19 July saw the start of the first Growing Talent hybrid for ten fantastically talented, currently unemployed people keen to work.
Selected by one of the ‘Big 4’ organisations for permanent roles in their growing virtual business support teams, they commenced step one – the orientation and holistic week – virtual of course!
So what did we cover over this week?
Monday – communication – a vital area to get right in all areas of our lives – no matter what our social status is nor our seniority in the workplace. But how much time do we put into making sure we get this right? Have you considered the following?
- Speaking – what is the aim of the conversation? what content will you cover? where and how are you going to hold this conversation? what are the possible outcomes of this conversation? have you considered your tone, clarity, volume and pace?
- Listening – do you automatically listen without judgement? do you ensure there will be no interruptions nor distractions? Do you listen with empathy or sympathy – do you know the difference?
- Reflect back – paraphrasing is essential to ensure you have understood what you have heard – get the evidence, don’t just assume.
- Body Language – did you know non verbal cues make up the biggest part of communication?
- What method is appropriate for the conversation you are going to have?
- What types of conflict might you encounter?
- What’s your conflict style? accommodating, avoidance, collaboration, competitive, compromise
- You statements – also known as the communication destroyer. Do you know why?
There is more to communication than most think!
Tuesday – invest in yourself. Critical – not selfish. Airline safety talks ‘state put the oxygen mask on you BEFORE helping others’ That makes sense, so why not scheduling in some self care windows throughout the day? This section covered:
- Stop avoiding fear
- Mantra and personal values
- Overcoming negative thoughts
- Control your brain – stop letting it control you
- Self care toolkit
- Dealing with imposter syndrome
- Nurture your soul
Wednesday – nurturing your body – a car only runs on the right fuel. So does your body. Fuel it mindfully!
- Food fads – the power of marketing vs facts
- Superfoods – really
- Understanding sugar – in all it’s forms
- Exercise
- Social media – good, bad and ugly
Thursday – Money talks! Sharing basic financial tips together. 3 little bottles – waste and recycling, why is it so important. Moving on. Encompassing…..
- Managing debt
- How to increase savings
- Ways to increase income
- Considering credit cards, debit cards and cash
- Money mantras
- How to apply for new roles uniquely
Friday – I-act – Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing
How to look after yourself and those around you. This accredited course delivers a solid understanding of what mental health and wellbeing is, over 50 tools for self care and evaluation, robust evidence reporting – amongst a whole lot more.
So what did the fabulous 10 participants feel about the week? Below are some of the feedback – anonymous in line with GDPR:
“The content was exciting and engaging – which surprised me. I was expecting it to be a bit boring because it’s delivered by Zoom”
“The journey book which accompanied the week was clear and helped me understand the course. I can refer to it ongoing.”
“This week was so worthwhile – it’s taught me how to be more professional”
“I’ve been implementing things I learned in my personal life such as delaying my response in conversations until I understand what’s been said. It’s easy to misunderstand people if you jump in too soon.”
“The contents of the week were fantastic, very informative and engaging with loads of tools to assist me going forward”
The accompanying book was significantly relevant”
“I found everything insightful and enlightening. There were a lot of topics. I especially liked mental health and how to engage with someone who might be struggling. I feel I can now demonstrate a lot more empathy. I also really enjoyed finance considering how much I wasn’t taught much about the topic at school.”
“I’m glad to have the accompanying book as I can go back and refresh my knowledge anytime.
“This is probably the best training course I have every attended. T/he contents cover life inside and outside work”
“The book will be extremely useful going forward. On the course it enabled everyone to read at their own pace.”
What were the thoughts on the trainer?
“I loved how Jane had everyone engaged and included in all of the topic areas. She allowed us to digress within reason, which helped explore the topic further but she was also able to control anything that was not relevant to our learning.”
“Jane’s style was inclusive, warm and welcoming. Everything was clear.”
“Jane is very interactive and gives off a very positive vibe. I really felt like my opinion was relevant when she asked questions and she’s always very impartial so we didn’t feel like we were being judged. It was a pleasure doing my training with her”
“Jane’s compassionate and a very good listener”
“”Jane’s style was nice and precise, she knows what she is talking about and is a confident lady who taught us in a respectful professional manner.”
For me, the week was a mutually positive experienced. When we see each other as humans, we can learn so much together. Essential for work and life – don’t you agree?