Humansolutions Bulletin - March 9th 2021

Have you joined the Neil Thompson Academy yet?. There you will find information about Neil’s books, e-learning provision and his other services. Membership is free and gives access to a growing number of free learning resources. Don’t miss out, sign up today at www.NeilThompson.info.

In conflict situations it is not uncommon for one or more parties to feel that they are being persecuted, that they are being treated unfairly. This is often due to the conflict concerned revolving around different perceptions of the situation. For example, where there are two people in conflict it is very common for each to perceive the other as being ‘difficult’ or ‘awkward’ – that is, each seeing the situation in personal, rather than interpersonal, terms. Where this occurs the result can be what is known as the ‘drama triangle’. This is where one person in the conflict (who plays the role of victim) draws in a third party to seek support (to be a rescuer) against the other…

Let’s face it, looking back on 2020, there have been very few positives. But could we at least say that we have seen an increase in awareness of race equality? There has certainly been a surge in the sales of books on anti-racism, people have protested for more action on racial equality and there have been a number of notable TV programmes about black history. The big question though is: has this awareness translated into action in our workplaces? I think there are some signs that it has, but we must keep the momentum going. Being an ‘ally’ is an important part of this. Click here to read more

Conflict is always in the headlines. Whether it’s the leader of KPMG telling hundreds of staff to “stop moaning” about the impact of the pandemic, the chaotic parish council Zoom meeting, which inspired countless memes, or the latest rift at Buckingham Palace with Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down as working royals. Disputes have always had the potential to harm or even destroy an organization’s reputation, but now it’s more likely than ever. Not only does technology give employees the means to share issues far and wide, but the social climate has changed, and people are more likely to speak out. Leaders need to be aware of the potential reputational risk of mismanaged conflict, and organizations and individuals need to…

There are plenty of ways to measure austerity. Before, during and after the budget this week, voters will hear Rishi Sunak herald the end of tight spending as the government builds a bridge from the pandemic to a glorious recovery. What economists do when they want to kick the tyres on such claims is look at the Treasury’s books. They want to see whether public spending is contracting or expanding. And if there is a squeeze, we can be said to be living in a period of austerity. In the period when George Osborne was chancellor, his supporters would claim that after the first two years of his reign, the spending taps were turned on again and austerity was no…

Facebook page Facebook Social Work Focus group LinkedIn Twitter YouTube channel Neil’s website The humansolutions website