GREAT BOOKS PROGRAM

PROGRAMA DE GRANDES LIBROS

Acción formativa dirigida a: Estudiantes universitarios de la UPV que deseen conocer mejor la cultura occidental y que deseen mejorar sus habilidades sociales, comunicativas, metodológicas e interpersonales.

Programa detallado del curso

1. Orgullo y prejuicio (Jane Austen)

2. Los cuatro amores (Lewis)

3. La luz apacible (Louis de Wohl)

4. Apología de Sócrates (Platón)

5. Ilíada (Homero)

6. El Señor de los Anillos (Tolkien)

7. El despertar de la señorita Prim (Natalia Sanmartín)

8. La comedia humana (William Saroyan)

Conocimientos previos necesarios: Estar matriculado en la universidad o poseer un título universitario

Resultados de aprendizaje:

- Desarrollar habilidades sociales mediante el diálogo sobre grandes historias de la literatura universal: Liderazgo, comunicación, inteligencia emocional, adaptabilidad cultural, negociación, trabajo en equipo y gestión de conflictos.

- Reforzar habilidades personales necesarias para la dirección de personas: automotivación, resiliencia, equilibrio vital, ética profesional, compromiso y creatividad.

- Conocer algunas habilidades metodológicas gerenciales mediante el análisis de personajes de la literatura clásica: capacidad analítica, orientación a las personas, orientación a los resultados y toma de decisiones.

- Mejorar habilidades clave para la comunicación personal e institucional mediante el conocimiento, el debate y el aprecio de modelos literarios que se pueden imitar o emular: escritura, dramatización y oratoria.

Metodología didáctica: Los participantes deben leer un libro cada mes íntegramente o al menos gran parte del mismo. En la sesión mensual, se debate con un profesor o profesional experto en literatura o en el libro y autor, o en dirección de personas, desarrollo de habilidades sociales, personales y metodológicas. Al acabar cada librofórum, se introduce la obra que se debatirá en el mes siguiente.

Información de interés: Cualquier persona puede seguir adecuadamente el programa si dedica 15 minutos diarios a leer.

THE DREAM COMPANY DIAGNOSIS

I copy here the checklist published by Rob Goffee and Garth Jones in their article "Creating the best workplace on Earth", published in Harvard Bussiness Review:

How close is your organization to the ideal?

To find out, check off each statement that applies. The more check marks you have, the closer you are to the dream.

Let Me Be Myself

☐ I’m the same person at home as I am at work.
☐ I feel comfortable being myself.
☐ We’re all encouraged to express our differences.
☐ People who think differently from most do well here.
☐ Passion is encouraged, even when it leads to conflict.
☐ More than one type of person fits in here.

Tell Me What’s Really Going On

☐ We’re all told the whole story.
☐ Information is not spun.
☐ It’s not disloyal to say something negative.
☐ My manager wants to hear bad news.
☐ Top executives want to hear bad news.
☐ Many channels of communication are available to us.
☐ I feel comfortable signing my name to comments I make.

Discover and Magnify My Strengths

☐ I am given the chance to develop.
☐ Every employee is given the chance to develop.
☐ The best people want to strut their stuff here.
☐ The weakest performers can see a path to improvement.
☐ Compensation is fairly distributed throughout the organization.
☐ We generate value for ourselves by adding value to others.

Make Me Proud I Work Here

☐ I know what we stand for.
☐ I value what we stand for.
☐ I want to exceed my current duties.
☐ Profit is not our overriding goal.
☐ I am accomplishing something worthwhile.
☐ I like to tell people where I work.

Make My Work Meaningful

☐ My job is meaningful to me.
☐ My duties make sense to me.
☐ My work gives me energy and pleasure.
☐ I understand how my job fits with everyone else’s.
☐ Everyone’s job is necessary.
☐ At work we share a common cause.

Don’t Hinder Me with Stupid Rules

☐ We keep things simple.
☐ The rules are clear and apply equally to everyone.
☐ I know what the rules are for.
☐ Everyone knows what the rules are for.
☐ We, as an organization, resist red tape.
☐ Authority is respected.

Power Thanks

Mark Goulston has published an interesting blogpost about "Power Thanks". I only write down here the last 3 tips:

Give that person what I call a Power Thank You. This has three parts:

1. Thank them for something they specifically did that was above the call of duty. For instance, "Joe, thanks for working over that three-day weekend to make our presentation deck perfect. Because of it, we won the client."
2. Acknowledge to them the effort (or personal sacrifice) that they made in doing the above. "I realize how important your family is to you, and that working on this cost you the time you'd planned to spend with your daughters. And yet you did it without griping or complaining. Your dedication motivated everyone else on the team to make the presentation excellent."
3. Tell them what it personally meant to you. "You know that, rightly or wrongly, we are very much judged on our results and you were largely responsible for helping me achieve one that will cause my next performance review to be 'over the moon,' just like yours is going to be. You're the best!"

If the person you're thanking looks shocked or even a little misty-eyed, don't be surprised. It just means that your gratitude has been a tad overdue.

Climbing to the top of your life

I rest a lot when climbing mountains. When I can take a trip with some friends, the distance to the city and the outstanding issues is directly proportional to the rest we get. I do not go every week, just once a month.

But I will not speak of rest or excursions but tops ...
Parents always are considering how to educate their children. Like it or not, end up running into the freedom of their children who end up choosing their own destiny, because men are "gift and freedom", we're what we receive plus what we decide ...
I leave the issue of education for another day. Today I just want to talk about how to raise my own will ...

A 300 hp car has more power than a 150 hp but can be unused in the garage. So men, have a power which is the will, which is the ability we have of wanting (things, people, projects, goals ...) and get going towards these objects or subjects ...

How to use this power? Without a treaty, so just say:

1. The Will is greater the greater the objectives.

2. The will is STRONG when a person acts constantly.

3. Will is HEALTHY when not sick by drugs, alcohol, or any other slavery.

4. The will is FREE when intelligence is cultivated and can distinguish between good and better, the bad and the worse, etc., and whereas the person is responsible for his acts.

5. The will is GOOD when the person performs well.

How to educate your Will?

1. Recognize that you are not as strong, healthy, free and good ...

2. Apologize to God (if you believe) and / or those who are closest to you.

3. Check the meaning of your life and get high goals.

4. Find two examples: one close and another famous.

- Read the life of this celebrity. Though we're spiritual beings, we have also an animal body and therefore tend instinctively to IMITATION. Knowing the life and words of those people you admire, will take you by the hand to imitate them in your life.

- Looking for someone close can push you, say clearly what you do wrong and what you do well, tell you ONE improvement point each week. Talk to him every week for one reason: because you WANT to be better every day.

Subir a la cima de tu vida

Me descansa mucho subir al monte. Cuando logro hacer una excursión con algunos amigos, la distancia a la ciudad y a los asuntos pendientes es directamente proporcional al descanso. No salgo todas las semanas, apenas una vez al mes.
Pero no quiero hablar de descanso ni de excursiones sino de cimas...
Los padres siempre se plantean cómo educar a sus hijos. Quieran o no, acaban topándose con la libertad de sus hijos que acabarán eligiendo su propio destino, pues los hombres somos don y libertad, lo que recibimos y lo que decidimos...
La cuestión de la educación la dejo para otro día. Hoy solo quiero hablar de cómo educar mi propia voluntad...
Un coche de 300 CV tiene más potencia que uno de 150 CV pero puede estar en el garaje sin ser utilizado. Así los hombres, tenemos una POTENCIA que es la Voluntad, que es la capacidad que tenemos de querer (cosas, personas, proyectos, metas...) y ponernos en marcha hacia esos objetos o sujetos...

¿Cómo usar esta potencia? Sin hacer un tratado, tan sólo diré que:
1. La Voluntad es tanto mayor cuanto mayores son los objetivos que se persiguen.
2. La Voluntad es FUERTE cuando una persona actúa con CONSTANCIA.
3. La Voluntad es SANA cuando no está enferma por las drogas, el alcohol, o cualquier otra esclavitud.

4. La Voluntad es LIBRE cuando la Inteligencia está cultivada y sabe distinguir entre lo bueno y lo mejor, lo malo y lo peor, etc., y cuando la persona responde de sus actos.

5. La Voluntad es BUENA cuando la persona actúa bien.

¿Cómo educar tu Voluntad?

1. Reconoce que no eres tan fuerte, sano, libre y bueno...

2. Pide perdón a Dios (Si tienes Fe) y/ó a los que tienes más cerca.

3. Revisa el sentido de tu vida y ponte metas altas.

4. Busca dos buenos ejemplos: uno cercano y otro famoso.

    - Lee la vida de ese personaje famoso. Los hombres aunque somos seres espirituales, tenemos un cuerpo animal y por lo tanto tendemos a la IMITACIÓN de forma instintiva. Conocer la vida y palabras de esas personas a las que admiras, te llevará como de la mano a imitarlas en tu vida.

   - Busca una persona cercana que pueda exigirte, decirte claramente qué haces mal y qué haces bien, indicarte 1 punto de mejora cada semana. Habla con él todas las semanas por un único motivo: porque te da la gana ser mejor cada día.

The 3 keys for maintaining confidence

Last week, a big friend of mine told me his last anxiety which finally arrived to its end:

He is the Manager of an important non profit organization which provides training to a lot of inmigrants, unemployed and young people in order to enhance their possibilities to find a job.

The Administration owes this Institution a lot of money, and he owes the most part of this debt to one bank. Two Fridays ago, he had to attend a meeting with the responsibles of the bank, who asked him the fatal question...

- Are you happy?

So he answered... - ... Yes, I'm happy, but this is not important, the important question for me is if you are happy...

Then, the CEO of the bank answered him: YES, WE ARE VERY HAPPY FOR THREE REASONS...

1. You always do what you say you're going to do.

2. You control your situation because:

   - You know well your maths...

   - and you pursue your collection.

3. You warn us with enough time when you have a problem.

The surprising fact is that the CEO didn't tell anything about the financial ratios, which are more commonly taught at the universities...

Labour demand in Europe declines except for high-skilled professionals

I copy the information that you can see in the webpage: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=1771&furtherNews=yes

According to the December edition of the European Vacancy Monitor, the decline in labour demand had severe implications for craftsmen, operators and elementary occupations, while the demand for more skilled professionals continued to grow.

Although most of the main occupations experienced a decline in recruitment in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011 (crafts and related trades -12 %, operators and assemblers -7 %, elementary occupations -13 %), two high-skilled occupations continued to grow: professionals (+5 %) and technicians and associate professionals (+ 2%) in a broad range of sectors such as business, finance and health.
After signs of a weakening trend since the second quarter of 2011, labour demand turned to negative year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2012 in terms of vacancies (-7 %) and job-finders (-4 %). The notification of vacancies to Public Employment Services (PES) showed mixed developments: a majority of 11 PES marked a decline down to -26 % in Slovakia, while 8 PES still showed a positive growth up to +37 % in Hungary.
A special section dedicated to the development of labour demand for older workers (55-64 years) shows that:
■Only 6 % of all job-finders were aged 55-64 meaning lower chances for older unemployed to find a job
■The jobs found by older workers tend to be more concentrated in elementary and medium-skilled occupations
■A strong gender gap persists: older men are mainly recruited for (low-skilled) manual jobs in construction, transport, agriculture and manufacturing, while older women find jobs in services as cleaners, helpers, shop salespersons, child care workers, but also as high-skilled nursing and midwifery associate professionals.

European Job Mobility Bulletin
According to the December issue of the European Job Mobility Bulletin, based on the vacancies published on the EURES portal (on 1 November 2012), good job opportunities are available for:
1.Finance and sales associate professionals (87.000 vacancies)
2.Shop salespersons and demonstrators (66.700 vacancies)
3.Housekeeping and restaurant services workers (40.500 vacancies)
4.Personal care and related workers (40.300 vacancies)
5.Modern health associate professionals, except nursing (39.000 vacancies)