Last year, we ran a series of free public webinars on a range of psychology topics. While feedback was great, it’s not possible for everyone to down tools and take part in a webinar at a set time.
So when thinking about 2021, I knew we had to come up with something different.
A new online community
Rather than having live events that potentially exclude lots of people, I’ve set up a free online community, with a focus on personal development. It will echo the themes that we specialise in at WorkLifePsych – Productivity, Wellbeing and Effectiveness – but allow members to discuss them on an ongoing basis, sharing their perspectives and supporting each other’s development journey.
My goal in establishing this club is to give as many people as possible a space to explore their development in a supportive and vibrant community.
Who is this for?
The disruption of a global pandemic means that face-to-face training and coaching is out of the question for most people. We established that online platforms can work really well as alternatives. Platforms aside, the kind of people this community is aimed at include:
- Those who don’t have time in their schedule to attend formal training courses
- People whose budget doesn’t stretch to training or coaching
- People who really want some interaction, rather than learning by themselves
- The kind of people who’ve read ‘all the books’ but still haven’t taken any action
- Those for whom accountability is a powerful mechanism for change
I’d like the community to be a place where anyone, regardless of profession or experience, can find something useful to take away.
Making changes
As well as discussing these interesting topics, I also want the community to be a force for change in practical ways. I’d like it to enable members to make the changes in their lives they will find beneficial, using established methods and the support of their peers. Yes, gaining insight from articles and discussion is useful, but the real impact happens when we make changes.
Looking to the future
In time, we’ll be able to offer paid-for courses and other membership perks. But for now, the emphasis is on building the community and developing a better understanding of what people want. I commit to always having a completely free level of access to WorkLifePsych.club and ensuring that it’s really valuable to members.
Signing up
It couldn’t be easier to join. Simply visit www.worklifepsych.club and follow the instructions to get access. Have a look around and feel free to share your suggestions or ask any questions. And if you’re finding it useful, you can invite colleagues or friends who you think might like it too!
The temptation can, of course, be to ‘lurk’ and see what everyone else is doing. I’d encourage everyone who joins to introduce themselves and their development focus, so we can move from an online platform of strangers to a community of mutually supporting professionals as soon as possible.
I look forward to seeing you online soon.