Tertiary Catalogue

Eyewitness testimony and its veracity presents problems for juries and judges, according to the University of California's Dr Elizabeth Loftus. She tells Eve Ash that this intersection of psychology and law has revealed that the more confident a witness, the more they are believed even if their memories are mistaken. More than 300 people, such as Steven Titus (misidentified as a rapist) have been convicted through faulty or false memories. The problem is compounded when zealous detective coach witnesses, or when false and distorted memories are "implanted". People sometimes cling to a mistaken belief, even when the evidence shows they are wrong. Show Less

Eve Ash discusses why people tell lies with the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Professor Robert Feldman, a specialist in psychological and brain sciences. He has studied lying for many years and observes that (1) all people tell lies in different situations; (2) many are not truthful on their resumes and in job interviews; (3) sometimes people confabulate to fill memory gaps caused by stressful or traumatic conditions. In crime situations, he explains that false memories occur, and people's eagerness to find a culprit sometimes leads to the wrong person being convicted. You can't always tell a liar from their physical cues (e.g. excessive blinking, looking away). This can cause deception bias and investigations clouded by tunnel vision. Dr Feldman and Eve Ash discuss the case of Sue Neill-Fraser, convicted and jailed for murder in Tasmania in 2010. Show Less

Eve Ash talks to Professor Robert Feldman (University of Massachusetts Amherst) about his research for the book "The Liar in Your Life": He reveals that we all lie at different times, there are many types of lies ranging from the unconscious to lies of commission, and that people often lie within the first ten minutes of meeting someone. We lie to create an impression, we lie because we are anxious, we make up narratives to fill gaps in our memories. We have a "truth bias" in as much as we don't want to believe another person might be lying. Lies create spiral effects ("You lie, I lie"). We might be suspicious of liars, but we also tend to forgive them. Lies lead to inauthenticity in relationships. People compartmentalize lies and can live with them for many, many years. Show Less

People sometimes lie for a reason and will exaggerate to enhance their prestige in the eyes of others. People having secret affairs tell lies; this was the situation for Eve Ash's mother who lied for years about Eve's biological father. Eve's subsequent investigation revealed her real father, and how he was built into her story, although her mother never admitted the truth. Discovering her personal story has led Eve to forgive her mother's deception. Show Less

President of Quinnipiac University, Dr Judy Olian has met many leaders. One of the qualities of a great leader, she believes, is authenticity. For this to occur, she tells Eve Ash, there must be self-awareness, awareness of how others perceive you, and willingness to absorb information, internalise it and use it. Other essential qualities are enabling team diversity, encouragement of and rewarding truth-telling, and maintaining a healthy balance between work and home, and pursuing physical, mental and emotional health. Show Less

Say "yes" to new career opportunities and most people will find a new injection of career rocket fuel. As Dr Judy Olian explains to Eve Ash, accepting unusual roles as they present themselves allows people to "step out of the safe zone", take calculated risks, learn from failure - all while retaining one's integrity. The idea is to broaden, not stuck in one's career past. As Judy points out, no-one but you is responsible for managing your career. Show Less

Workplace crime and accident investigations must be taken very seriously. In this video, Colin McLaren, former homicide task force leader, itemizes all the necessary steps for conducting an investigation, including scrupulous note-taking and diagrams, photos, witness statements, and recording conversations. He counsels the importance of being fair, calm, unbiased, frank and in control. Above all, an investigator must be diligent, open-minded and questioning in pursuit of the truth. The objective is to get admissions—in writing. Show Less

In this video, retired detective Colin McLaren discusses with Eve Ash how workplaces can be sitting ducks for crimes such as theft, dishonesty and cyberattacks. He advocates ramping up security, investing in the right applications and consultants, and clamping down on abuse of privilege. Having strong policies and rules about use of company cars and credit cards is essential. So too are standard operating procedures (SOPs) and random checks for pornography, drugs and alcohol. With social media, less personal information sharing is best. Check people's backgrounds when recruiting and ensure strong audit trails and double-checking for those with discretion over company money. Show Less

Former homicide task force leader, Colin McLaren explains to Eve Ash how effective researching and interviewing is on par with being a sleuth. Too many people are casual about details. Colin stresses the importance of getting to the source of the issue and establishing all the facts until they are mastered. He balances a competitive instinct for digging deepest with the necessity for retaining an open mind when considering a problem. It is essential to be fearless in your presentation of information, challenging when it's called for, seeking correct outcomes and remaining as accurate as possible. Get it right first time, he counsels—never give up. Follow procedures and maintain your principles. Show Less

Today's workplaces and taskforces require all the safety and security they can get, former homicide task force leader Colin McLaren tells Eve Ash. Preventing crime at work starts with implementing proactive safety and security policies. It requires being on the lookout for warning signs (e.g. unusual behaviors, moods, threats, bullying, thefts) and diffusing buildups where possible. Leaders should consult a safety expert and introduce newsletters, scenario training and security protocols. A business's assets also need securing and proper surveillance. Be vigilant with the surrounds of your business too—look out for arson and vandalism. It comes down to a culture of safety, training and good policies. Show Less

Former homicide task force leader and author Colin McLaren explains to Eve Ash the subtle art of asking investigative questions. A workplace investigator or manager trying to ascertain the truth and resolve a problem needs to visualise their interview goal, then chart a series of questions with a suspect or employee. Questions must be subtle, short (to establish and confirm facts), open-ended, methodical and numerous, monitoring the person's responses and taking cues from what they say. Colin discusses the importance of building rapport and listening with an open mind. Above all, body language must be calm and professional. Put in the effort to get the truth. Show Less

When it comes to organising a taskforce or project team for a complex job or serious problem, Colin McLaren, a former homicide task force leader, tells Eve Ash it essential to recruit the best people with relevant experience, qualifications, energy and drive. The taskforce needs excellent communications and information sharing processes, the capacity to debrief when things are stressful, the best equipment for the job and high standards. Above all, leaders must stay focused, remembering to post all salient points, progress and successes, and acknowledging people while maintaining confidentiality. Show Less

When things go wrong, people traditionally have a negativity bias and dig deep into what went wrong. Kylie Bell introduces Eve Ash to Appreciative Inquiry, an alternate approach devised by David Cooperrider that starts with asking "What is already going well?" We explore this flipped way of solving a problem through a 5D model: define (this is goal), discover (what is already being done well), dream (what are we ultimately aiming for?), design (plan how the goal is achieved) and destiny (making the dream reality and powering up commitment). Kylie gives examples of where this was used, in government and a retail client. Show Less

Corporate culture has long stated when you go to work, "leave emotions at home". Quoting research by Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden and Build theory, Kylie Bell explains to Eve Ash that this precept is changing: when leaders really tune into the use of emotions, each can be used to overcome conflict and drive inspiration, engagement and higher performance in the workplace. Negative emotions narrow our focus, whereas positive emotions broaden people to a wider sense of possibilities. We become far better thinkers and problem-solvers, says Kylie, when we use the full range of our emotions, especially positive emotions. We also become calmer. These emotions enhance customer experience. Show Less

Kylie Bell talks with Eve Ash about strengths and the part they play in enhanced wellbeing. Knowing we have strengths makes us more engaged and motivated, resulting in less stress and depression and better health. New strengths can be discovered any time, especially through various strength finders and profilers which are available online. Allowing people to perform to their strengths also increases productivity by 40% while turnover decreases by 50%. People's strengths are encouraged through others noticing, coaching and directing them to suitable tasks. Acknowledging people's various strengths enables greater tolerance of difference. Show Less

In this video, Kylie Bell describes the surprising aspects of Rick Snyder's hope theory: namely that it leads to a 14% bump in productivity because people are happier and more focused. Hope theory gives people a stronger chance of achieving goals. Kylie Bell shares with Eve Ash the importance of setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) as part of incrementalising hope theory. People need to visualise what they want, devise logical pathways to ensure it happens, consider alternate pathways when there are setbacks, stay motivated and plan rewards for when they get there. Show Less

Resilience is an essential skill in the workplace because without it, we suffer and stress far more. Kylie Bell describes it as "bouncing forward" from difficult or upsetting events. We can learn to process stress constructively and perform better because we learn to override our emergency brain and problem-solve instead. Resilience, she says, is linked to better health. Kylie counsels mindfulness and choosing to look at stressful situations as challenges, remembering past successes as we go, and taking time for self-care and rest. Show Less

Presentations can be dull for audiences. People feel nervous when presenting. Peter Quarry and Eve Ash cover five essential areas for powerful presentations. These include memorable ways to commence, managing anxiety, being succinct and sign-posting information, maintaining audience engagement, relaxed body language, telling a story and finishing with a bang. Show Less

Mindfulness is a buzz word that also delivers manifold benefits. It means focusing in the present without judgment. Kylie Bell tells Eve Ash about a Roy Baumeister study which gave people apps that randomly asked what they were thinking about: the past, the present or the future. Most were found to be thinking about the future. The study also tested wellbeing and found participants were happiest when they focused on the present. When people are practicing being mindful, they are less stressed, more youthful and resilient with higher productivity. Kylie and Eve go through some techniques that help. Show Less

Approximately 70% of people quit their jobs because of poor managers. Kylie Bell finds that our leadership style may be impacted by our earliest relationships, and way our "attachment styles" evolved as we were growing up. Attachment theory was first developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. There are four primary attachment styles: Anxious, Avoidant, Disorganized and Secure. Kylie provides Eve Ash with an example of an anxious general manager of a consulting firm who did not trust his branch managers who therefore stopped making decisions. An avoidant CEO was fearful of giving feedback and his teams were lacking direction and in conflict. Kylie advocates secure behaviours as a means of improving safety and security, developing confidence and building relationships, resulting in less conflict and turnover. Show Less

Peter Quarry says accountability has two aspects: who you are accountable to and what you are accountable for. Being accountable is willingness to accept responsibility for performance, engaging in discussion and acting on suggestions for improvement. Learn how to enhance personal and group accountability, with Peter Quarry and Eve Ash's suggestions including 360 degree accountability, accurate information, being collaborative and agreeing on remedial action. Show Less

Teams can lose motivation for all kinds of reasons but it's contagious. When this happens, Peter Quarry and Eve Ash recommend techniques for recognizing and unblocking low motivation, identifying a sense of purpose (the Five Whys), improving leadership and people's feelings of being appreciated. Leaders need survival skills, the better for creating a silver lining effect and getting issues and recommendations on the table. Show Less

Leaders today are under more pressure than ever. Peter Quarry argues that managers and leaders need to understand the challenges and tasks for a chaotic world, becoming authentic leaders with strategies that help them survive and inspire. Recognizing that employees need purpose, leaders need to instill confidence, build resilience, be realistic and demonstrate honesty, openness and preparedness to listen. This means staying healthy, grounded, pacing oneself and being mindful. Show Less

A practical programme covering the 6 keys to psychological wellbeing at work. Kylie Bell explains how people can flourish and thrive in their lives, based on the PERMA theory. Kylie Bell offers strategies to ensure positive emotion and engagement at work. People need the opportunity to do what they do best every day. Strong positive relationships at work increase trust and wellbeing. Meaning beyond your personal gain will more likely lead to engagement. Personal meaning needs to be linked to the organisation's purpose. Expectations must be set and if not met, feedback can be given. People who are physically healthy perform better. Show Less

In this programme, Kylie Bell talks with Eve Ash about moving from workplace needs to designing training that both develops skills and solves problems. First, she determines whether a company is experiencing a training need or a leadership issue. She considers the training in a wider organisational context and ensures the leadership is onboard first. Her training is customized around goals and outcomes, an organisation's available time, a high degree of interactivity and tapping into people's emotions. For the training to succeed, there must be change; this is ascertained in the post-training feedback and evaluation. Show Less