NEW Program: Back to the Future Part I. The Skills Necessary to Succeed Post Pandemic

The world has changed. And so must we. But don’t despair, the changes are easy. Certain skills have always been prized in the workplace, but now a few of those are simply going to be more prominent. Post pandemic research is pointing squarely at three particular skills that will be needed: self-direction, empathy, and resilience.

Working remotely or in hybrid mode requires a new level of self-discipline and self-direction. It requires an attitude of, ‘I can do this on my own.’ Albert Bandura, a renowned Canadian social psychologist, coined the term self-efficacy. He defined this to mean ‘the belief that one is capable of organizing and executing certain behaviors or reaching certain goals.’

In other words…it’s the ability to get things done!

The question is, can we enhance our levels of self-efficacy? The short answer is yes, and Albert Bandura shows us how. This program explores the four ways we can all learn to be more self-directed: Mastery, Modelling, Persuasion, and Psychology.

The cornerstone of Emotional Intelligence has always been empathy. The need for empathy is more important than ever simply because we’re now more removed from one another. The ability to appreciate (use our imagination) the perspective of the other is crucial to our communication success. Empathy is not about feeling sorry for someone, it’s about truly understanding them. This program allows participants to experience what real empathy feels like and guides them to use it in their personal and professional lives.

Finally, with change comes uncertainty. Uncertainty can be disconcerting. Being mentally strong is the antidote. Being resilient is one of the most liberating mindsets a person can have. The ability to unburden oneself of negative thinking, to be realistic and not reactionary is a gift. To be calm and relaxed provides people the chance to think clearly, respond constructively, and perform with clarity and conviction. The simple, well proved, strategy to being resilient has participants looking at themselves and their circumstances in a whole new way.

Participants will,

Empathy (being our best self)

• Listen to make every person feel important and understood
• Appreciate the importance and power of empathy to career success
• Incorporate empathy to be at our best during difficult interactions
• Choose and apply specific communication strategies to maximize their persuasive influence
• Harness the emotional component to assertiveness in promoting ideas

Resilience (overcoming self-imposed barriers)

• Uncover the underpinning of confidence: realistic self-regard, positive perceptions.
• Appreciate the think, feel, behave dynamic and how reality testing improves our attitude
• Program yourself for success through accurate thinking
• Learn to tolerate the stresses of that upset our balance and affect our performance

Self-Direction (motivating oneself to do well)

• Tap into what intrinsically motivates us to do and be better.
• Practice simple techniques to add autonomy, mastery and purpose into our lives
• Learn to make choices independent of others for the intrinsic value of doing well