Training & Employment Magazine - Mauritius

01/03/2024

Justin Bariso on EQ Applied How to be a great boss
Have you ever asked yourself: What makes a great boss?
That's the question Google set out to answer back in 2008. Project Oxygen was a ten-year long research project meant to identify the habits of highly effective managers.
Here are the 10 behaviors Google identified, along with some practical tips on how to develop these behaviors.
(And if you're interested in learning more about what habits and tools will help you to be an effective leader, make sure not to miss the PS.)
An effective leader...
1. Is a good coach.
A good coach avoids the trap of solving every problem; rather, they use these problems as teaching moments. They guide and share insights at the right time, letting their team gain valuable experience along the way.
2. Empowers the team.
A good team lead gives their people enough freedom—freedom to explore new ideas, to experiment, and to develop (and adapt) their own working style.
In addition, they make sure their people have the tools and flexibility they need to do their jobs.
3. Creates an inclusive team environment.
Great managers make it a priority to build trust in their teams.
As Google puts it:
In a team with high psychological safety, teammates feel safe to take risks around their team members. They feel confident that no one on the team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea.
4. Is productive and results-oriented.
The best managers make those around them better.
They realize what their teams are capable of, and they use emotional intelligence to motivate their people and help them realize their potential.
5. Is a good communicator.
Effective leaders:
• Are good listeners
• Praise early and often
• Give constructive feedback
• Don't shy away from difficult, but necessary, conversations
• Are transparent and share what they can.
6. Supports career development.
Great managers are invested in their people. They they support team members and help them to reach their goals, realizing not everyone wants to follow the same road.
7. Has a clear vision/strategy for the team.
Great managers know where the team has been, where they are, and where they're going—and they make sure the whole team knows, too.
They do this by consistently reiterating:
• Mission
• Strategy
• Goals
• Position (where the team is)
They are also careful to communicate "scope," realistic expectations as to what specific actions are needed to execute a strategy, and each team member's role in delivering.
8. Has key technical skills.
Great bosses understand a job well and are skilled at the work they oversee.
If they're brought into a new department, they take time to familiarize themselves with their people's everyday work and challenges. This earns them the respect of their team.
9. Collaborates.
Some managers create silos, running their teams with an "us versus them" mentality, competing against other teams within the company.
Great bosses have the ability to see the big picture, and work for the good of a company as a whole.
10. Is a strong decision maker.
Great leaders, well, lead. They make the tough decisions, and make sure everyone understands the reasons behind those decisions.
Then, they commit to following through.
Of course, this is the first step: identifying effective behaviors. The hard part is the ex*****on.

More on that next week.

Talk soon,
Justin

PS: Are you an executive, manager, or team lead? Do you have trouble practicing any of the behaviors listed above?

Would you like to have a complete toolbox, along with training on how to use those tools, to help you build AND use your emotional intelligence to lead more effectively?

Next week, I'll be opening enrollment for the next class of my Emotional Intelligence Master Class: Real-World EQ: For Leaders. This is a newly revised version of the class I taught last year, Build Real-World Emotional Intelligence; however, this version is targeted specifically at those who lead—or aspire to lead—in the workplace.

Beginning on Monday, you'll get a practical leadership tip via email every day for a week, teaching you how to be a more effective leader. It'll be like a mini-leadership course delivered direct to your inbox. Then, if you're interested in going further, you'll have the opportunity to learn more about Real-World EQ: For Leaders, including:

• Course content
• Guest speakers (I'm really excited to share these with you!)
• Days and times of the live classes (don't worry, they'll also be recorded)
• Pricing (There will also be group pricing for companies and a limited number of scholarships available.)

Stay tuned on Monday for your first email. And if you're not interested in this course, hopefully you'll still find value in the daily emails. If not, feel free to unsubscribe—you won't hurt my feelings.

02/02/2024

Insights from Justin Baroso
EQ Don’t freeze them in time
Do you have a friend or relative you've seen grow up? You know, the person you've known since they were a young child, maybe even since birth?
If so, maybe you've made the same mistake I've been guilty of: No matter how much the person changes or matures, you always see them as that young child.
Maybe you've even embarrassed them, unintentionally.
"Oh, I still remember that time you peed all over yourself..."
The problem with this, is you're not seeing the person for who they are. They're not that snot-nosed, spoiled little kid anymore.
They've grown. They've matured. They may even be able to teach us a thing or two.
And the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be. And, the better your relationship will be.
But here's the thing: We don't do this only with children we've seen grow up.
We make this mistake all the time.
We do it with our workmates.
We do it with our families.
We do it with our friends, or, with people who used to be our friends.
And if you're not careful, you might be doing it right now. You might...
Freeze them in time
When you freeze someone in time, you don't see the person as they truly are. You see a snapshot of that person, a limited picture that doesn't capture the whole person.
And many times, the picture is of them at their worst.
Research shows that we tend to remember moments in which our emotions are triggered. A part of our brain known as the amygdala plays a large role attaching emotional significance to those memories...Meaning, if you have a bad encounter with someone, you'll likely get a negative feeling when you see or think of them.
For example, if someone was rude to you once. Or, they let you down somehow. Or, they let others down. That may be all you see of that person.
But, remember: Everyone has a bad day. Or even a bad week, month, or year.
Could you be freezing that person in time? Could your view and feelings toward them be stuck in the past?
Or, consider another scenario.
Let's say you're a manager, and you're tasked with evaluating a person and considering them for further responsibility. At the moment, that person happens to have come down with a bout of Covid, and they've struggled for weeks.
Can you see past the current situation? Can you remember all the good work they've done? Can you see them for what they're truly capable of?
Or will you freeze them in time?
Of course, all of us fall victim to our emotions or our limited perspective at times.
But how can you fight the tendency to freeze people in time? Try the following framework.
When dealing with others, ask yourself the following:
1. Is my view of this person severely affected by experiences from the past?
2. Am I able to see the good this person has done, is doing, or has the potential to do in the future?
Those two questions can help you to avoid freezing others in time.
Instead of seeing a snapshot, you'll start seeing the whole person. And if you can see it, you can help them to see it.
After all, that may be exactly what the person needs.
Talk soon,

24/01/2024

Wish all my friends of Tamil faith a pious Thaipoosam Cavadee.

04/12/2023

Je compile des exemples sur les mauvaises manieres des mauriciens dans tous les secteurs de la vie. Le but est de venir avec une formation de bonnes manieres a Maurice. J'aurai bien aime si vous pouviez m'envoyer vos experiences vecues. Par exemple sur la route, dans l'autobus, dans le supermarche, etc. Merci d'avance. Je ne vais pas mentionner vos noms dans la compilation. Merci d'avance

20/05/2022

Insights from Justin. To be read through. A must.

As I revise the Emotional Intelligence Rules for Life Course, I'm bringing back an old rule that I previously phased out. You'll find it below, along with some added research.
Do you remember the piano scene from Big?
I was only 10 years old the first time I watched it. In the film, Tom Hanks plays a young boy who makes a wish "to be big," and then ages to adulthood overnight. In the movie there's this great scene where the 10-year-old in an adult body stumbles across a giant piano that you play with your feet. (Here's the scene if you've never seen it...or just want to take a walk down memory lane.)

That two-minute scene captures the essence of Hanks's brilliant performance, one that earned Hanks his first Oscar nomination for best actor as he eventually became one of Hollywood's most respected actors. But it wasn't always that way.

Before Big, Hanks had a reputation for appearing in some pretty forgettable movies. Anybody remember Turner & H***h? How about Joe Versus the Volcano? (For the record, I actually love both films.)

So how did Hanks go from making box office bombs to critically acclaimed hits? One secret to his success: embracing the power of "no."

Once asked about the variety of film roles he had to choose from, Hanks said this:

I realized...that I had to start saying a very, very difficult word to people, which was "no."
The odd lesson for that is, I figured out that's how you end up making the favorable work you do....

Saying yes, then you just work. But saying no means you made the choice of the type of story you wanted to tell and the type of character you want to play.

There's a lot of wisdom in these words—and not just for actors.
Jony Ive, Apple's (former) design chief, said that Steve Jobs would ask him the same question almost every day:

"How many times did you say no today?"

It's that ability to decide when to say no, says Ive, that made Jobs "the most remarkably focused person I've ever met in my life."

But what if I feel guilty???
Sometimes, you might agree to something we don't really want to do out of guilt. You're just that person—the one who always needs to say yes, no matter how it affects you.

If that's you, try to see things from another perspective.

"Saying no simply sends someone in a different direction," writes psychologist Ellen Hendriksen. "People are scrappy and creative. If you say no, they'll recalibrate and take another path."

Hendriksen says we may also feel guilty because we think the other person is going to hate us, or at least get mad that we said no. "Our brains jump to the worst-case scenario," says Hendriksen.

When that happens, says Hendriksen, put yourself on the other side.

"What happens when someone says no to you?" Hendriksen asks. "Do you fly into a rage, burst blood vessels, and froth at the mouth? I'm assuming you don't. So why the double standard? Expect reasonable others to react as you do—that is to say, reasonably."

The most likely scenario, she continues, is that your requestor is momentarily disappointed...but will then understand and get help elsewhere.

Of course, you shouldn't say no to everything. Part of relationship-building, not to mention just being a good person, is helping when you can.

But every day, you're faced with choices:
Should I take that meeting?
Should I start a new project?
Should I stay in this job I hate?
Should I seek that promotion?
At first glance, the answers may appear easy. But you have to think deeper. That promotion, or client may seem great at the time, but it's going to cost you.

So, ask yourself:
What's important to me?
What are my goals?
How will this decision affect me in five weeks? Five months? Five years?
Allow that focused thinking to guide your decision making.

Because, remember:

Every time you say yes to something you don't really want, you're actually saying no to the things you do.

Talk soon,
Justin

20/05/2022

Check synergy between technical innovation and sustainable development by Dr Doorgesh Jokhun in the 6th issue of the training and employment Training & Employment Magazine - Mauritius

20/04/2022

Training and Employment Magazine - No 6

Sustainable Learning – The Neglected seventy percent (p. 8 www.tnemag.mu)

Prof Mayo's 'Sustainable Learning – The Neglected 70%' article should be an article that catches the attention of all our readers of the Training and Employment Magazine No 6.

In case you have not had the chance to go through it, we invite you all to take some time to do so. It underlines challenges that must be of great importance to all Learning and Development Professionals.

As Prof Mayo says it, it should be a guide to all who design learning programmes, to build in the four stages. Go through it and let us have your feedback.

Professor Andrew Mayo worked in major international corporations for 30 years before beginning a consultancy career and becoming a Fellow at London Business School, designing and leading Leadership programmes. He also became Professor Human capital Management at Middlesex University, where he specialises in HR Analytics and postgraduate supervision. He is the author of 9 books, including Creating a Learning and Development Strategy, a book that formed the basis of a workshop he ran in Mauritius in 2005.

Introduction to the article
Readers will be familiar with Kolb’s Learning Cycle, and the concept of “preferred learning styles” that was developed from it. The four stages of conceptualising, experimenting, experiencing and reflecting are all necessary to embed the learning of a new competence. The validity of the cycle is generally accepted, and demonstrated by our own natural experience in everyday ways, such as when we learn how to use a new device.
It should therefore be a guide to all who design learning programmes, to build in the four stages. However even after many years of awareness of the cycle, we find so many programmes, centred on the training room environment, that conceptualise well, and maybe build in some experimentation, but there they stop. They stop for very practical reasons, in that the last two stages take time and are difficult to control. Trainees may be sent on their way with exhortations, but all too often evaluation is confined to the “happy sheets” at the end of the formal event and that is the end of the course.
Kolb did not say anything about the relative effectiveness of the four cycles, implying they were all equally necessary. However 10-15 years later Morgan McCall and colleagues at the Centre for Creative Leadership summarised many years of research into how managers learn into what they called the 70-20-10 model.

The complete article is on page 8 of the Training and Employment Magazine No 6 (www.tnemag.mu)

17/04/2022

The Training and Employment Magazine wishes its stakeholders a Happy Easter.

07/04/2022

How long will the inability to obtain the 5 credits at SC or the 'so and so' criteria keep you away from the path of your destiny? Remember no one can take away how we value ourselves and express ourselves.

RDCL asks you to tap into your "field of power" and develop new skills to rebuild your life the way you desire it. My dear young friends, enlighten yourself with knowledge. "Knowledge is power". (Sir Francis Bacon)

When we live from our heart, "from the inside, we talk openly and honestly with each other, and say the things we deeply feel, even when it's hard to say them."(Robert Cooper). Live with integrity. Integrity comes from the word integer, being whole.

A highly reflective article entitled "How to improve Presentations" by Prof Angus McLeod on page 13 of the TNE Mag. https://www.tnemag.mu/issues/issue6/index.html =5

Prof Angus I. McLeod, coaches and consults for organizations including Wharton Business School at University of Pennsylvania, DCMME at Purdue University, TransOil and Dales. His books include 'Self-coaching Leadership – Simple Steps from Manager to Leader (John Wiley & Sons), Smart Manufacturing, The New Normal: A TP3 Strategy' (with DCMME colleagues) and he has other titles with Crown House and McGraw-Hill / Oxford University Press, several published in other languages.

Prof Angus biodata includes:
• Written leadership and coaching books
• Clients include regional & national Government and international Blue-Chip businesses
• Held thirteen Company Board Directorships in the UK and USA
• 2015 Global Leadership in Coaching Award, ICC, Mumbai
• Special interests in Global Leadership, implementation and coaching.

TNE Mag is dedicated to advancing training and workforce development.
Yours, Shaheen Roheemun.

30/03/2022

www.tnemag.mu
“Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.” (United Nations) You must understand, by now, despite women have made their representation in national parliaments all over the world, women till date are still subjugated by physical and sexual violence, unequal inheritance rights, sexism at work, and forceful marriage before the age of 18 (until recently in Mauritius) and in some countries, e.g. Sudan they even undergo female ge***al mutilation.

All I can tell you, my dear readers, men or women, we all go through a horrifying experience at least once in our lives. We survive many actually. We suffer loss or death of loved one(s). “ All things die. Sooner or later. Learning to face that is a hard thing.” (Robert Cooper) It’s time we open ourselves to life and deeply feel the pains of one another and have compassion. Compassion especially for the weaker folks, protect our children and daughters.

Here, at RDCL, we aim to express our authentic presence by sharing with you good quality articles to reinforce skills development and employment. We want to orchestrate the energy that will drive productivity, reduce inflation and increase consumption for the betterment of our economy. What’s holding us back? RDCL wants you to trust us. Trust the Training and Employment Magazine (TNE Mag) brought to you with not only a name, but a voice to tell the story of the worker.

Voice of teenager shares a thought-provoking article on Gender equality and Sustainability by Ma’isha Beebeejaun on page 24 of the TNE Mag. I restate the TNE Mag is dedicated to advancing training and workforce development.
Yours, Shaheen Roheemun.

19/03/2022

Insights from Justin Bariso
Several years ago, I had to make a decision.
I was writing EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence and I wasn't sure where my focus should be. Should I concentrate on helping business people, like executives and team leads? Or should I focus more on the "personal" the side of EQ—understanding and managing emotions at home, with our families, and with other relationships?
From a business perspective, lots of experts advised me to "niche down," to pick one of these categories and stick with it.
"You can't help everyone," they would say.
But here's the thing. My goals weren't the same as most companies. I didn't want to grow as big as possible. Currently, EQ Applied has just four employees, including my wife who is also my chief advisor. (I like to call her my SHE-E-O :)
I didn't need to become a millionaire; in fact, I didn't want to become one. I just wanted a healthy business that reasonably supports my family, allowed me to spend more time with my wife and kids, and gives me the chance to do something I enjoy—pass on countless lessons of emotional intelligence that I've learned—and continue to learn—with as many people as possible, in as many contexts as possible.
So, I ignored the experts.
I think it was the right choice. After all, work life and home life are so intertwined, there's no way I could just focus on one of them. On one hand, you should never ignore the value of EQ in business—not only because it leads to financial gains—but because it increases the quality of your relationships at work, your ability to work with others, and the amount of happiness you can actually get out of work.
On the other hand, the relationships you nurture outside of work have much greater potential to enrich and fulfill you.
I was speaking about this recently with Shane Wallace, an executive coach. I loved his approach so much I'd like to share it with you:
"When it comes to EQ I believe that the workplace is the practice field and that 'gameday' happens each night when we get home to our families. The more we can practice facing challenges in the workplace by leveraging EQ, the better versions of ourselves show up at home when it really matters. Leaders who embrace this have employees who are in fact 'paid to practice' as well."
Isn't that great? And it works both ways...when you're consistently working to be the best version of yourself for your family and friends, you'll bring that best version to work as well.
In the end, though, the experts may have been right. Maybe I really can't help everyone.
But it sure is fun trying.
Talk soon,
Justin

12/03/2022

The Training & Employment Magazine www.tnemag.mu wishes all people of the Republic of Mauritius a happy
Independence Day.
🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺

04/03/2022

Applied EQ from Justin Bariso

Oh boy. This wasn't going to be good.

I had just gotten off the phone with my father-in-law. The kids were supposed to have a sleepover at his place that night. They had been looking forward to it for weeks; my daughter even packed her bag the night before.

Only one problem: A close relative had just tested positive for Covid. They were doing well, thankfully; but my father-in-law had been in close contact with the person the day previous. Although he tested negative, we thought it better not to take any chances. So we postponed the sleepover.

I knew the kids wouldn't take that well.

My wife and I quickly thought of a backup plan, something that the kids could look forward to. Still, as I broke the news, the kids started to cry, as expected.

Through the drama of it all, I couldn't help but think to myself:

Can't we just skip this part?

Maybe you've asked yourself that question at times. Or maybe you've felt like asking a family member, a friend, or a colleague the same question.

After all, it's similar for us as adults. When we suffer loss, sometimes big, sometimes small, it can feel like the world is crashing down on us.

When that happens, it's very important to know that...

No, you can't just skip this part.

The five stages of grief
Several decades ago, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed a theory that's become known as "the five stages of grief." Although generally applied to those facing serious loss (like a terminal illness or the death of a loved one), the principles can be applied to any negative life event, such as the loss of a job or a broken relationship. They can even apply, in principle, to smaller disappointments—like my children's canceled sleepover.

The five stages look like this:

Denial: This can't be.
Anger: Someone is to blame!
Bargaining: I'll do anything to get back to normal.
Depression: This will never get better.
Acceptance: It's time to move on.

These five stages aren't set in stone; you may experience them in order, out of order, or your experience could be totally different. Also, the event that you're grieving will affect your process. (More impactful events require longer to heal.)

Still, it's important to realize that any type of loss can trigger emotions like these. Acknowledging that feelings like these are normal, and that it everyone heals at their own pace, can help you to be more understanding—with yourself, and others. It can help you to be more patient with people who struggle.

So, the next time you or someone you know is dealing with loss—big or small—don't try to rush the process. Get angry. Get sad. Let them get angry and sad. Embrace those feelings, and let them run their course. If you're dealing with a friend or family member, give them a listening ear, or maybe even a hug.

Most importantly, remember: Even though you can't skip this part...
It helps to know that you don't have to.
Justin

19/01/2022

"... this change in paradigm brings in the question as to how effective is online learning and can it replace the traditional face to face learning..."
Read this insightful assessment of the Effectiveness of Online Education on www.tnemag.mu

04/11/2021

The Training & Employment Magazine (www.tnemag.mu) wishes you a Happy Divali 🏵

14/10/2021

Read this insightful article on the Global Minimum Tax and its impact on Mauritius by Mr L. Clensy Appavoo on www.tnemag.mu

24/09/2021

This should be of interest to all of us! Read the full article on https://www.tnemag.mu

15/09/2021

"Why do so much training when I can't see the results?" A challenge to HR professionals & Training Providers! Read this real-life case study by People Potential (Malaysia) on https://www.tnemag.mu

08/09/2021

Thought-provoking article by Prof. McLeod. Get the all jist by clicking on https://www.tnemag.mu/

02/09/2021

Here it is!
We have the pleasure to inform you that the 5th issue of the Training and Employment Magazine is online as from yesterday.
You can access it free of charge at https://www.tnemag.mu
Read and share with your friends!

11/08/2021

Stay tuned for the 5th issue of the Training and Employment Magazine! Read previous issues on www.tnemag.mu

29/02/2020

15/01/2020

15/01/2020