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Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Get the Balance Right

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Get the Balance Right

The mantra of being ‘balanced in all things’ is a well-established idea, but there is a paradox here. If we are aiming to be balanced in all things, doesn’t that mean we are being extreme (and therefore unbalanced) about being balanced? Shouldn’t we be trying to find a balance between being balanced and unbalanced? ... https://nti.coderra.uk/index.php/get-the-balance-right/
Dr Neil Thompson
August 13, 2015
NICE publish new guidelines on the health and wellbeing of employees

NICE publish new guidelines on the health and wellbeing of employees

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new guidelines which are aimed at helping to improve employee health and wellbeing. The guidelines were developed in response to recent research indicating that 27 million working days were lost due to stress-related illness in 2012-13. The chief aim of the guidance is to build a leadership model which promotes the wellbeing of employees, informed by an understanding of the role corporate culture can play in this. There is particular focus on the role of line managers in developing this model. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=7794015e-2781-452f-8338-e8a4285663dc
Dr Neil Thompson
August 13, 2015
How a music venue made my son with autism feel included at a concert

How a music venue made my son with autism feel included at a concert

My 16-year-old son with autism has two loves in his life: teddy bears and music. He likes the same Top 40 pop songs most kids like; it’s something he gets lost in. He dances with his head. Sometimes, his body is so rigid that other people think he’s awkwardly swaying. With padded headphones, which don’t cause him sensory discomfort, and an iPod, he does his own version of musical head-banging. He’s happy. Over the years, we have included Andrew in nearly everything his siblings do. At 5 feet, 10 inches tall, he may no longer be the cute little boy I could scoop up into my arms during a meltdown in the supermarket, but he belongs in our community.  This…
Dr Neil Thompson
August 13, 2015
Seth Godin’s blog – The other kinds of laziness

Seth Godin’s blog – The other kinds of laziness

There's the obvious sort of laziness, the laziness of not trying very hard, of avoiding strenuous tasks or heavy lifting, of getting others to do your work or not showing up for many hours each day. We're quick to point fingers at others (and ourselves) when we demonstrate this sort of sloth. But there are other sorts of laziness, and they're far more damaging. There's the laziness of racism and sexism, which permits us to write people off (or reward them) without doing the hard work of actually seeing them for who they are ... https://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/08/laziness.html
Dr Neil Thompson
August 13, 2015
Tackle inequality & poverty where you live

Tackle inequality & poverty where you live

We are launching our new campaign to reduce inequality and poverty across the UK. Under the banner of Make My Council Fair we are calling on people everywhere to lobby their local councils to make concrete and practical changes that will reduce inequality and poverty in their areas. Everyone has a council, so everyone can make a difference! People can pursue this campaign individually but we think it will be a lot easier, more effective and more fun if people do it in groups. You can join one of our existing local equality groups here - or you can start one up if there's no group currently near where you live. https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/tackle-inequality-poverty-where-you-live-0
Dr Neil Thompson
August 13, 2015
Learn with Neil Thompson …

Learn with Neil Thompson …

For a limited period Neil is offering membership of his online learning community at a discount of 2/3 rds off – just £40 for a full year! There is more information about the Programme at https://www.avenuemediasolutions.com/the-avenue-professional-development-programme/. Interested? Questions? Email Neil directly at neil@avenuemediasolutions.com.
Dr Neil Thompson
July 30, 2015
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Develop your body language skills

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Develop your body language skills

Communication is so fundamental to most of the things we do in our work as well as in our private lives. One of the most potent forms of communication is body language, the subtle – and sometimes not so subtle – ways in which our body gives off signals or ‘messages’. Sometimes body language reinforces what we are saying – for example, when we say yes and nod at the same time. At other times, body language undermines what we are saying – for example, when, in response to being asked how we are, we say: ‘I’m fine’, but the look on our face says we are anything but fine. https://nti.coderra.uk/index.php/develop-your-body-language-skills/
Dr Neil Thompson
July 30, 2015
‘Mirror’ series captures elderly subjects’ reflections of their younger selves

‘Mirror’ series captures elderly subjects’ reflections of their younger selves

Do you feel your age? In his wistful series "Mirrors," Dallas-based photographer Tom Hussey captures the discrepancy between how old we look and how young we feel with sharp tenderness. The phoographer arrived upon the concept for his bittersweet series after a conversation with an 80-year-old World War II veteran who couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. "He commented that he didn’t understand how he could be 80 years old as he felt he was still a young man. He just didn’t feel it was possible he could be 80 years old," Hussey told the American Society of Media Photographers. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/tom-hussey-mirror-series-shows-elderly-people-looking-at-younger-selves_n_2958505.html
Dr Neil Thompson
July 30, 2015
Being a carer and an employee at the same time

Being a carer and an employee at the same time

Why do so many people with caring responsibilities feel forced to give up work? “When the call came in to say mum had had another emergency episode, my employer was concerned all wasn’t well. It had been another episode in short succession and I had already spent some time away from the office. Of course I rushed to her bedside, but in the back of my mind I knew that I had responsibilities and commitments in the workplace and a contract of employment to adhere to.” https://www.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2015/07/27/it-s-emotional-being-a-carer-and-an-employee-at-the-same-time.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=cipd&utm_campaign=cipdupdate&utm_term=639989&utm_content=290715-3088-2916--20150729090232-Find%20out%20in%20People%20Management%27s%20article
Dr Neil Thompson
July 30, 2015
Food for thought on immigration

Food for thought on immigration

Immigration is not a problem. How we deal with it is. And I don’t mean to suggest that talking about immigration is simply racist. Some of it is xenophobic too. We hear about enforcement, border controls, increasing numbers, a small island, and responses such as Go Home vans or Don’t Come to Britain Campaigns.  These are, some would say, phantom problems that are being addressed in often very costly ways, and it is the migrants who have to bear the brunt of illiberal policies that pay the highest price. Credible evidence about the impact of immigration, gathered by independent academics, media and advocates, tell a different story. In the last few years, as anti-immigration rhetoric has been on the increase,…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 30, 2015