Blog – Prism Group Int'l

Resilience is…

May 6, 2021

by Sophie Mathewson Resilience Skills Development Stress

Resilience is …

You don’t need to be reminded that we’re now into our 14th month of a world-wide pandemic. We’re all experiencing it differently but the one thing that we all likely have in common is that we are tired of being on this Covid wheel of life without any real opportunity for renewal. I’m not a marathon runner by any means; but it seems to me that it’s like being on a marathon with a moving finish line. That in itself is an exhausting thought.

Leadership in challenging times

According to authors Bruce J. AvolioT, William L. Gardner in a paper entitled Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership:

“Leadership has always been more difficult in challenging times, but the unique stressors facing organizations throughout the world today call for a renewed focus on what constitutes genuine leadership. Public, private, and even volunteer organizations are addressing challenges that run the gamut from ethical meltdowns to terrorism and SARS. What constitutes the normal range of functioning in these conditions is constantly shifting upwards as new challenges, technologies, market demands, and competition emerge. We suggest that such challenges have precipitated a renewed focus on restoring confidence, hope, and optimism; being able to rapidly bounce back from catastrophic events and display resiliency; helping people in their search for meaning and connection by fostering a new self-awareness; and genuinely relating to all stakeholders (associates, customers, suppliers, owners, and communities).”

Calm and Confident

This idea of bouncing back or as the authors state “rapidly bounce back” is part of the formula of resilience but the other important component is personal growth. According to the American Psychological Association, “As much as resilience involves “bouncing back” from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth.”

Back in another life, I used to ask myself “how much broader do my shoulders really need to be?” every time I encountered a tough time. What I didn’t realize is that I was making the connection between resilience and personal growth.

Very often, the difference between success and failure is resilience. The more resilient we are, the easier it is to navigate challenges confidently and emerge successfully on the other side.

More and more, resilience is a quality we will ALL need to cultivate. The world is changing quickly, and we are faced with more challenges than ever. If we can stay calm, confident, and flexible during tough times, we are more likely to thrive.

Reflection Questions:

What are some difficulties you are facing in your life right now?

How are you responding to these challenges?

How might you alter your response to be more calm, confident and resilient?

What Jazzes You?

April 29, 2021

by Sophie Mathewson Personal Development

What Jazzes You?

Did you know that April 30th is really International Jazz Day. This isn’t one of those made up international day of the whatever. It’s a real thing!

What does UNESCO have to do with it?

According to jazzday.com “In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. International Jazz Day is chaired and led by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay and legendary jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, who serves as a UNESCO Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue and Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.”

Jazz is probably one of the most misunderstood genres of music. Likely because it encompasses so many different styles of music. The beautiful thing about jazz is that it is a unifying form of music regardless of the style. How do I know? UNESCO said so!

Challenge #1: Step out of your comfort zone...

In celebration of International Jazz Day, I am challenging you to listen to a work of jazz that you’ve not listened to before. Perhaps, you may even challenge yourself further by listening to a work of jazz from another part of the world.

So why am I writing about this today? Besides the fact that I love many forms of jazz, it’s about feeling one with the world and stretching ourselves out of our comfort zone or perspective. I have a friend that has often said “I hate jazz.” Period – end of conversation. What he’s not done is taken any time to even explore what jazz is.

As a small step in your personal growth, I’m challenging you to step out of your comfort zone for a few minutes today to listen to something new.

The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you are playing with, and if you have any racial inhibitions, you wouldn't be able to do that. Oscar Peterson, Great Canadian Jazz Pianist

The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you are playing with, and if you have any racial inhibitions, you wouldn’t be able to do that.

Challenge #2: Answer this question...

Secondly, how about reflecting and asking yourself “What jazzes me?”

But wait... I have something new for you today!

Each week in this blog, there will be a personal reflection form related to the topic of the article. I hope you use the fillable pdf worksheets as a tool for reflection and growth. You can download it by clicking on the button just below here.

Download your copy of the Brain Food Friday Reflection Worksheet here

Work at Home or Live at Work

April 22, 2021

by Sophie Mathewson Employee Experience Life Balance Resilience Stress Wellness

I’ll be brief in my remarks today but wanted to draw your attention to the great work that the Diversity Institute at the Ted Rogers School of Business at Ryerson University (and their partners) is doing. Their latest report is entitled “Work at Home or Live at Work: The complexities of new working arrangements.”

This report focuses on the experience of working from home and workers who have had to continue going in to their place of employment. The report also focuses on the future or work now that alternative options have opened up. I encourage you to read through the report and would be interested to hear from you about your take away from the report.

Before you go off to read the report, don’t forget that we are still offering our highly-validated “Working from Home” personalized assessment.

You will be redirected to the appropriate page on the Diversity Institute’s website.

The Working from Home Personalized Assessmenting

Get customized tips for Working from Home based on your unique behavioural style.

This micro report is brief at 7 pages but very relevant to today’s working environment.

The report will provide insight into:

Your primary communication style
Your remote working tips
How to best communicate with people whose primary communication styles fall into one of 8 categories.

It only takes 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire and your personalized report will arrive in your inbox instantly (so make sure you enter your correct email address when you sign on).

One more thing! Please share this link with your colleagues and friends. There is no obligation – this is our COVID gift to all.

Ready for your Complimentary WFH Report? Click here

Never Compromise Your Values

April 15, 2021

by admin Authentic Leadership Values

Never Compromise Your Values

YOU are your values. Values are the part of you that IS you. Values are the ‘why’ of your actions.

Your values are your core...

They are the “why” of your actions. Orienting around your values doesn’t require a great deal of effort, or even setting goals (though you’ll find when you set your goals in alignment with your values, that you’ll achieve them easier and faster, which is a much higher experience of fulfillment).

Think of values as how you live, when you are really living as you. For example, some people are natural explorers. They were at age 6, and at age 40 they are taking adventure trips. The person with the value of exploring doesn’t have to make themselves go explore – they just do it or more likely seek out opportunities for exploration. Values may be culturally-based or genetically-based, or a combination. The purpose of my comments today is not to explain where values come from, rather to discuss how to orient around them so that you experience greater Personal Freedom.

Values run extremely deep within us...

In fact, they run so deep that sometimes they act more like turtles, hiding themselves whenever danger is sensed. Values are easily squashed by needs, shoulds, and problems because they represent Danger. But our values always remain at our core.

Think for a moment about a time that someone said or did something that really upset you. There is a very big likelihood that those words or that action offended one of your core values.

General truths about orienting around your values...

Orienting around your values affords a greater sense of fulfillment – and even when you don’t quite make your goals, the experience you get from being values-based will, itself, bring fulfillment.

The benefits of orienting around your values...

10 Life Lessons from a Stoic Master

April 8, 2021

by Sophie Mathewson Wellness

10 Life Lessons from a Stoic Master

Why is it that we tend to put our own personal development on the back burner? The first thing that often comes up is “no time.” Is that true? Do you really acknowledge that it is true? Or, is it a default response? What would it take for you to change that and make yourself a priority?

Wisdom from Seneca

Seneca was a “Roman philosopher, statesman, orator, and tragedian. He was Rome’s leading intellectual figure in the mid-1st century CE and was virtual ruler with his friends of the Roman world between 54 and 62, during the first phase of the emperor Nero’s reign.” according to Britannica.com. Seneca was a stoic philosopher.

According to Wikipedia, “Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions; the philosophy holds that becoming a clear and unbiased thinker allows one to understand the universal reason (logos)”

Most of the time we are not living life but simply existing - allowing life to happen..

Watch this video ... for you!

I would encourage and challenge you to watch this 16-minute video entitled “10 Life Lessons from the Stoic Master Seneca.”

Watch the video on YouTube now

As much as I hate giving away the 10 lessons, here they are; but, you have to promise to watch the video!

The 10 Lessons

Once you’ve watched the video, I encourage you to reflect and choose one of the 10 lessons to focus on for your personal development. What will it take?

3 Ways Authentic Leaders Benefit From a Higher EQ

March 29, 2021

by Sophie Mathewson Emotional Intelligence Relationships

3 Ways Authentic Leaders Benefit From Higher EQ

Authentic leaders know that consciously working on their emotional intelligence (EI) or EQ (Emotional Quotient) score is not only critical to leadership success but also a life-long journey.

According to TTI Talent Insights, a higher EQ makes you a better authentic leader by:

Focus on Yourself....

As you become more and more self-aware, you are then more able to self-regulate and ultimately improve your relationships with others.

Improving Rapport, Connection & Communication....

An authentic leader consistently behaves in congruence with their values, the organization’s mission, and makes people proud to work under this leader. The authentic leader that is socially aware and is mastering social regulation, understands the emotions of others and how to positively influence the emotional clarity of others. In other words, the authentic leader is very skilled at the art of observation and active listening.

Increasing Your Empathy....

The authentic leader inspires their people to believe in themselves and their work. This is that internal motivation is the “fire” that goes beyond external drive. Your internal fire will inspire others to light their own internal fires.

Click on the button below to obtain your copy of the 3 Ways EQ Makes You a Better Leader Infographic

Get your copy of the infographic here

Don’t hesitate to contact me to learn how EQ can become part of your learning and development plans strategy. Simply send me an email to begin the conversation.