National Sickie Day – You suffering?

February 1st, 2010 by Ruth Thompson 4 comments »
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Today is ‘National Sickie Day’, a day in which it is estimated that 350,000 workers will take a sickie. This will cost businesses more than £30 million in lost business opportunities, reduced productivity and salary/overtime payments.

A survey by Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS), shows that of the 1,500 bosses interviewed for the nationwide survey, half said they did not believe staff who complained of being ill. So why do they phone in sick and feel comfortable claiming illness not to go into work?

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Posted in Behaviour, Business, Cause & Effect, Motivation

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And breathe out….

January 27th, 2010 by Ruth Thompson No comments »

Relaxation is not something that many of us find easy. When was the last time you were truly at ease with relaxed muscles and general feeling of calm, both physically and mentally?

You’ll all be well aware of the flight or fight mechanism that kicks in when we are under threat or stress. We automatically (in anevolutionary effort of self-preservation) become more alert and more ready and efficient at responding to whatever we are faced with. Many of those who perform on stage say that without those pre-show butterflies they would not be able to put on an engaging performance. I’ve even heard some say that if those feelings stopped they’d stop performing.

But what happens when that feeling lasts for a prolonged period of time?

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Posted in Cause & Effect, Human Nature

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Origins of Creativity

January 19th, 2010 by Ruth Thompson 1 comment »

Edward de Bono is regarded as the leading international authority in creative thinking. He coined the term ‘lateral thinking’ and is well known for his ’6 hats’ method. It was while dipping into his book ‘Serious Creativity’ that I noticed the section on sources of creativity and thought how interesting it was to investigate where creativity comes from and from what does it originate.

Understanding where the roots of creativity are will help put it in perspective, just as an increased understanding of any process helps us improve our capability in it. I’m hoping that some of these sources will surprise you and maybe even encourage you to utilise them more often. So here goes….Edward de Bono’s Sources of Creativity….

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Posted in Business, Creativity

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Still creating hysteria – Happy 75th!

January 14th, 2010 by Ruth Thompson 2 comments »

Ever been in an environment which has influenced your behaviour? Gotten carried away with the crowd? Elvis who would have celebrated his 75th birthday last Friday, 8th January certainly witnessed those that were influenced and most certainly did get carried away!

In the 1950′s frenzied and fevered were words frequently used to describe the groups of people (mainly women) who went to watch Elvis sing…. and of course gyrate his hips. Scenes of hysteria and complete abandon were common place. When Elvis walked on stage, women screamed, fainted, cried, shrieked and wet their pants. The result was often so hysterical that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the National Guard, State Police and the City Police couldn’t contain those involved. On a number of occasions Elvis had to stop the show!

What creates this hysteria?

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Posted in Behaviour, Cause & Effect, Human Nature

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Help I need somebody!

January 8th, 2010 by Ruth Thompson 2 comments »

What happens when a task is to be completed and you are the best qualified, most experienced, best-informed person to complete that task? You complete the task. Seems logical doesn’t it? When delegating tasks you naturally assess the skill required for the task and choose the person best suited to complete it. Ok, you take into consideration development needs and time available but do you take anything else into consideration?

If you know you are the best person for the job at hand, do you ever ask others for their advice?

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Posted in Business, Cause & Effect, Creativity

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Laughing – the new social wizz kid

December 7th, 2009 by Ruth Thompson 2 comments »

Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day. The first laughter appears at about 3.5 to 4 months of age, long before we’re able to speak. Laughter, like crying, is a way for an infant to interact with the caregivers.

Like smiling we don’t have to learn how to laugh, we just do. We’re born with the capacity to laugh. But we cannot just decide to laugh, its very hard to laugh on command or to fake it. A bit like a fake smile, a fake laugh can be detected quite easily by another person….and for anyone that has tried to stop laughing or hide an ‘inappropriate’ laugh in a meeting…you’ll know how difficult that can be!

Are you known for your laugh?

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Posted in Behaviour, Cause & Effect, Human Nature

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First up and Last to play

December 7th, 2009 by Ruth Thompson No comments »

Been watching the X factor? Have you noticed that X Factor contestants are more likely to get the boot if they sing near the start of the show.

Cambridge University academics compiled data from 150 editions of the X Factor and Pop Idol to prove the theory that a contestant’s fate does not boil down to whether they can sing. This theory will more than likely not surprise any of you….but what did they find out?

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Posted in Behaviour, Cause & Effect

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Brain exercises

December 2nd, 2009 by Ruth Thompson 5 comments »

The more vigorous and diverse your mental life, the more you will stimulate the growth of new neurons and new connections between them. Different cognitivechallenges exercise different components of the brain. Much in the same way as no single exercise machine will make you physically fit, instead you need a balanced and diverse workout.

So here are a few logic and creative puzzles for you today…. to keep your Brain ticking over….

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Posted in Creativity

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Behaviour maketh the person?

November 30th, 2009 by Ruth Thompson No comments »

What is your opinion of Daniel O-Donnell? Like his music? Find him an appealing songster?

Take a minute to come up with a few adjectives to describe him.

What came to mind? I speculate that the adjectives were not entirely positive. Perhaps you used words such as ‘boring’, ‘banal’…perhaps you said he’s only liked by the ‘blue rinse brigade’ and sings ‘old stuff’. Yet, is this completely fair to him as a person? To be judged on only a few elements of hispersona?

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Posted in Behaviour, Human Nature

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As soon as possible!

November 29th, 2009 by Ruth Thompson No comments »

Ever ask someone something and been answered ‘Probably’. Not ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but ‘probably’. What were your expectations? What assumptions did you make? How likely is it that you will get what you asked? During training sessions I have often asked the group to write down what percentage likelyhood is attached to the word ‘probably’. I have gotten anything from probably means something is 20% likely to happen (I fear this person has been disappointed often in life!) to 99%.

What is your understanding of the word ‘probably’? Think it’s the same as your colleagues? Ever checked?

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Posted in Cause & Effect, Human Nature

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