FROM THE CEO
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Welcome to your December edition of WorkLife, the magazine that keeps on giving. The theme this month is Peace. Well, it IS Christmas, after all, and Christmas is about giving, but also, especially, about ‘peace on Earth and good will toward all men’. What a fitting cover this month! We are very honoured to have founder of the World Peace 2035 movement, Gert Olefs, gracing our cover. You’ll find our interview with him riveting. Why Peace? Well, we believe peace is good for your wellbeing and mental health. We also know that workplaces that embrace conflict and seek peace do better. They tend to have that elusive ‘X’ factor that makes them more attractive to the market and they have better cultures. Of course, while our priority in our magazine is workplaces, the truth is that peace is also important in our daily lives. For example, how are your relationships going? Do they enjoy the balance of peace? You will find that the recommendations in WorkLife will also benefit you personally, not just professionally. What else will you find in our December issue? •
3 Guidelines for a Safe Secret Santa • The Crippling Cost of Unresolved Conflict • Keeping Christmas Merry without alcohol • Crafting Your 2020 Vision • 3 of the Best Gifts you can give this festive season • How to Manage the December/January Slump And last, but not least, who do you know that could use the life enhancing information in WorkLife? It’s easy to share, you know? And, to you, free! Thank you for reading our magazine. Please accept our gift to you here and… Have a fun and safe Festive Season. PS. Remember – DO NOT text and drive and DO NOT drink and drive! We want to see you all on the other side of Christmas and New Year! To your mental health
Peter Diaz
CEO, Workplace Mental Health Institute
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What will you have accomplished by the time you are 75? What kind of world will you leave behind? See, most people don’t think like this. They are living ‘just to make ends meet’ or working ‘to pay the mortgage’. If they have a vision for their future it goes something like ‘to retire and have enough income for the years left to live’ or simply ‘to survive 2020’. That’s what most ‘normal’ people do. But Gert Olefs is no normal human being. Don’t get me wrong, in most senses he’s just like you and me. But Gert Olefs is a man with a global mission. Gert Olefs has the vision to end all wars. Yes, you heard right - ALL wars. And he needs our help because he has the goal to achieve this by 2035! Gert Olefs was born and raised in Brussels, the capital of Belgium 4 | WORKLIFE
and of the European Union. He grew up in the shadows of the European Institutions there. War and peace have fascinated him since his early boyhood. After obtaining a Masters’ degree in Bioscience Engineering in 1984 and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration he started a 20 year corporate career. He travelled to all the continents of the world and lived in Asia and the Middle-East from 1990 - 2003. Just before the invasion of Iraq in early 2003 he returned to Belgium from Saudi Arabia. He then started his own HR consulting company and became a coach. And in the next 20 years he will also dedicate himself to helping the world achieve World Peace by 2035. War has been humanity’s constant companion. But does it have to be? Gert doesn’t believe it needs to be. I interviewed Gert Olefs recently to find out what drives him, is he sane, does he
Author: Peter Diaz
Gert Olefs Man on a Mission have a plan and how is this all happening? So many questions! Here’s some of the things I found out: Gert Olefs is not crazy. In fact, he’s highly articulate, rational, and committed. A man with great education. • Gert is a published author and his book ‘World Peace 2035: Let’s Achieve it Together’ sets down his philosophy’s approach to achieving world peace • He’s the founder, and funder, of the international movement ‘World Peace 2035’ • He’s met with world leaders on this and he needs our help Gert feels that ‘You and I have no merit whatsoever for having been born in a peaceful part of the world full of opportunities. We were just incredibly lucky!’ And he asks quite poignant questions like ‘Can you afford to stay passive? Can your children
and grandchildren be victims of yours and my passivity? Is this who we really are? Is this who we really want to be?’ ‘Our world leaders do not make peace a priority. Therefore we, the citizens of the world, will have to take the initiative. Let’s make our world a peaceful one for the first time in history. Let us make peace so that all the other pressing problems of humanity can be addressed from that foundation of peace. Our survival depends on it.’ ‘Peace is neither left nor right, neither black nor white. Peace is neither democracy nor autocracy. Peace is neither liberal nor conservative. It does not speak a particular language nor is it limited to any one culture, nationality or religion. Peace is universally understood by everyone, everywhere. Most people want a peaceful world, few do anything about it. Therefore it is not yet a peaceful world. But it can be done! Peace is one of the most universal wishes for everyone around the world together with good health and happiness. But that is the thing about peace. You do not only wish for it. You make it happen. You make peace.’
President Emeritus European “Achieving World Peace does not Council and President of the require all of us to first become European Policy Center said saints. If that were the condition ‘A civic initiative such as World for peace, it Peace 2035 can only would never be encouraged since Peace is happen. - Gert participation of and universally Olefs, World initiative by the general Peace 2035” population can give an understood important impulse to by everyone, No doubt achieving World Peace.’ ridding everywhere. Most High praise indeed! ourselves of people want a Having interviewed Gert war could bring a number of peaceful world, Olefs, I can tell you that he benefits. But is passionate, but he’s also few do anything balanced. And to listen to can we really do it? Gert him speak is a delight! I about it seems to think know you’ll warm up to him we can! Not and his quest easily. Have a only that, but he’s built a tribe of listen to our interview! people that also think it’s possible and he’s inviting us to join him! Ready to join this incredible movement for Peace? Click on Gert invites us: ‘Let’s stand up, https://www.facebook.com/ create peace and spread it to all WorldPeace2035/ and follow corners of our precious, wonderful Gert and his team. There are planet. Ask yourself the following already over 1mil tribe members! questions: If not you, who? If not now, when? If you’d like a copy of Gert’s It is time for all of us to act, now!’ book World Peace 2035, you can get one here http://book. And what do World Leaders worldpeace2035.org/ think of Gert’s initiative? Herman Van Rompuy, Minister of State,
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3 Guidelines for a
Safe Secret Santa Author: Alison Skate
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M
y first full-time job gave me an introduction to Secret Santa, and afterwards I wasn’t sure if I wanted to experience it again. I actually had never heard of this tradition. On paper it sounds like a sensible idea, saving a lot of money to buy gifts for everyone, including those you might not care too much about, in order to avoid the discomfort of someone missing out. Secret Santa addresses this by making sure no one misses out, but doesn’t take on the challenge of having to buy for someone you barely know or perhaps actively avoid, and opens the door to a number of other potential faux pas. Everybody’s names go into a bowl and a coordinator draws one name for each person in the workplace, checking to ensure that nobody receives their own name. That name becomes the team member’s undisclosed recipient of a Secret Santa gift. Clearly, this means that a gifter could end up with the name of someone they hardly know, or possibly dislike – so the coordinator should be someone who has a broad network understanding and can make appropriate adjustments. At the workplace Christmas party, the tagged gifts are surreptitiously placed in one location (people go to great lengths to disguise their wrapping paper, or handwriting, during this secretive process) before the gifting begins. Whether everyone waits until all the wrapped gifts have been appropriately allocated to their recipients before all opening simultaneously, or gifts are distributed one-by-one with a pause to watch the unwrapping
and reactions, is something that is handled differently from workplace to workplace. There don’t appear to be any consistent rules about this part (sometimes even varying year to year within the same organisation). In my first workplace the latter occurred, with an audience to observe the unwrapping of each gift. When my name was called I stood to receive a pencil-case sized, lidded, gift box, complete with a terracotta-coloured satin ribbon tied around it. It looked particularly promising! Removing the ribbon, I opened the lid to find… … a small bottle of Dettol antiseptic?! With a forced expression of feigned delight I held up the contents for all to see. “Oh, wow! Um… thank you? Secret Santa?” I was confused. I was embarrassed! What did the gifter think of me that would lead them to think I would enjoy or need antiseptic solution? Did they think I was unclean? The awkward expressions on the faces looking at me suggested a similar level of discomfort and confusion. One face was awkward for another reason, it was my mate John who, as it turned out, was my Secret Santa. He later, privately, explained to me that the gift was intended to be funny – an inside joke about his own germaphobia. I began to recall a conversation we’d had some six months before about his unusually cautious behaviour with regard to the potential for infections; the antiseptic began to make sense, but – like any punchline that has to be explained – the laughter trailed off pretty quickly.
season, and take on board these three tips for a safer Secret Santa. Stick to the budget: The remuneration of employees within any workplace may span a large range, from those who are working on a part-time basis and on an entry-level wage, to the General Manager or Directors with six or seven-figure salaries. Set a budget that is within reasonable reach of all team members – under $20 is usually sufficient enough to find suitable gifts and also restrictive enough for some creative thinking. An alternative to setting a budget is to insist that gifts have been handmade/baked/grown by the gifter. Ensure that those participating are clear that it is expected everyone will stay within the agreed budget. Make it personal: This is a good opportunity to strengthen relationships by demonstrating that you have been paying attention. If your recipient talks fondly of their pet dog you could gift them a photo frame with a note that says “so you can bring Benji to work every day”, of course you should use the right name! They’ve decided to try a plant-based diet? A lunch voucher for the nearest vegan café would be well-received. Pass on the private jokes and pranks: Nothing wrong with a laugh between friends, don’t get me wrong! Be aware of the potential for misinterpretation. Ask yourself whether others might be offended by the gift – even if the receiver isn’t. If the gift relates to a memorable incident it is safer to go with one that doesn’t have the potential to cause embarrassment, and one that most people are able to remember or relate to.
Avoid the anxiety this festive WORKLIFE | 7
The crippling cost of unresolved conflict A
CEO came to me recently about a serious conflict between 2 people. She had seen it building and thought it would die down naturally. It didn’t. Now it had reached tipping point: they could hardly speak to each other; meetings had an air of frostiness; both were off sick frequently; and no one else wanted to get in the middle of it, but they were all talking about it. What’s more, the company lost a major client. The CEO realised that this conflict was the major cause and was to attend an urgent meeting with the board to explain what happened. When we discussed the impact of this conflict, the CEO realised her lack of intervention had not only cost them the client, but was also costing: Cost - Increase in staff turnover The loss of skilled staff members, hiring and training of new staff is expensive and creates interruptions in the workflow and output. 8 | WORKLIFE
Cost - Lost productivity and unjust, negative workplace creates diminished work standards discontent. Unaddressed conflict results in the people involved being preIf this CEO didn’t act now, the occupied with it, either affecting organisation was also at risk of their own, or interrupting other compensation and legal costs and people’s priorities possible workplace to talk about it. The Left unresolved, sabotage. workplace becomes conflict will unproductive. Why does this usually intensify, Cost - Increased happen? as power struggles absenteeism The people directly Conflict is a natural escalate involved often take part of work/life unplanned leave, and, when dealt with this may be to avoid situations well, can be beneficial. It turns that place them in the presence of into a problem when managers the other person; or they may be won’t handle conflict hoping that experiencing severe stress, anxiety those involved will work it out and depression. themselves. Makes sense since conflict can die down naturally – or Cost - A plummet in culture so it seems. But, when one person Workers experiencing conflict gives in, they will likely be left with often blame, and gossip about resentment, and at some time each other to shore up support. later find a way to retaliate. Other Disrespect, criticism, anxiety conflicts become overt involving a and workplace sabotage often whole department, where factions pervade as factions divide the divide teams. The culture of the department or organisation. organisation plummets. Discontent spreads as belief in an
4 things you can implement today to solve or avoid the problem You don’t want conflict to spread, so the key to resolving issues, is early intervention, before the conflict takes hold and escalates. 3 ways to achieve this are: 1. Embrace positive conflict – Communicate to your people that conflict respectfully managed, gives us the opportunity to discuss our ideas together and come up with workable solutions. Some training in techniques (e.g. Using ‘I’ statements to avoid aggressive language); 2. Skill your managers - Managers need to learn essential skills to identify conflict at an early stage, measure its seriousness, listen and observe the elements at play and actively assist their workers by bringing them together to openly discuss their issues; 3. Implement a ‘Conflict Resolution policy’ – Any such policy should drive conflict to be resolved. The policy should also provide those who tend to be ‘bystanders’ notice that they have a responsibility to ‘step up’ and assist; 4. Access to options for impartial mediation – either run by HR or a specialised firm. Know when it’s time to do it. Make sure the mediator is seen by all as having no bias. Book it in. Communicate it to all involved.
We facilitated a full and frank discussion, and discovered the real issue, one had been promoted, however the other one, a manager, was resisting her promotion. Additionally the women used to be good friends outside of work, but a personal conflict had arisen. We helped them unpack each situation, understood the other’s point of view and appreciation for the previous miscommunication which ended their friendship. By the end of the mediation they were hugging each other. We spoke to the CEO later to check in on their progress and she asked “What did you do? They are on happy pills.” Such is the power of a well conducted mediation. What do YOU do to deal with conflict? Go to our LinkedIn page to comment on the conversation.
For our CEO, due to the stalemate, we decided mediation was the next step. We used an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process, a collaborative, positive approach to resolving disputes. We used our Co-model of mediation – this means two mediators attend the process. Both women were in tears to me on the phone the night before the mediation. “I can’t do this tomorrow” was the message. Both were incredibly emotional and felt a sense of impending doom. My question to both was “You don’t have to, but what will you do if you don’t resolve the situation?” Neither had an answer, so realised this was the best way.
Authors: Jean-Marcel Malliaté and Naomi Holtring are Disputre Resolution experts, who have assisted workers in conflict through mediation and training for over 25 years. Contact through admin@thewmhi.com
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It’s not your imagination; business goes into hibernation for a large chunk of December and January. It’s a combination of a number of gazette national holidays, school holidays, and for those on the bottom side of the globe, the lure of Summer days for annual vacations. Conferences are not scheduled, work travel is minimized, and hiring slows down until mid-January (December, January and May have been the quietest hiring months for the three years leading up to 2018, according to data from job listing site Indeed.com). But it’s not bad news, in fact a break in tempo can afford an opportunity for businesses (particularly those in the small to medium categories) to prepare themselves for a more productive year ahead. It’s not you, it’s all of us. Take heart in knowing that the decrease in activity across many industries is pervasive, and not necessarily an indication that you’re doing something wrong. Adjust expectations to account for the changed conditions. Business to business sales will likely experience a bigger slump than retail sales for the consumer market. Adjust sales activity to avoid feelings of helplessness for the sales team. This is a great opportunity to encourage staff to take their annual leave. Provide an incentive for businesses to engage with you – even for planning. Use this time to fill the pipeline with prospects for products or services by hosting or attending festive networking events. Provide an incentive (a discount or added value) for those businesses that purchase during this period, even if it means that delivery of the service or product will be delayed until work as usual resumes. Monitor for signs of mental health problems – energy slumps, loneliness, hopelessness. The festive season can be the source of financial and relationship pressures. Ensure that your commitment to mental health support is integrated into practice and conversations at all times of the year. Trial a new process under less stressful conditions. Have you been wanting to tweak business processes, but the timing was never quite right? This time of the year may be a good opportunity to trial a process change on a smaller scale. Revisit policies and procedures to review and update. How current are your policies, particularly in the space of mental health and wellness? Best practice changes more frequently than you may realise, and this could be the ideal opportunity to bring your policies in line with the latest professional guidance. Sow the seeds for harvest, without rushing to an expected return. Without the fast-paced, high pressure environment of business as usual, you have the time to network within your own organisation. Building collegiate, warm relationships with others in the business will facilitate productivity when the chips are down – and it creates a more pleasing workplace!
How to make the
December/January slump work for you. 10 | WORKLIFE
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Keeping Christmas Merry without Alcohol How many days until Christmas? It has already reached that end of the year when workplace Christmas parties are being planned. Which means we all have to start thinking about our Secret Santa gifts, are generally pretty busy in our personal lives, as well as trying to manage our health and wellness goals amidst the temptation of fruit-mince pies and pavlovas. But this time of the year can present a risky combination of stressors for those who are experiencing issues with alcohol, or trying to abstain from alcohol consumption. The most recent reliable data indicates that one in four Australians have consumed alcohol at levels likely to cause harm at least every month in the past year. The same data shows that whilst those in the 18-24yo age group are still the most likely to consume alcohol at the most harmful levels (11 or more standard drinks in one sitting) this rate has dropped from nearly 40% to just below 30% of that age group between 2010 and 2016. Conversely, those 12 | WORKLIFE
in the 40-69yo age groups have increased their hazardous consumption of alcohol across the same time frame. The office Christmas party can be a particularly challenging time for those trying to limit or avoid the consumption of alcohol, particularly when the alcohol-free alternatives are sugary and limited in options, or there is pressure from peers to be drinking alcohol. Alan Tse, Co-Founder of Altina Drinks (and Head of Taste Testing) decided to create sophisticated alcoholfree and low-sugar drinks to allow those in business to be the best versions of themselves both during networking and office events, and afterwards. “Most professionals bond over social events, and the one thing we all have in common is that we are holding onto a glass, which is usually red wine, white wine or beer,” says Tse. “We are trying to challenge the notion of drinking by saying that alcohol isn’t the only way of
celebrating.” Altina Drinks offers a range of sophisticated alcohol-free wines and cocktails that are low in sugar content and preservatives, ensuring that consumers can enjoy the office party without feeling hungover or lethargic the following day. The impressive presentation of the alcohol alternatives also reduces pressure from peers on those who would otherwise be drinking a “softy”. Consumer advocacy group, Choice, recently compared six low and no-alcohol beers on the back of the decline in sales of full-strength beer in recent years. A low or no-alcohol beer is classified as having 0.5% alcohol or lower. With Carlton Zero (0.0% alcohol) topping the list of the six reviewed, it seems that the taste still leaves a bit to be desired, with a tester saying of one beer, “whatever dog was soaking in this one needs to get to a vet!” As this segment of the market grows in popularity there is likely to be significant improvements in the taste of alcohol-free beer.
Sobah non-alcoholic beers may be overcoming the problem of comparison with traditional lager and pale ales with their bush-tucker brewed flavours, which include lemon aspen pilsner, finger lime cerveza and pepperberry IPA. Founded by Gamilaroi man and psychologist, Clinton Schultz, their aim is to reduce the stigma of socializing sober, raise cultural awareness and promote Aboriginal arts, language and history through the Sobah range. For those who are not enthused by the idea of alcohol-free alternatives to beer, cider or wine, there are a number of non-alcoholic aperitifs and spirits. Seedlip is one company claiming to have brewed the world’s first non-alcoholic gin. With three varieties to choose from, shoppers on one
site have rated the Spice 94 Gin by Seedlip and impressive 4 stars out of five. Palermo have been creating alcohol-free aperitifs for over thirty years, and with that experience and experimentation have created two drinks that easily substitute for the alcoholic variety. Palermo Rosso is almost indistinguishable in flavour to Pimms No1, and Palermo Bianco is hard to recognise when compared to Cinzano Bianco. With the growing availability of non-alcohol alternatives that extend beyond insulin-taxing soft-drinks, there should be few excuses for not providing enjoyable alternatives to wine, beer and spirits at this year’s Christmas work party.
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W
ith only a few short weeks remaining in 2019, now is the ideal time to begin considering your 2020 Vision. Those who are successful in consistently achieving their goals understand that it necessary to do more than simply announce their ‘resolutions’.
2020 Vision
Taking inspiration from a number of coaching models for achieving goals (including those from Robert G Allan’s The Four Maps for Happy Successful People, The Master Action Plan (MAP) utilised in leadership development programs by Alchemy Career Management, and the GROW model described in Sir John Whitmore’s book Coaching For Performance) WorkLife offers the 2020 Vision Process. In order to achieve your vision for 2020 you must do the planning. Focus on the process, not just the outcome. Give yourself a map to follow. Prepare contingencies for the detours and delays so that your motivation and focus doesn’t waiver. Just as you would plan your journey to reach a holiday destination, prepare for the process of reaching your 2020 Vision in a similar way. What is important about the destination? The destination is your goal for 2020. If you were to plan a trip, you’d want to have a clear idea about where you are going, and why you want to get there. Grab a journal and write
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down your answer to these questions: 1. What destination do I want to reach in 2020? 2. Why is that important to me? 3. What can I do more of/less of/more easily when I reach that destination? 4. Are there more local destinations that provide the same benefits? (Do you really need a PhD, or would a Grad Dip provide the same opportunities?) 5. How impact will reaching this destination have on your health, your relationships, your finances, your career and your happiness? What is your starting point? Knowing the distance between here and there will assist in creating a realistic road map during planning. It’s certainly possible to drive between Townsville and Brisbane in one day, but the tight timeframes would mean that even the slightest delay in traffic could cause additional pressure or derail the goal. This is also a good time to notice what’s not comfortable in your current circumstances. Being comfortable is the hazardous zone between moving away from what you don’t want in life, and moving toward what you do want – that OK place in between. Take 10 minutes to write down what isn’t comfortable now to assist
in motivation. Plan the route – what terrain will need to be covered? Pull out a yearly planner for 2020 and mark in all of the non-negotiables. Work conference - write it in the planner. A ski trip in Japan - add that too. Add any events that give you joy, major expenses such as replacing a car, or buying a home or investment. Scheduled for knee surgery? Consider variables that will significantly affect your time, finances, connection with others, career and health and mark them on your planner. This helps you consider the terrain you will need to be navigating whilst mapping the route to your destination. Understand the vehicle that will get you there. Now that you have considered your destination, your starting point, and the terrain you need to navigate, you will have a clearer idea about the type of vehicle that will get you to the end. Can you do this in a highcharged Tesla (great for speed but not ideal for long distances), or do you need an option with lower upfront costs? Is comfort your priority, or the ability to tackle rugged terrain? Economy, speed, or power? In your journal, describe your vehicle, and what that translates to in terms of behaviour. Will you be putting in a super-charged effort over a short period of time, or economising effort
and achieving small bites of the journey at a time? Plan for delays, detours and disasters. Whatever the destination, there is always the possibility of a roadblock, delay, or detour. Consider two alternative routes and write them in your journal. Next, think about the resources that you may need to sustain a delay or detour in your plans. If you’ve budgeted $3000 for your plan, make it $4000 to cover some of
the contingencies. Turn six months into nine months. This will be reassuring if you should experience unplanned pit-stops. You probably tell someone where you are going, and the route you plan to take, for extra support if required on a road trip. In your journal, write down the names of people with whom you can share your 2020 Vision. Let them know that you’d appreciate their support if you happen to hit a road-bump along the way.
Pay your deposit. Booking the accommodation for the end of the journey turns a goal into a commitment. Write down three things you could do to make a commitment to your 2020 Vision. Then choose one thing and action it as soon as possible.
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Loneliness. It is a state of mind that can be magnified during festive occasions, such as Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, and other celebrations that typically put a lot of focus on family togetherness. A study entitled Loneliness: A disease? published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry (Sarvada Tiwari, 2013) described loneliness as being more dangerous than smoking with similar lethality to smoking 15 cigarettes per day, and a contributing factor to depression, suicide, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, poor immunity and increased cardio-vascular disease. It is true that the elderly population is susceptible to the risks of loneliness (particularly those in the late-80’s), however, other life-stage risks peak in the late-20’s and mid-50’s. Whilst not highlighted in that data, the impact of loneliness is often experienced by children, too. Loneliness, though, is not a simple case of isolation, or being alone. It is the experience of feeling isolated from others, including those that are in the same proximity. So this year, give some thought to making your presence more
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important that the presents, and consider giving the following three gifts at Christmas: Your time Don’t equate the value of spending money on expensive gifts with the value of spending time with loved ones. Consider those most at risk of loneliness – those who seem somewhat disconnected from others around them – and dedicate a reasonable amount of time to connecting with them. Your attention It may be enough to simply share the same space as another person to reduce their risk of loneliness (and yours). Many people, who don’t already feel lonely, are able to feel a connection with others without conversation whilst watching Day 1 of the test match on Boxing Day. But for those feeling disconnected, your presence will need to include your attention. Listen, even if you have heard this story a thousand times. Put away the phone, turn down the TV or radio. Listen to understand. Listen to connect. Your curiosity A curious question demonstrates your willingness to connect. This is an open-ended question,
that gives someone a chance to share their views, reactions, and dreams. “What are your thoughts on the …… issue?”, “How would you like to be seeing in the New Year?”, “Of all the travel you’ve done, where would you like to return to the most?” and so on. Think of your questions as an invitation to connect – a question that requires a yes or no answer is an invitation to a very brief interaction.
3 of the best gifts to give your loved ones this Festive Season
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