Roller Coasters come in all shapes….

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?

26 Jul 2021 0

“Thousands of jobs & no one to fill them” – can that really be true?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57349802 This features a report by KPMG on the situation UK PLC finds itself in: “thousands of job vacancies but no people to fill them” How can that be so?

In other reports from @BBC we know there are 1.7m unemployed and over 4m on furlough who may not have jobs to return to when furlough finally ends.

There seems a huge disconnect.

From the people I’ve spoken to over the past fourteen months I think there’s an elephant in the room we are not addressing. Fear.

Fear of stepping outside their door.

Fear of leaving their family.

Fear of stepping onto public transport.

Fear of walking into a new environment.

Fear of getting to learn a new role.

Fear of a new routine

Fear of not being respected by colleagues

Fear of not ‘gelling’ with the team/management

Fear of losing this new job

Fear of failing

There is an expectation employers will address this fear. Those integrating the new ISO45003 guidelines will go a long way to achieving this. Using Growing Talent to gain new talent will see them go even further in achieving the goal of sustainable new talent who have grown into the available role through the methods taught on Growing Talent to flourishing adding real value to everyone.

If you have a real job to fill, why not consider www.growing-talent.co.uk? It’s completely free and not a Government funded programme.

The global pandemic has seen businesses change the way they operate to get the results they want.

Isn’t now the time to change the way you recruit to reveal those hidden gems of talent you’ve potentially been missing?

#psychosocial #risks #business #leadership #talent #socialmobility #inclusion #diversity

4 Jun 2021 0

Are employers solidifying employees’ fears?

The BBC News online featured a piece from the PCS (Public & Commercial Services) union today whose research suggest the majority of JobCentre Plus staff fear returning to their offices. Out of 1,299 members the PCS surveyed, their results shared showed 3 in 5 workers want to continue working at home and are fearful of returning to the workplace due to Covid.

PCS claim they should be allowed to continue to work from home as they’ve proved this is effective during Covid restrictions. Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of PCS union warned industrial action could follow.

The fear of returning to the workplace after so long working from home or on furlough during Covid will be many employees’ fears and this is something their employers need to address BEFORE they are asked to return.

There is so much fake news on social media and possibly amongst friends, families and community leaders. Add in the continuous illogical updates from Government, it becomes completely understandable the fear that can be brewing. Trouble is, this fear and be intrusive and longterm.

We all know facing our fears are the only way to conquer them. If we give in to this, anxiety, isolation, debilitation will grow and possibly cripple individuals, business and communities.

As individuals we have to find evidence from experts we trust to enable us to make decisions and resist listening to opinions/views of non-experts.

JobCentre Plus staff do a difficult job supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. If they go on strike, what happens to those in dire circumstances?

If Employers don’t support their employees to overcome their fears and gain confidence to living their lives to the full again – what happens to those employees? Remember not every person has gone through the pandemic living in a nice, safe home, in happy, nurturing relationships. For the majority, it’s been one of the hardest, loneliest periods of their lives.

Business is a core part of our lives and communities. If businesses aren’t flourishing, growing and employing people, taxes aren’t being paid to support the vulnerable, provide healthcare, education etc. Where will the money for these come from?

For many businesses, continued working from home for their employees won’t be tenable. If work can be done from home, might some employers start to ask why can’t it be outsourced overseas to a cheaper workforce?

Giving in to fear is not an option. As actor Will Smith said some time ago –

“Success lies on the other side of fear”

What say you?

19 Apr 2021 0

If our children are growing up hungry – where are businesses getting their future talent from?

Listening to the radio this morning, the above question jumped into my head. I have my solution at the end of this post. What would be your thoughts?

Time for us all to have an uncomfortable conversation maybe?

The radio feature was on free school meals and the excellent spotlight the footballer Marcus Rashford has shone on this.

Children going hungry is shamefully not a new problem for the UK. Following the end of WWII, free school meals were introduced to ensure no child went hungry. Bearing in mind this was a time when food additives, were a lot less intensive than they are now. Basic, nutritional food that ensured healthy growth for all children in the UK was the norm.

Over the following years, we seemed to lose this ‘collective’ thinking that we are all responsible for the health of the next generation.

I well remember the endeavours of chef Jamie Oliver from 2004 to address putting ‘nutrition’ back into school dinners cost effectively. This would ensure concentration in lessons resulting ultimately in social mobility. Education on an empty stomach is totally non-productive and a complete waste of money. Children can’t concentrate with their stomachs rumbling. As adults, we know when we’re hungry we can think of nothing else. Why would we think it’s different for children?

The radio feature this morning spoke about Jamie’s work and the fact two of his chefs are working in Schools in Greenwich to help feed children nutritionally during school holidays.

Marcus has re-foccused the spotlight back on the need to feed vulnerable children during school holidays as parents struggle through coronavirus.

Many parents will feed their children fast foods because they are cheap. Quantity is better than quality thinking. We know fresh food doesn’t have to be expensive. It does take effort to buy and prepare especially when trying to hold down a number of poorly paid jobs to provide a secure home.

A few of ideas spring to my mind:

Tax cheap, fast food so it becomes a ‘treat’ and heavily discount fresh foods so they become the norm.
I know from experience many families won’t apply for help even when they are entitled. Pride gets in the way. Radical thought here – provide free school meals for every child so not one child is ‘singled’ out as being ‘poor’. From 5-18. Schools become community hubs. Open through school holidays. This would create:

a. Employment throughout the UK

b. Community cohesion

c. Brain power amongst all our children to take advantage of education, realise their dreams, become the innovators of tomorrow, feeding our businesses making the UK a vibrant country of integrity for all.

Of course there would be a huge cost for this. But, what is the cost of not doing it?

As a business owner, I’d be in favour of increased taxes if they were going to this worthwhile cause. I wonder if very wealthy people, would be willing to make annual donations to this cause and write this off against their taxes? Some people earn telephone number salaries and are reluctant to pay HMRC. No one likes paying taxes. But if part of their taxes went to a specific cause like this, would their attitude change if they could see the good they are doing?

A minority of the UK are living in a bubble where they have so much money they will never be able to spend it. Maybe social taxation could be the answer.

Maybe it’s time to do something radical and something different.

What would be your thoughts?

9 Nov 2020 1

The benefits of virtual learning

For the 10+ years I’ve been a MHFAEngland Instructor, I’ve been looking for a mental health and wellbeing programme to deliver which was accredited by a qualifying body delivering real value rather than the usual courses that just end with a Certificate of Attendance.

I stumbled across http://www.i-act.co.uk who devised mental health and well-being products specifically for the workplace. Both courses come with a 168 page manual, 50 self-help tools to use and 95 referral organisations for different mental health issues.

Having done the manager’s course – Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and WELLBeing – accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists with CPD points – I knew this was a key product which would deliver real value to my clients.

I decided to apply for the Instructor’s accreditation to deliver both the manager course and the ‘Understanding and Promoting Positive Mental Health and WELLbeing in the Workplace’ for non-management employees.

At the start of this week myself and others from all corners of the UK, Bahrain and Hong Kong met online with one of the co-founders Pete – a Clinical Psychiatrist and mine of information – also our Instructor. After watching Pete deliver, we then had to deliver the whole programme in our own style with a couple of peers giving feedback.

Solid connections were made. Messages of encouragement flowed over WhatsApp as we all became accredited instructors.

I now intend adding these two excellent courses to my portfolio of training to employers looking to ensure their staff at all levels are maintaining optimum levels of wellbeing duding real value to their bottom line and brand reputation.

The opportunities that open up when you least expect them can lead to incredible places.

9 Oct 2020 0

Real Social Mobility

Have you heard the name David Richards? Went to Silicon Valley to learn the IT trade, set up a college course for young people to get into IT in Sheffield, UK and headquartered his IT company WANdisco in both Sheffield and California… me neither. Why?

Why hasn’t the media picked up on this insightful business acumen from David before? Why has he not been used as a positive role model for young people living in areas where they can’t see a way to progress?

Setting up businesses in areas where there is deprivation means you have an untapped talent base locally who would be committed with the investment of training leading to genuine jobs they can build their futures on.

Check out David on Wikipedia and copied and pasted feature below shown on BBC News website this morning.. Imagine if every area of every country had insightful employers like David? The opportunities for true social mobility are endless. What do you think?

Social mobility: ‘When we set up a tech firm in Sheffield people laughed’

By Ross HawkinsPolitical correspondent, BBC Radio 4 Today

David Richards was mocked when he chose Sheffield as the European headquarters for his computer firm.

He says that explains a lot about the lack of social mobility in the UK.

“Most of my friends in London thought it was some kind of staged joke,” he says.

Raised in what he calls a “lower middle class” home, David emigrated from Sheffield to Silicon Valley in the US aged 23 to work in IT.

The company he went on to found, Wandisco, is now worth £400m and employs 300 people.

When he wanted to bring the firm home, he chose Sheffield, where he sponsors a course at Sheffield College, which trains students for careers in computing.

But as a new report is published showing sharp differences in life chances for less well-off children around England, he says private companies must shoulder some of the blame.

“The private sector in particular needs to recognise you can’t just create companies solely in London,” he says. “You just cannot do that.”

The way firms cluster in the South East might explain part of the problem – but the Social Mobility Commission says it is complicated. Life chances for many in the south are poor too.

Children from less well-off families are likely to end up in low-paid jobs no matter how well they do at school in some parts of England, its report says.

Those in the areas where social mobility is easiest earn twice as much as those where it was most difficult.

The commission says persistent poverty means some families risk being “locked into disadvantage” for generations. It is demanding the government does more to boost social mobility.

Children who went on to the lowest salaries were raised in places that were typically more deprived, had fewer good jobs and fewer outstanding schools, according to its report.

Much of this is obvious to less well-off young people living in Sheffield.

“In my school, teachers didn’t really motivate you. Their way of motivating was kind of like: ‘You’re not going to pass’,” says 17-year-old student Jamanuel.

16-year-old Jasmine adds: “My school did not have work experience, so if I got to look for a job now, I have no idea what I’m doing… We didn’t have that support at school, so I do think the city is divided.”

The father of one of Sheffield College’s current star students stacks shelves in a supermarket for a living, David Richards says, but builds computers in his spare time.

“Opportunity is not spread evenly in the UK,” he says.

“If he was living in Silicon Valley… he’d be working at one of the big tech companies.”

The Social Mobility Commission report – drawn up with the Institute for Fiscal Studies – compares how much people who received free school meals as children earned at the age of 28 in different parts of England.

Their median wages in the best performing areas were more than £20,000. In the poorest performing, that figure was less than £10,000.

A government spokesperson said: “Now more than ever, our focus is on levelling up the opportunities available to every young person in this country and we will do everything possible to make sure no-one is left behind as a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”

According to the commission’s report, life chances were best for disadvantaged children in places including East Hertfordshire and Wokingham in Berkshire.

Bradford and Hartlepool were among the worst performing towns. So too were West Devon, and the Chilterns.

Researchers only examined the earnings of men, the commission says, because data for female earnings would not have been comparable.

15 Sep 2020 0

History repeating itself? Technology helping or crushing humans?

Watching a feature on a news channel this morning about the pros and cons of capitalism has left me wondering if we have learned anything from the Industrial Revolution to the financial markets crash of 2008.

I’m not sure I’m any clearer on an answer!

Hundreds of years ago machines started replacing humans’ physical labour. Less people were employed which more was produced. But workers laid off faced destitution with no money to feed, clothe themselves or provide shelter – remember this was before state unemployment benefits.

With the advancement of machines cracking codes in WW2, computers reducing in size from huge rooms to pocket size and robots being used in medical sciences we’ve seen many pluses to this technology. But is it now going too far?

The online news feature showed Bob Pisani, On-Air Stock Editor for CNBC – American news channel who liaises with stock traders and explains the markets to the general population. Bob passionately believes in capitalism without which he feels there would be no financial support within the economy. Markus Koch a Stock Market Correspondence stated traders have been reduced from thousands to hundreds in recent years as machines have taken over. More thought provoking for me was Tarek Mashhour, Audi Plant Germany explaining their goal is to have a production network of communicating robots meaning increased productivity with the same resources. But if less humans are working – who is buying the Audi cars?

Dirk Heitmann of IBM Germany explained they are developing cognitive machines capable of learning on their own! Dirk feels this increases human creativity capabilities. But could this be at the price of human jobs?

Anthony Scaramucci, Hedge Fund owner believes capitalism is the only system which works. ‘There is tremendous opportunity for growth over the next fifty years. We can mine for minerals essential in technology in asteroids in space’. Now that idea might sound completely out there but we have computers that can talk with each other, robots used in manufacturing, healthcare and so on. Is it really out of reach?

An interesting thought concluded the news feature by Professor Tim Jackson – Economist at University of Surrey who believes ‘we live on a finite planet therefore the expectation we can all grow and profit from capitalism is false – we can’t’.

We seem to get richer in technological advancements but the divide between rich and poor seems just as wide and just as unbalanced.

We watched with baited breath…..

10 Sep 2020 0

Something in the air?………

Every time a new technology is introduced, it’s hard for everyone to see its potential and viability to work changing lives for the better. Where would the world be without the great inventors throughout history devising their ideas into prototypes and trying to get backing to bring it to market? How many laughed at their endeavours? Yet they didn’t stop. The kept going with their belief this would benefit people.

We’d all agree we couldn’t do without computers in our pocket – also known as smart phones. Yet when computers first came out they were viewed as not making any great differences to our lives. Only their inventers saw the future potential for humankind. Now we couldn’t do without this technology.

So looking at the report that Dominic Cummings is supporting this ‘new’ technology of sucking CO2 out of the air seems incredulous. But it’s proven to work in submarines for decades – why not in the atmosphere too? Of course at the start of any new technology, the invention is hugely expensive and the equipment massively bulky but history shows it will not stay that way.

Imagine the jobs that could be created, the better health of humans breathing better air, better vegetation and so on. The potential knock on industries and jobs to this technology could be huge.

The State of the Planet, Earth Institute at Columbia University blog has really interesting facts about the potential to use CO2 collected through this proposed initiative. McKinsey & Co (global management consultants) estimate there is $800million – $1trillion business in realising CO2’s possible wider uses in the building materials industry for one. It can be converted into either a liquid or a solid. So many potential uses for a byproduct of air that could be used to our benefit instead of detriment.

We know CO2 is currently used in refrigeration, cooling systems and fire extinguishes. If it works well here, why not in the new industries this initiative could open us. Climate change is crucial if we want the planet to be healthy for those following us.

On paper it seems very exciting. According to the press, £100million has been won to invest in this new technology. Will we seize the day and open up this portal of opportunity or will we over analyse and see someone else pick up the ball?

We’ve got to try, haven’t we?

6 Jul 2020 0

Thinking outside the box when you business takes a hit

Coronavirus and Covid-19 have put some businesses into positions of having to explore new markets and make themselves attractive to new customers whilst still being accessible financially to their new customers.

One such business is a ‘club’ of fishermen and women who had their usual market stopped overnight due to the pandemic with the immediate shutdown of restaurants, gastro pubs etc. Under the Pesky Fish website, the daily catch is advertised at 8am each morning – be quick though most things are sold by 9am! You can elect to have the fish filleted or left whole.

I made my first order a little nervously. How can fish be delivered by courier and still be good quality and fresh? I need not have worried. My first order arrived today. Sealed in an insulated box – full recyclable with a really nice touch of information cards about who caught the fish, their boats etc.

Not only have I got a good quality selection of fish that will last 4-5 days, it’s cheaper than supermarkets and higher grade but I also feel I’m supporting a niche industry too.

So Dean caught my Pollack fillets:

Matt caught my Mussels

Ian smoked my Salmon!

Fancy some fish? why not check these guys out and support our fishing industry as well

https://www.peskyfish.co.uk

25 Jun 2020 0

Growing Talent 25 has completed…… bring on GT26!

In January, we started off with 40 enthused, unemployed people applying for Growing Talent. Following the Employer Speed Dating held mid-January, 15 were selected by employers for a 1-2-1 second stage meeting. Offers were made, some rejected so we commenced Growing Talent 25 with three participants from diverse backgrounds who all shared one thing in common – they wanted to work!

Michelle & Tara from PwC joined the session and selected Annarita , below, to join them!

This is a big departure for Annarita. Following a background in textile design she is now part of PwC’s secretarial community.

Kate – a regular recruiter on Growing Talent – from Firmdale Hotels, selected Kerry to join their Haymarket hotel within the housekeeping team. Kerry is loving the role and already got her eye on progression not to mention the staff perks!

Annarita & Kerry – trained first aiders in Mental Health during the holistic part of Growing Talent.

Lastly, Sergio and Lina from ISS selected Nazzarriey to join their waste and segregation team. Naazzaariey – seen below with Kerry is getting used to the routine of working and planning things she can do with her wages….

We wish them well on their adventures ahead now they have a regular salary coming in…..

Highlights of their journey include:

Awaiting feedback on their excellent Social Enterprise presentation and more importantly the winner!

Emma from Unravelling Minds showing how art helps with wellbeing….

Lesley mid-flow delivering her 3Rs – techniques for staying healthy in the workplace.

This is one of the few times Growing Talent has experienced 100% who started completed and went into work! Great outcome for all…

What does the road ahead hold for them? who knows – but that’s part of the excitement of life – right?

The 26th programme starts in March…. watch this space!

3 Mar 2020 0