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Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Tolerate silence

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Tolerate silence

In working with people, emotions are never very far away. Being able to tune in to other people’s emotions, to be aware of our own and get the balance of head and heart right is often referred to as ‘emotional intelligence’. A key part of this is being able to tolerate silences. When someone is distressed or otherwise in the grip of strong emotions, they may fall silent, and that silence can feel very uncomfortable for us. We can be very tempted to jump in and ask a question or just fill the gap in some way. Understandable though this may be, it can be quite problematic because we are, in effect, giving the person concerned the message that dealing…
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Spain elects first parliamentarian with Down’s syndrome

Spain elects first parliamentarian with Down’s syndrome

Spain has elected its first parliamentarian with Down's syndrome. Mar Galcerán was voted into Valencia's regional assembly, in the east of the country. She is thought to be the first person with the genetic disorder to join a European regional or national parliament. Her appointment has been called "a huge step forward" and "an example of real inclusion." Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Addressing inequalities: The role of staff race networks

Addressing inequalities: The role of staff race networks

In March 2021 Acas commissioned Essex Business School to undertake an Acas partnership research project on the role of staff race networks. This reflected increasing recognition of the importance of employee network groups, particularly race networks, in helping employers act on equality issues in the workplace, especially those around recruitment and progression. The growth in racism consciousness spawned by the Black Lives Matter political and social movement has renewed interest in the role of race networks in tackling ethnic inequities. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace – Employer toolkit

Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace – Employer toolkit

The Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace toolkit is a free resource. It will help employers create workplaces where women are safe to report incidents of sexual harassment and support employers to respond appropriately – creating environments where sexual harassment does not happen in the first place.  Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Spotlight – The Values-based Practice Manual

Spotlight – The Values-based Practice Manual

Values are at the heart of best practice. This important manual offers a successful blend of theoretical understanding with very helpful practice guidance to enable readers to make sense of the complex but vitally important issues. This is an ideal resource for anyone involved in types of work where success depends on effective engagement with people. Available from https://neilthompson.info/shop/ or Amazon
Dr Neil Thompson
January 11, 2024
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Silence does not equal consent

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Silence does not equal consent

This is a mistake I made many times early in my career: making a suggestion or proposal, having no one object to it and then assuming that the lack of explicit objection constituted agreement to what I had put forward. I then had the unpleasant experience of watching my plans fall apart as people did not cooperate with them or play their part in moving things forward – or even, on some occasions, actively sabotaged what I was trying to do. It only slowly became apparent to me that they were never really ‘on board’ in terms of what I had proposed but, for whatever reason, had chosen not to voice their disagreement. So, there is a very important lesson…
Dr Neil Thompson
January 11, 2024
Dear Stephen: Race and belonging 30 years on

Dear Stephen: Race and belonging 30 years on

Racism is often a matter of life and death. This was never more true than for Stephen Lawrence, a bright young man who dreamed of becoming an architect. Stephen was murdered by racist strangers as he made his way home with a friend in South East London, 30 years ago. The fight for justice that followed, led by Stephen’s grieving parents, has brought us all to know Stephen’s name, and carry forward his legacy. Stephen’s murder changed the country, and was core to progressing racial equality in the UK. This report, produced in partnership by the Runnymede Trust and Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, is intended as a small contribution to mark this difficult anniversary and assess just how far we…
Dr Neil Thompson
January 11, 2024
Public sector morale is in decline

Public sector morale is in decline

Public services in the UK are not in great shape. According to the latest CIPFA/Institute for Government Performance Tracker, every single major public service is performing worse than before the pandemic. This is despite government manifesto commitments to recruit more ‘front-line’ workers such as doctors, nurses and police officers. Cost-cutting and problems with staff retention mean that the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data show that public service productivity is still slightly below its pre-pandemic level. Earlier this year, the UK Chancellor announced an initiative to improve public sector productivity. Without improvement, current spending plans mean performance will get even worse. According to the Institute for Government, one of the causes of these retention problems is declining staff morale.…
Dr Neil Thompson
January 11, 2024