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Where are the women?

Where are the women?

The Scottish National Party have hit out at the UK Government ... accusing them of just paying "lip service" to the issue of gender equality. This comes as figures, that whilst publicly available have only now been examined by the SNP, reveal that women make up just a third, or 68 out of 200, of the members of the UK Government's departmental boards, which are responsible for providing "strategic leadership" for each government department. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/accusations-of-stark-inequalities-in-heart-of-whitehall-as-gender-imbalance-on-governmental-boards-revealed-10383386.html
Dr Neil Thompson
July 16, 2015
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Don’t make decisions when feelings are running high

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Don’t make decisions when feelings are running high

As human beings, we are, of course, emotional creatures just as much as we are rational, if not more so. This means that any attempt to understand human actions without taking account of the emotional dimension is likely to be, at best, incomplete and potentially totally misleading. Part of the reason emotions are so significant is that our emotional response to a situation can actually change the way our body reacts. For example, if we are anxious, angry or frightened, there can be increased levels of adrenaline in our blood stream (the classic ‘fight or flight’ mechanism) and this can have a powerful effect on our behaviour. In effect, our emotional reaction has triggered a biological reaction that is preparing…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 1, 2015
The Power of Introverts

The Power of Introverts

In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated. https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts
Dr Neil Thompson
July 1, 2015
Seth Godin’s blog – The tragedy of small expectations

Seth Godin’s blog – The tragedy of small expectations

Ask a hundred students at Harvard Business School if they expect to be up for a good job when they graduate, and all of them will say "yes." Ask a bright ten-year old girl if she expects to have a chance at a career as a mathematician, and the odds are she's already been brainwashed into saying "no." Expectations aren't guarantees, but expectations give us the chance to act as if, to trade now for later, to invest in hard work and productive dreaming on our way to making an impact. Expectations work for two reasons. First, they give us the enthusiasm and confidence to do hard work. Second, like a placebo, they subtly change our attitude, and give us…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 1, 2015
Emotionally intelligent leaders

Emotionally intelligent leaders

Understanding the new demands placed on workers and how to manage a stressed workforce is challenging. Gender differences compound the problem. According to a new study by Erin Reid, a professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business,  organizational pressures are producing conflict within professionals and men and women respond differently. "Women who had trouble with the work hours tended to take formal accommodations, reducing their work hours...In contrast, many men found unobtrusive, under-the-radar ways to alter the structure of their work," Reid explained. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246190
Dr Neil Thompson
July 1, 2015
Entrenching inequality

Entrenching inequality

Public transport is a significant and escalating cost for many people. But while transport may be a drain on the finances of some, for others the cost is far more debilitating. This matters, as it means the poorest in society are unable to travel as far or as often, limiting their ability to compete with the better off for jobs and decent pay. This report reveals how this inequality is embedded within our transport system through government subsidies, further increasing overall economic inequality. https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/taken-ride-how-uk-public-transport-subsidies-entrench-inequality
Dr Neil Thompson
July 1, 2015
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Extend, Recover, Renew

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Extend, Recover, Renew

A widely accepted way to build muscle strength is to exercise just beyond what you are comfortable with (extend), give yourself time to get back to normal after the exertion (recover) and then start the process again when you are ready, so that it is a constant process of renewal. If you don’t extend, you won’t build muscle strength; if you don’t allow time for recovery you risk muscle strain and potentially serious injury. If you extend and recover just the once, you will not make much headway in terms of muscle development, so renewal needs to be part of the process too. The same logic can be broadly applied to other aspects of our development in terms of thoughts,…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 18, 2015
When a co-worker is bereaved – food for thought from one writer’s perspective.

When a co-worker is bereaved – food for thought from one writer’s perspective.

In 2003, Allison Ellis was in a new job after taking some time off to have her first child. She had been hired as an independent marketing consultant to get a new website off the ground for a company and was just getting rolling on hiring her team and creating a budget. One Sunday, the day before she was supposed to make a presentation to executives, her 39-year-old husband, who had been training for a marathon, died suddenly from a heart attack, leaving her with a 10-month-old daughter. She took a week to arrange the funeral and memorial service and then went back to work. “I went straight to office, and she said, ‘Listen, nobody knows what to do with…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 18, 2015