learning

Meet Jeff!

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Meet Jeff – my niece’s cat.

She homed him from Battersea Cats & Dogs Home. He’d had a naff start to life.

Like most pets, Jeff is my niece and her husband’s ‘baby’. Both utterly smitten with him and have been for over 4 years.

Earlier this year devastation hit – Jeff started changing before their eyes.

Covid was diagnosed by the vet. However, clearly learned behaviour and not genetics, Jeff doesn’t follow the crowd (nor does my niece!). He developed a particularly nasty strain which impacted his organs.

Lots of medications, night watches – taken in turns by my niece and her husband – and constant worry followed.

There was a moment when it was thought kinder to put Jeff down. Not by my niece!

She still saw ‘her’ Jeff inside the poor creature now before her.

“There has got to be another option.” Now my niece has the biggest ‘puppy dog eyes’ – no vet would say no.

A final treatment was tried. Now, months later you can see Jeff is almost back to health, and the bags under my niece and her husband’s eyes are fading too!

How often in business and life do we give up because it’s just easier to do something else?

The right decisions are not always the easiest.

Before you make a snap decisions – have you thought of all the possibilities – especially the unique ones?

I see many times in my work with different organisations, people making assumptions leading to poor judgements leading to a heap of potential pain for everyone.

Example: a team member believes they could be neurodivergent. Their manager agrees some easy adjustments but the individual doesn’t use them. The manager assumes they are happy, but the issues and pressures for the individual keep mounting.

It’s uncomfortable to check in with the individual to find out why they aren’t using the agreed tools and steps.

Do they feel they stand out if they use them?

Do they feel their colleagues will judge them?

You’ll never know if you don’t step into that conversation.

Ignoring it, can lead to that person going on sick leave or burning out – either way it’s costing you money and loss of talent.

It could lead to an Employment Tribunal – costing you even more – compensation, legal fees, pressure of the process, reputation

Think differently. Ask curious questions. Don’t assume.

What situation have you been in which required you to think differently to get a great result?

What a bag can illustrate!

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Wandering around the market on a warm, blue-sky day in Lanzarote, this bag jumped out at me.

The stallholders were a local father and son selling the leather goods they made themselves.

Bags and rucksacks of every size and colour, this green one stood out. The intricate pattern in contrasting red on the flap, two zips on the back and long adjustable strap – exactly what I needed for work back home. Few would have such a bag – bonus! I like to be different!

The father with his smiling toothless grin wrapped the bag and off I went pleased with my purchase.

Back in the hotel room a few hours later, I took the bag out of its wrapping. What was that smell? Subtle, yet pungent. I couldn’t find the culprit anywhere until I sniffed the bag – deeply and closely. Urgh – this was a difference I didn’t want!

After a search on Google, I discovered:

🫣 All sorts of hides can be used – including camel
🫣 All sorts of products can be used to tan the leather – including fish oil and urine! – who knew

Pungent smells can occur when inferior hides and tanning products are used as the leather breaks down. There is no cure.

The bag was left behind but clearly illustrates what you see on the surface isn’t always the whole story!

This is true of people too. Especially in the workplace.

People at all levels must deal with pressure and change continuously. This can weigh heavy on them and their colleagues.

What can be done? Give them the tools and knowledge they need:

💡 Raise awareness amongst managers – is what you are seeing the whole story?
💡 Roll out training for staff to proactively build their resilience and thrive.
💡 Provide coaching for neurodivergent team members to tame the impact on them.

I specialise in workplace programmes that enables teams to thrive. Including:

Neurodivergent coaching 1:1 – how to thrive in a neurotypical workplace (I am a certified ADHD Coach)

Awareness of neurodivergence for managers – what you might see, what you might do. Critical for true team inclusion and reduction of risk of an ET (CPD certified programme)

How to be an ally to your neurodivergent colleague – for non-managers (CPD certified programme)

I-Act Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing – global programme accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in line with ISO45003. (I have been delivering this programme to global organisations for over four years)

Time to talk about the transformation I can deliver for your team?

If you know it…….. pass it on!

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Sharing our knowledge can save others a heap of time, anxiety and money!

Picture this, I’d just been told I’d be charged a ‘restocking fee’ for returning a shower part that wasn’t needed. This ‘restocking fee’ would be deducted from my refund. The box had been opened with a blade so wasn’t damaged.  None of the manufacturer’s labels had been disturbed and the internal individual items were still sealed.

This didn’t sound right to me. (Critical thinking – challenge what I’m told/think)

In my case, this 35% deduction to my refund for ‘restocking fee’ equated to £165!

This really didn’t sound right!

Running @Growing_Talent, we cover basic finance tips including consumer law, 14 day cooling off period for online purchases etc. I’d never heard of a ‘restocking’ fee. So, copious research on the internet followed. 

Yep, ‘restocking fee’ is a deduction from refunds retailers make. That didn’t sound right. Oh wait – this was American sites!

I reached out to the UK manufacturer of the part I’d brought from the London retailer. They confirmed they charged retailers a restocking fee which cannot be passed on to consumers in the UK. A scan read of the UK Consumer ACT 2015 showed a 14 day cooling off period for all goods brought on line for whatever reason to be returned.

Armed with my new knowledge about ‘restocking fees’ and their use in the UK,  I contacted the retailer I brought the part from pointing out, my contract was with them – not the manufacturer. Any ‘restocking fee’ they are charged by the manufacturer is their responsibility not mine. I also quoted the 2015 Consumer Act. 

I got my full refund within 48 hours!

I wonder how many people just accept a ‘restocking fee’ deduction in their refunds in the UK.

That’s why I’m sharing this knowledge everywhere I can.

What knowledge would you pass on?

I share steps, tips and knowledge to enable others to know how to get things done in the workplace especially when their brains have different wiring.

#ADHDCoach

#I-Act Practitioner

#WorkplaceGrowth

#Growing_Talent

Funka, Dr Strangelove, Cast Iron, Rocket…..

Jane JamesLeave a comment

….Songs from the 80s?

….Films from the 50s?

….Cocktails? – potentially!

Cocktails, for me, should be visually exciting and have discernible flavours.

Songs and films are incorrect – although potentially great titles!

Cocktails is potentially correct in the right coffee brewer’s hands!  Read on.

They are just some of the awesome coffees on display at Extract Coffee London just off Bermondsey Street.

I’d been invited by @Growing_Talent’s sponsors to pitch the programme and additional resources on ADHD, @I-Act and general team empowerment training to their supply chain held yesterday at this London gem!

Arriving early, as usual, Veena gave me 1:1 insight into Extract’s beginnings, their credentials, their partners – at home and across the globe, their connections with organisations focussing on enabling those who need it to close their own social mobility gap through skills training ready for the world of employment.  Which led nicely on to the science of coffee.

You may have heard of WSET – home to the Wine & Spirit Trust – whose qualifications are sought after by the hospitality industry as well as individual wine enthusiasts. Did you know there is a science to coffee too? I absolutely didn’t.  I was shown the various different beans, how they are produced by farmers and used in Extract’s coffee in different ways. 

Did you know the mainstream coffee shops use only one type of coffee bean? 

Some coffees are great for gut health and have a lot of fibre in – who knew!

Seeing the areas used to train people in the diverse world of coffee production, learning the different careers available and the industry awards on offer showed the passionate, social inclusion core of Extract Coffee – and the public can even buy their unique coffees and teas on line! Amazing.

The pitch to the supply chain went really well with lots of questions and engagement.  

After the team – including award winning Chloe – showed how coffee can be used in the composition of cocktails and mocktails. Of course, I had to try the martini! I love a fancy glass.

Check Extract Coffee out online and make a difference whilst enjoying your unique cup of morning coffee

http://www.extractcoffee.co.uk

1.   The cocktail/mocktail demonstration – and tasting!

2.   Coffee martini

3.   Chemistry of coffee – beans and bottles denoting if the solutions are sweet, salty or bitter

4.   Examples of current equipment used in training

5.   Refurbed coffee grinder

6.   Another training area

Thank you everyone for the most amazing experience, especially Ben Noah and Adam Bushell for inviting me and the awesome members from ISS A/S, SPS UK& Ireland, BaxterStorey, Portico, #CIS-Security #NGBailey and Electrosonic

Let’s talk blankets!

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Not the fabric kind – but the attitude kind.

When a successful training programme is created to deliver transformation, over time, the creator can be lulled into thinking no tweaking is necessary.  The formula is right. All elements are covered.

Like a child’s comfort blanket – it’s familiar and safe.

But there is a unique element on the most tried and tested programme – the audience.

Being alert for body language cues, environment hitches etc enables the trainer to ‘tweak on the hoof’ ensuring the transformation sought is achieved to the whole audience.

Two decades ago, I was scheduled to give an address to the graduation audience of the Real Apprentice, an employability programme I ran at the time.  My script was vetted and agreed by my then employer and their client hosting the event.  Part of my script involved audience participation – a ‘show of hands’. I knew this script word for word. On the stage looking out to the audience, it was clear the script wouldn’t work.  The audience was in complete darkness to me – so the show of hands part was redundant. Which made the agreed script redundant also! I spoke from the heart instead.  The buzz in the room proved it was the right thing to do

Like my peers, I make a point of discovering the transformation required, why and the needs of the audience with my client to ensure any training delivers.

I love the whole process of training from start to finish. Hearing the audiences and clients feedback energises me with new ideas.

Following accreditation as an ADHD Coach earlier this year, it was clear to me, raising awareness of ADHD in the workplace was critical, not just for neurodivergent people but their managers and colleagues too. Symptoms can be mistaken for behaviours causing a heap of pain to all involved which can be avoided with a little knowledge.

Raising Awareness of ADHD For Managers explores what managers might see, easy adjustments they can consider, engaging the whole team, employment law and the risk of ETs.

“I found the training insightful. It has already given me ideas to implement for my own team.” Katie, FM Supervisor, Northern Ireland

Raising Awareness of ADHD – How to be an Ally – enables team members to learn the frustrations their neurodivergent colleagues may feel, what they might see and how they can support.

“This resonated with me.  I support people outside work with ADHD” Dora, FM in London

Both sessions are delivered virtually, over 1.5 hours complete with an accompanying workbook for onward reflection.  

Is it time to tweak the workplace training portfolio you offer and raise some awareness?

Mental Health – is it the same as Mental Illness?

Jane JamesLeave a comment

An interesting piece by Matthew Parris in yesterday’s The Times caught my eye.

Some areas I agree with, others I have a different view.

Neurodivergence is not a mental ill health issue – it’s a neuro developmental condition the impact of which, on some, may lead to the development of anxiety, depression or worse. Consider ADHD – Executive Functioning is delayed by 30% coupled with an interest based nervous system, people at school, college, University and in the workplace may struggle with everyday things like memory, self-awareness, motivation, emotional regulation, impulsivity and problem solving which their neurotypical peers don’t. Most schools, colleges, universities and workplaces are built for neurotypical brains -amplifying the impact.

I recently trained as an ADHD 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵. Our remit is to work with people to identify how their ADHD impacts them and explore different tools that can help them tame this impact. It’s a short-term journey of between 1 to 3 months. I would never try to step into 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 nor 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜. These are three very different and specific areas.

What I’ve noticed from client feedback, is the simple tools have made such a difference which in turn has lessened the pressure they felt.

This prompted me to devise a Workplace Awareness session for Managers and one for ‘how to be an Ally to a colleague’. The feedback from these have been just as illuminating. Within days of attending, some managers implemented some of the content we covered. Others had a lightbulb moment on what they personally were experiencing both in and out of work.

The second part of Matthew’s piece that struck me was the medical intervention. Several therapists saw the same patient and gave completely different diagnosis. This can be dangerous when medication is issued. I’m reminded of Caragh McMurty’s journey – https://lnkd.in/esRMQgSm

I am thankful there is a growing awareness of neurodivergence. Stigma falls when this happens and people get help sooner.

For me, mental health is something many can do for themselves with the right tools and guidance. This is separate to mental illness which requires specific care.

Growing Talent Arrives in Birmingham!

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Currently unemployed?
Live in Birmingham?
Able to get to the City Centre?
Over 18 ? (no upper age limit)
Have Right to Work documents in place or Government share code?
Want to secure a role where your employer will invest in your training and development?
Looking for a job you can grow into a career?

Why not consider applying to Growing Talent?

We are coming to Birmingham City Centre for our information and application event on 26 February 2024.

If you are interested in attending, send an email to jane@thejjc.net stating the area of Birmingham you live and the JobCentre Plus office you come under.

Alternatively, you can speak with your JobCentre/Work Coach direct.

Growing Talent is not a Government programme. You cannot be mandated to take part nor are you automatically given an opportunity.

A business funded initiative, Growing Talent brings together insightful employers, JobCentre Plus, West Midland Combined Authority, community partners and you – currently unemployed talent.

Deadline to register your interest to participate is 21 February 2024.

http://www.growing-talent.co.uk

More employers!

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Our collaboration with @JobCentrePlus and @WMCA in #Birmingham is growing!

@BaxterStorey and @Portico have confirmed attending @Growing_Talent’s Employer Speed Dating event at the end of February joining @PilgrimsRiskManagementGroup and @Pertemps.

If you are an employer in Birmingham and want to recruit a unique way, why not join us?

Get in touch to find out more!

Talking about stepping stones…..

Jane JamesLeave a comment

We’ve all been there.

Procrastinating so much we stop ourselves doing what we really want to do.

It’s easier to stay in our comfort zone than push ourselves forward.

Our minds are naturally built to over amplify risk. When we recognise this, there are techniques we can use to re-train our minds to be the awesome, positive powerhouses they can be.

I was reminded of this today catching up with Chyna who just a few months ago was on Growing Talent terrified of stepping into the, for her, unknown world of of Corporate Security with Lasse Thiemer BA (Hons), CPP and the team at Pilgrims Risk Management Group

What a transformation in just a few short months!

Chyna shared with me she went for an internal promotion last week after encouragement from her team.

What was most powerful, for me, was hearing Chyna say even if she doesn’t get it, it will be new knowledge and experience that will take her forward. It won’t knock her confidence at all.

Many people from Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford, Arianna Huffington, Michael Jordan and many more have all said, in one form or another ‘Failure is a stepping stone to success’ Indeed, I say it on pretty much every Growing Talent programme I run!

So why do some humans beat themselves up when things don’t go to plan? I believe it’s because minds have not been taught how to shut down procrastination.

How many prototypes did Henry Ford come up with before launching the successful Model T Ford car in 1908? Each prototype gave new knowledge on how to do it better – literally a ‘stepping stone to success’!

Be fearless like Chyna. If there is something you want to go for, don’t let your mind procrastinate. If it doesn’t work out – you will learn how to do it better next time.

Go Chyna!

The power of kindness

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Whether I am delivering I-act, or workshops on communication, conflict identification and management, making better connections, building an emotionally intelligent team, empowerment, career development or running Growing Talent, I always lead with kindness and I share the power of doing this with all delegates.

Whatever we say or do, only we know our intention behind that. Those we are speaking with, don’t. They may receive a completely different message based on how we’ve made them feel.

It makes sense in every area of life – work and personal – to lead with kindness.

We don’t always know what someone is dealing with in their life nor the impact it’s having on them.

Leading with kindness enables us to stop, think and empathise – building better workplaces and relationships with little effort or cost.

I was blown away yesterday after speaking with a delegate who had attended one of my I-act courses just over a year ago. They took time out to send me this lovely email (edited to protect them and their organisation).

If anyone doubts the power of kindness, give it a try. The results will astound you.

@I-Act