Psychology@Work

Today I want to give you seven top tips for getting the best from feedback, particularly when giving it, but with a couple of references to receiving feedback too. 

The question at Strengthscope that we pose ourselves regularly is, how can we support our clients to create strengths-based cultures? To truly breathe life into the strengths approach? That’s what I want to focus on today: can you create a strengths-based organisation? And if so, from a practical point of view, how? Enjoy!

Are strengths still relevant in our volatile, unpredictable world in 2023? That’s the question I’d like to address in today’s episode and next week in a two-parter, by putting the pros and the cons in this episode. And in my next episode, I want to cover some of the practicalities of introducing and embedding a strengths approach into organisations today.

I’m excited that today, we’ll have an opportunity to chat to Bec about her reflections on 2022 and what the year has taught leaders and HR (People and Culture) professionals, as well as looking ahead into 2023 with some tips for facing into next year with a clear plan for people priorities. Enjoy!

Today, we’re fast-forwarding 3 years, through the pandemic, out the other side, and now into one of the most turbulent and unpredictable periods I can remember in the world and in the world of work. What we’re going to be asking today is whether leaders are ready for the 4th industrial revolution? Wait what? 4th? When were the other 3? Oh yeah, the first one was looms smashing the machine and ever...

Privilege is getting quite a bit of airtime right now. So as a white, straight, cis, non-disabled, middle-class male, I’d like to spend today’s podcast introducing the idea of privilege, talking a little about the journey I’ve been on with it, and to talk about its importance and relevance to work and to life today. I appreciate that talking about privilege at all can raise questions. Like ‘Who is...

In today’s podcast, I want to give you some reflections and practical tips on how you can apply positive psychology during change, in VUCA environments. This is relevant both if you’re a manager or leader, or if you’re not. Enjoy!

On today’s podversation, we’re going to be covering the topic of neurodiversity. Toni’s going to take us on a journey into exploring why neurodiversity is so central to our work at Strengthscope and more widely in the world of learning and development. We will then focus on the link between neurodiversity and strengths-based development specifically with some suggestions for future work. Enjoy!

What is human-centred change and why do leaders need to know about it? When it comes to change, there are some principles which apply to all contexts and one philosophy that is most likely to lead to a successful outcome, whatever your leadership situation: aim for ‘human-centred change’. Enjoy!

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a topic which is getting more and more attention in today’s workplace. And rightly so. In today’s podcast, I would like to take you through a basic introduction to DEI. And by the way, I recognise my perspective and my privilege in doing this: I identify as a middle aged straight white male, meaning that I fall into none of the protected characteristics groups th...

Today’s podcast gives you some guidelines on how to use your strengths, and the strengths of others, when facing changes large and small. And while my podcasts focus on work, actually, these principles can be applied equally well to your home life too.  Using your strengths during change puts your brain on a more positive footing, enabling it to help you make the changes with the minimum of pain a...

A question I get asked often is, what is the difference between strengths and competencies – are they the same thing, or different ways of looking at the same thing, or are they different things completely?  Today’s podcast is a response to those questions. 

Dr. Paul Brewerton is bringing you the 4 top strategies for dealing with strengths in overdrive. Before you can go to those strategies though, you need to lay the groundwork and that means knowing your overdrive risks and knowing your triggers. So let’s go there first.

Hi, my name's Dr Paul Brewerton, The Strengths Guy, Doctor of Organisational Psychology and founder and Chair of Strengthscope. Today, I’m excited to welcome back to the show Steph Tranter. Now a couple of years back, Steph very kindly talked about her experience of using strengths in her consulting work and that conversation is Podversation 19 – Making strengths work for your business. It remains...

We are all attuned to making judgements about how the hierarchy of whatever we have in our minds at that moment works – fame, wages, social value, height, attractiveness – whatever we’re using as a criterion, humans are really attuned to making judgements about relative position in order to assess how we’re doing. But there are some limitations to these very human urges when it comes to developing...

I’m back after a summer break of no work and no podcasting, I’m feeling refreshed and delighted to be able to reconnect with you and get back to the topic of strengths and how your strengths can support you day to day throughout your entire life. In today’s podcast, I want to take a request from one of our listeners, also a question I’m often asked when speaking to our strengths practitioner commu...

Dr. Paul Brewerton, The Strengths Guy, discusses the emerging idea of Adaptability Quotient with Scott Christie, Head of Training and Integration from Strengthscope. They will talk about what AQ is and how it can be developed. Plus, how you can develop AQ using strengths. There will also be some bonus material.  Listen to Maximise your Adaptability Quotient using strengths with Scott Christie.

When it comes to your development and growth, how can you stretch yourself safely? How can you continue to develop and grow and learn and improve, or move to the next level of performance, without feeling that you might just end up toppling over a cliff into an uncontrolled descent? Today’s podcast is about stretching safely. It’s about recognising that to get out of your comfort zone, you need to...

People have been fearful about their job security, followed by a stampede for the exit door in the great resignation. Concerns about the rising cost of living is putting pressure on people to be more careful about making a move. It’s pretty confusing and no one knows what’s next. How can you work out what you really really want post-pandemic? Dr. Paul Brewerton has 5 questions for you to consider....

A powerful story of inclusion – how the LGBTQ+ Community Centre in London came to life and its path to permanence. As we’re recording this, it is June 2022 so Pride month. We are also very close to the 50th anniversary of Pride in London, which takes place in about 10 days’ time. So the timing for our conversation is perfect.  Listen to the podversation with Bisila Noha, the Business Development M...

I mentioned in last week’s episode on asking for feedback about the particular case of asking for feedback from your line manager, given that this can sometimes be challenging but your relationship with your line manager is probably one of the most important you have at work. This week, I want to go into this in a little more depth, with some ideas both for line managers and for their direct repor...

This week, Dr. Paul Brewerton goes into a little more depth, with some ideas both for line managers and for their direct reports about setting clear expectations. What he'll be covering includes: Asking for feedback from your boss (and actually the other way round too) Giving feedback – both positive and constructive Understanding each other’s strengths and values How to align when we’re coming fr...

In a recent survey by employee engagement firm, Office Vibe, a significant 65% (that’s two-thirds) of employees said that they wanted more feedback at work. We can deduce from that stat that the feedback they’re looking for isn’t forthcoming without someone doing something differently. So how about if you want more feedback, you ask for it?  As we’ll explore in today’s episode, that’s more challen...

Today’s episode is going to be a check-in on using your strengths well at work if you’re already a strengths fan and user and it’s going to be a useful introduction if you’re relatively new to the world of strengths. Today, I’m going to be giving you my top five tips on using your strengths to make your work life more you-shaped.  

So what is well-being, because it seems to be a phrase on the tip of many people’s tongues these days? Well it depends who you ask but well-being is pretty well-defined by the New Economic Foundation:  “…how people feel and how they function, both on a personal and a social level, and how they evaluate their lives as a whole.”