Reading Without Borders

Reading a wide variety of subject matters is a key element of expanding one’s horizons, regardless of the sector within which you work.

By engaging with a range of topics – such as philosophy, history and social psychology – you are enhancing your knowledge pool, expanding your vocabulary and strengthening your analytical skills.

These benefits are both demonstrable and transferable; they will stand you in good stead as you write proposals, prepare presentations and engage with the professional world around you.
You may also be pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised at which books you have in common with your clients and colleagues.

So, please read outside your comfort zone and enjoy the multiple advantages it will bring to you personally and professionally.

Photo credit • Kome Otobo

Effective Communication

Are your communication skills up to scratch?
Communicating clearly and persuasively sets you up to have impact and influence.
But what if you’re running on empty?

Expressing your ideas and giving directions when you’re sleep-deprived, burned out, grieving, or in the middle of a brain fog, can feel nearly impossible.

There are communication techniques that meet you where you’re at mentally and emotionally so that you can rise to the occasion:

🗣️ Listen in a way to make others feel heard and understood, not necessarily to agree with them, but to reach a place of understanding before moving on to actually talking.
🗣️ Anchor yourself and try to stay with what the person is saying, to help you be fully present in the moment.
🗣️ Figure out your threshold and your physical, emotional and mental blocks.
If you feel persistently tired, take regular breaks but don’t exceed your endurance limit.

Source • hbr.org

Online Learning & Remote Work: Digital Empowerment

Remote work options have proven instrumental in attracting and retaining underrepresented groups, including women.
A McKinsey report revealed that 71% of companies acknowledge the positive impact of offering remote options in attracting and retaining more employees from diverse backgrounds.

In many parts of the world, women face cultural, societal or logistical challenges that make traditional education inaccessible.
Both online learning and remote work are helping level the playing fields, offering women educational and career opportunities they might not otherwise have had.

The growth and adoption of industry micro-credentials have emerged as a powerful tool in empowering women by providing them with the means to acquire digital skills quickly and transition into higher-paying jobs.
They also provide them with a path to re-enter the workforce after a long career break, and allow them to acquire the new skills required to address the changing nature of jobs.

Online learning and remote work are driving a transformative shift, creating more equal opportunities for women in a society that has long grappled with gender disparities.

Source / weforum.org

Are You Emotionally Intelligent?

Q: What is Emotional Intelligence?
A: Emotional intelligence – sometimes called EQ for emotional intelligence quotient – is the psychology of understanding ourselves and others.

Q: Why is this important?
A: Because the people elements of a project are more critical and rewarding than the technical elements.

Emotional intelligence is a topic that cannot be taught but it can be learned through self-study and reflection as opposed to mandated training.

In summary:
“Individuals and Interactions”
We need to recognise and regulate an understanding of ourselves and then recognise and influence our interactions with others.

Here are some tips for getting started:
• Understand what motivates and demotivates you
• Work on your self-awareness
• Extend self-awareness to self-regulation
• Build empathy through active listening
• Cultivate strong social skills

Source / community.pmi.org