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Archive for the ‘Communication Skills’ Category

Feedback Conversations Online

Posted by Matteo Trevisan

Let’s talk about feedback conversations online. It’s challenging in person, even more so online.

But let me ask you first, Would you feel safer knowing people were honest with their feedback, or if they withheld opinion or obscured their truth? The answer seems pretty obvious yet our reactions don’t always match our intentions. It would be great if everyone took the attitude that Marcus Aurelius took, one of the great emperors of the Roman empire and Stoic Philosopher:

If anyone can refute me‚ show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective‚ I’ll gladly change.

It’s the truth I’m after.

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shaking virtual hands for online training

Supporting wellbeing while working remotely

Posted by Annemarie Estess

With so many of us working remotely and generally spending time apart, how can we take care of our mental, emotional and social wellbeing?

Working from home…

This used to be a statement of freedom and flexibility. In the era of COVID-19 it’s becoming a phrase that brings up mixed emotions and logistical complexity.

Here in the UK we don’t yet know a timeline, but likely in the coming weeks and months many people will be working remotely either by requirement or by preference. 

Reframe the phrase 

It may seem minor but the language we use can influence our experience of this situation. Terms like “isolating”, “lockdown” and “social distancing” sound like fast tracks to anxiety and loneliness. 

For the sake of our sanity it’s important that we get clear about what we are really doing and for what purpose: physically distancing ourselves to help minimise transmission risk. We can choose to talk about it as being physically distant and socially connected. 

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The amazing power of conversations

Posted by Susie Heale

Conversations are the foundation of so many things. Understanding, decisions, relationships, progression, clarity, direction… and when conversations are done badly over time the very same things erode.

We have been thinking about conversations this week and decided to look for some inspiration on TED. This talk by Celeste Headlee is so simple (and fun!) and we feel really aligned to it here at Aspire.

Some of our favourite parts are around listening which is an extremely powerful connecting skill.

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