The School of Life

Most businesses run into trouble not through a lack of technical skills, but because they fail to appreciate the role that emotions play in determining whether or not a group of humans can work together effectively. That’s why we set up The School of Life at Work: a place for learning about and developing those critical human skills that define the success of individuals and teams. Watch our film to learn more about what we do – and discover all the different ways we can help to upskill your business. https://lnkd.in/eVU5jG56

1. The powerful are the accepted targets of satire. It is hugely to our collective credit that we have come to find it unacceptable for the strong to mock the weak. We now reserve our sarcasm, jibes and fault finding for those we think can take it. 2. You have to become a poet. The leader needs to be a poet because they need to make the project of the company motivational; out of the millions of things they could say they need to find the things that speak to the heart of the people they lead. 3. You have to leave your old friends To become a leader is to undergo a change of this kind. Some earlier (and very nice) versions of oneself will have to be packed away. The sarcastic genius may not be coming back. There’s a habit of stressing the benefits and understating the negatives of major developments in life. The position of being the boss, joining the leadership team or generally having more responsibility and power seems enviable. But as we’ve been seeing, it’s got considerable difficulties and troubles that come with it too. To learn more, click the link here: Link: https://lnkd.in/eQPPbHBg

The way we work is changing. In the workplaces of the future, the skills that matter most will be those that machines cannot master – namely, human skills: creativity, leadership, empathy, innovation and emotional intelligence. Join a collective of multi-disciplinary professionals with the shared vision of placing human skill development at the centre of employee experiences. Through a series of in-person and virtual events, the circle meets to discuss how to future-proof professional development, and shape the most powerful ideas in workplace learning today – and tomorrow. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eYGetPzW

When Thomas Edison showed off the first light bulb, it hardly looked like the world was about to be transformed. It was a bizarre-looking contraption, utterly unlike anything people would want in their homes. Gas was (at first) so much safer and cheaper. Potential backers were deeply sceptical. But when the great banker J. P. Morgan saw it, he grasped its possibilities at once. The bulb looked ridiculous, but only in superficial ways. Morgan saw past what was odd and off-putting and recognised an eternal idea in a strange guise. The banker was good at what we would call pattern recognition. He had the confidence and wisdom to see continuity when others thought only in terms of ugly rupture. He had seen change before, with railroads and steel, and had understood these as new approaches to age-old problems. We can imagine how a mind like Morgan’s would respond to the technologies of the future: to AI, biotech, virtual reality, and more. Not as strange aberrations to be scorned and shunned, but as only the latest stage in a legacy of innovation that stretches back to the stone age. Innovation is often dislocating; people instinctively resist what they don’t immediately understand. But by adopting a change mindset, we can learn to embrace change and see potential where others see only pitfalls. Managing Change is one of The School of Life at Work’s curriculum of 60+ emotional skills to help your employees thrive at work – and grow as people. Follow the link to learn more. https://lnkd.in/eVU5jG56

Many of us begin the working week by making a to-do list: a catalogue of all the many tasks we hope to complete by its end. But there can be enormous benefits in making a different sort of commitment alongside: something to keep us focused on the big picture and the things that really matter in life. Each week, we’ll be suggesting a commitment to carry with you through the days ahead. A little reminder to yourself to keep your larger goals in mind and aid your wellbeing. Find out more about how The School of Life at Work partners with businesses to create better workplaces for all. https://lnkd.in/eVU5jG56

The difference between success and failure in business depends to an overwhelming degree on our employees’ levels of emotional skill, intelligence and maturity – and how we can support them in developing all three. Our library of +60 emotional skills transform the working environment and help individuals and teams move towards greater self-awareness, maturity and cooperation.

The modern workplace has brought us a range of extraordinary benefits and joys, including new technologies and the option of a more flexible working pattern. But it can also feel as though modern working practices have plunged us ever deeper into agitation, worry and panic; never before in the history of humanity have we expected so much from ourselves – or from life more broadly. There’s still time to join our new 6-week online professional course, Navigating The Modern Workplace. Consisting of six 2-hour workshops from The School of Life at Work’s Wellbeing Journey, it identifies a range of themes that present acute challenges to our wellbeing at work and provides strategies and techniques to overcome obstacles with insight, creativity and patience. 10th September – 15th October 2024 Workshops (6:30pm-8:30pm): 10th September: Being Well 17th September: Anxiety 24th September: Confidence 1st October: Resilience 8th October: Adaptability 15th October: Purpose Find out more here https://lnkd.in/e_U_SH-r

Most of us can think of quite a few things we’d like to improve about the workplace – though few ever find the courage to voice our suggestions. But we shouldn’t fear raising concerns or making suggestions: the difference between a happy and an unhappy office can come down to one employee with the courage to speak truth to power. At The School of Life at Work, we create corporate learning experiences that develop the emotional skills proven to significantly enhance individual and organisational wellbeing. Visit our website by following the link. https://lnkd.in/eVU5jG56

Some of what makes office life awkward is that it asks us to tread a fine line between being efficient and focused, and being genial and human. We mustn’t appear robotic but nor should we gush naively. This is especially important with stock enquiries like: Did you have a nice weekend? How we handle such a question is a minor but key indicator of how well we have made our peace with the delicate compromises of professional existence. On the surface, this question could be asked by a close friend or psychotherapist. You might explain personal issues and existential doubts. If you were to launch into such a rendition at 9.03am with your colleague from sales, you’d overstep the limits of their curiosity and be marked as a garrulous, naive egotist. Being professional means denying the complexities of human nature. Office life does make some peculiar demands on us. We cannot be properly ourselves, but nor can we be entirely faceless either. We are meant both to care – and not really to care. It’s a dance – and an especially taxing one for those among us who prize sincerity and authenticity. To learn more, click the link here: https://lnkd.in/eXVBRYjv