is allowed, nothing is required. Nobody has to share anything personal; listening is just as much a way of taking part.
Free of judgement
A space free of judgement, built on trust and respect.
Confidential
I do not pass on what participants say in the exchange, not to the employer either. At the start, the group agrees that anything personal stays in the room.
Not therapy
The event is a space for exchange and reflection. I make no diagnoses and treat nothing, and it is not a Mental Health First Aid course either.
Coaching is not psychotherapy. Where the line runs: Coaching or therapy?
Who leads the event
I am Winn Chelini, a life coach in Wetzikon (Zurich Oberland). Alongside one-to-one coaching, I run men's evenings in small groups, where I pick up topics that matter to the group and leave room for exchange, reflection and discussion.
- Men's evenings in small groups: Men's evening, rethought: emotions as strength
- Training leader for groups of different sizes; I regularly run trainings in English
- Experience from my former work as an IT specialist consultant and team leader in PLM and CAx
- Certified life coach (Master Life Coach, Cognitive Behavioral Life Coach, Professional Life Coach), trained in MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction): About me
- Approach: approachable, appreciative and clearly structured; short expert input, reflection questions, facilitated exchange and open discussion
Voices from my men's evenings
Two Google reviews from participants in my men's evenings in Wetzikon, translated from German. They refer to those evenings, not to a company event.
“Although speaking about feelings in front of strangers was a small hurdle for me at first, it came surprisingly easily in this pleasant atmosphere. Winn’s open and appreciative manner, combined with many practical exercises, contributed to that. The conversations helped me to see problems in a completely different way and to gain new perspectives.”
“The open and appreciative atmosphere Winn created helped us to exchange on a deeper level in the group. Besides the mutual exchange, Winn gave us a whole set of new perspectives that allow us to see our feelings in a different light.”
At a glance
- Date
- Every year on 19 November, or a date around it that suits you better
- Group size
- Designed for about 30 to 40 participants; smaller teams and larger groups on request
- Duration
- About 60 minutes; workshops, for example half a day (3–4 hours), on request
- Language
- English or German. If English is your team's working language, the whole event runs in English.
- Location
- On site at your company in the Zurich area; other places and online (Zoom or Teams) on request
- Cost
- A tailored quote after a no-obligation briefing call
- Organised by your company
- Room, catering and the social part
Frequently asked questions
Can we hold the event in the week before or after 19 November?
Yes. International Men's Day is on 19 November every year, but your event can take place on a date around it that fits your calendar better. The format also works for other occasions during the year.
More on this: Other formats for companies
How does an International Men's Day event fit alongside our women's network?
As a complement, not a competition. Many companies already have formats for women in the working world. An International Men's Day event gives male employees a setting of their own to exchange views and reflect on the topics that concern them.
Can women attend?
That is your call. The event can be a space for men only or open to all employees. Both work; I adapt the format and questions accordingly.
Can the event be held in English?
Yes. The talk and discussion can be held in English or German, and I regularly run trainings in English. If English is your team's working language, the whole event runs in English; we settle the language in the briefing call.
More on this: Anlass zum Internationalen Männertag (German)
Do participants have to talk about personal things?
No. Everything is allowed, nothing is required: listening is just as much a way of taking part. I do not pass on what participants say in the exchange, not to the employer either.
How much does an International Men's Day event cost?
Every event is tailored, so you receive an individual quote after a no-obligation briefing call. It depends on the topic, format, length, preparation and location. Your company organises the room, catering and the social part.
Request a no-obligation briefing call
Tell me briefly what you are planning. I will get back to you personally, and we will talk through the goal, topics, format and setting. You then receive a quote.
Prefer to talk directly? Phone +41 78 239 12 12 ·winn.chelini@chw-coaching.ch