Embracing challenge: applying a solutions-focused approach to thrive at work
Workshop Audience:
Researchers and academic staff of all career stages.
Outline:
Our work and lives continually involve challenge: sometimes it is easy to fall into negative or pessimistic thinking patterns around these. Sometimes we try to avoid the challenges altogether. This workshop engages with what allows us to thrive at work, and where we can beneficially reframe our negative thinking about the challenges we face. Throughout the workshop we develop a solutions-focused approach that focuses on resolutions rather than problems. Here our approach can enable us to take effective action, which also helps to bolster positive thoughts and confidence for future effective action.
In this interactive workshop, we will explore what you need to thrive at work, and practise generative questions and reframing as routes to thinking productively about challenges. We will also identify useful techniques for having difficult conversations. Finally we will consider challenges within organisations, and how and if these should be tackled.
Learning Outcomes:
Following this workshop participants will have:
An understanding of the interconnections of Thoughts, Actions and Feelings
Considered a range of techniques for coping with challenges
Explored how to deal with difficult conversations
Recognised where they thrive at work
Worked collaboratively with and learnt from other researchers and academics in a constructive and supportive environment.
Facilitator:
Dr Jo Collins is a coach, trainer, researcher and consultant specialising in supporting researchers and academics in the Higher Education sector. Over the years, in her roles as teacher, coach, and consultant, Jo has helped many academics and researchers to embrace and reframe their approaches to challenges. In this process she has seen that whilst challenge can be intimidating it can also be a prompt to growth as people achieve results they did not always believe they were capable of. Jo has been working in Higher Education for the last twenty years, and part of her research explores doctoral students navigate challenges in UK higher education.