Psych Master Class

"Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about" – Winston Churchill

What gets you up in the morning? What gets you through the tough times? Share, share, share!

I’ve seen some really bad behaviour lately and I’ve also seen some people going above and beyond to help others.

I’d love to hear your stories about the best and worst behaviours that you’ve witnessed lately.

Give a shout out to the people that you have been impressed with so that we can all share.

Please pass this on so that we can all share the experience.

"Nothing beats a dynamic, resilient team..."

But as a leader, how do we get our teams working this way?

Our latest blog reveals 3 characteristics that will change the way your team works.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/39vEXNy

Motivation is the urge we all feel as humans to behave or act in a way that will satisfy certain conditions, such as our wishes, desires, or goals.

Research by psychologists suggests motivation is rooted in a basic impulse to optimise well-being, minimise physical pain, and maximise pleasure.

People can influence their own levels of motivation, as well as having influence over the motivation of others.

We enhance someone’s motivation through 3 main drivers:
⚡Competence - Belief in one’s abilities.
⚡Relatedness - A desire to feel connected to others without ulterior motives.
⚡Autonomy - Perception of freedom of choice and control.

In order to motivate ourselves and others in a professional setting, we must ensure that the person to be motivated feels valued and connected to others, and is also confident and in control, having been taught the required skills by leadership.

Have you listened to the lessons life has been teaching you? Share them with us!

Do you ever struggle to sustain belief in yourself, your goals or your business?

If the answer is yes, then you're not alone.

Our latest blog contains three self-assessment questions to help you on your journey of sustaining belief.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/3aqdMVQ

Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin and one of the most successful businessmen of our time, didn’t become successful by following the rules. And, you won’t either.

If you fold a standard piece of paper 100 times, how thick do you think the paper may be? 10 centimetres? A meter?

It may surprise you that if you fold a piece of paper 100 times it results in a paper thickness that is 80 trillion times the distance between the sun and moon.

Impossible?

Well, it is true (Google the maths if you like).

This is only one example of how our biases hold us back from solving problems. In this case, we are experiencing a bias that makes us think that if we start small, our final result will be smaller than it actually is (and vice versa for starting large). Advertisements take advantage of this on a daily basis. Think about a real estate agent that asks you to spend $10,000 on advertising to sell your house. It sounds like a lot of money when you thought it would be less. But 1% of the sale price sounds trivial when you’re getting 99% of a million dollars.

During times of Coronavirus, we employ another bias whereby we are likely to think that the tiniest little cough may be a sign that we have the virus, even though we are in the very low-risk category. I’m not saying we shouldn’t take this seriously but I am saying that we should be aware that last year, a cough was just a cough. Now we think it’s the worst-case scenario because our senses are heightened to the threat. The same bias nearly crippled the airline industry after 9/11.

When we choose to believe our biases, we hold ourselves back from making wise decisions. We tend to emotionally react instead of making rational decisions. Snap decisions lead to regret.

Thinking outside the box means that we have to consider a problem from many angles. Often we don’t understand the problem correctly so we work on resolving the wrong problem. Or we may resolve a problem using a faulty methodology. We tend to use methods that worked for us in the past but don’t work for us now. Like trying to motivate staff with money because our parents gave us an ice cream when we kept our room tidy.

Check out this article by Trevor published today by Business News Australia. It’s a must-read for all leaders trying to navigate business in uncertain times!

A leader's guide to surviving coronavirus True leaders stand up when the storm is raging and to help them do just that, I've identified three non-negotiables executives must embrace to ensure they and their businesses are able to survive coronavirus.

Motivation will get you going, habit will be you there.

In one word share in the comments section what motivates you above everything else?

Organisational change is a leading cause of workplace stress and anxiety.

But change can also be brought about in a way that unifies teams – not tears them apart.

Learn more on our blog: https://buff.ly/2Qpjj6L

These are extremely challenging times. We empathise along with everyone who is affected by Coronavirus.

We have made the decision to postpone our upcoming in-person events until further notice. Thank you to Accor Hotels staff who have supported us by allowing us to change event dates without cost.

We will continue to hold online events and will let you know about these shortly.

Our heart really goes out to all the businesses and people impacted by this. We are here to support and serve. So please reach out.

It's now easier to send Psych Master Class a message.

With the Coronavirus pandemic gripping the globe, most business leaders are making contingency plans for what happens if their operations are impacted, including for scenarios where themselves or their team are required to self-isolate.

Some are afraid productivity will end.

They worry their staff won’t be motivated to actually work if they are left unsupervised. And they fear their clients will get fed up with the service they are receiving and leave.

But the wise know the idea of their employees working from home isn’t so scary at all.

Why? Because they have trust.

Many leaders are afraid to trust their employees whenever they're out of sight. And it comes down to the fact they don’t trust themselves.

While deep down these managers know that collaboration and teamwork are things that occur organically when people feel free to be themselves, they have concerns that work from home arrangements won't result in the same productivity without their supervision.

But, these leaders need to ask themselves if they can't trust the people they carefully selected from a group of eager, qualified applicants, who can they trust?

In reality, the lack of trust they have in themselves is a failure of leadership, and it hurts them both professionally and personally.

If these leaders fear to trust themselves, why should anyone trust them?

Alternatively, those who already have work from home arrangements in place for their teams know that home can be a less hectic environment in which employees have big ideas.

People who feel trusted and free can, in reality, be more motivated and innovation can follow.

So what can leaders be doing right now to combat the threat of Coronavirus on their business?

Stop being afraid!

Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a chance to build something better this time! Feel free to share with us what you would do differently?

Most executives will agree that there is a direct correlation between a strong company culture and the bottom line, yet so many still focus solely on a strong business strategy and forget to drive an equally strong culture. Let 2020 be the year that you focus on both!

A lack of understanding of how best to motivate individuals and teams in the workplace can cost an organisation dearly in terms of time and money.

Managers may offer monetary incentives such as salary increases and bonuses in the hope that the additional money will motivate staff to meet performance targets. Employees who aren’t performing may be subjected to threats such as job loss if they don’t comply. These seldom produce a sustained increase in job performance.

Not only is money wasted on incentives that don’t work, but the employee may feel micro-managed and controlled, which may amplify unproductive behaviour. Frustrated employees may seek comfort in work colleagues leading to further productivity losses through gossip, blame, and distractions. The resultant backstabbing and unpleasant conversations take an additional toll on the organisation as others feel uncomfortable about the workplace culture. This, in turn, leads to sick and stress leave and ultimately employees begin searching for alternative employment or their employment may be terminated.

All of this can be avoided.

There ARE steps you, as a leader, can take to actively influence the motivation levels of employees.

All it requires is the understanding of human thinking and behaviour – skills you will attain at Trevor Glass’ next Psych Master Class event.

Join him by registering here: https://buff.ly/3aAclDB

One in four CEOs are now women (in the USA) but only one in twenty are heads of Fortune 500 companies. This is because many of these women run their own businesses, typically start their careers later than men and tend to focus on roles that they have a higher chance of achieving. Who makes a better leader - man or woman?

There are typically three leadership styles. Autocratic leaders tell their employees what to do and how to do it. Democratic leaders include team members in making decisions together as a group. Free-rein leaders allow employees to make decisions.

Psychologists have found that leadership is very context dependant and is more about the relationship between leaders and followers than the qualities of the leader. Think about which leadership style would work best in the military versus a pre-school.

Research shows that women tend to fare better at a transformational leadership style where they encourage participation, coach employees to develop their skills and motivate them to be creative. Men tend to be more effective in roles that are highly task-oriented and performance-focused.

Ultimately a good leader represents the best interests of the group and isn’t seen to feather their own nest. What is in the best interests of the group varies vastly depending on the environment in which the organisation operates.

Register today for the Psych Master Class Kickstarter: 49 Business Psychology Secrets With Trevor Glass where you could learn about the Psychology of Leadership and MORE!

This event is one not to be missed for Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, and Leaders looking to kickstart their success stories.

Tickets are only $49, so get in quick to secure a spot: https://buff.ly/3aAclDB

Is it supposed to be this hard? Should I just leave?

I remember attending a meeting at a small local council when everyone was called into the lunchroom to celebrate someone’s 40th work anniversary. That’s right, 40 years fixing potholes on roads for the same tiny council. I felt sick in my stomach wondering how awful that must feel. When he received his engraved watch and chocolate cake, he gave a little speech in which he tearfully told everyone he loved what he did so much that he’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I remember thinking he must be kidding. He wasn’t.

As a researcher in business psychology, I mingle with a lot of businesspeople (surprise surprise). Many hate their jobs but do it anyway. Research shows that about 75% of people hate going to work.

I’d love to say that I have the magic trick that will turn that all around for you. Some jobs feel awful, even if we think they would be awesome and some jobs feel awesome even if we think they would totally suck.

Leadership plays a massive role in the happiness of employees. No matter what work anyone is doing, leaders can encourage their teams to find smarter ways to do things. Challenges that are achievable, that makes someone feel like they have freedom to grow, empowers people to strive more. Leaders who encourage experimentation and understand that mistakes are part of success create an environment whereby people embrace change rather than resist it.

An organisation I worked with recently offered all employees to earn 10% of any cost savings that they introduced. In other words, if they saved the organisation $100k they would receive a $10k bonus. You have no idea how much that impacted on their bottom line. The added bonus was that staff were self-motivated and couldn’t wait to get to work every day.

Leadership matters.

Join us at our Psych Master Class Kickstarter events in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast where Trevor Glass will expose 49 Business Psychology Secrets which will help you to become a leader that transforms your business.

Register now: https://www.psychmasterclass.com/pages/psych-kickstarter

Who else is sick and tired of hearing motivational speakers say that you need to live a life of purpose?

What does “purpose” even mean? How do we find this thing called purpose and how will we know when we have it? Seriously, try answering those questions.

Some people think that you either live a life of purpose or you don’t. Saying that we have a life purpose is like saying we have a soul-mate - that one person that we were destined to spend our lives with. It sounds very romantic until it doesn’t work out and then we find another soul-mate. Similarly, we sometimes think of “purpose” as a noun; like its something that we can achieve and then we have it. The reality, however, is that like happiness, purpose is ever-changing. What feels meaningful to us today may feel like a burden tomorrow and vice verse.

Living a life of purpose doesn’t mean resigning from your job to become a rock star because you have a feeling inside that that is your destiny. Instead, we should be finding meaning in the things that we do. Whether we’re scrubbing toilets or we are the CEO of a successful business, we all find meaning in what we do if it provides us with three essential components. (1) It makes us feel deeply connected to other people, (2) it makes us feel free and (3) it boosts our sense of self-esteem. If all three of these elements are met, we feel a sense of purpose and meaning in whatever we are doing. If any of these elements are missing, we may feel empty and hollow inside.

We can live a life that has meaning today. We just need to find our freedom, connection, and self-esteem in what we are doing. Our motivation may require that we look at who we are really doing this for. Our kids, our spouse or something that we believe in.

Interested in learning more?

Join us at our Psych Master Class Kickstarter events in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast where Trevor Glass will expose 49 Business Psychology Secrets.

Lessons include how to find freedom, connection and self-esteem in what you are doing.. and MORE!

For MORE INFO click here:
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There are right and wrong ways to ask questions if you really want to get to know a prospective employee in a job interview.

Here are 9 questions psychology says you must ask next time you're hiring: https://www.psychmasterclass.com/blogs/news/what-psychology-says-9-questions-you-must-ask-when-hiring

Approximately 70% of CEOs feel lonely, abandoned or rejected.

But it is not only leaders at the top that feel this way, those at all levels of organisations can suffer.

You see, loneliness doesn’t mean alone.

To progress it is important for leaders feeling lonely to acknowledge their feelings and learn through their struggles.

Not sure quite how to do this?

Join us at our Psych Master Class Kickstarter events where Trevor Glass will expose 49 Business Psychology Secrets.

Lessons include how to be courageous as a leader despite feelings of isolation in order to inspire creativity, collaboration and innovation in your teams.. and MORE!

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💡What inspired you this week?

🎥 Behind the scenes shot of yesterday's video shoot!

There is lots of new content on the psychology of business coming your way soon...stay tuned.

💰If you received a pay rise today, you would be more motivated to produce better results and performance in your workplace - right?

Wrong, this assumption is not necessarily correct.

Research indicates that the link between compensation, motivation, and productivity is much more complicated than we originally thought.

Read our blog '3 Reasons Why Money Doesn’t Motivate' for more insight into using money as a motivator: https://www.psychmasterclass.com/blogs/news/why-money-doesn-t-motivate

How do you view failure when it occurs in your life?

Are you emotionally resilient in the face of adversity?

Emotional resilience is the belief that we can apply the skills and ability that we have to handle any situation without becoming overwhelmed, especially when things don’t go according to plan.

People with lower levels of emotional resilience focus more on feelings of failure than success. In the face of surprises, setbacks, and difficulties they increase in anxiety and can give up or avoid challenges.

Alternatively, those with higher levels of emotional resilience predict better-coping skills. These people keep calm under pressure and learn from their experiences to persist towards desired outcomes.

Interested in learning more lessons from psychology?

Tickets for our Kickstarter Event where Trevor Glass discusses 49 business psychology secrets are now available.

Seats are limited so get in quick!

Register now 👇

For BRISBANE click here:
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For MELBOURNE click here:
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For SYDNEY click here:
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For GOLD COAST click here:
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💥 🎟️ Tickets are now available for our upcoming Psych Master Class Kickstarter events in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne!

At the events, our founder Trevor will explore the psychology of business and how to learn to struggle well as the means of personal and professional development.

Through sharing his knowledge and experiences, people learn from Trevor how to operate smarter and create loyalty for the betterment of their teams, clients and their personal lives.

Are you ready to invest in your future success and explore Trevor’s 49 lessons in the psychology of business?

Tickets are now only $49, so get in quick to secure your spot. Seats are limited!

Register now 👇

For BRISBANE click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88790590045

For MELBOURNE click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88790999269

For SYDNEY click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88791316217

For GOLD COAST click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88791478703

We all feel lonely sometimes. It is interesting that sometimes we are around other people and we feel really lonely and at other times we may be on our own and we don’t feel lonely at all. We may even be in a relationship where we feel lonely all the time.

One theory that psychologists have about loneliness is known as attachment theory. When we are children we require a safe, nurturing environment in which to grow. If we grow up in an abusive, unsafe home (like I did) or we are not nurtured and taken care of as kids, we develop unhealthy attachment styles. This results in us either becoming anxious when we form close relationships with others which results in us being needy. Or we may become avoidant whereby we push others away. Both of these scenarios result in damaged relationships. Nobody wants to be around someone who is needy or pushes us away.

Of course, when we are rejected, this just amplified our need to be avoidant or needy and this leads to a deeper spiral of loneliness.

Other theories include low self-esteem, shyness and mistrust which all hamper our ability to connect with other people.

Human connection is essential to our wellbeing. We are social creatures and as much as we need food, water and safety, we also have a need to love and be loved. We need to feel connected.

So what do we do if we’re lonely?

My biggest lesson in psychology is that I can’t unlearn behaviors that don’t work for me. But I can learn what triggers my responses and I can learn how to respond differently. If I feel anxious or avoidant when connecting with other people I can improve my ability to respond well.

We, at Psych Master Class, are passionate about teaching individuals, groups and businesses how to connect, improve self esteem and gain new levels of freedom.

Join us for one of our courses on the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from 10-13 May.

I used to think that leaders had a set of qualities and skills that set them apart from the rest of us. I was wrong.

The more I studied and researched the psychology of leadership the more I realised that leadership is not about an individual. It’s about a group or organisation of people. It’s more about followership than about one person’s vision.

Psychologists believe that leaders must represent themselves as prototypes of the group. If you were to picture what it means to belong to an organisation, the leader would reflect the idealistic version of the group. Leaders live and breath the values and beliefs of the organisation.

Leaders have emotional resilience in the face of obstacles and resistance. The remain determined and focused, even when they face the toughest challenges and surprises. They have experienced failure upon failure and dusted themselves off, picked themselves back up and keep going. Their courage and determination inspires those around them. Followers follow because leaders forge the way.

Leaders do not feather their own nests and do not do things in favour of the competition. They represent the organisations beat interests. This does not mean that they always do the right thing by everyone’s standards but they always do what it right for the group that they represent.

When followers are inspired by a leader, they do not need to be told what to do or how to do it. Followers bring their energy to boost the interests of the group. Their sense of self esteem is magnified by their belonging to the group. The groups identity becomes their identity.

For more about the Psychology of Leadership and Business, join us at one of our courses on the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne from 10-13th May.

For BRISBANE click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88790590045

For MELBOURNE click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88790999269

For SYDNEY click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88791316217

For GOLD COAST click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/88791478703

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Conflict builds trust!

Conflict is inevitable in every relationship. I used to think that conflict in the workplace must be avoided at all costs. If there were opposing views I would try and reach agreement as quickly as possible to avoid unpleasantness. I thought that conflict would harm the business and create a hostile work environment. I was wrong.

When we disagree with someone at work (or at home) it doesn’t mean that we become enemies. If we are exposed to arguments between our parents and other adults while we are children, we learn to believe that arguments mean aggression. And aggression can hurt us. So, as adults when we see the signs of disagreement, we fear that this may escalate into something uncontrollable.

So we either go into fight mode, or we say and do nothing or we avoid the situation altogether. This happens in the workplace more frequently than we realise. Just because someone agrees with you verbally about how to tackle a problem, or just because they say nothing, does not mean that is how they really feel. They may just be keeping their thoughts to themselves.

Group Think is a psychological process where people will appear to agree with someone when inside they very much disagree. They do this so that they appear to be compliant and supportive rather than difficult.

Conflict is healthy. But conflict does not mean aggression. There are many healthy ways to express disagreements without it escalating.

When we create a work culture that encourages people to speak their minds and make mistakes, our team learns to be transparent. They speak up when they disagree. This means that we end up with many viewpoints and can come up with a solution that works better than the individual suggestions. This requires a safe, honest work environment.

And we learn to trust one another because we know that someone will tell us honestly if they don’t see things the same way. If we always say yes when we mean no, people learn that they can’t trust us. They don’t value our opinions and our teams become resentful and disengaged.

Conflict is a powerful tool that bonds teams, if it is done right.

Join us for more at one of our Psych Masterclass events on the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from 10-13 May for more.

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I have seen heaps of media reports about how bad bullying in “these days”. Like we have an epidemic of bullying like never before. Hmmmmmmm..... I guess I just haven’t experienced it the same way. I grew up as an outsider. I belonged to a cult and I was always the outsider. I was also a geek and back in those days if you knew your maths, physics and chemistry, you also knew a thing or two about black eyes. My point is that bullying was prevalent when I was a kid and bullying exists today. It’s just different today because the bullies can hide behind a screen and also do damage on a much broader scale. Black eyes go away. What remains after the physical pain heals is the unseen broken heart.

Years later this plays out in broken relationships because someone can’t trust others. Or a failed career because they constantly build brick walls to protect themselves. They see vulnerability as a weakness. They experience high levels of anxiety and stress. They stop trying because they feel like they are sure to fail.

I know all of these symptoms all too well. I spent a large part of my life wearing a mask of success. I bought fancy cars and expensive gifts for my friends so that others would see me as respectable. But no amount of money or status could satisfy the deep insecurities I felt inside.

I had grown up believing that only people with severe mental illness ever visited physiologists. We “the strong” never did. And after yet another breakdown I finally sought help.

I came to understand that our fear and insecurities are learned. When we have unpleasant experiences (like being bullied), we unconsciously process what lead to the bad experience. At first we avoid certain people, then certain groups and as we continue to find out that people hurt us, we start avoiding all people. The point is that we learn what hurts us and we either choose to stand up and fight for ourselves or we choose to avoid situations altogether.

Some people believe that all you have to do is unlearn this learned behavior. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you cannot unlearn this. That is called forgetting and we cannot forget what caused us pain. I have been out of school for decades and I still remember the names of the kids that bullied me.

You will still experience triggers. In certain situations you will be triggered. You may feel fear or anger rising. You may feel your heart rush and your muscles tense.

But at that point you have a choice as to how to respond. This is called responsibility - the ability to respond. You can choose to get defensive or run away. But this hasn’t worked for you in the past and won’t work for you now.

This plays out in the workplace (and in our personal lives) on a daily basis. And you can gain control. It requires commitment and effort and it’s worth it.

Join us at one of our 49 secrets of business psychology events on the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from 10-13 May. It will transform your thinking and your thinking will transform your ability to respond.

It’s worth it.

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