Blog Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Cognoscenti Business Psychologists

Improving Productivity Via Wellbeing

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

Improving productivity does not have to be about buying in new and complicated technology. It does not have to involve extensive process redesign and systems thinking approaches. There are small changes that you can make within your organisation that will improve productivity by reducing some of the factors that have a negative impact on your productivity levels. You are probably already aware of some of the technical factors that impact on your productivity but how much do you know about the ‘...
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GETTING HR TO THE TOP TABLE

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

For decades now HR have complained about not having a seat at the top table and about how they are only brought into events after the decisions have been made. They complain that they are not listened to and lack credibility in the eyes of other Board members, such as finance. So, what should HR do more of or do differently to get more credibility and gain a seat at the top table? Read here how 3 visionary HR Professionals made their way to the top table and what they had to do to get the...
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5 Fears That Stop Managers Managing Mental Health

Posted on August 29, 2017August 29, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

Many managers are sympathetic to the needs of staff. They are able to support staff members and help them manage mental health conditions. Unfortunately, there are also managers who think that they should not have to manage mental health conditions. Managers who think that managing mental health is the job of HR or Occupational Health. There are also managers who think that if they just ignore a staff member’s difficulties, they will just go away. Does this sound like ...
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Big Brother: Emotional Resilience in Contact Centres

Posted on July 31, 2017August 1, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

Contact Centres or call centres as most of us think of them, have had a bad press over the years. They have been described as modern day sweatshops, where staff are treated like cattle and paid low wages. Some Contact Centres may well have deserved this reputation but there are many organisations who recognise that Contact Centre working can be improved. Contact centres are not hazardous in the same way as some working environments e.g. deep-sea fishing. There are, however, unique factors a...
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THE BUSINESS CASE FOR WELLBEING

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

Reduced wellbeing in organisations has serious consequences for both the individuals within the organisation and the organisation itself. When individuals experience reduced wellbeing, they experience a variety of mental and physical symptoms e.g.: Feeling fatigued and overwhelmed Experiencing aches and pains Feeling irritated Low in mood Having less patience Lower confidence levels. Impaired memory Experiencing difficulties in making decisions. The research als...
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THRIVING OR JUST SURVIVING

Posted on April 14, 2017August 2, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

Pressure and performance Life in the 21st century is pretty full-on and we all experience stress from a range of sources e.g. from our work lives, from our home lives and from our own expectations and aspirations. Pressure can be a good thing, in that, we all need a certain amount of pressure to motivate and challenge us and when we experience a level of pressure that we can cope with, we are engaged, happy and perform at our best. When the level of pressure exceeds our ability to cope, howeve...
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AVOID RECRUITING PEOPLE WHO GO OFF WITH STRESS

Posted on March 31, 2017March 31, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

A large public sector client recently asked me if I could design a training programme to help them avoid recruiting people who go off with stress. What Was the Problem with This Request? There are various reasons as to why individuals may fail to perform well in a job and one of those reasons concerns psychological risk e.g. an individual’s ability to cope with pressure. We know that stress has an impact on our performance but we also know that stress is a state not a trait, which means that ...
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Performance Appraisal Encourages a ‘Fixed’ Mind-Set

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Sharon De Mascia

Performance appraisals are carried out with differing degrees of success across organisations but they tend to follow the same formula. Employees are assessed on an annual/twice per year, basis against competencies agreed at the start of the financial year. This type of appraisal reflects a fixed mind-set approach and is likely to facilitate ‘Fixed Mind-Set thinking. What is a Fixed Mind-Set Approach? The concept of ‘Fixed Mind-sets’ and ‘Growth Mind-Sets’ comes from work carried by ...
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Depression and Entrepreneurs: The Downside of Being Up (Video)

Posted on September 28, 2016September 28, 2016 by Sharon De Mascia

If you would prefer to watch the video rather than read the content of this blog, please click on the title: https://youtu.be/L-DRnPwTMhQ I attended a ‘Fearless Talks’ event last week, where Entrepreneurs (including our very own Andy Hall from Business Growth Hub) talked about their experiences of mental health issues. This event offered a very different view of what it means to be an Entrepreneur, which was worlds away from the sexy personas like Richard Branson t...
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Psychometric Testing Event

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Sharon De Mascia

If you or your organisation use psychometric tests or are thinking of doing so, then you should attend this unique event. Join The ‘Chartered Institute of People and Development’ (CIPD), The British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Association of Business Psychologists (ABP) for more Psychologists than you can shake a stick at. Organised by Sharon De Mascia, (Director of Cognoscenti Business Psychologists Ltd). Hosted by Naeema Choudry (Partner and Tribunal Judge) Eversheds LLP. 70 Great B...
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