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First words

I don’t want to get all Martin Luther King on you but ‘I hadÌýa dream’. A couple of nights ago actually. In the dreamÌýI was in Tesco and not only were all the staff wearing largeÌýbadges, stating ‘I am a person’, but they were wanderingÌýaround introducing themselves to shoppers, saying, ‘Hello,ÌýI’m a person’. To which, most shoppers would smile andÌýreply: ‘Hello, person.’

I’m sure many of you dream experts would have aÌýfield day here, but I can safely deduce that the dream wasÌýinspired by catching up with a friend from university days –Ìýshe was explaining to me that one of her roles in herÌýorganisation (not Tesco) included finding ways for staffÌýto feel more valued at work, to instil a sense of pride andÌýpassion in their work, rather than just seeing their jobÌýas a job for a job’s sake.

With unemployment nudging towards three million,Ìýyou’d think people would be grateful for what work theyÌýhave. But we know the reality can be quite different. SomeÌýjobs can be mundane, repetitive and uninspiring. Or involveÌýdealing with irate and aggressive customers. Or tacklingÌýviolence and intimidation from the public. And whilstÌýorganisations have a duty of care towards their staff, weÌýprobably all co-exist with people who work… in publicÌýtransport, financial institutions, utility providers, localÌýservices, supermarkets etc. We, as the Great BritishÌýPublic, have a responsibility too: to value the peopleÌýwho work to provide us with the products and servicesÌýthat enable us to live our lives.

When things do go wrong, though, it’s good to knowÌýthere are some organisations that offer their staff a rangeÌýof support interventions. I’m delighted to introduce to youÌýFiona Dunkley and Melvin Claridge from Transport forÌýLondon who have written a fascinating article aboutÌýthe use of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessingÌý(EMDR) for staff who have experienced some form ofÌýtrauma. They explain how EMDR works andÌýillustrate this with real-life examples.

Thanks also to Richard Hopkins, who argues that it’s notÌýjust the responsibility of organisations to be waving theÌýwellbeing flag, but that employee assistance professionalsÌýhave a unique opportunity to influence wellbeing values,Ìýattitudes and policy.

As we continue to seek meaning in what we do at work,Ìýthere is a dimension that, personally, I believe is oftenÌýignored. During my MPhil research into emotionalÌýintelligence, a decade or so ago, I came across increasingÌýreferences to ‘spiritual intelligence’. I’m very grateful toÌýReverend Dr Peter Johnson for his contribution onÌýspirituality in the workplace.

Following on from his excellent article in the previousÌýissue of the journal on ‘Derailment themes and personalityÌývariables’, Dr Michael Walton looks at how all corporateÌýexecutives have the potential to become dysfunctional. HeÌýoffers you, the workplace practitioner, an invaluable insightÌýinto how to potentially identify personality disorders.

Many thanks also to Carol Sharp and Fiona Blair from theÌýMetropolitan Police. They open the door to highlight theÌýroles and experience of being a therapist for the Met andÌýspecifically during fairly constant change. EveryoneÌýseems to be battling change these days and their perceptiveÌýquestioning helps us to reflect on how this might affect us.

‘Super-Coach’, Gladeana McMahon takes ‘The interview’Ìýslot this issue. Whilst you probably know Gladeana throughÌýÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ-related connections or offering sage advice on the telly,Ìýyou can find out more about her.Ìý

Hopefully, this issue inspires you to better value theÌýpeople who bring us products and services that enrich ourÌýlives. Next time I’m in Tesco, I’m going to ‘hug a cashier’.ÌýWell… thinking about it, that might get me arrested.ÌýPerhaps a smile and a ‘thank you’ then.ÌýAnd do I remember the dream I had last night? Yes.ÌýShall I tell you what happened? No.ÌýFor that, I would definitely get arrested. I’m off for a nap.ÌýI hope you enjoy this issue.

Rick Hughes
Editor

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