Assuming Positive Intent
The best book I have ever read on developing people skills is “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen MR Covey. In the book Covey says, “We judge ourselves according to our intentions but we judge other people according to their behaviour and make assumptions about their intentions.”
Communicating with People You Don’t Get on With
Schools are busy, people places. Some people are easier to get along with than others. At times we will need to work with people we don’t necessarily get along with. The following are the five tips for communicating with people we find difficult to get on with. Acknowledge other people’s feelings and points of view
Countering Workplace Gossip
Let me start by saying that I am not against sharing personal news and accessing support from colleagues at school. However, friendly work banter is quite different from gossip, which can be quite destructive to workplace relationships, morale and productivity.
Ode to Staff in Schools
This Happy School article is a special edition to mark World Teachers’ Day. In Australia and New Zealand the day is celebrated on the last Friday in October. The ode recognises the impact all staff in schools have on the young people we are trusted with.
Avoiding Year End Burnout
The final term of the school year is a crazy, busy time in schools. End of year events, final assessments, reporting and planning for next year, swamp us at a time when we are nearing exhaustion. Many of us are running low on reserves at the end of the year. Events that wouldn’t normally irritate us can become blown out of proportion. It is inevitable that the photocopier will jam when we are rushing to make copies, that difficult parent will arrive when we are feeling frazzled and the boss will want ‘just a minute’ when we are running late. The following five strategies can help at this difficult time of year:-
1000 Awesome Things
In “The Book of Awesome”, author Neil Pasricha provides a catalogue of universal little pleasures we all share. The book is intended to help us focus on the many little things that give us pleasure rather than the few things that annoy and frustrate us. In his book Pasricha highlights the things we take for granted. This philosophy applies in schools too!
Why Being Hard on Yourself Creates Failure
At times we can be our own harshest critic. Are you one of the millions of people who compare yourself to others, judge yourself harshly and are frequently hard on yourself? Do you worry about not being ‘enough’ or not having ‘enough?’
Drowning in Life?
Here are 7 things that will help NOW Reduce the number of decisions you need to make in any given day – Decision making is incredibly tiring under normal circumstances – when we’re feeling overwhelmed, even more so. Some ideas for reducing the number of decisions you make each day include eating the same thing for breakfast every day, getting up at the same time every morning, developing a work uniform and doing a meal plan so you don’t have to decide ‘what’s for dinner’ at 5pm.
The 5-Second Rule
A Game-Changer for Staff in Schools Working in schools is demanding. It requires quick decision-making whilst juggling multiple responsibilities. Sometimes, hesitation and overthinking can hold us back from taking action. This is where Mel Robbins’ “The 5-Second Rule” can make a big difference.
Is Sleeplessness Killing Your Productivity- Part 2
Last week, in Part 1 we looked at the factors contributing to sleeplessness. You don’t need to have young children or a sleep disorder to have a restless night’s sleep. Most people have difficulty sleeping, particularly when stress is involved. According to the Sleep Health Foundation, one in three people have mild insomnia.
Is Sleeplessness Killing Your Productivity- Part 1
Does this sound familiar? Worries and negative thoughts enter your head at night and become magnified. You check the time. 2.59am. You tell yourself ‘Go back to sleep’. Your neck, back and shoulders ache and you can’t get comfortable. The stress builds! Pretty soon the mind starts racing and worries from your day merge with anxiety about not being able to sleep.
7 Things Productive People Do Every Day
Schools can be crazy busy places. The most common response you hear when you ask someone who works in a school, how they are, is busy! However, there is a fine line between being busy and being productive. Here are seven tips from international best-selling author Tim Ferriss.