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The Latest Bulletin

Spotlight – Anti-racism for Beginners

Spotlight – Anti-racism for Beginners

The destructive and dehumanizing effects of racism are quite rightly receiving increased attention. In this short, introductory text, Neil Thompson welcomes this new emphasis but warns against the dangers of oversimplifying complex issues. This is an ideal book for anyone wanting to understand the importance of anti-racism and guidance in taking the necessary steps. Available from here or Amazon
Dr Neil Thompson
August 3, 2021
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Manage your own learning

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Manage your own learning

It is now increasingly being appreciated that self-directed learning is the most effective form of learning. That is, if we are able to identify for ourselves what we want or need to learn and how we are going to learn it, we are likely to be more motivated and the learning gained will be more suited to our own specific needs. Unfortunately, though, many people adopt a passive approach to learning – they assume that it is someone else’s job to take the lead, an ‘expert’ in learning like a teacher, tutor, trainer or mentor. Of course, such people can be very helpful as guides, advisers, sources of encouragement, support and ideas, but the more control we have over our…
Dr Neil Thompson
August 3, 2021
Hybrid and remote working in the North of England: Impact and future prospects

Hybrid and remote working in the North of England: Impact and future prospects

As the full scale and implications of the post-pandemic shift to hybrid working are becoming clearer, this new joint Work Foundation and Newcastle University Business School report provides insight into the challenges and opportunities related to remote working for businesses and places in the North of England. This study, based on secondary data analysis and 33 interviews with businesses and local stakeholders, finds that employee preferences are likely to drive the shift to enduring hybrid working in the months following Government’s removal of the working from home guidance. Our research found that remote working enhanced workers’ sense of flexibility and autonomy, which led to enhanced trust between employers and staff. At the same time, this mode of working blurred boundaries…
Dr Neil Thompson
August 3, 2021
The liking gap – We tend to underestimate the positive first impression we make on strangers

The liking gap – We tend to underestimate the positive first impression we make on strangers

Talking to someone new can be daunting, but such conversations “have the power to turn strangers into friends, coffee dates into marriages, and interviews into jobs,” note the authors of a new paper, published in Psychological Science, which has found that perhaps we shouldn’t feel so anxious about them. Across five studies, the researchers explored what strangers thought about each other after chatting, and they found consistent evidence for what they call a “liking gap” – other people like us more than we think. Though in other areas of life many of us have a rosy-tinted view of our abilities, it seems that we tend to under-estimate how we come across socially. For the first study, Erica Boothby at Cornell…
Dr Neil Thompson
August 3, 2021
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Be prepared for meetings

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Be prepared for meetings

I have run very many training courses where I have asked the group: ‘How many of you prepare for meetings so that you are better equipped to get the best results from the time you are putting in?’. It is very rare for the majority of responses to be in the affirmative and quite often it is as little as 10% or so of the group. And yet, if you think about it, many people spend a great deal of time in meetings, much of which can be wasted, unproductive (if not counterproductive) time if it is not focused enough. It can therefore be helpful to do some pre-meeting preparation by asking yourself: (i) What do I want out of…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 20, 2021
Five key wellbeing themes for 2021

Five key wellbeing themes for 2021

The CIPD and Simplyhealth’s Health and Wellbeing at Work report has been sharing trends and insights into workplace wellbeing for more than two decades. Our latest report, surveying more than 650 UK organisations, examines key wellbeing themes – crucially, this year, through the lens of the pandemic. For over a year now, employers have been dealing with the huge challenges presented by Covid-19. While employee wellbeing was already steadily rising up the corporate agenda, the last 12 months have really thrust it centre stage. With this in mind, we explore five of the most topical themes from this year’s findings: 1. More than two-fifths of businesses are ‘extremely concerned’ about the impact of the pandemic on employees’ mental health 2.…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 20, 2021
Social care: A guide to attracting and retaining a thriving workforce

Social care: A guide to attracting and retaining a thriving workforce

With an estimated workforce of 1.52 million, the adult social care sector plays a significant role in the UK labour market. Over the years ahead it will need to rapidly expand further to meet growing demand. But the sector faces long-standing challenges which have been made more acute by the pandemic and recent changes to immigration policy. From attracting individuals with the right qualities to retaining skilled staff and developing routes to progression, care providers are struggling to build and sustain their workforce. The guide aims to support care providers navigating these challenges, highlighting key insights from our research and offering recommendations for employers and government to create long-term solutions for a thriving workforce. Our research found that perceptions of…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 20, 2021