tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981036733729294972024-03-13T14:47:42.507+00:00Peter EnglishUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-83807696821882993282019-03-17T16:42:00.000+00:002019-03-18T09:28:10.318+00:00Are You Seeing Eye-To-Eye With The Interview Panel?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-7960012197297239342019-02-26T09:26:00.001+00:002019-02-26T09:26:34.672+00:00Interview Body Language: Are You Sitting Too Respectfully?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-44204793909195007342019-02-12T10:07:00.000+00:002019-02-12T10:07:31.676+00:00The Truth About Interview Body Language<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-52454786189733425482019-01-21T12:00:00.000+00:002019-01-21T12:00:35.096+00:00What's Behind The Mask?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-4425727410676169622018-04-13T10:15:00.000+01:002018-04-13T10:15:14.387+01:00The Subtle Art of Persuasion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-31082272346855730422017-07-28T10:09:00.001+01:002017-08-01T13:08:56.465+01:00Maximise Your Impact In Meetings<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.3578px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.3578px;">About 50% of the participants on my courses say that they want to be better at making an impact in meetings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.3578px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.3578px;">Here are 5 practical tips that will make a real difference next time you are trying to get your point across.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Sit Opposite The Chair</b></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;">There are two places you don't want to be: (i) slightly out on a limb at one end of the table, (ii) on the same side of the table as the Chair. Both these positions make it difficult to make an impact. You want to sit where the Chair can easily notice you if you are trying to say something.</span></span><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Speak Sooner</b></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;">Meetings often have a habitual dynamic - at the beginning of the meeting the most extraverted or opinionated people start talking.......and carry on. I have seen many occasions where the quieter members of a group have tried to make their presence felt, their attempts have gone unnoticed and they have given up. If you tend to be a quieter contributor you need to establish your presence in the meeting. You can do this by saying something innocuous early on, such as:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;"><i>'I really like that idea.'</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;"><i>'Could you say a bit more about that?'</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;"><i>'Thank you, that's a very helpful suggestion.'</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.3578px;">Each of those statements give the other person a little <b>'Ego Stroke' </b>- which has the effect of making them want to look at you more, and include you in the conversation. To maintain the contact, smile and nod at what they are saying. Then, when you want to make a point, the other people in the meeting will be more aware of you.</span></span><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Use Labelling</b></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.3578px;">Often a quieter participant at a meeting will say something that others don't pick up on. This can be very discouraging, but how can we make sure that our points are acknowledged? The way to do this is to use labelling. Here are some examples:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Your Comment/Question</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Labelled Version</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">'I'm not sure who is taking this action forward'</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.15pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">'Can I ask a question?.....<b>(Pause) </b>'I'm not clear who is
taking this action forward'</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.15pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">'I think we need to take the clinical perspective into account'</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.15pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">'I'd like to make a point, if I may...'<b>(Pause) </b>'I think we
need to take the clinical perspective into account'</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Labelling creates a little 'elbow room' for you in the conversation and ensures that your point is actually heard.</div>
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.3578px;">4. Cut Out The HRI</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HRI = 'High Rising Intonation'. It's when your voice goes up at the end of the sentence. This gives the impression that your statement is actually a question, and can convey an air of uncertainty or a lack of conviction in what you are saying.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.3578px;">5. If You Know, Say So</b></div>
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<div style="font-size: 12.3578px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've noticed that some people in meetings won't express an opinion unless they are 100% confident in what they are saying. Other people seem to believe that if they are 51% sure then they can pontificate as if they were world's leading expert. If you fall into the first group, <b>stop withholding your expertise from the world</b>. If you're not 100% sure, you can say <i>'I'm not entirely sure about this, but I'm wondering if....'</i> It's important that you use a confident tone of voice while saying this, as any hesitancy will incline others to dismiss your view.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-62166109675907661882016-01-05T10:22:00.000+00:002016-01-05T10:22:17.583+00:00New Year, New Habits<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish I had more willpower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately, if we want to make significant changes in our lives, we don't need to rely on willpower. The trick lies in understanding how our habits work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Lives are 90% Habit</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of what we do each day is unconscious and habitual. Without our habits we would be faced with an unbearable level of cognitive load and an unmanageable degree of decision-making. But occasionally a bad habit can become established.</span><br />
<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></b><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How To Change A Habit</b></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Suppose I want to change my habit of saying 'Oooh, yes please' in response to the question 'Would you like a muffin or a pastry with your coffee today?'</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus0MB2jHr9a2kVulochycgYHtShur-SYWIdmGAg2w2eLV8d1w_BXQNKM-hnQ1n1Yn4xlmbByg65nzA2jJLKsHhNRR6pUEMYc8leJE_vqiko116zIX4qNeD4uDAx0_2m_d9NhlfWtfiPw/s1600/muffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus0MB2jHr9a2kVulochycgYHtShur-SYWIdmGAg2w2eLV8d1w_BXQNKM-hnQ1n1Yn4xlmbByg65nzA2jJLKsHhNRR6pUEMYc8leJE_vqiko116zIX4qNeD4uDAx0_2m_d9NhlfWtfiPw/s200/muffin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If I'm trying to eat less sugar, this is precisely the kind of habit that I need to change, and to do this I need to analyse the components of the habit, namely: </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">the <b>Trigger</b>, the <b>Routine </b>and the <b>Reward</b>.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Trigger</b></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The trigger is what sets the habit off. In this case, it's easy to identify: being asked whether I would like something tasty and sugary with my coffee.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Routine</b></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The routine is what we do when our habit is triggered - it's the thing we want to change. Here, the routine is that I immediately scan the counter searching for the freshest, plumpest muffin.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Reward</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">With entrenched habits, the reward is often something that satisfies a craving. In this example the obvious craving is for sugar. However, sometimes the craving can be less apparent. Here, the craving might be </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">a desire to be comforted or cheered up (because I've had a difficult day).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I've analysed this particular habit, I need to make a plan. My plan needs to ensure that I still get the reward that I'm after, but in a more healthy way. </span></div>
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Plan</b><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In this case, I've identified that my craving was twofold - for something sugary, and for a treat that makes me feel happy. Here's my plan:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to make sure that I keep some fruit at work (satisfies the sugar cravings)....... </i></div>
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">....and whenever I walk through the door of a coffee shop I will immediately look for something positive to focus on, that puts a smile on my face (provides a feelgood moment) and say 'not today, thanks!' when I'm asked if I would like something sweet with my coffee. </i><br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tip</b></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It's really important to analyse the habit carefully to identify the precise trigger and the actual craving. Examples of triggers include:</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">a particular time of day</span></li>
<li>being with a certain person</li>
<li>a specific location</li>
<li>an event</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Examples of cravings include:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">sugar or wheat or caffeine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">wanting to feel in control</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">needing to be cheered up</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">desire for stimulation or distraction</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>REFERENCES</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="authorname">Charles Duhigg, </span><b><i><span lang="EN" style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">The Power of Habit, </span></i></b><span lang="EN"> Random House, 2013</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-22440810679157717682015-11-11T14:29:00.001+00:002015-11-11T14:51:25.593+00:003 (Evidenced-Based) Ways to Stay Positive<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am easily inspired. Whenever I come across a story of someone triumphing in the face of adversity I invariably resolve to live my own life in a more heroic manner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The problem is, inspiration can be short-lived. Within a few days my resolve starts to ebb, particularly when I'm confronted by the low-level challenges that we all face on a regular basis.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are three tips on how to remain positive in the face of setbacks. Each of them is supported by carefully-conducted research studies.</span><br />
<h2>
<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Give Yourself The Right Type of Praise</b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Research conducted in the USA into people's mindsets has established that we will be more likely to stay positive, and bounce back from setbacks if we adopt a <b>Growth Mindset</b> rather than a Fixed Mindset.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Growth
Mindset<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Fixed
Mindset<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I’ll
find a way<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I’m
great at this<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
can learn to do this better<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
know I will succeed<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
can try different approaches<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
am an achiever<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The problem with the Fixed Mindset is that it makes us brittle - we become attached to a view of ourselves or a particular outcome and if that view is shown to be inaccurate our belief in ourselves takes a significant knock. A memorable example of this is so-called <b>'Bright Girl Syndrome'</b> whereby a girl achieves excellent grades at school, receives lots of praise for this and becomes overly identified with her intelligence. When she subsequently goes to university and fails an exam, or finds that she is no longer top of the class, she experiences this as an identity-threatening shock rather than a relatively minor setback.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Giving ourselves encouraging 'Growth Mindset' praise <b>makes us more likely to persevere with a difficult challenge.</b></span><br />
<h2>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Write Stuff Down</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is now a lot of evidence indicating that writing things down can reinforce our positive intentions and help us be more resilient during stressful times. In particular, it's worth setting aside 5 minutes each day to set down in writing:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5 things you are grateful for. </b>Two psychologists, Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, demonstrated that people are </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">signficantly happier and more optimistic about the future if they take a few moments to write </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">down 5 things that they are grateful for in their lives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 benefits of setbacks</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. A study at the University of Miami found that, following a setback, students were able to feel more positive and move forward from the disappointment if they identified and wrote down 3 benefits of the setback.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why you love your friend.</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Researchers at Arizona University demonstrated that 'affectionate writing' - spending a few minutes writing a paragraph setting out what you appreciate about one of your friends or loved-ones can help you to achieve a marked reduction in stress levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">3. Adopt a Virtual Kitten</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I used to be an avid consumer of news. I'd wake up to the Today Programme on Radio 4, and check the BBC news website every few hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then I realised that I was subjecting myself to a regular diet of doom (the news was rarely good) and that this was getting me down. Doing some research into the effects of internet browsing I came across a study which demonstrated that spending some time looking at an image or video which makes us smile can be a significant mood-booster.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.ohmagif.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cute-sleepy-kitten.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cute-sleepy-kitten" border="0" src="http://www.ohmagif.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cute-sleepy-kitten.gif" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>REFERENCES</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="authorname">Gabriele Oettingen, Thomas A. Wadden,
</span><b><i><span lang="EN" style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Expectation, Fantasy, And Weight Loss: Is The Impact Of Positive Thinking
Always Positive?</span></i></b><span lang="EN"> </span><span class="journaltitle"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">Cognitive Therapy and
Research</span></span>, <span class="articlecitationyear">April 1991,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"> </span></span><span class="articlecitationvolume">Volume 15, </span><span class="articlecitationissue">Issue 2, </span><span class="articlecitationpages">pp 167-175</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="articlecitationpages"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Deborah L. Wells<sup><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">. </span></sup><span class="maintitle"><b><i>The Effect Of Videotapes Of
Animals On Cardiovascular Responses To Stress. </i></b></span>Stress and
Health, <span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">Volume 21</span></span><span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">, Issue 3</span>,</span> <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">pages 209–213</span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">August 2005</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span class="articlecitationpages"><br /></span></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Emmons RA, McCullough ME</span>. <b><i>Counting
Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation Of Gratitude And
Subjective Well-Being In Daily Life.</i></b> J Pers Soc
Psychol.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>2003 Feb;84(2):377-89</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Kory Floyd<span class="span-break">, </span><span style="color: black;">Alan C. Mikkelson<span class="span-break">, </span>Colin Hesse<span class="span-break">,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Perry M. Pauley</span>. </span><span class="title-span"><b><i>Affectionate Writing Reduces Total Cholesterol: Two Randomized,
Controlled Trials. </i></b></span>Journal:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Human Communication Research<span class="year">, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 119-142, 2007</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="year"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="PEbodycopy">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Dweck, C. S. <b><i>The Perils and Promises of Praise.</i></b> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Educational Leadership</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">, 65</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">(2), 34–39. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">2007</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-5679165933931868852015-07-06T18:12:00.000+01:002015-07-06T18:12:04.563+01:00How To Get More Done<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lot of time management advice treats people as if they were machines, ignoring the reality that human</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> beings have temperaments, moods and
biorhythms.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are three tips on how to squeeze more productivity out of your busy day.</span><br />
<h2>
<b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Stop Pretending to Multi-Task</b></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can't truly multi-task when two activities require conscious attention. What we actually do is constantly switch attention, and part of our brain (Brodmann Area 10) creates the illusion that we are doing two things at once. The result is that we pay poor quality attention to both tasks and, over the long term, we find it difficult to focus properly.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhV7tgjLlbGcC5n2cLC_ZX_X4PgAOZrW7pj9QsAjze4U2IVMJhaXfPHvsuQrGgXW0_m4_m55W_KCQTR8Na4xVnVRxvYxOO9PsZcSQAZ5uGa3RHkmJE0a61JkVaZhrhyphenhyphenA3q_NKWo3Ucts/s1600/Brodmann_area_10_lateral2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhV7tgjLlbGcC5n2cLC_ZX_X4PgAOZrW7pj9QsAjze4U2IVMJhaXfPHvsuQrGgXW0_m4_m55W_KCQTR8Na4xVnVRxvYxOO9PsZcSQAZ5uGa3RHkmJE0a61JkVaZhrhyphenhyphenA3q_NKWo3Ucts/s200/Brodmann_area_10_lateral2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brodmann Area 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Constantly refocusing attention like this is hugely inefficient.</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But many of us enjoy multi-tasking and find it hard to stop. Like many of life's temptations the trick to overcoming it is to remove the temptation itself. This means using <b>Switch Busters.</b> A Switch Buster is something that stops you switching your attention. Here are some examples:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>turn off your computer monitor </b>when you are making a phone call.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>switch off your mobile phone </b>and put it in your bag during meetings.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>change your email settings</b> so that automatic retrieval is disabled (or pull out your network cable if you can't stop yourself manually checking - some of us are addicted to the dopamine hit stimulated by the arrival of a new message).</span></li>
</ul>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>2. Make Fewer Decisions</b></span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making decisions, even small ones such as how to respond to an email, can be mentally tiring. View your mental energy as a precious resource that needs to be preserved and used judiciously during the day. One way of reducing the time you spend taking decisions is to <b>only check your email at particular times during the day.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Manage Your Elephant</b></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think of yourself as a rider on an elephant. Your rider is full of good intentions and wants to maximise his or her productivity. Your elephant, however....</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is alert at some times of day (typically the morning) and sluggish at others (mid-afternoon)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">likes sugary snacks and coffee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is inclined to spend time cyberloafing (browsing the internet) if it didn't get enough sleep last night</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The elephant is powerful and won't be pushed around by the rider. The trick is to work with your elephant rather than fighting it. In practice this means:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Using your Prime Time</b> (the part of the day when you have most mental energy) to maximum advantage. If you are at your best first thing in the morning, hit the ground running as soon as you arrive: tackle a mentally demanding task rather than chatting to colleagues, putting the kettle on and looking at your emails.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making sugar and caffeine work for you</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. They are stimulants, which can give you a short-lived boost when you need it. Get into the habit of using them in a way that helps you to be productive (eg, when you hit your mid-afternoon slump).</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going to bed earlier.</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Getting an early night has improved my productivity more than any other strategy. Flogging a tired elephant is no fun.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-10561999469270506592015-01-26T16:16:00.000+00:002015-01-28T08:56:32.922+00:00Managing Difficult Relationships Part 2: How to Handle Different Monkeys (and what they think of you)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rapport is easier if you can identify the kind of person that you're dealing with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my last blog post I described the different kinds of primates that we encounter in the workplace, and how to spot them. This post will show you how to tailor your approach to each type of monkey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're dealing with a <b>Chimp </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you'll know because they will want to focus on the task in hand, they'll use debate as a way of getting to the truth (which can come across as argumentative) and they will be conscious of power relationships.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're dealing with a <b>Bonobo </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you'll know because they are responsive and smiley when you talk to them, they'll appear relaxed and friendly, and their primary focus will seem to be on the relationship - forming a connection with you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you tend to be a Chimp and you're dealing with a Chimp, then it's normally pretty straightforward - you 'get' each other. Similarly, Bonobos recognise one another and can rely on their preferred way of working.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>But if you're a Chimp and you have to work with a Bonobo (or vice versa) then you need to adapt your approach.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How a Chimp Views a Bonobo</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRhyphenhyphenVSt1Eh_XD0IN9p0tZPyD_tOHbQ9k8QaGrZve4XfWnXkevEsPeQGkVFqg9TeJKWR3fCAmLVlj_T42ypmfmlWvRTt7a-Xwhcyhta40-oyU5btkGBPsJHnHeKMgigKhgYXhTTiAQqHg/s1600/Capture3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRhyphenhyphenVSt1Eh_XD0IN9p0tZPyD_tOHbQ9k8QaGrZve4XfWnXkevEsPeQGkVFqg9TeJKWR3fCAmLVlj_T42ypmfmlWvRTt7a-Xwhcyhta40-oyU5btkGBPsJHnHeKMgigKhgYXhTTiAQqHg/s1600/Capture3.PNG" height="306" width="400" /></a></div>
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Chimp misinterprets the Bonobo's friendliness as weakness.</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">How a Bonobo Views a Chimp</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYloaWH32GWsixYl57IDdOA26BI0pBy4RL2YMNonujhfQ0TP-QUux-QVTcr4qn79GdrDrQSuV0SC9pw55SehtjKxG9o_OKkGSb32o0zEJcNjlk2hleTDMBNsa6tKuZzcSSUChwBOEWJlE/s1600/Capture4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYloaWH32GWsixYl57IDdOA26BI0pBy4RL2YMNonujhfQ0TP-QUux-QVTcr4qn79GdrDrQSuV0SC9pw55SehtjKxG9o_OKkGSb32o0zEJcNjlk2hleTDMBNsa6tKuZzcSSUChwBOEWJlE/s1600/Capture4.PNG" height="291" width="400" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Bonobo misinterprets the Chimp's strongly task-focused approach as an attempt to dominate and bully.</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether you're a Bonobo or a Chimp, if you are facing a difficult conversation and you want to avoid being misread here are three tips to help you handle the situation:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 1 </b> <b>Pay Careful Attention to Etiquette</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Small things matter. If you are a Chimp, be <b>very polite and solicitous</b> (Bonobos place great emphasis on courtesy). If you are a Bonobo, <b>show respect for the other person and their environment but without demeaning yourself</b> (Chimps get very agitated if their physical, organisational or psychological territory is threatened).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 2 Use 'Safe Phrases'</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following phrases press the right buttons whether you are dealing with a Chimp or a Bonobo (they convey the message 'we are in the same troop'):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>'We can handle this'</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>'We'll sort this'</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>'We'll get through this'</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 3 Get a Grip on Your Inner Primate</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recognise that we tend to act instinctively most of the time, and that this includes becoming defensive when we feel threatened (eg in a difficult conversation). If you have the chance, make up your mind before the encounter in terms of:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How you want to behave</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you are going to say</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How you will respond if the other party behaves in a certain way.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-74166150645744904532014-11-25T16:37:00.001+00:002014-11-25T16:54:24.915+00:00Managing Difficult Relationships Part 1: What Kind of Monkey Are You Dealing With......?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're all primates.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of our day-to-day behaviours have been hard-wired into us over thousands of years of evolution. Our ancestors survived by being <b>excellent threat-detectors</b> (it was important to decide quickly whether an animal or situation was safe) and by<b> being good at sucking up to the leader of the pack</b>, to put it bluntly. A</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ccording to the evolutionary psychologists, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">being friendly with the alpha male or female enhanced your survival prospects .</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we've evolved to be vigilant and status-conscious</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Apparently when we meet someone, the first thing we unconsciously assess is their level of status - <i>do I need to be wary of this person? Do I need to keep on the right side of them?</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And other primates are sniffing you, picking up cues as to how powerful you are, how much respect they need to give you</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0X4MbZ44KU8ROPJhnGfhrkneakzFQr1GWOMoiJRhyphenhyphenuobvjfv4nFx14gAPWZnrhgfbzeO6XBc13IrA_QoClSlCd6M72hcNewsBRq5n49V6WFE5FhpaunxVV6MDRf_JY3Ns1oCUXCkpQ4/s1600/Chimp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0X4MbZ44KU8ROPJhnGfhrkneakzFQr1GWOMoiJRhyphenhyphenuobvjfv4nFx14gAPWZnrhgfbzeO6XBc13IrA_QoClSlCd6M72hcNewsBRq5n49V6WFE5FhpaunxVV6MDRf_JY3Ns1oCUXCkpQ4/s1600/Chimp1.jpg" height="126" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to master this game, it helps to <b>know what kind of monkey you are dealing with</b>. Let's consider the Chimpanzee and the Bonobo.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the wild, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chimpanzees </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">are very territorial, competitive and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(particularly when threatened), ferociously aggressive. There is a strict hierarchy with a male chimp at the top.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In your organisation, you know you're dealing with a chimp when:</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you feel like </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">they're trying to dominate</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (often using their tone of voice and body language), and they are inclined to displays of power and status;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the conversations often have<b> an argumentative tone</b> - there's a Win/Lose feel to the interaction;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">their focus is on <b>the task in hand</b>, with little or no attention paid to pleasantries.</span></li>
</ul>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bonobos </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">are very different. They are far more relaxed about their territory. Rather than seeking to dominate, they engage in 'affable social networking'. Bonobos are much less </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHabNiRKcy8cc3PmBeVHXBIX5y3YBfdW3yuMqeUiolGLYtbYlYGIkXHKnMgpkqxcUFGuE4wuB1i495vk6jYZVL1JpWyONN6DqMHIyUt16-CQowsXquYV_DPVhyphenhyphenWccreXeqzNcLlfJ9rKE/s1600/Bonobo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHabNiRKcy8cc3PmBeVHXBIX5y3YBfdW3yuMqeUiolGLYtbYlYGIkXHKnMgpkqxcUFGuE4wuB1i495vk6jYZVL1JpWyONN6DqMHIyUt16-CQowsXquYV_DPVhyphenhyphenWccreXeqzNcLlfJ9rKE/s1600/Bonobo1.jpg" height="135" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
hierarchical than chimps, and tend to form matriarchal groups.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>You know you're dealing with a bonobo because:</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">their body language is responsive and affirming - lots of </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">smiling and nodding;</b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the conversation is </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">friendly</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and relaxed;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you get the impression that</span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> their primary focus is 'mutual stroking'</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, with the task being secondary.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next time:</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>how to handle each type of monkey (and what they think of you).</i></span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-90725423270202350362014-09-08T11:39:00.001+01:002014-10-01T12:47:42.501+01:00A Kinder Approach to The Blame Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nobody really enjoys the blame game. For most of us, being blamed feels painful. And if we blame others (often in self-defence) we rarely feel good afterwards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, there is a way of playing the blame game in a more positive way. It works best with a friend, but you can play on your own too. This particular approach to the blame game was devised by two Australian psychologists - Dr Toni Noble and Dr Helen McGrath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's how it to do it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Step 1.</b></span> Reflect on a situation that didn't go well (and which involved another person). Draw a circle and divide it up in a way that reflects the responsibility for what went wrong. Some of the responsibility might be yours, some of it might be the other person's and some of it might just be the situation (ie, bad luck). You will end up with</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a pie chart with the size of the different segments reflecting the different degrees of responsibility for the outcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The example below illustrates a situation where you criticised another person, and they reacted badly to your comments.</span><br />
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQENK-mZsOWvhnHqk6ZVQvnTio0_q5i7PFr20w8wSHg7A3UwPsaL0ku978GRYz89QkKVhb4yGW1AqtkXrdN8T5u8Ud7VQC3DyigaMg9YcA6B7L6Ga1rWvc7dHw5ONEfvY5RELGktO5U0/s1600/Picture5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQENK-mZsOWvhnHqk6ZVQvnTio0_q5i7PFr20w8wSHg7A3UwPsaL0ku978GRYz89QkKVhb4yGW1AqtkXrdN8T5u8Ud7VQC3DyigaMg9YcA6B7L6Ga1rWvc7dHw5ONEfvY5RELGktO5U0/s1600/Picture5.png" height="320" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Your assessment of the situation</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: large;">Step 2</span>. </span></b> Ask a friend to help you review the situation. Describe what happened (but don't show them the pie chart that you have already drawn). When you have described the situation, your friend draws a pie chart which reflects their view of where responsibility lies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Step 3. </b></span>Compare the two pie charts. There are three possible outcomes at this point:</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A.</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Your pie charts are similar. This suggests that you were accurate in your assessment of where responsibility lies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>B. </b>Your friend has allocated more responsibility to you. This suggests that you might be letting yourself off the hook and need to take more responsibility for the situation (an apology might be in order).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>C. </b>Your friend has allocated less responsibility to you. This is the most common outcome of the exercise, and reflects that fact that most of us tend to be too hard on ourselves.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0frYb0HvzJcE_XcAlrBZJtqdvi0N7vaMSPV4qNFGlcm3e8QzRxnEB02xux9y-LDPtFVChgIfkxH5dxTgw6U848BVdiB9jU9AQiEBOjLh1AqroU3GVfsMZ28RarWywvD_gOLQCyHrcpjU/s1600/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0frYb0HvzJcE_XcAlrBZJtqdvi0N7vaMSPV4qNFGlcm3e8QzRxnEB02xux9y-LDPtFVChgIfkxH5dxTgw6U848BVdiB9jU9AQiEBOjLh1AqroU3GVfsMZ28RarWywvD_gOLQCyHrcpjU/s1600/Picture3.png" height="320" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Your friend's assessment of the situation</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To play the game on your own, draw your pie chart soon after the event. Then draw a second pie chart a day or so later when you are able to be more objective.</span><br />
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</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-71765249143169343462014-07-21T10:21:00.002+01:002014-07-21T10:21:32.319+01:00Praise.......The right praise at the right time can have a powerful impact, but there are a few do's and don'ts that we need to be aware of.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>1. Dog or Cat?</b></span><br />
Some people are primarily <b>externally directed</b> - they judge the value of their work by the feedback that they receive, whether it's an approving comment, evaluation data or a letter from a satisfied service user. Praise can really give these people a lift.<br />
<br />
However, some of us are <b>internally directed</b>. We make up our own minds about how well we're doing - <i>'I'm the one doing the job, so I'm best-placed to evaluate my performance'. </i>These people are less interested in praise, and if you give them too much they may feel irritated.<br />
<br />
How do you know which type you are dealing with? Externals tend to be more facially responsive - they smile, nod and watch your expression closely. Internals tend to be less expressive: you get the impression that they are less interested in what you are saying.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">2. Don't Patronise Me!</span></b><br />
The very act of giving praise implies that you are somehow in a position of judgement. There is a danger that the unspoken message is <i>'I have assessed your performance and I approve of it'</i>. This is sometimes valid and appropriate, but if you want to praise someone without implying a power differential here are some phrases to use:<br />
<br />
<i>'One of the things that I <b>admire </b>about you is....'</i><br />
<br />
<i>'I really <b>respect </b>you for the way that you.....'</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">3. Flesh it Out</span></b><br />
We're often taught to phrase constructive criticism in terms of specifically what the other person did (or didn't do), the impact of their behaviour, and to explore alternative approaches. The same process works well when praising someone:<br />
<br />
<i>'Yesterday then that man was becoming really agitated in reception you went over to him, sat down with him and listened while he vented his frustration.....'</i> <b>(Specific)</b><br />
<br />
<i>'.....it meant that he calmed down quickly and I noticed that several staff who had been looking quite anxious were reassured by what you did.'</i> <b>(Impact)</b><br />
<br />
<i>'I really admire your knack of defusing potentially tricky situations like that. Is is something you've learnt to do over time? Have you always been good at it?'</i> <b>(Explore).</b><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-51834087993996271722014-04-08T14:33:00.001+01:002014-04-08T14:33:44.093+01:00A Better IPR
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For some of us, the annual appraisal runs the risk of being a hurried
rush through the organisation’s IPR paperwork rather than a real conversation.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One </span></span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">UK</span></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> survey by Investors In People
found that </span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">29% of staff view their appraisal as a waste of time</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">But it doesn’t have to be that way</span></strong></span></span><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are 5 tips on how to make the most out
of the annual review meeting.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">1.
Have a real agenda</span></span></strong></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The best appraisal
conversations are ones where you talk about the topics or issues that you really want to
discuss.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, tell each other a week or
so in advance what those issues are (so you both have time to consider them - </span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">having some time
to think in advance of the meeting is especially important for introverts</span></strong><span style="font-size: small;">).</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">2.
Get your venue right</span></strong></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anywhere but the
manager’s office (too many distractions and potentially a feeling of end-of-term summons to
the headteacher’s office).</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Set the chairs at
right-angles (at a table if you prefer) - </span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">this reduces the likelihood of your
conversation turning into an argument</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></strong></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">3.
“How are we going to collect feedback?”</span></strong></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s
a good idea to agree between you who the manager could approach for feedback on how the
appraisee is perceived. This can be particularly helpful when the manager hasn’t seen a great deal of
the appraisee’s work (because the manager is new in post or based in a
different location), but also because </span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">it will provide a more balanced view of the
individual’s performance.</span></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">4. It’s
about the person, not the paperwork</span></strong></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s so easy to spend too much time in your meeting poring over the appraisal forms.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The best IPR meetings are those where each
person actually looks at the other one and remembers that there is a fellow human being in the room with hopes, anxieties and ambitions.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">If you get the rapport right the rest will follow</span></strong><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>.</strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. Praise without patronising</span></span></strong></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It can be difficult to praise someone without sounding at least slightly
patronising.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Instead of saying "well done!"
(which implies that you are somehow sitting in judgement), you might say </span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">"</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: small;">I
admire the way that you tackled that project"</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></strong></span></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-50403895915998536602014-01-05T14:44:00.001+00:002014-01-09T14:52:05.778+00:00Confidence Tricks: The Power Pose<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every now and then I come across a nifty little trick or shortcut that can hel</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">p us to feel and appear more confident when the pressure is o</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n........</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Power Pose</span></span></b><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This means
standing or sitting in <b>an expansive manner</b></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">, for example by standing tall</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">, with feet </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">apart and with your han</span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ds on your hips - Wonder Woman's 'power pose'. One research study
found that candidates who adopted the power pose before undertakin</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">g</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> an
interview were more likely to be offered the job than those who hadn’t.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQt4nbAyUyAL3jwA1dMSxMGwe71zbYYWSQMpcQRR9S03Ay5xZEZ0bgiN2X2CLizRsrZT054b-o2SSzY3v0bev5qdCCgve3iI9jvLHRNbYMeYyHRMZUqpVqyNhShWQ4tRJbo9cj0o-uxI/s1600/1970s--Lynda-Carter_gallery_primary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQt4nbAyUyAL3jwA1dMSxMGwe71zbYYWSQMpcQRR9S03Ay5xZEZ0bgiN2X2CLizRsrZT054b-o2SSzY3v0bev5qdCCgve3iI9jvLHRNbYMeYyHRMZUqpVqyNhShWQ4tRJbo9cj0o-uxI/s1600/1970s--Lynda-Carter_gallery_primary.jpg" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Importantly,
the successful candidates only used </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the power pose </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">before</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> entering the interview room – the interviewers didn’t see
them in this po</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sture. This indicates that the pose changed the candidate’s
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">internal state </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- it <b>made them feel more confident, and this is what made them more impressive</b> i</span></span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">n the interview.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So the next time you need a quick confidence boost, why not take yourself off to somewhere you can't be observed and spend a few moments in the power pose.</span></span></div>
</div>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Refe</span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rence:</span></span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cuddy,
Amy J.C., Caroline A. Wilmuth, and Dana R. Carney.</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High-Stakes Social Evaluation. </span></span></i><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Harvard</span></span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Business</span></span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><st1:placetype w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">School</span></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Working Paper, No. 13-027, September 2012.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-88759899804199727972013-04-02T12:17:00.000+01:002013-04-02T13:51:45.505+01:00How to Say No<div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many of us find saying no difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often we’re fine in some contexts (we’re able
to say no to our children or partner, but struggle to do it with our boss or
mum).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div>
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are usually two aspects to the
probl</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">em:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX-kgfD6B2jSWgeAQ817_uJxto8kO6AMG1g_FjQA8rWW4I7wTsC47g5uez8zSfGgHC29LzsMcokbW584aYCVbjHtktn37fPqJRLxzsbHzvLVBkR-bQh4edNlWQLqy9iOk8aF0YPZ96d0/s1600/Say+No.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX-kgfD6B2jSWgeAQ817_uJxto8kO6AMG1g_FjQA8rWW4I7wTsC47g5uez8zSfGgHC29LzsMcokbW584aYCVbjHtktn37fPqJRLxzsbHzvLVBkR-bQh4edNlWQLqy9iOk8aF0YPZ96d0/s200/Say+No.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">-</span></b> We experience <b>inner conflict</b> around saying no to (some) people.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">- </span></b>We <b>don’t know how</b> to say no in a way that is clear but
doesn’t c</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ause offence.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div>
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are 8 tips to help you get the message across</span>.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Listen to
your feelings</span></span></b><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How many times have you agreed to do something then felt
unhappy about it aft</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">erwards?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
our feelings are a really good guide as to what we need to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you feel uncomfortable about saying yes,
take that feeling seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be aware of
your <strong>‘request reflex’</strong>: are you someone who typically says yes, then
regrets it later?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">2.</span></b><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Look at your
beliefs about saying no</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The number one problem for most people who have chronic
difficulty saying no is that they <b>don’t give themselves permission</b> to do
so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us feel guilty if we refuse a
friend or colleague’s request for help - we think that to do so makes us a bad
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you feel guilty when you say
no, try this exercise:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take a piece of paper and complete the following sentences:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I say ‘no’
it means that I’m a </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">………………..</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">]</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> person</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I say ‘no’
the other person will think that I’m </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…………..</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What do you notice about what you’ve written down?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What might be more positive messages to give
yourself about saying no?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes our problem is that <b>we care too much
about what other people think of us</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s normal and healthy to have some regard for others’ views, but those
of us who have difficulty saying no often place too much emphasis on being liked by others -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and in doing so
we give the other person an inappropriate degree of power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Talk to
someone else</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’re wrestling with whether you can refuse a particular
request, try talking to a friend (ideally one who is good at saying no) and asking
for their views on the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes an outsider sees things much more clearly and
objectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we just need
another person to give us permission.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of my clients visited her GP as she was feeling
run-down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her GP spent 10 minutes
listening to her and gave the following advice: "You need to start saying
No".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to my client, it was the
‘prescription’ from an authority figure (her GP) that gave her permission to
start saying no more often</span></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once you’ve made up your mind that you want to say no,
here’s how to do it:</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Offer
something else (if you’re happy to do so)</span></b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Try saying:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘I can’t do
that now, but I could fit it in next week’.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘I can’t do 'x',
but I’m happy to look at 'y' for you if that would be helpful’.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Empathise</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fake or token empathy is provocative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the kind of thing you get from
demotivated customer-services staff who are using a technique on you - "I’m
sorry to hear that, sir…." (said in a slightly sing-song tone).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Genuine empathy often requires us to <b>use our imagination to
see the situation from the other person’s perspective</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might say something like:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘I can see
that you do really need some support with this project, but unfortunately I can’t
help you with it’.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Play the
Broken Record</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As the name suggests, the Broken Record technique involves
repeating your message simply and clearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two tips on using the Broken Record:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
works particularly well <b>when dealing with articulate, quick-thinking or manipulative people
</b>who always seem to have a good reason why you should do something for
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using this technique relieves
you of the pressure to come up with reasons or counter-arguments - you
simply stick to your guns.</span>
</li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Combine
it with genuine empathy.</span></li>
</ul>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here's an example:</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike: </span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jane, could you possibly finish this
off for me, I need to leave early today?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jane: </span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sorry, Mike, I’d like to be able to
help, but I want to leave the office at 5 o’clock.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike: </span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh, it wouldn’t take you a moment Jane,
I’m sure you could squeeze it in before you leave.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jane: </span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike, I wish I could be more helpful on
this one, and I appreciate that you need to get away early but I want to leave
at 5 so I’m not going to be able to help you today.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike: </span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But you’re such a fast worker - you’re
the one person I can normally rely on around here.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jane: </span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s very kind of you to say so, and
normally I’d be very happy to help you out, but I definitely want to leave at 5
today so I’m not going to be able to help you with this one.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You can ask
for time to think</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes, particularly when people catch us off guard, we
say yes then later wish we hadn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
fine to say, in response to a request, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Can
I have a think about that and get back to you?’</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You can
change your mind</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t view your initial ‘yes’ (which you now regret) as a
binding contract.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s OK to go back to
someone after you’ve reflected and say something like:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Yesterday I
said I’d be happy to give you extra help with the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had a think about it, and I’ve
realised that I was too hasty in agreeing to help. I’m afraid that I’m not
going to be able to help you after all - I’d be overloaded - and I’m sorry I
initially gave you a misleading impression’.</span></i><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Image from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/help/acknowledgement/index.php</i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-41658566682517275292012-08-27T18:30:00.001+01:002012-08-31T16:51:18.053+01:00‘Squeaky Clean But Outmanoeuvred’?<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Most
of us would wince if we heard ourselves described as ‘Machiavellian’, but
sometimes we secretly envy colleagues who seem to have well-developed political
antennae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This blog post looks at: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">What
we mean by ‘organisational politics’</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Whether
you can be political without compromising your integrity</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A
smart approach to politics.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">What do we mean by ‘organisational
politics’?</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">One
definition is:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><i>“The
ways in which personal and departmental interests are played out”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">At its worst, this means sucking up to top management in order to climb
the greasy pole of career advancement. However it can also mean looking for ways to gain support for a
service development idea that you are committed to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Can I be political without
compromising my integrity?</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">In
their paper <i>'Owl, Fox, Mule or Sheep: Political Skills for Managers'</i>, Simon
Baddeley and Kim James identify four distinct approaches to organisational politics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">If
you feel distaste for the kind of manoeuvring for personal advancement that
sometimes goes on in organisations, you may have been watching <b>Foxes</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Foxes</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> are crafty and prefer to go about their
business unobserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can be seen as
game players. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">If
you don’t want to be a Fox, there are three alternatives:</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumok_rKkUSAPbtCgmvY498vJM-nAhZdTZqKhu0XFwujhaMKJ_6IhVpdnRJd-oddgOmcJQLUHT5y-edOlu7t1vwexVPNNGmJAsKExQbBtdUE7an2AqpMI1OS4HNNBQtOfvG4y-wQw3muE/s1600/sheep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumok_rKkUSAPbtCgmvY498vJM-nAhZdTZqKhu0XFwujhaMKJ_6IhVpdnRJd-oddgOmcJQLUHT5y-edOlu7t1vwexVPNNGmJAsKExQbBtdUE7an2AqpMI1OS4HNNBQtOfvG4y-wQw3muE/s1600/sheep.JPG" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">You
could be a <b>Sheep</b> and adopt a blindly trusting approach to achieving your objectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sheep
believe that life is fair, that top management reward effort, and that
organisations function like efficient machines. They tend to let others dictate the agenda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgclxXXvljsu_mTAUAYSlaaFY5en8HBpO50dTujigTm44JY6jWioD8YJBck-xiof4ve4vDRsUgSt3Xyi4BpYg3iu5HriWStphWjq71_3FSxVcwgPcVMv_Z_ZfYoZ2X6jkBuQmK9LjS7vk/s1600/mule.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgclxXXvljsu_mTAUAYSlaaFY5en8HBpO50dTujigTm44JY6jWioD8YJBck-xiof4ve4vDRsUgSt3Xyi4BpYg3iu5HriWStphWjq71_3FSxVcwgPcVMv_Z_ZfYoZ2X6jkBuQmK9LjS7vk/s1600/mule.JPG" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Alternatively,
you may become a <b>Mule</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means
sticking rigidly to your goals and going about them in the most straightforward
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mules are single-minded - when they
encounter resistance, they just keep pushing.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NbMZSLOX37B1HBf6iUGej0e7OP6pPGCjTk4_xQVCn6iS-1Hbt0GNq9w3I1MixiEsCQqa6KOEI92skz-pIFnRSDbBiyUzbTI-Y8noaKd6nhKcnmWcgfJ66raBJ7IjK4F2ygp0QeoJ6i4/s1600/owl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NbMZSLOX37B1HBf6iUGej0e7OP6pPGCjTk4_xQVCn6iS-1Hbt0GNq9w3I1MixiEsCQqa6KOEI92skz-pIFnRSDbBiyUzbTI-Y8noaKd6nhKcnmWcgfJ66raBJ7IjK4F2ygp0QeoJ6i4/s1600/owl.JPG" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Finally,
you might choose to adopt the approach of an <b>Owl</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owls are wise - they understand that
organisations are complex, and contain many competing interests - often driven
by emotions and personal agendas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owls
keep a sense of perspective - they want to do what is right for the
organisation, and right for themselves.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">How Do Owls Operate?</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Owls
keep a sense of perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><b>Thinking
ahead.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owls habitually look 6-12 months
ahead, which gives them time to build an influencing strategy.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Building
networks.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Foxes work alone, and this is
one of their weaknesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owls cultivate
their networks so they have the benefit of others’ insights and
perspectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their extensive networks
enable Owls to indirectly access people who aren’t in their immediate circle.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Forming
coalitions</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mules stamp their feet, and
dig their heels in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owls recognise that
sometimes an indirect approach is needed - they work with others to find a way
round obstacles.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Keeping the bigger picture in mind. </span></strong></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Owls don't get bogged down in lengthy arguments about relatively trivial matters. They are happy to concede small points gracefully in order to achieve an important goal - something that Mules
refuse to do.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Reference: <i>Owl, Fox, Donkey or Sheep: political skills for managers,</i></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> Baddeley S and James K, Management Education and Development, Vol.18, part 1, 1987</span></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-86609882696570170402012-07-27T15:18:00.000+01:002012-08-15T17:34:57.897+01:00Making The Best of Rejection<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">BBC Radio 4 programme <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kt6qr" target="_blank">Woman’s Hour</a></i> recently broadcast an interesting piece on graduate job-hunting which exhorted unsuccessful candidates to seek feedback from the employer.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpUzlhpWoXbZ90a8wmrx03QQ-zNVmkbsAYaxLXszeH_h8D8Xv_pWyM9MERebsH5q_q-uktt-j8ww7GIxnvc0FfcanC4NpHFzU2agwm1m4j9MO-a2XwWAK56KuRXDODqg5YJz67wBb0dU/s1600/ID-10022271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpUzlhpWoXbZ90a8wmrx03QQ-zNVmkbsAYaxLXszeH_h8D8Xv_pWyM9MERebsH5q_q-uktt-j8ww7GIxnvc0FfcanC4NpHFzU2agwm1m4j9MO-a2XwWAK56KuRXDODqg5YJz67wBb0dU/s200/ID-10022271.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">Getting useful feedback can make the difference between
success and failure at your next interview. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, too many organisations offer
feedback such as:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">“You did very
well and were appointable, but unfortunately there was a better candidate.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">“You didn’t
have any weak areas, but your scores weren’t as good as those of other candidates.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">If you are the unsuccessful candidate, this kind of feedback
might help you feel a little better about the rejection, but it doesn’t enable
you to identify what you have to do to be successful in your next interview.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">I’ve managed assessment centres and
interview processes for more than 15 years, and during that time I’ve trained
thousands of assessors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are my top
tips for candidates on how to elicit <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">useful</b>
feedback:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">1. Contact the
organisation as soon as possible.</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’re more likely to get some helpful insights if the assessors
remember who you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ideally, you want
to talk to one of the people who actually interviewed you, rather than an HR
person who is reading someone else’s notes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">2. Be tenacious</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">Giving feedback to unsuccessful candidates is
probably not top of the assessor’s ‘to-do’ list for that day, so you may have
to gently but persistently chase them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you’ve left a message but they haven’t contacted you within a couple
of days, try again.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">3. Be nice.</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">Assessors are much more likely to open up a
bit if you are pleasant and grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Use phrases such as<i> “thank you very much for taking the time to call me -
I’d really value any comments you have which might enable me to be successful
in my next interview”</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Express
appreciation during the conversation - it will make the assessor more inclined
to give specific feedback.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">4. Don’t argue</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><b>.</b></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might feel that the interviewers made the
wrong decision and you may disagree with their assessment of your
capabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they are not going to
change their minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are far less
likely to get helpful specific feedback if the assessor gets the impression
that you want to challenge their decision.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">5. Do probe
(gently).</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">Although you don’t
want the interviewer to feel that you are cross-examining them, it is important
that you get specific feedback so that you can change your behaviour at the next
interview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if the assessor says
things like:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><i>“We just felt you weren’t committed to a career in this
sector.”</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">or</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><i>“We didn’t see enough evidence of your team working skills.”</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">Ask them questions such as:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><i>“Could you say a little more about what it was that gave you
that impression during the interview?”</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">and</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><i>“What aspects of my team working experience should I have
emphasised?”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">6. Send a 'Thank
You' email.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial";">This is common
courtesy and I know of one candidate who was offered a job 6 months later by
the organisation because they remembered how professional she had been in the
way she had handled the post-interview feedback (she had sent a pleasant email
saying that she was disappointed by the verdict but would love to be considered
for future positions).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><em>Image from
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/help/acknowledgement/index.php</em></span></div>
</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-31630255947956555782011-08-30T10:08:00.000+01:002011-08-30T10:08:58.874+01:00Beat The Back-To-Work BluesIt's grey outside, the holidays are over, and many of us are suffering from the back-to-work blues. Here are 7 tips to ease you through that difficult first week.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>1. Have a transition plan.</strong></span> To help you over the first week, <strong>build in some treats</strong> - eg, have lunch with a friend, book something nice for next weekend. Have some emergency chocolate to hand.....<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>2. Go to sleep.</strong></span> Many of us don't get enough, and it's only when we enjoy an extended period of good sleep during a summer holiday that we realise how tired we had become. <strong>Try going to bed one hour earlier</strong> for a week and see what difference it makes.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>3. Keep the holiday feeling alive.</strong></span> Update your screensaver with some holiday snaps and treat yourself to an occasional 5 minute daydream reliving the highlights. <strong>Studies show that recalling happy times helps boost happiness in the present.</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>4. Have you been flogging a dead horse?</strong></span> Some of us make the working day harder for ourselves by ignoring our natural rhythms. Aim to <strong>alternate gloom-inducing activities with those that are easier or more enjoyable.</strong> Work out if you're a lark or an owl (best early in the morning or late afternoon) and try to tackle your difficult tasks accordingly.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>5. Start a 'Pink & Fluffy File'.</strong></span> This can be a folder on your computer or a file in your desk drawer. It's where you put letters/emails/feedback that make you feel good about yourself, so <strong>when someone sends you a message of appreciation, make sure a copy goes in your file.</strong> Set up a bring-forward to look at the file every so often. Your Pink and Fluffy file counters the natural human tendency to focus on our weaknesses and discount our successes.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>6. Start planning your next holiday.</strong></span> One of my clients has a stress management strategy which involves <strong>never being more than 6 weeks away from a mini-break.</strong> She combines her annual leave and flexi-time allowance to have lots of little holidays during the year. So even when things are tough at work, she has something to look forward to<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>7. Help someone else.</strong></span> Pay a (genuine) compliment, to someone at work. It'll give you both a lift.<br />
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<em>Thanks to Lucy Owens for suggesting the theme for this edition of the blog.</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-65351802438431732662011-04-25T12:23:00.002+01:002012-02-16T15:31:50.939+00:00How to Refresh a Tired CV<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">It's tough out there. Too many candidates going after too few jobs. Confronted by a large pile of CVs, many recruiters are becoming ruthless in rejecting those that don't make an immediate impact. <b>Here are 7 tips on how to make your CV stand out from the crowd.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">1. Grab the reader's attention</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></b>Remember that the recruiter may be sitting at home with a glass of wine and a big pile of CVs to wade through. When a recruiter picks up each document,<b> their eyes fall naturally on the middle third of the first page.</b> This is where your most impressive information should be, for example details of achievements in your current job, or a description of your key skills. Bear in mind that <b>many CVs only get 30 seconds worth of attention,</b> so you need to make an immediate impact.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>2. What sort of CV do you need?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">If you are applying for roles similar to your current position you can either have a <b>Career History CV,</b> which sets out your employment history in reverse chronological order, or a <b>Skills-Based CV,</b> which describes your skills and personal qualities before your employment history. If you are looking to move into a completely different sector, or undertake a career change, you should go for a Skills-Based CV as this emphasises your transferable skills.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>3. Don't simply cut and paste from your job description</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">These days, simply listing your responsibilities isn't enough. Your CV needs to give the reader information on the roles that you've undertaken, but you also need to provide <b>concrete evidence of your soft skills and achievements.</b> Soft skills include things like your ability to build relationships, the way in which you motivate your team, having a 'can-do' attitude. When I surveyed 6 NHS Finance Directors recently they were unanimous in their view that, <b>when there is a large field of well-qualified candidates, it's the soft skills that make individuals stand out.</b> Your achievements can be things that you have initiated or changed, or simply examples of when you maintained a high quality service at a time of intense pressure (during staff absence, for example).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>4. Consider starting with a Personal Statement</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Sometimes these are called ‘Profiles’. <b>They are becoming more common, and are a good way for the reader to get an immediate handle on what you have to offer.</b> They also provide an opportunity for you to set out what you want from your next move. However, the big pitfall with Personal Statements is that they can turn into a list of self-aggrandising adjectives: “I am a resourceful, focused, people-oriented manager”. A better approach is to make the Personal Statement factual: “I am a qualified accountant, with seven years experience of working closely with clinicians in acute trusts”.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>5. Facts and Numbers</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Details of the size of your budget, the number of staff that you managed and your organisation’s turnover all<b> add a sense of substance to your CV. </b>One tip from an experienced recruiter is to alter the way that you describe your current role, depending on the type of job that you are applying for. For example, if you are sending your CV to a large private sector organisation, you might want to emphasise the size of your current organisation (6,000 staff, £500,000,000 turnover). Alternatively, if you are seeking a role with a much smaller organisation, for example a GP consortium, you might emphasise how you have provided a comprehensive service to a small group of budget holders.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>6. No more than 2 pages </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><i>Curriculum Vitae</i> means 'The Story of My Life'. And that is exactly what your CV should <b>not</b> be. <b>Prune out all the content that doesn't make a strong impact (it makes it harder for the reader to pick out your impressive achievements).</b> Don't name all the short courses you've ever attended. Summarise your GCSEs rather than listing each one. Leave out the more mundane elements of your current and previous roles.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>7. Don't forget your hobbies</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">A surprising number of recruiters are interested in what you get up to outside of work. Your interests don’t have to be spectacular, but listing them as ‘reading and listening to music’ isn't enough. Enthuse briefly about the kind of reading you enjoy, what sort of music you like to listen to.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-5435179869000305532010-12-14T10:49:00.005+00:002010-12-16T12:42:28.294+00:00Being Interviewed For Your Own Job<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Many of my clients view being interviewed for an internal post as more stressful than going for a job elsewhere.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> Here are 7 tips on how to handle this potentially tricky scenario.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">1. Play the game</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>The game is evidence-based interviewing</b><b>, </b>and it's used by most large public sector organisations. When you are being interviewed for your own job, it means that you have to give concrete evidence of your skills and achievements when answering the interviewers' questions. This can feel slightly bizarre - your manager is sitting on the panel, and surely s/he knows what you've been up to? Yes, s/he does, but many organisations regard it as best practice to base their decision purely on evidence that emerges during the interview, not on any prior knowledge of the candidate or their reputation. </span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Don't put your manager in the awkward position where s/he has to say to the other panel members: <i>"I know that this person can do a good job, even though she didn't give us the evidence during the interview. Can't we just offer it to her anyway?"</i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">2. Blow that trumpet!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">It's relatively easy to tell a stranger across an interview table how wonderful we are, and how we've been a key player in delivering some significant results over the past year. In interviews most of us tend to present ourselves in the best possible light and put a positive spin on our performance. But for some candidates the pendulum swings the other way when they are facing a panel that includes their manager: <b>they start to feel like a fraud when they talk about their strengths and achievements.</b></span><b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Although your boss has a pretty good idea</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> what your contribution has been to the team's successes,</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> is aware of your weaknesses and knows how you react under pressure, don't let that prevent you from talking about your successes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">3. Particular pitfalls</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Pitfall 1: </span></b>You want to </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">draw on specific examples to illustrate your achievements and strengths but end up <b>getting in a pickle over how much background information the panel need </b>- each of the interviewers has a different level of knowledge about your job.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>Pitfall 2:</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">You <b>inadvertently sound critical of your colleagues, or another department, </b>when describing some of the obstacles that you've successfully overcome when taking a project forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">These two potential pitfalls can make an internal interview trickier than one outside your own organisation. So, when choosing examples of your work that you want to talk about during the interview, <b>write out your account, play around with it until you're happy, then rehearse what you want to say. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">4. Wow them with a new idea</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Enthusiasm, creativity and a willingness to think beyond the job description are often what separate the successful candidate from the, sometimes more experienced, runner-up. I remember one NHS medical director recounting how he had appointed a newly qualified consultant in preference to other, better qualified, candidates because she was full of ideas and passion for the role. <b>So, have a think about a new suggestion or idea that you could introduce during the interview </b>- it will show that you still have enthusiasm for the job and that you're not jaded.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">5. Tell them what was on your mind</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">One way in which you can bring something fresh to an internal interview is to <b>describe the 'head work' that you you undertook when you were tackling a particular task or leading on a project. </b> By that I mean, talk through the factors that you were mentally taking into account, and the rationale for the judgements you made. It's akin to good exam technique when you 'show your working' - you get credit for your insights and the quality of your thinking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">6. Have a look at your organisation's strategic documents </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">At least one public sector body is currently asking internal candidates - at all levels - about their ideas on how the organisation's business objectives can be achieved. So take the time to read:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">the organisation's business plan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">your department's service development plan</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>Look for ways of demonstrating during the interview that you've made the link between your role and the organisation's strategic objectives.</b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">7. Show some respect</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Finally, if you are applying for your own job, and you are the only candidate, it can be tempting to regard the outcome as a formality. <b>My advice is to treat the interview as you would any other: </b>for example, wear your normal interview suit and avoid being over-familiar or flippant. In short, show that you are taking the process seriously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><i>For more tips on how to perform confidently and effectively in interviews, see my book Succeeding At Interviews, available from Amazon.co.uk. </i></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><i>Coming Soon ......</i><br />
<i>- How to Refresh a Tired CV </i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-82249029984678299262010-11-01T08:38:00.002+00:002010-11-01T15:53:42.951+00:00Confident Networking<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Some people seem to do it effortlessly, others stand on the edge of the room looking anxious and scurry away after 15 minutes. Most of us are somewhere in between, but <b>what's the secret to being a confident networker? </b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">1. Decide on your goal</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">This means being clear about what you want to gain from networking. Who do you want to talk to, and what you want from the interaction?</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Do you want to simply <b>make a particular person aware that you exist?</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>Let them know about your expertise in a specific subject area?</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Tell them that you are looking to develop your career and are <b>interested in finding out more about their organisation? </b></span></li>
</ul></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">2. Believe in yourself</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Making a positive impression requires a modicum of self-belief. If you are networking to further your career prospects, you need to be clear that you have something to offer an employer. Having a clear idea of your own value will help you feel OK about promoting yourself to others - you are <b>networking for mutual gain</b><b>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">3. Recognise your personality type</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>If you are naturally introverted,</b> you might find it helpful to make a commitment to yourself in terms of how long you'll stay at an event, and how many people you will talk to. <b> If you are more of an extravert,</b> you might find yourself happily chatting to lots of people - your challenge is to keep your </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">networking focused on achieving your goal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Events can be more fun, and networking less daunting, if you </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>go with a friend.</b> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> However, you may need to agree in advance that you won't spend the whole time talking to each other - you still need to make the effort to mingle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">4. Decide what you want to say about yourself</span></b></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">It really helps if you can <b>sum up your 'message' in a couple of sentences. </b> For example, <i>"I have worked in management accounting for six years. I've learned a lot about cost reduction programmes and I'm aiming to apply what I've learned in a new environment"</i>. Alternatively, <b>there might be a particular question that you want to ask</b>, eg, <i>"I wondered if I might spend an afternoon shadowing someone in your department?"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">5. But don't rush it!</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">There is a danger when we are goal-focused, and anxious, that we blurt out our question or message too early in the conversation, so that it feels forced. This can create an awkward atmosphere, so <b>have a few topics of small-talk prepared.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">6. Pay attention to creating rapport</span></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">This is a skill that is important in many contexts (the golden rule of influencing is 'Establish Rapport Before You Try To Persuade'). Rapport means:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>being interested in the other person</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">, and </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>genuinely listening</b> to what they are saying. Remember their name, but avoid the cringe-inducing trick of repeating it in every other sentence.</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>noticing their overall level of animation, and matching it</b>. If they are enthusiastic, allow yourself to share their enthusiasm. Ask yourself if you are a <b>'low reactor' </b>- someone who tends to be less responsive in their interactions with others. Without meaning to, low reactors can often present a rather stony impression to people who don't know them well.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>being sensitive to the other person's state</b> - don't, for example, ask them a question if they have a mouthful of food, or insist on carrying on the conversation if they are clearly eager to go and talk to someone else.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">By the way,</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b> it's good to shake hands </b>- it establishes human contact, and shows confidence. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>7. Know when to move on</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">If you are new to networking, and a bit nervous, <b>there is a danger that you will seize upon the first person who talks to you at an event, </b>and cling to them like a drowning person to a lifebuoy. When the conversation seems to be losing momentum, there are several ways to take your leave. You can wait for someone else to join the interaction, then after a few moments murmur <i>"excuse me",</i> and move on. Alternatively, you can say <i>"I've enjoyed talking to you",</i> then go to collect a drink, nip to the loo or pop outside to make a phone call.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">8. Offer your business card</span></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Sometimes a natural opportunity to give the other person your card arises during the conversation. If not, you can always say <i>"I've enjoyed talking to you. Would you mind if I gave you my card?"</i> as you take your leave.</span><br />
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</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">9. Keep in touch</span></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">If you have made contact with someone that you want to keep in touch with, <b>send them a short follow-up email within the next day or so.</b> This can simply be to say that you enjoyed meeting them, or it could include a reference to a website or article that they will find interesting. Look for ways to give to people - <b>top class networkers are generous.</b></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">10. Remember, 'Practice Makes Polished'</span></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Like any other skill, networking can take time to develop. Develop your ability, and confidence, in small steps by <b>attending events simply to practise your approach.</b> It's a bit like going for a job interview: you don't want your first attempt to be in a situation where you are really keen to make a good impression.</span></div></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
<i>Coming Soon ......</i><br />
<i>- How to Refresh a Tired CV </i><br />
<i>- Facing Your Boss Across The Interview Table: how to apply successfully for your own job.</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-16054962338252224922010-09-09T17:40:00.000+01:002010-09-09T17:40:20.077+01:00How To Raise Your Profile<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">During times of organisational change, the people who prosper are often those who have paid attention to managing their profile and image. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><b>What’s The Difference Between Profile and Image?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Your <strong>image</strong> is the impression you make on people who do not know you well. Your <strong>profile</strong> is about how well known you are – and in what circles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">You can have a great image but a lousy profile (eg, everyone who meets you thinks you’re brilliant but hardly anyone does get to meet you because you’re hidden away in your office all the time).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Equally, you can be high profile but have a poor image (everyone knows you, mainly because you’re a notorious plonker).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The Ethics of Networking for Career Advancement</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Using networking for career advancement is sometimes seen as trying to gain an unfair advantage, particularly in organisations which pride themselves on having scrupulously fair selection processes.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> However, there are at least three reasons why networking can be seen as a legitimate approach to career development:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><ol><li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong>It's how human beings work.</strong> When it comes to selecting someone for a new role, there are sound evolutionary reasons why human beings prefer to choose a familiar face.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong>For employers, it can be a more reliable way of spotting talent.</strong> If you’ve ever been on an interview panel and chosen the candidate who gave the best 'performance' only for them to turn out to be a big disappointment in the job, you’ll know why interviewers are often tempted to take their previous knowledge of a candidate into account.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong>Lots of jobs don’t get advertised</strong> – there is usually at least one person on each of my courses who has secured a job via word of mouth.</span></li>
</ol></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">If you are looking to change jobs, you can view yourself as a </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">product that some people would love to buy - if only they knew it existed. Networking is your marketing strategy.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">You Don't Have To Sell Your Soul</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Some people wince at the thought of networking – they picture themselves smarming their way round the building, using the right buzz words, laughing slightly too loudly at the Chief Exec’s jokes and generally sucking up to anyone they perceive as being useful to them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">But networking doesn’t have to be like that. It is possible to raise your profile in a way that feels comfortable and authentic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>10 Tips on Raising Your Profile</strong></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trick is to look for make contact with more people, more often. In particular, explore ways to be in touch with others who have similar (professional or personal) interests as you. Ideally, you’ll find yourself in a room with individuals who share your passions, at which point networking becomes a lot easier and more natural.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong>1. Target particular people.</strong></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">If there are a senior people who need to know that you exist, identify some fora in which you can make contact, for example:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><ul><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Working parties, project groups or committees</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Social events (eg, leaving do's)</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Conferences</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In-house presentations and briefings</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Extra curricular activities. A colleague regularly plays squash with one of the more senior managers in his organisation. Times have changed - previously the smoking room was known as a good place to network.</span></li>
</ul></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>2. Don't overuse</strong> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>email</strong></span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>.</strong></span> If you want to communicate with someone in your building, go and see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gives you the opportunity to say hello to people in the lift or corridor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One manager found herself waiting for the lift with the Chairwoman of her organisation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhat impulsively she asked, <em>“Could I come and see you for 20 minutes?”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They subsequently had a very helpful conversation about career development for women in their (predominantly male) organisation.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">3. Write an article for an internal newsletter or professional <span style="color: #cc0000;">publication</span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">.</span></strong></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Your organisation’s communication department usually welcome offers of material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t have to be anything dramatic: just an update on work in your area, or a good news story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure your name is included at the end of the article.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>4. Make a presentation.</strong></span> Delivering a competent presentation or teaching session can raise your profile and help you be perceived as a subject expert. Many people are nervous about making presentations, and consequently will admire you if you can do it well.</span></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>5. Undertake a small research project.</strong> <span style="color: black;">T</span></span>his can be an excellent opportunity to ring up someone with whom you want to raise your profile and ask, <em>"Could I spend 20 minutes asking you some questions as part of a research project that I’m undertaking?”</em> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">6. Get a mentor</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">,</span></strong> and ask them to help you to raise your profile.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">A good mentor will introduce you to people to whom you wouldn't otherwise have access.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>7. Go along to local events organised by your professional body.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong>8. Shadow someone.</strong></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Shadowing is a recognised but under-used form of development which should be on your PDP if you are serious about raising your profile.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">When I worked in the health service, I asked to spend a day with the HR Director for the whole of the English NHS.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">He was very open to being shadowed; it was a fascinating experience and I established a contact that I would never have made if I hadn’t initiated the opportunity.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><strong>9. Attend meetings in place of your manager.</strong></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>10. Put your name on your reports. </strong><span style="color: black;">People whom you have never met will know about you via your written work.</span></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span> </div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<em>Next month - The Etiquette of Networking: 10 tips on how to avoid being seen as a schmoozer.</em></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-31385744084804008602010-07-13T11:19:00.001+01:002010-07-23T18:56:22.304+01:00Are You Going To Get Promoted?<span style="font-family: inherit;">You may have heard it said that whether you succeed in advancing your career is:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>10%</b> about being <b>good at your current job</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>30%</b> to do with your <b>image</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>60%</b> reliant on your <b>profile</b></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">So let's assume that you are good at your current job, and you want go further. Or you want to position yourself so that you do well out of the next organisational restructuring. How do you make sure that you have the right image?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What Constitutes Image At Work?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your image is the impression you create on people, in a myriad of ways, when they encounter you. Some of these people might see you on a daily basis - your boss might be one example. Other people who could enhance your career might meet you only once.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The right image doesn't mean pretending to be something you're not. It's making sure that your appearance, your manner and your overall approach to work are professional and reflect your underlying ability. The problem with some people is that their image <b>undermines them,</b> and gives a misleading impression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are three characters who had different types of image problems.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">ANXIOUS AMY</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amy was really good at her job. She was bright, committed and had a track record of delivering results. But Amy had a problem, as her boss explained…</span><br />
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<blockquote><i>“The trouble with you, Amy, is that you don’t inspire confidence. When people see you walking down the corridor they wonder if you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown. You look so worried all the time.”</i></blockquote> Her manager continued......<br />
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<blockquote><i>“The thing is, I know that you are reliable and could do a good job at the next level, but no one else would believe it.”</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amy’s boss had identified something that causes problems for lots of diligent, reliable, people – they leak anxiety.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A good image to portray, if you want to get promoted, is of being a <i>Safe Pair of Hands</i>. The people who will decide whether or not to promote you won’t want to hold your hand while you develop confidence in your new role. They especially won’t want to have sleepless nights worrying about whether you are coping with the pressure of a more senior post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Amy, cultivating the Safe Pair of Hands image meant:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Doing whatever it took to get the job done</b>. This often meant going the extra mile by working late.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Demonstrating grace under pressure</b>. Underneath the surface there were times when she was feeling the strain and paddling furiously to keep afloat. But she no longer let it show – to outsiders she appeared composed and in control.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Adopting a 'Can Do' attitude.</b> Saying “Yes, I can do that. No problem”, when she was thinking “Yikes! How?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>TECHNICAL TONY</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tony was a technical specialist who liked to stay well within the boundaries of his role and expertise. He was a very capable guy, though - a few years back he had invented a new way of undertaking a process that had saved his company hundreds of thousands of pounds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tony noticed that some of his colleagues seemed to be progressing up the career ladder while he was getting left behind. He decided to do something about it, and applied his analytical ability to the task of getting himself promoted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first thing that Tony realised was that the process innovation he had devised a few years ago was now a distant memory in his manager's mind. However, his unshaven face, jeans, lengthy lunches and habit of leaving work at 4 pm was making a daily impact on her brain. Tony had heard the phrase<i> 'dress for the next job up'</i>, and he decided to take that principle and apply it more widely in an attempt to improve his image .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Tony, appearing ready for 'the next job up' meant:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Accepting that image matters. </b>Some of his friends argued that it shouldn’t be an issue but Tony recognised that most of us, whether we’re looking at a doctor or an electrician, tend to make (sometimes unconscious) judgements based on appearances.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Taking an honest look at his appearance,</b> and realising that no one would mistake him for someone working in a more senior post. To his relief, Tony realised that dressing for the next job up didn’t necessarily mean wearing a suit – he would look the part by wearing smart trousers and shirts, like his organisation’s more senior managers.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Sorting out his workspace.</b> One of his colleagues remarked that it looked like a teenager’s bedroom. “But I know where everything is”, protested Tony. “Maybe, but it doesn’t exactly fit with this new image of yours”, replied his colleague.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your desk is part of your image – does it give the impression that you are in control of things?</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">NICE GUY EDDIE</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Eddie was the team's joker. He had a quick, sarcastic wit and was great fun down the pub. Eddie's problem was that he didn't know when to stop - meetings would be punctuated with little quips and the exchange of banter with his colleagues. Having a laugh at work is important to most of us, but it had become too big a part of Eddie's identity. Eddie was a likeable and capable guy, but his seniors saw his flippancy as the sign that he was a lightweight. <i>He needed to be taken seriously</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Having the right image doesn't mean you can't crack a joke, but it does mean knowing what tone to adopt in any situation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Eddie, being taken seriously meant:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Telling his manager that he wanted to be promoted,</b> and having a frank conversation about what he needed to do to make that happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. A teach-yourself-corporate-culture period </b>during which he observed how the movers and shakers in his organisation behaved. Eddie realised that influential managers knew when to let their hair down, but they also knew when to behave in an impeccably professional manner. Eddie resolved to take more conscious control over his sense of humour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Becoming know as an <i>Improver</i>.</b> Previously, Eddie’s image had been that of a <i>Maintainer</i> – he was good at keeping things ticking over. Eddie realised that the individuals who moved up the ladder in his organisation were people who had developed a reputation for improving systems, processes and services.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Next month – how to raise your profile so the right people know about you.</i></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198103673372929497.post-62347183003474379002010-05-13T16:29:00.008+01:002010-05-13T17:41:21.170+01:00Is This Relationship Going To Work?Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we wouldn’t necessarily have chosen, working with people who aren’t our natural soulmates. Whether the relationship is Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, or two colleagues sharing an office, conflict is probably going to arise at some point.<br />
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Messrs Clegg and Cameron are both assertive and persuasive individuals who are used to winning the argument. But if they are going to work successfully together they will need to use a range of styles to manage potential conflict between themselves and their party members. <br />
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Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann describe five approaches we can take to handling any particular conflict:<br />
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<strong>Compete </strong>– we aim to win.<br />
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<strong>Accommodate </strong>- our priority is to keep the other person happy.<br />
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<strong>Compromise </strong>– we do a deal. It’s not perfect but we can both live with it. At least in the short term.<br />
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<strong>Avoid </strong>– we take the view that it’s better not to open the can of worms, so we don’t address the issue.<br />
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<strong>Collaborate </strong>– we look for a solution that fully meets our needs, and also satisfies other person. A true ‘win/win’.<br />
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<strong>Which One To Use?</strong><br />
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Looking at these five styles, you would think that the ‘right’ approach to conflict would always be to collaborate. However, there are a couple of problems with collaboration:<br />
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• It can take a long time – you have to sit down, explore the other person’s position, analyse the underlying needs and concerns then try to thrash out a resolution. It’s great when you have the time (and the energy) to do this. But sometimes there’s a deadline. Sometimes the markets are showing signs of impatience.<br />
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• It isn’t always possible. For example, when you and your colleague have fundamentally opposing views or values.<br />
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The trick is actually knowing which type of approach is most appropriate in any situation, and consciously adapting your natural preference for one of the five styles.<br />
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<strong>When To Use Each Style</strong><br />
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<strong>Compete</strong><br />
When you are determined to get your needs met, or the issue is something that you aren’t prepared to compromise on, and you are not concerned about maintaining the relationship.<br />
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<strong>Accommodate</strong><br />
In situations where the relationship takes priority. For example if your partnership is looking fragile, you might decide to postpone getting your needs met in order to placate the other person.<br />
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<strong>Compromise</strong><br />
When time is short and you need to agree a practical resolution that you can both live with.<br />
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<strong>Avoid</strong><br />
When the costs of discussing the topic outweigh any likely benefits. There are some issues which might not be open to resolution, and even discussing them can create bad feelings on both sides.<br />
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<strong>Collaborate</strong><br />
When you will be having an ongoing relationship with other person. You will be working closely together and it is important that both of you get your needs met.<br />
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One of the secrets of handling conflict successfully, whether it’s in a shared office or the House of Commons, is choosing the right strategy.<br />
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For more on handling conflict, and coping with difficult conversations generally, take a look at the <a href="http://tiny.cc/ac9zh">Tackling Difficult Conversations Pocketbook</a>. <a href="http://tiny.cc/ac9zh"></a><br />
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You might also be interested in my courses on <a href="http://www.peterenglish.co.uk/management-development-consultancy/negotiation-skills">Negotiation Skills</a>, <a href="http://www.peterenglish.co.uk/management-development-consultancy/tackling-difficult-conversations">Tackling Difficult Conversations</a> or <a href="http://www.peterenglish.co.uk/management-development-consultancy/influencing-and-communication">Influencing and High Impact Communication</a>.<br />
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Reference: <em>Conflict and conflict management: Reflections and update</em><br />
KENNETH W THOMAS<br />
Journal of Organizational Behavior; Vol. 13; 265-272; (1992).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com