Stereotypes Can Be Good, Sometimes Let’s start with a line in the sand. I think stereotypes are unhelpful, if not destructive, in many situations. But our brains use them to help us move through the world without shutting down from mental overload. So Why Do It? Stereotypes are tools for our minds. We all make snap judgements about people, based on our experience of and memories of things and people in the world. It’s often useful to make these generalisations, which is why we have evolved to do it. When we encounter something new, we use stereotypes to help us make quick decisions and avoid overloading our brain. A useful…
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From Pea Factory to People Facilitator
Peas Please How did I get from sitting in a freezer watching out for baby mice on a conveyor belt of frozen peas, to leading projects and departments in organisations all over the world? From pea factory to leader? Where You Start From A quick disclaimer. I’m lucky enough to have been from the right side of the tracks, with a middle class family in a safe stable country. Not a rich family but one with the education and experience to show me the world and its possibilities. That’s been a great starting point and I’ve then worked hard and persevered and grabbed opportunities. But I know the advantages I…
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It’s Good to Rebel (Kindly)
Aren’t Rebels Bad? Society often paints rebellion as a bad thing. Stability and structure are key to society humming along nicely. But without a bit of rebelling, society loses out. On good ideas, on adapting to a changing world, on getting the best out of everyone. And the best Rebels are Kindly ones. A couple of my favourite rebels – Rosa Parks and Galileo were Rebels who made a great impact in equality and science respectively – are great examples of rebelling for good. Why be a rebel at all? Do you want a bigger life, full of experiences rather than stuff? Are you too small, old, conventional, quiet, bullish,…