Many people around the world describe being at work as the second worst aspect of their lives (first is being ill in bed) and the worst moment of the day for most people is meeting with their supervisors! Yet there are many workplaces where people feel a sense of freedom, enjoyable challenge, where they feel valued, respected and supported and feel they make a meaningful contribution. Continuing to grow, learn and flourish should be the aim for all of us at work.
In this workshop, we will explore what it takes to help shape our workplaces in ways that help us to be happier not sadder, hopeful not hopeless and connected not alienated. In short, workplaces where we surf rather than sink in the waves of change. At the heart of this is whether our workplaces help sustain compassionate cultures and leadership, meet our core human needs and build effective and supportive teamworking.
We will explore the practical tools, good case examples and methods for developing such workplaces, the evidence to support the case you can present to leaders in your organization, and the importance of managing this with courage, wisdom and self-compassion.
Aims
- Understand the workplace characteristics that enable us to thrive and be happy at work.
- Gain practical tools and support for people to begin to improve their work environments.
- Explore the challenges and how to deal with them.
- Reinforce the importance of compassion and self-compassion in ensuring work where people can surf rather than sink.
Duration: approx. 3 hours
Feel free to also register for Saturday’s workshop on managing pain and chronic health conditions here!
Your Teachers
Vidyamala Burch OBE: Vidyamala is the Founder of The Breathworks Foundation – an international mindfulness and compassion charity. Vidyamala began teaching her mindfulness approach for managing pain and illness following her own personal experience living with health challenges following spinal injuries and surgeries in her teens. She began to explore mindfulness, compassion and meditation as a way to manage her pain and found the results to be life changing and transformative.
Michael West CBE: Michael is Senior Visiting Fellow at The King’s Fund, London and Professor of Organizational Psychology at Lancaster University, Visiting Professor at University College, Dublin, and Emeritus Professor at Aston University, where he was formerly Executive Dean of Aston Business School.