Human Dymensions Newsletter–Feb15
– One of the few positive Safety and Risk Newsletters
Have You Registered? Only Six Weeks To Go.
The inaugural Psychology of Risk Conference is only 6 weeks away and time is running out to register.
You can register here. and, download a conference flyer here.
The line up of keynote speakers is unique and all seminar sessions are delivered by practitioners who are implementing psychology of risk principles in their organisations. All seminar presenters have completed the Graduate Certificate in the Psychology of Risk in 2014.
This is a conference with a difference. There are no lawyers, department heads, regulators or association people on the program. Rather, some rather radical presenters on psychology of risk topics that will ad value to you and your workplace. Participants will receive a complimentary book by Dr Long, a range of psychology of risk tools, conference materials and thumb drive with all seminar and keynote presentations.
The conference is located conveniently (walking distance from North Sydney Station) at the ACU Campus North Sydney. All meals are inclusive ( including the Dinner with Graham Long (CEO The Wayside Chapel) and Breakfast with Matthew Gill (Previously Manager of Beaconsfield).
Don’t miss you chance to win a free registration below.
Conquering Burnout
This is the title of the feature article by Leiter and Maslach in the February Issue of Scientific American Mind. the term ‘burnout’ was popularised in the 1970s and is most associated with exhaustion in the Human Services sector. Some professions are more prone to burnout than others (clergy, social workers, workers in disabilities and community workers).
Burnout often occurs when people are over committed and exhausted without any avenue for rest or respite. This is often exacerbated in the human services sector because sacrifice is expected and the sector is terribly under funded. The 90% of people I trained with in clergy and social work are no longer in those professions.
Two of the indicators of burnout are cynicism and ineffectiveness. Often, these indicators are overlooked and there is no respite for the person. What makes matters worse is that burnout is individual and mental and has no formula. What stresses on person out (distress) can just as easily excite another (eustress). Emotional stress is also supressed in organisations and company cultures that supress confession, conversation and trust. Calculative and absolutist organisations (cultivated through absolutist language and discourse) create a climate of suppression through the ‘harden up princess’ mythology. Most people who suffer burnout in suppressive cultures are isolated, victimised and branded ‘weak’ until burnout turns into an emergency or breakdown. This costs the company and organisation dearly.
Burnout is best managed in empathetic and confessional cultures where leaders understand that not all people are the same and through effective relationships are better able to ‘fit’ people to the right job. Such leadership saves the company a fortune.
The Fat Girl Social Experiment
Social experiments are the foundation of social psychology. Social psychology is all about how social arrangements affect human judgment and decision making. A series of these experiments can be viewed on Youtube and reveal a great deal about how people react and respond to others. The Fat Girl Experiment is one such example but there are many others on Youtube.
What happens when a person is lead to believe one thing and then is confronted by something that doesn’t match? How do people manage contradictions and dissonance? What happens when people expectations are challenged? What are the by-products of social change and confrontation? All of these questions and many more interest the discipline of social psychology.
See what happens in the Fat Guy Experiment and a host of new questions arise associated with prejudice, gender and groupness, all foundational to social psychology.
When we better understand human judgment and decision making, then we will begin to better manage others, leadership, communications and risk in the workplace.
Post Graduate Program, Still Time to Enrol
The Post Graduate Certificate program is nearly full with more than 26 people enrolled in Unit 1 and a cut off at 30 students. If you are considering this program and miss the intake, there will be no new intake till 2016. The continuing Grad Dip Students number more than 20 and they commence in May.
You can view the program outline here.
Read about past participants here and testimonies of past students here.
If you are currently working in a leadership role, tackling human judgment and decsion making at work or want to understand better why people do what they do, then this program is for you.
Competition – Complementary Conference Registration
Here is you chance to get a spot at the Inaugural Psychology of Risk Conference to be held at ACU in 25,26 March 2015. A gift to the value of $675.
All you have to do is write 5 lines explaining why you want to attend and how it will help your work.
Entries close Friday 6 February 2015 at 5pm.
Please address your response to admin@humandymensions.com
The winner will have to provide their own transport and accommodation.
Competition – Book: Following-Leading in Risk
This picture contains the faces of Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Louise of Austria and their son. Can you find them amongst the flowers? If you can, you will need to scan the picture and indicate your findings and email return to admin@humandymensions.com.
In ambiguous pictures like this the brain interprets the same image in two ways, you can see one of two images but can’t see both at once. They are hard to see, but once you have seen them, you can’t ignore them. Our perception changes as does our consciousness.
First 5 correct entries will receive a free copy of Rob and Craig’s book Following-Leading in Risk.
Introducing Gabrielle Carlton and Rob Sams
Gabrielle is one of Human Dymensions most dynamic associates. She has an extensive past in a range of industries including: electrical generation an distribution, construction, government and human services. Affectionately known to the team as ‘Gab’, she has recently completed the Graduate Certificate in the Psychology of Risk and is progressing to the Post Graduate Diploma.
Gab’s vivacious persona makes for quality engagement with everyone who testify to her excellent training and coaching. Gab is currently working with the following Human Dymensions clients including: UGL, Daracon, Schweppes, Delta Group, Hindmarsh, Jemena and a number of Government Departments. Gab also delivers team training programs with Rob Sams who together make a most formidable team.
To get an idea of the dynamics of the Rob and Gab duo, see their helpful series of discussion videos here.
If you would like to chat to Gab or Rob about any Human Dymensions Programs you can contact them at:
gabrielle@humandymensions.com
Dizziness and Falling
It is so easy to fall over, trip or lose balance. It is also so easy to blame someone who falls as being ‘clumsy’ or ‘stupid’. The research shows that 4 in 10 people will experience a serious bout of dizziness in their life time (Scientific American Mind Feb. 2015. p. 18).
There are a host of reasons why people can experience light-headedness. Changes in medication, symptoms of older age, poor circulation, changes in temperature, change in diet, exertion or changes in atmosphere can all play a part of feeling dizzy. Stress and distress also play a part in the way we feel, deep embarrassment or bullying can cause people to feel dizzy and ill. Social arrangements, isolation and victimisation (being pushed out of a group) can also lead to unpredictable physical consequences.
It’s strange how humans quickly attach to ‘silly duffer’ rather than empathy when it comes to simple trips and falls. It seems that everyone else is an idiot and silly except us.
Some of the ways to deal with dizziness is to ensure being hydrated, balanced exercise and diet, ensuring a healthy workplace (including social attachment and belonging), managing work environment and ensuring that workers on medication are properly included in an effective caring team.
Links and New Video Online
There is a new video up on line on Experiential Learning, see here:
http://vimeo.com/humandymensions
If you would like to see a sample video from the Post Graduate Program (with secure password) please make your request to admin@humandymensions.com
Rob’s Latest Book Recommendations on: Safetyhttps://safetyrisk.net/top-20-safety-books/
Rob’s Blog: https://safetyrisk.net/author/rob-long/
Human Dymensions Web Site: http://www.humandymensions.com/
Join the Safety Leadership Group on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/152071534818549/members/
Accreditation in Australia Linkedin Group:
A group formed to discuss concerns about trends to monopolize accreditation and registration of the safety profession in Australia.
http://www.linkedin.com/manageGroupMembers?dispParts=&gid=6697359&memberLevel=PENDING&trk=my_groups-tile-flipmgmt
Social Psychology of Risk Forum:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6745222
Books Deals and Book News
Great News: Risk Makes Sense Sells over 12,000 Copies
Recently the first book in the series on risk, Risk Makes Sense, Human Judgment and Risk sold its 12,000 copy. A great result for a book that is sold on the Internet and not book stores/publishers. It is clear that people (Globally) want to hear a message of how risk and safety can be humanised and made relevant.
The latest book number four Following-Leading in Risk, A Humanising Dynamic continues the series, this time helping leaders focus on skills in developing collaborative and adaptive strategies to build and engage following.
All four books have workshops questions at the conclusion of each chapter with plenty of challenge to assist teams better dialogue and discuss the challneges of managing risk at work.
BULK DEALS. If you with to purchase a set of books for your organisation over 10, a 30% discount is available and savings can also be made on packaging and postage. For more information contact: admin@humandymensions.com
Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below