Dr. Lee R J Middlehurst
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Having an Eye on You...

19/6/2014

1 Comment

 
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Businesses need training....

To thrive in the present economy, business change is essential.


Redundancies shouldn't be the first ways of saving costs - they should be the LAST ways of saving.


I saw a recent brilliant and inspiring training session where several psychological issues regarding employees were talked about.

Many companies, certainly in the US, are at 'breaking point'.  Many previous training schemes are wasted because of 'disengagement' - not interested in improvements - in change.  Past opinions and prejudices are held.

Familiar?

Senior staff in companies should be QUESTIONING.

"IF PEOPLE FEEL THEY ARE NOT BEING LISTENED TO THEY WILL DISENGAGE."


But too many senior staff in companies don't understand that and wonder why staff morale goes down and down and...

There are media reports, like on Radio 4 (30th May), stressing about the rise in inequality in the UK...


To Help Change Culture and To Stop Staff From Being Disengaged:

In this training session we were told that 90% of human thoughts are imagination...  To change company culture we must change many past memories (prejudices) to grasp imagination.

We need to picture the unconscious mind...

[ Now, as a side issue here, think about my art piece 'ERi'
. Just think about it.]

Many industries don't want imaginations.  They want compliance...

I remember a Mark Steel episode where he was criticizing teaching methods in schools.  On a classroom door you could see he'd posted,

"IMAGINATION WILL BE CONFISCATED "

As children, many of us are repeatedly taught to be compliant.

The trainer, in this workshop suggested a change in outlook - "Let's not call it 'creativity' - let's call it 'thinking'."

So if you suggest some idea but someone says, "Yes, but..."

NO!

Instead say, "Yes, AND..."

Don't think of ways things can't be done but ways they can be made even better...

Imagineering:

This trainer expressed this term.  She got a volunteer to show how things could be... how things should be...

"I can't do this skill."

Don't answer,  "What can I do to help you?"

Instead, ask, "What would it be like if you could do this skill?"

And then ask, "What would you need to learn this skill?"

Making them - FORCING THEM TO - think for themselves - to see new ways...

I wondered about this in my training work for the police.  And my work with colleagues also in training.

Assumptions:

[You still thinking about my 'ERi' art piece?]

People get angry about assumptions.

I always remember reading a quote from the comic strip Peanuts:

"In all of mankind's history, there has never been more damage done than by people who 'thought they were doing the right thing'" - rather than doing what they KNOW is the right thing.

With assumptions always guard against sympathy with customers instead of actually empathizing with them...

If a customer asks for something you can't supply don't say, "Unfortunately..."

Instead say things like, "What we can do..."

Plus give them a choice.

The trainer talked about 'clean language' skills not negative language.  Effectively asking (completely) open questions - which is how I conduct interviews during my research work.

It's often good to have breaks and have fun...

The trainer also talked about the physiological and psychological benefits of stretching in a 'victorious' way:

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She also told about the positive effects of countering sadness by looking up.  it's hard to be depressed when doing positive body language!

The trainer also gave training about enhancing a person's peripheral vision.  It's a skill she says that can be rediscovered.

Blame Culture:

"It's not my fault.  They did it."

The trainer stressed there has to be COLLABORATION for an inventive, productive culture.

Plus she stressed that there has to be trust.

And a willingness to fail trying in order to learn the best ways instead of being afraid to try anything.

The trainer expressed that BALANCE is needed in company culture.

Resist using negative words that only harm motivation and damage productivity.

In company conscious and unconscious bias
will harm the flexibility of that organization.  Most people will be able to embrace positive changes.  Those that cannot alter may have to go elsewhere rather than harm the positive changes...

These changes can be shown in company language...

"Due to expansion..."
"We have to work..."
"To support you..."

Phrases to be more upbeat.

With the support of organizations, such as TransForum Manchester and Mosscare Housing, the art piece 'ERi' (see below) will be touring around Manchester and photographed with various people.  It will highlight environmental support and resistance to hate crimes.

Support us...

Collaborate with us...

E
mbrace positive, innovative change...

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1 Comment
Adrienne
24/6/2014 01:18:52 am

I did read - can't remember where - but someone convey the same idea as in the third line of this post in these words : when companies/organisations will begin to see their employees/staff as asset , and not liabilities, then and only then will they really prosper.

It is because employees are perceived as liabilities that redundancies is more often than not the first step towards "saving" .

Personally, I think disengagement is the result of employees fully aware that they are not valued at all and will be first discarded as soon as there is a problem.

I have been looking for work for some months now, and the key present in every single job specification is : experience; which is exactly what is companies throw away when they make staff redundant. Having someone that can hit the road running is priceless.

Furthermore, while redundancies can reduce the companies financial expenses now, what about the total cost of that course of action? the present customers, the potential customers. How sure is the company sure that they will be willing to change their contact within the company? how is the company certain they wont see frequent change in their contact person as sign of instability?

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