Welcome to the early spring edition of In Equilibrium

As this is our first edition of 2011 can we begin by wishing you a belatedly Happy New Year, although judging from the supermarket shelves, we should perhaps be wishing you a prematurely Happy Easter!  Although it doesn’t contain any chocolate we hope there will still be a lot to interest you in this edition of In Equilibrium such as:

• A handy stress management tip which encourages you to challenge your initial assumptions about a situation
• A question about the new Equality Act in our Ask the Expert section
• An article which explains the 7 key areas you need to understand and manage if you are to become resilient
• A link to the results of the 2010 TUC survey which put stress as the most common health and safety problem in UK workplaces.

 

In Equilibrium News

Mental Health Awareness Training – we have introduced a new one-day course designed to raise awareness of the stress response and how it impacts on mental health.  Managers will not only learn some of the signs and symptoms of the most common mental health disorders but will also learn the most effective ways of managing someone with either a suspected or diagnosed condition. Discovering how to help their staff cope when a team member is suspected of or diagnosed with a mental health condition is also covered.

Resiliency Training Case Study available – we have recently added a new case study to our website which takes you through the process Suffolk County Council have undergone from deciding, 3 years ago, that they wanted to address the dynamic transformation agenda facing individuals, teams, the service and the council to the present day when over 250 staff and management have received resilience training.

Presentation Skills to Enhance Professional Impact – whether you feel you could benefit from assistance with your presentation skills in general or you have a one-off project to deliver effectively, coaching in this area can enhance your professional impact and help you get the real message across.  We can now offer coaching sessions on either a small group or a 1:1 basis.

Refresher Courses – please contact us if you are interested in refreshing knowledge in any of the areas we offer training.  There are many reasons why refresher courses prove useful.

New Equality Act – You will see in our Ask the Expert section below that the new act has implications within areas of bullying and harassment.

You may also be interested in a short, interactive two hour course which explains the key issues and implications of the diversity aspects of the new Act.

Stress Management Tip

“I waved to Elaine the other day but she seemed to look straight through me.  I wonder what I’ve done?  She was very chatty last time I saw her.”

Ever found yourself worrying about a similar dilemma?

Negative thinking uses a lot of energy, playing the “I wonder” game doesn’t. Find out how to play here …

 

Ask The Expert

In this edition, our consultant Fiona McLaren helps a reader who contacted us with a question about the new Equality Act.

Question I am a recently appointed HR Manager.  Could you give your interpretation of the new act regarding bullying and harassment and the implications for my organisation?

Answer Fiona McLaren, who is an organisational consultant and coach and has many years experience in HR at senior management level, outlines the main areas of the new act in relation to bullying and harassment that the reader should be aware of. 

 

Resources

Why Resilience Matters
In this article our consultant, Dr Angela Brown, explains the 7 key areas which need to be understood and managed in the quest to become resilient.

Stress is the most common Health & Safety Problem in UK workplaces
The TUC’s biennial survey of Safety Reps has recently been published.  The results show stress as the most common health and safety problem in the workplace.  Overwork has been listed as a separate issue from stress for the first time and features in the top five concerns in the workplace along with Bullying and Harassment.

Amanda’s Column

Amanda discovers that her short term memory loss isn’t unique and tries an interesting remedy!

Quotations

“Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” Robert F. Kennedy Politician, Senator & Civil Rights Activist (1925 – 1968)

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” John Maxwell Author, Speaker & Pastor (1947 – )

News from the Outside

Flagship HR survey shows major threat to employers and workforce productivity during fragile economic recovery

The survey of 550 senior HR professionals reveals that employee unrest in the workplace is increasing as longer working hours, stress, austerity measures and a genuine skills gap are taking their toll on the UK workforce.

… and finally

The Water Myth: Debunking the dilution solution

A refreshing little article for anyone who finds that trying to drink the recommended 2 litres of water every day is an uphill struggle.  Read on as you may find it is not as cut and dried a topic as you thought and that the author’s argument is convincing, not to mention very funny.

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter.  We always welcome any comments or suggestions you may have as we use readers’ feedback as a gauge for future content.