Quote EQ4U UPDATE – FEBRUARY 2024

Both giving and receiving feedback effectively are key communication attributes for leaders and others. This month’s theme is giving feedback – a communication that seems to be frequently avoided, inappropriate, fudged or mishandled. Its relevance and value effectively exemplified in the following quote included in ‘Hidden Potential – The Science of Achieving Greater Things.’

‘Being polite is withholding feedback to make someone feel good today. Being kind is being candid about how they can get better tomorrow.’
ADAM GRANT
Weblink: LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENT – EQ4U

And below, main headings on giving feedback from ’EQ Checklists’:

1. CONSIDER YOUR INTENTION – Ensure purpose is to be helpful and supportive.
2. ACKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND EMOTIONS – Be aware of own and others’ feelings.
3. LISTEN MINDFULLY – Acknowledge and respect others’ differences and rights.
4. BE SPECIFIC – Identify feedback topic and describe point clearly.
5. BE OBJECTIVE – Focus on facts and make an informed, evidence-based judgement.
6. CONCENTRATE ON BEHAVIOUR – Avoid personality judgements.
7. SEPARATE DESCRIPTION FROM EVALUATION – Distinguish between facts and opinions and convey impact.
8. GIVE PRAISE EFFECTIVELY – Share observations that merit recognition.
9. USE TO INFORM – NOT TO ADVISE – If appropriate, offer suggestions as to what might be done differently.
10. USE APPROPRIATE BODY LANGUAGE – Ensure a match between words and body language.

GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES

Many thanks to Anna T for suggesting the following word:
• Aptronym – a person’s name that matches their job or one of their main characteristics – a nominative determinism.
Examples: Weather presenter – Sarah Blizzard, Sprinter – Usain Bolt, Surgeon – Professor Kneebone, Poet – William Wordsworth, Tennis Player – Margaret Court, plus General Practitioner – Dr Pain (referenced by Anna)

Warmest & best wishes

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – DECEMBER 2023

Timely Christmas spirit reminder quotes for us all of the human values of compassion and caring towards others:

‘In separateness lies the world’s great misery, in compassion lies the world’s true strength.’
BUDDHA
Weblink: PHILOSOPHY – EQ4U

‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’
GHANDI
Weblink: WELL-BEING – EQ4U

GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES

A contronym (or contranym) is a word that has two contradictory or opposite meanings – with thanks to friend Carol in US for message about this. Examples:
• Sanction – to approve or to penalize
• Weather – to withstand or to wear away
• Left – remaining or departed

A reminder too of the difference in meaning between ‘Can I?’ and ‘May I? – A lesson that was drummed into me in long ago schooldays!

‘Can I?’ means ‘Am I able?’ and ‘May I? is about asking permission. The former seems to be frequently used, both in speaking and writing, when the latter is more appropriate. A classic example: ‘Can I sit here?’ when enquiring if a seat is available, rather than ‘May I sit here?’. More examples can be found on:
Bing Chat with GPT-4

Warmest & best wishes for a happy and peaceful Christmas

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – JANUARY 2024

The ‘kindness, friendship, courage and hope’ sentiments for New Year 2024 are encapsulated in Charlie Mackesy’s story: ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’. Its most recent broadcast (lasting 30mins) was on BBC1 on Christmas Day 2023. It you haven’t seen it before, I hope you find it moving and meaningful, and if you have, it’s a thoughtful reminder.
Link: BBC iPlayer – The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

‘The greatest illusion,’ said the mole, ‘is that life should be perfect. Always remember you matter, you’re important and you are loved, and you bring to this world things no one else can.’
CHARLIE MACKESY
Weblink: WELL-BEING – EQ4U

GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES

Associated words for New Year 2024 sentiments:
• Sentient – having the power of perception (from Latin word sentire – to perceive)
• Solicitous – showing consideration and concern for others.
• Intrepidity – fearless, daring, bold.
• Sanguine – optimistic.

Warmest & best wishes

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2023

Heartfelt reflections on lives lost is this month’s theme. Dedicated to all those remembering loved ones: ‘When you lose someone, they take a bigger place in your heart, not a smaller one. Every day it grows because you don’t stop loving them. You need their advice. But life doesn’t always give us what we need and it’s difficult.’ ADRIANI TRIGIANI ‘The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief – but the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.’ HILARY STANON ZUNIN Quotes are listed in: WELL-BEING – EQ4U GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES – to be resumed in December.

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – OCTOBER 2023

This month’s theme is about choosing your battles and audacious thinking. Only invest time, energy, and effort in unorthodox and original thinking to resolve issues where you have the potential to make a positive difference. And if informed, sagacious judgement establishes that you are powerless or incapable of stopping something, don’t waste your time trying.   ‘Don’t get in front of a ball rolling down the hill.’ JAMES PATTERSON   ‘Vertical thinking is digging the same hole deeper. Lateral thinking is trying again elsewhere.’ EDWARD de BONO   ‘Tact in audacity consists in knowing how far we may go too far.’ JEAN COCTEAU   Quotes are listed in:  AUDACITY – EQ4U     GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES   Words associated with this month’s theme – with both negative and positive associations:   ·         Chimera – unrealistic idea or hope. ·         Imperseverant – lacking the power to perceive/ or to persevere. ·         Sentient – having the power of sense perception. ·         Perspicacious – quickly gaining insight into things (verb – perspicacity)

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2023

Overcoming adversity and maintaining wellbeing by focusing on purpose and beliefs is this month’s theme. Deeply meaningful quotes from a psychiatrist Holocaust victim plus a Greek philosopher prompt meaningful reflection on the power and influence of circumstantial perception: ‘Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, only by lack of meaning and purpose.’ VIKTOR FRANKL ‘It is not events, but our beliefs about them that cause us suffering.’ EPICTETUS Both quotes are listed in: WELL-BEING – EQ4U GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES Words associated with this month’s theme: • Pertinacious – resolute /holding firmly to an opinion or course of action. • Fervent – intensity of feeling or belief. • Valorous – having strength, courage, bravery.

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – AUGUST 2023

Authenticity and trust are this month’s themes, with associated words referenced in Grammar/Communication Notes.  A quote from a tech titan, a political leader, and an astute self-reflection declaration from the master of wit:   ‘In a networked world, trust is the most important currency.’ ERIC SCHMIDT   ‘Focus not on ego but on what can be achieved.’ HASSAN DIAB ‘Be yourself – everybody else is already taken.’ OSCAR WILDE     The first two are listed in:  LEADERSHIP – EQ4U , and the third in:  WELL-BEING – EQ4U     GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES   Words associated with authenticity and trust:   ·         Veracity – habitual truthfulness. ·         Pellucid – clear in style / meaning.

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – JULY 2023

A positive and uplifting theme this month, both for quotations and Grammar/Communication notes: ‘Argue for your possibilities, and sure enough, you will find so much more capacity and ability inside you than you have ever dreamed is possible.’ MICHAEL NEILL ‘The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but it is too low and we reach it.’ MICHELANGELO The above are included in: LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENT – EQ4U GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES Many thanks to lexicographer Susie Dent whose English language and etymology knowledge has inspired this month’s input. Words Susie notes that she would love seeing returned to use are: • Apricity – the joy of the sun on a winter’s day. • Conflicity – joy in other people’s happiness – altruistic happiness for someone else when you’ve got no agenda and you’re not earning anything from it. (Notably, the opposite of ‘schadenfreude’ – happiness in someone else’s displeasure or pain) Shropshire Magazine, June 2023, p9.

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – JUNE 2023

This month’s theme is about positivity, daring and action – including possible ‘bucket list’ inspiration! The following quotes have different but related life challenging messages:   ‘Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting.’ KARL WALLENDA   ‘Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run as outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.’ HELEN KELLER   ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream Discover.’ MARK TWAIN   The above are all included in EQ4U’s ‘Audacity’ quotes: https://eq4u.co.uk/quotations/audacity/     GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES   A singular noun requires a singular verb, and a plural noun a plural verb. I have an ongoing frustration from hearing what seems to be an increasing number of singular/plural verb/noun mix ups. In the first verb error example below, ‘is’ should be ‘are’ to match with the plural word ‘booths’, in the second, ‘is’ should be ‘are’ to match with plural ‘people’. And the third verb error should be ‘were’ to match with the plural ‘witnesses’.   ·         ‘There is 26 booths’ (relating to a debate about Eurovision on ‘Politics Live’ – 10.5.23 on BBC2, referenced by an MP on the programme) – Should be ‘There are….   ·         ‘There is too many people in prison’ (on Morning live 12.5.23)   ·         ‘There was no eye witnesses’ (Police officer on ‘Killer at the Crime Scene’ TV programme Channel 5 – 11.5.23)

Quote EQ4U UPDATE – MAY 2023

May 2023 – update As per last month, a personal power theme quote with a deeply meaningful reflection on how we would wish to be remembered: ‘One day you’ll just be a memory for some people. Do your best to be a good one.’ ANONYMOUS The above is listed in EQ4U’s quotes section:  CHARACTER – EQ4U    GRAMMAR/COMMUNICATION NOTES – POSITIVE WORDS:   Meliorism             – the notion that the world can be improved by human effort Rapprochement   – an establishment or resumption of harmonium relations/ cordial relationship between individuals or groups – especially ref international affairs     Solicitude             – care or concern for someone or something   Warmest & best wishes,