Psychology@Work

What is human-centred change and why do leaders need to know about it?

When it comes to change, there are some principles which apply to all contexts and one philosophy that is most likely to lead to a successful outcome, whatever your leadership situation: aim for ‘human-centred change’.

Enjoy!

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a topic which is getting more and more attention in today’s workplace. And rightly so. In today’s podcast, I would like to take you through a basic introduction to DEI. And by the way, I recognise my perspective and my privilege in doing this: I identify as a middle aged straight white male, meaning that I fall into none of the protected characteristics groups that define DEI’s focus. 

Enjoy!

Today’s podcast gives you some guidelines on how to use your strengths, and the strengths of others, when facing changes large and small. And while my podcasts focus on work, actually, these principles can be applied equally well to your home life too. 

Using your strengths during change puts your brain on a more positive footing, enabling it to help you make the changes with the minimum of pain and the maximum of energy.

Enjoy!

A question I get asked often is, what is the difference between strengths and competencies – are they the same thing, or different ways of looking at the same thing, or are they different things completely? 

Today’s podcast is a response to those questions. 

Dr. Paul Brewerton is bringing you the 4 top strategies for dealing with strengths in overdrive.

Before you can go to those strategies though, you need to lay the groundwork and that means knowing your overdrive risks and knowing your triggers. So let’s go there first.

Hi, my name's Dr Paul Brewerton, The Strengths Guy, Doctor of Organisational Psychology and founder and Chair of Strengthscope. Today, I’m excited to welcome back to the show Steph Tranter.

Now a couple of years back, Steph very kindly talked about her experience of using strengths in her consulting work and that conversation is Podversation 19 – Making strengths work for your business. It remains one of our most downloaded podversations, so do please check it out.

But today, I want to get more into what Steph focuses on as part of her consultancy work – helping people manage their emotions more effectively. Welcome back Steph!

Another thing to say is that this is the first podversation that we’re recording on video so as ever Steph, you’re trailblazing – this means that listeners will also be able to watch our convo, as well as listen to it on all the major podcast platforms.

We are all attuned to making judgements about how the hierarchy of whatever we have in our minds at that moment works – fame, wages, social value, height, attractiveness – whatever we’re using as a criterion, humans are really attuned to making judgements about relative position in order to assess how we’re doing.

But there are some limitations to these very human urges when it comes to developing win-win relationships. A win-win relationship is a situation where both parties are able to meet their own needs and the needs of the other person.

Have a listen as we dive in more into this topic.

I’m back after a summer break of no work and no podcasting, I’m feeling refreshed and delighted to be able to reconnect with you and get back to the topic of strengths and how your strengths can support you day to day throughout your entire life.

In today’s podcast, I want to take a request from one of our listeners, also a question I’m often asked when speaking to our strengths practitioner community and give you my thoughts on the nature-nurture debate, with a specific focus on strengths. So the question I’m posing myself is ‘to what extent are our strengths inherited from our parents (that’s nature) and to what extent do we develop them independently of genetics (that’s nurture)?’. So let’s go. 

Dr. Paul Brewerton, The Strengths Guy, discusses the emerging idea of Adaptability Quotient with Scott Christie, Head of Training and Integration from Strengthscope. They will talk about what AQ is and how it can be developed. Plus, how you can develop AQ using strengths. There will also be some bonus material. 

Listen to Maximise your Adaptability Quotient using strengths with Scott Christie.

When it comes to your development and growth, how can you stretch yourself safely? How can you continue to develop and grow and learn and improve, or move to the next level of performance, without feeling that you might just end up toppling over a cliff into an uncontrolled descent?

Today’s podcast is about stretching safely. It’s about recognising that to get out of your comfort zone, you need to experience discomfort. And it’s about taking your strengths with you as a way of feeling confident about the challenge you’ve taken on.

Listen to this week's podcast, Getting out of your comfort zone safely with the art of stretching strengths.