Category: Psychology

Man in the rain
Psychology

Should you be worried that you might look like a bit of a drip?

If you were the Prime Minister, I doubt you would choose to make the most important announcement of your year standing in the pouring rain getting drenched. Whatever your political leanings, I suspect you reckon that Rishi Sunak looked a complete drip when he announced the UK would go to

Realisation of a mistake
Psychology

Are you confident that you always “learn your lesson”?

It hardly seems a year since the excitement of having the Eurovision Song Contest hosted in Liverpool. Well, here we are 12 months later, and there is no less excitement in the Jones household even though the competition has moved on to Malmo, Sweden. Tonight, I’ll be one of the

Person sitting outside
Psychology

Could you nurture your best work with a little bit of nature?

Last night, I watched the satirical TV panel show “Have I Got News For You?” which showed a clip that had me chuckling. It was the Fox News presenter Jesse Watters suggesting that Donald Trump’s trial was unfair because the judge was making the defendant sit down all day. No,

Brain image
Psychology

How flexible is your brain?

If you are a “Swifty”, strap in, I am going to upset you. The other day, Taylor Swift’s new album was “leaked” online with the sharing of a Google Drive folder containing 17 tracks. When I heard this news, I thought, “Oh goodness me. That old trick. Can’t they think

Photo manipulation in progress
Psychology

Do you airbrush the real you?

I am running the risk this week of being disciplined at work. If my boss reads this (and she often does) she will discover I have done something naughty. Recently, I posted a picture on social media of her speaking at a conference. But before I uploaded the image, I

Gender bias graphic
Psychology

How can you succeed when the bias against you is so great?

British history buffs will know that it is 490 years ago today that Henry VIII severed ties with the Roman Catholic Church, setting up the Church of England. The sole reason for doing this was so that he could rid himself of his wife, Katherine of Aragon. The Pope would

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Future

Could you learn to trust artificial intelligence?

Last night, along with half the adults in the UK, I was glued to my TV set to devour the last episode of “The Traitors”. If you haven’t watched this series, you won’t understand the gripping nature of watching 22 people try to work out who to trust. Spoiler alert

Man looing forward
Psychology

Do you look to the future too much?

It has been a strange week in the UK world of politics. A blast from the past – the former Prime Minister, David Cameron – was brought back into government as, apparently, he represents the future. If you caught the news, you could have been forgiven for thinking that they

Decision making
Psychology

Do you make really good decisions quickly and easily?

Over the past few days, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has had to make a decision. Should he dismiss his Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, for straying outside her Government role? Or should he keep her in her post? Over several days, he was given “advice” from various politicians and

brick wall showing limitations
Psychology

Do you really know your own limitations?

The UK Covid Enquiry is a serious matter, but this week it has been grabbing the headlines with some fun facts. It turns out that the former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, thought you could get rid of the virus by blowing air from a hairdryer up your nose. Meanwhile, his

Brain waves
Psychology

Are you always on the same wavelength as other people?

The seemingly never-ending depressing news from Israel and Gaza reveals a simple fact. The Israelis and the terrorists of Hamas do not think in the same way. Calls for a ceasefire and then for talks to take place miss out on one important factor. Neither side is willing to talk.

Mental Health Concept
Psychology

Is your company really getting to grips with mental health?

In the UK, Huw Edwards, the BBC News anchor, has been at the centre of flabbergasting accusations dominating the news this week. For my American readers, he’s the equivalent of Peter Jennings or Walter Cronkite – someone who the viewers trust. Huw is currently in hospital suffering from a mental

Electronic diary in use
Psychology

Should you ditch your electronic calendar?

Now before you mutter, “I always thought that Graham Jones chap was odd,” I need to point something out. I am not the only person who behaves this way. In the office the other day one of my colleagues said he was very grateful because I had printed out the

Empty football stadium with no supporters
Psychology

How well supported are you at work?

Yesterday I was transported back in time. I haven’t discovered time travel. Instead, my mind quickly flipped back to a meeting about three years ago that involved the same group of people. I noticed how dramatically different they were in yesterday’s meeting compared with the one in 2018. Back then,

Man using digital technology
Psychology

Are you obsessed with digital?

Being obsessed with digital could take you away from old-school technologies that do the job better. Yet, avoiding technological change can cost your business dearly. How can you get the balance right?

Racist abuse condemned online
Psychology

Why do people post racist abuse online?

Racist abuse online is not new. It has been happening for decades. In the past couple of days, racist abuse has hit the headlines following vile online attacks against three England footballers, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. On Sunday, these three black players did not score penalties in

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Psychology

Is your brain back to front?

British businesses will spend this weekend on tenterhooks as they wait for Monday’s announcement from the Government about the ending of lockdowns. For the past couple of weeks, the mutterings from 10 Downing Street suggest that the so-called “freedom day” will not happen. Indeed, yesterday there were “rumblings” implying that

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Productivity

Can you do boring tasks?

Last week, not far from the M25 in Buckinghamshire, the biggest-ever boring machine in the UK started its slow churn through the Chiltern hills to dig a tunnel for the HS2 rail system. It will take three years for the device to complete the 10-mile tunnel in a non-stop effort.