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Description

Optimism at Work: Recognising Your Thought Patterns, Gaining Perspective and Restoring Momentum

Two days to break free from the thoughts that weigh down your day and regain room for manoeuvre when things go wrong

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

A comment taken the wrong way, a project pushed back, a reorganisation announced: certain episodes at work trigger looping thoughts that last well beyond the event itself. Energy drops, initiative fades and colleagues eventually feel the effects.

This 14-hour programme works on the way each person interprets what happens to them. Participants learn to identify their automatic thoughts, test them against the facts and formulate more balanced readings. Short exercises are practised and then reused between the two days on real situations.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the automatic thoughts triggered by a professional setback
  • Distinguish established facts from added interpretations
  • Reframe a pessimistic reading into a balanced and verifiable explanation
  • Interrupt rumination before it takes hold
  • Identify the sources of energy available in your working environment
  • Build an end-of-day routine for stepping back

What makes this programme different

A situation log completed between the two days and then analysed as a group
Reframing exercises based on real cases brought by participants
An end-of-day routine tested and adjusted during the programme

Programme

1Understanding What Fuels Discouragement

Automatic thoughts and how we read events

  • Identifying the workplace situations that trigger discouragement
  • Distinguishing the event from the inner commentary that accompanies it
  • Recognising your recurring formulations when facing failure
  • Observable effects of discouragement on initiative and working relationships

2Testing Your Interpretations Against the Facts

From snap judgement to verifiable reading

  • Sorting established facts from assumptions and judgements
  • Looking for alternative explanations for the same situation
  • Questions to ask yourself in order to test an interpretation
  • Formulating a balanced reading of a difficult episode

3Interrupting Rumination

Regaining control of your mental time

  • Signals that indicate rumination is starting
  • Interruption techniques that can be applied within a few minutes
  • Deliberately postponing a concern to a defined moment
  • Moving from concern to concrete action

4Sustaining Momentum Over Time

Embedding what has been learned day to day

  • Identifying your sources of energy at work
  • Articulating what worked well at the end of the day
  • Acknowledging the situations that will remain difficult
  • Building a personal routine for stepping back

Who is it for

Anyone who feels easily discouraged by the ups and downs of working life, as well as employees and managers seeking to regain initiative.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.