Scaffolding Schemata

I do believe relationships in the corporate world - with peers, bosses and clients - may be skillfully built up, developed, fostered, improved, managed. As a skill, it may be acquired, learned, picked up. The consequence of all these collocations is that anyone has the potential to develop positive, healthy and productive relationships. This is the aim of this post and presentation, to help you reflect on the topic and find your own ways to successfully relate to others. However, one must be willing to do so. Just last Saturday I listened to a very interesting interview with coach and consultant Homero Reis at CBN's Mundo Corporativo . He believes there is a Inteligência Relacional (there is the term Relational Intelligence , but I have not gone deep enough to say if the expression in English has the same meaning and the one used by Homero), which is one's capacity to successfully relate to others. What really caught my attention in the interview was Home

Adoro o Cerrado. Não há nada óbvio no Cerrado, por isso o aprecio tanto. Nossa savana. Primo da Caatinga, ambos definidores de culturas regionais no Centro-oeste e Nordeste do país. Cerrado na região de Planaltina - DF Diferentemente da Floresta Amazônica ou a Mata Atlântica, o Cerrado não é tão exuberante, tão verde, tão atraente. Tão óbvio. Marrom, castano, pardo. Mas não tão óbvio assim. Ao andar pelo Cerrado vêem-se muitas cores que tornam este bioma muito mais interessante. A capacidade do Cerrado de resistir à seca é admirável, bem como sua capacidade de se recuperar do fogo que o atinge todos os anos. Resistência e resiliência. Aula de biologia: árvores pequenas, galhos e troncos retorcidos, casca espessa para resistir ao clima seco. Eu gostaria de ter características como as do Cerrado: resistência, resiliência, falta de obviedade. Fazer uma caminhada pelo Cerrado, sentir o cheiro, o calor, procurar as cores, observar as cores no ar,

In October, 2014, I first posted this text based on a presentation given at a BrazTesol One-Day Seminar. The original title was something like Dealing with Parents . The presentation has been improved and Dealing with Parents has been put into a broader perspective: Client Relationship . At schools, our clients are the students themselves and their parents or legal guardians. Lots of times their grandparents, stepparents and nannies as well; hence the need for teachers to be able to relate effectively and productively to students - children, teens and adults -, parents and... grandparents... and nannies... and stepparents is imperative. For years now I have been reflecting on career development and career management. I have been trying to apply concepts that are widely used in business, such as having a mission and a vision, knowing about strategies and tactics, or being aware of negotiation principles to improve my own views of my career and to try and help fellow EFL