HR musings with added sparkle!
A bit of fun to start our working week! It is safe to say that we can all pretty much agree that Monday is not the most exciting day of a week, and it is always hard to get back into the swing of things at work after a nice relaxing weekend.
Today is labelled “Blue Monday” which is officially declared as the most depressing day of the year (unless you really didn’t grab that essential Black Friday purchase of course!)
Continue reading “Brightening up Blue Monday”
“Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.”
Walt Disney
One common question I get asked all the time when I’m talking about my blog is “how do you find inspiration to write about all this stuff?”
Firstly, there is always a deep meaning behind every one of my published blog posts (there’s over 200 of them now!) and whilst it is not intended to be positive vibes everywhere, it is just how it has turned out, being a naturally positive person gives it direction which comes through naturally in my work. Secondly it helps to be passionate about the subject matter, you never know how you might inspire others through your experiences, this is something I never take for granted.
Continue reading “Take time to look up once in a while!”
“We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting upon our experiences”
John Dewey
What a month July has been! We’ve seen plenty of sunshine and despite the soaring temperatures, I am continuing to focus upon my development both in my personal and professional life.
Sometimes it is easy to give advice rather than taking your own, and often I don’t reflect as much as I feel I should. So after reflecting on all of my goings on over the past month, it has really helped me to hit the refresh button as I begin to prepare for my CIPD exam in September so August is already looking pretty hectic but I now realise that saying no can sometimes be a good thing!
Reflection is not about beating yourself up or being overly critical, it is about identifying how we can improve things. If we remain static, we are not learning anything and those vital experiences can get lost amongst the busyness of our daily lives, so after a rocky few months, I am finally feeling much more focused and keen to improve in all areas of my life.
Continue reading “July reflections”
“Being a father means you have to think fast on your feet. You must be judicious, wise, brave, tender, and willing to put on a frilly hat and sit down to a pretend tea party.”
Matthew Buckley, Fatherhood: The Manliest Profession
The debate around parental leave is one that seems to be ongoing and in light of the latest British Social Attitudes survey, the results demonstrate that despite being in 2019, that there is still a strong view towards mothers taking the lead on parental leave.
Despite the shifting dynamics of UK households, a time where women have a focus upon their career and are quickly becoming the main source of income within thousands of households, it begs the question; what can we do to change the view on fathers taking time out to bring up their children equally with mothers?
Continue reading “Working fathers need flexibility too! Encouraging gender equality in parenting”
“We all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is”
Michelle Obama
Do you ever feel like a fraud? Are you ever overcome with feelings of doubt in respect of your capabilities at work? If so, then you could be one of the thousands of people who experience imposter syndrome.
I have just finished reading Michelle Obama’s book for the second time and this particular subject, whilst it certainly isn’t new, is one that so many overlook and it can be a really confidence knock. It was a part of her book that really resonated with me, many times in my career I have experienced not being taken seriously, that led me to think that there is a problem with how I present myself to others.
Continue reading “What is imposter syndrome and how can you overcome it?”
Natalie Ellis HR 