15 Influencing other people: the power of empathy at work
People feel conflicted about the role of empathy in the workplace. Is it important or just nice to have? Or can it even be a bad thing, preventing us from making difficult decisions. But writers on Emotional Intelligence are clear that empathy is crucial to effective leadership. I agree and, in this piece, I want...Continue reading→
Broadcast Magazine Comment Piece 4: the importance of recognition to motivation
Improving staff wellbeing doesn’t have to cost money, says psychologist, Janet Evans Current industry conditions are very challenging - which makes it all the more important that leaders focus on the things that make a difference to the wellbeing of their employees and freelancers. Fortunately they don’t require a lot of cash; indeed they may...Continue reading→
14. A 10 point guide to the unconscious mind
A 10 point guide to your unconscious mind We think of work as the domain of rationality, but our unconscious, irrational minds are dominant there just as in our private lives. Our unconscious assumptions, intuitions and emotions determine our thoughts, feelings and behaviours, both as individuals and, through the culture, as a group. These...Continue reading→
13. 10 ways to increase your own and your team’s creativity
1. Prepare. New ideas are the result of recombining our existing knowledge in novel ways. You can’t do this unless your mind is stocked with the components you need. You need to be steeped in your subject and the vocabulary of your trade; you need to do background research. Your team aren’t wasting the time...Continue reading→
Broadcast Magazine: Comment Piece 3
Understanding creative brains can make your working environment happier and more productive, says psychologist, Janet Evans Many creative people have personality characteristics in common, and we need to understand those qualities if we’re to help them thrive. Take screen writers, for example. One I know, Sadiq told me recently: “If I’m pitching an idea to...Continue reading→
12 Do you know what matters to you?
‘Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle … Your...Continue reading→
Broadcast Magazine: Comment Piece 2
Psychologist Janet Evans explains how to create the right environment for development Our industry depends on individual creativity, but can it sometimes be hostile to it? As Sophie – a TV drama producer - says: ‘As far as you can you have to protect your creative from everything else going on round them. You need...Continue reading→
11 What happened there?!: Some practical measures
In my last two articles I looked at why some of us are more anxious and emotionally vulnerable than others, how these characteristics result from a combination of our genes and upbringing, and how they play out in the workplace. In this piece I want to consider some practical measures you can take to mitigate...Continue reading→
Broadcast Magazine: Comment Piece
In an industry we’re all passionate about, it can be hard not to take conflict personally – but psychologist Janet Evans suggests taking a step back. Joe, a TV producer, is about to start work on a series with a famously ‘difficult’ presenter. Tom has a reputation for getting upset, shouting at the crew, and...Continue reading→
10 How the emotional imprint of our childhood can disrupt our working lives
A man’s subconscious self is not the ideal companion. It lurks for the greater part of his life in some dark den of its own, hidden away, and emerges only to taunt and deride and increase the misery of a miserable hour. PG Wodehouse, The Adventures of Sally Tell me what you fear and...Continue reading→