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… from emotional intelligence at work

Newsletter 12 : 28 february 2009

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Seasonally affected greetings from Kay and Jeremy.

Welcome to our newsletter, particularly if you’re a new subscriber. Back numbers are now available on the website. Our policy is to offer a change from other people’s newsletters which do demand an awful lot of reading…

Quotations of the week

A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.

If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time.

We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond.

All Marcel Proust

Misconceptions of the week

The Great Wall of China cannot be seen from the moon (or even low Earth orbit).
Gordon Brown never claimed to be a fan of the Arctic Monkeys
Searing meat does not “seal in” moisture, and in fact may actually cause meat to lose moisture.

This and many other misconceptions can be found on Wikipedia. How many of the beliefs on which we base our behaviour are actually misconceptions about our relatives, our work colleagues, and the world around us?

Another misconception humorously laid to rest.

Website of the week

The Robert K Greenleaf Centre
Greenleaf pioneered the idea of the servant-leader as early as the 1960s. Subtly different from our own take on leadership – we believe that everyone can usefully act as a leader – nevertheless, Greenleaf’s concept has at its heart the idea that, if a ‘leader’ is to use all their expertise and skills, he or she needs to be ion service to their staff first. The Greenleaf Centre says: “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.”

Training course of the week

We’re delighted to report that VisionWorks has added new training programmes in emotional and social wellbeing for children.

It’s OK being me, aimed at years 7, 8 and 9 (key stage 3), is already being taught in many schools.

My world, aimed at years 5 and 6 (key stage 2) is launched this month. In comprehensive two year trials, My world has been shown to increase understanding and tolerance, and strengthen friendships between pupils. It directly addresses the transition from primary to secondary school, a major concern for year 6 pupils and their families and teachers.

Discovering me is an intensive 12 module version of the core programme, and is ideal for small units needing an effective emotional literacy programme to use over a number of weeks. Designed to get to the root causes of disruptive behaviour, low self-esteem, intolerance and depression, the programme can be used with mixed age and ability groups.

If you have any contact with a school, do draw its attention to these successful, affordable programmes.

More . Call Sue Allen on 01 249 409 001.

[This is still current, march 2015.]

Emotional issue of the week

“I have great colleagues, but the office crybaby is making life a misery”
Often we think of difficult people at work as being actively aggressive and unreasonable. Here is a different take on the idea – someone who is emotionally manipulative. Before reading the ‘expert’’s reply, think how you would handle this person. What would be your objectives in raising the issue with her?

Contributions always gratefully received.

If you have been, thank you for reading this
Kay and Jeremy