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Fat Cat Friday 2019

Fat Cat Friday 2019

By early afternoon on the first Friday of 2019, the average FTSE100 CEO will have already been paid what it will take a typical UK worker all year to earn Friday 4 January 2019 is “Fat Cat” Friday. In just three working days, the UK’s top bosses make more than a typical full-time worker will earn in the entire year, according to calculations from independent think tank the High Pay Centre and the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 10, 2019
How the best leaders resolve workplace conflicts

How the best leaders resolve workplace conflicts

Leaders in the workplace have to wear several hats and perform a lot of procedural and cultural functions. Maybe one of the most critical, as well as the most difficult to master, is conflict resolution. You won't like hearing this, but every leader's approach to this will, and must, be different. There are no two identical matches between team and leader anyplace in the world. That means your mileage might vary when it comes to following these conflict tips for leaders. However, we bet there's something here that might help you think differently, or maybe just a little more empathetically, next time it falls to you to diffuse workplace tension or manage a conflict. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 10, 2019
Two new practice manuals published

Two new practice manuals published

Following the success of The Social Worker’s Practice Manual, we are pleased to announce the publication of two further manuals: The Learning from Practice Manual by Neil Thompson and The Care of Older People Practice Manual by Dr Sue Thompson. They are available by clicking here or from Amazon using the links below.
Dr Neil Thompson
December 6, 2018
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Have a ‘Not to Do’ list

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Have a ‘Not to Do’ list

Having a to do list is a long-established and very wise idea. It is so very easy to forget about something that you need to do. Important things can slip away if we have not made a note of them. One key advantage of having a to do list is that, when it gets too long, it is giving us two important messages: We may be trying to do too much and thereby be overstretching ourselves, On my Time and Workload Management e-learning course, I talk about four important principles, and one of those is: Too much work is too much – that is, we all have limits to what we can reasonably get through in terms of work or other tasks.…
Dr Neil Thompson
December 6, 2018
Ways to support LGBT staff in the workplace

Ways to support LGBT staff in the workplace

Stonewall, Britain’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality, published a recent report revealing worrying trends in discrimination throughout the workplaces of Britain. The research, which was made public in April 2018, showed that “more than a third of LGBT staff (35 per cent) have hidden that they are LGBT at work for fear of discrimination.” Additionally, Stonewall found that “nearly two in five bi people (38 per cent) aren’t out to anyone at work. Inclusivity should be a priority in all workplaces. Ensuring that each and every member of the team feels valued, appreciated and understood is of paramount importance, and there’s so much that businesses can do to make improvements in this area. Click here to…
Dr Neil Thompson
December 6, 2018
James Clear – How to get motivated when you don’t feel like it

James Clear – How to get motivated when you don’t feel like it

You’ve probably noticed that it’s hard to be motivated all the time. No matter what you are working on, there are bound to be days when you don’t feel like showing up. There will be workouts that you don’t feel like starting. There will be reports that you don't feel like writing. There will be responsibilities that you don’t feel like handling. And there will be “off days” when your energy and emotions are in the gutter. These fluctuations are part of life, and I face these motivational challenges just as much as the next person. However, for the important things in my life, I’ve also developed a system for dealing with these “off days.” Click here to read more…
Dr Neil Thompson
December 6, 2018
Statement on Visit to the United Kingdom, by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

Statement on Visit to the United Kingdom, by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

The UK is the world’s fifth largest economy, it contains many areas of immense wealth, its capital is a leading centre of global finance, its entrepreneurs are innovative and agile, and despite the current political turmoil, it has a system of government that rightly remains the envy of much of the world.  It thus seems patently unjust and contrary to British values that so many people are living in poverty. This is obvious to anyone who opens their eyes to see the immense growth in foodbanks and the queues waiting outside them, the people sleeping rough in the streets, the growth of homelessness, the sense of deep despair that leads even the Government to appoint a Minister for suicide prevention…
Dr Neil Thompson
December 6, 2018
New performance management research

New performance management research

This report looks at employers' use of PM systems in different operational contexts. The purpose of different PM systems and the values underpinning them are explored, as are their various components and the design and implementation issues being encountered. An account of emerging trends in PM system design is also presented, with some of the important challenges that organisations currently face in this area being highlighted. Click here to view the report
Dr Neil Thompson
December 6, 2018
25% off Neil Thompson titles with code THOMPSON25

25% off Neil Thompson titles with code THOMPSON25

Neil Thompson is a highly respected writer and developer of online learning resources, with over 40 years’ experience in the people professions. His titles are firm favourites on the Red Globe Press Social Work list: from the popular guide to reflective practice (co-authored with Sue Thompson) The Critically Reflective Practitioner, to specific explorations of complex ethical issues within the field of Social Work, such as Promoting Equality, Social Problems and Social Justice, and Anti-Discriminatory Practice. To celebrate 25 years of Neil Thompson’s publishing on the Red Globe Press Social Work list, they are offering 25% off all his titles when you use code THOMPSON25 at the checkout. Click here to browse the range of titles and place an order
Dr Neil Thompson
November 22, 2018
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Don’t get trapped in a saying

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Don’t get trapped in a saying

Sayings can be very useful ways of briefly capturing important elements of wisdom. For example, the idea of ‘better safe than sorry’ has no doubt helped many people to avoid making rash decisions or launching into situations unprepared. So, they clearly have an important role to play as elements of whatever culture we are brought up in (different cultures will have different sayings, but there will, of course, be many common themes). But, it isn’t all good news. This is because, for one thing, sayings can be contradictory. Compare ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ with ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’. Sayings therefore have limitations, and so we need to be careful and critical in how we use them.…
Dr Neil Thompson
November 22, 2018