School of WorkLife Book Club Online Class The Remains Practice: How to Strengthen Professional Judgement and Develop Discernment at Work
School of WorkLife Book Club Online Class
The Remains Practice: How to Strengthen Professional Judgement and Develop Discernment at Work Class
What The Remains of the Day Teaches Us About Hidden Assumptions, Professional Blind Spots, and Seeing Beyond Appearances
How do we develop better professional judgement in situations where appearances, confidence, expertise, or authority may not reveal the full reality?
Not in dramatic situations — but in ordinary meetings, decisions, conversations, and professional judgements.
This live online class from School of WorkLife explores how fiction can deepen discernment, reflective thinking, and professional judgement through literature, story, reflection, structured thinking, and practical application.
Inspired by The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, this class is part of the School of WorkLife Book Club series — story-led live classes that explore professional learning through literature, reflective practice, and real WorkLife situations.
At the centre of the class is Sean’s story — a respected financial analyst whose understanding of professional judgement begins changing after reading a novel about professionalism, authority, blind spots, and hidden assumptions.
As Sean becomes more attentive to what may exist beneath confident presentations, polished communication, and professional certainty, he gradually realises that strong judgement requires more than intelligence or expertise alone.
Through his experience, we explore how discernment develops through questioning assumptions, recognising complexity, investigating what may be missing, and learning to distinguish substance from performance.
The class introduces the REMAINS framework — inspired by The Remains of the Day — a practical reflective structure designed to help you think more clearly about professional judgement, discernment, hidden assumptions, interpretation, and reflective thinking.
This is a structured, story-led learning experience that combines:
The Reading Room — where stories open things up
The Writer’s Table — where ideas become personal
The Workshop — where thinking becomes something you can use
The Rehearsal Space — where you begin to put that into practice
What to Expect
A live online 45-minute class
Exploration of how fiction can deepen discernment and professional judgement
Small group learning (maximum 6 participants)
Guided reflection and notebook exercises
A practical framework you can continue using in your own WorkLife
A class PDF to return to afterwards
You will not be asked to share anything personal.
There will be opportunities for group reflection throughout the class.
Who This Class Is For
This class is designed for professionals navigating the realities of modern working life — including leadership, analysis, communication, stakeholder management, decision-making, strategy, professional judgement, and organisational complexity.
It may be particularly valuable for people working in leadership, finance, consulting, communications, operations, strategy, or any role requiring thoughtful evaluation, interpretation, and independent judgement.
Preparation
Prior to the class, you’ll receive a short reflective question. This is the only preparation needed, along with bringing a notebook to the class.
You don't need to have read the book to engage with the lesson — though you may find yourself wanting to after the class.
Ticket Options
Signature — £35
Includes:
Live online class
Class PDF
Signature Plus — £45
Includes:
Live online class
Class PDF
How Reading Fiction Deepens Professional Judgement and Ethical Leadership Story Lesson
Signature Pro — £90
Includes:
Live online class
Class PDF
How Reading Fiction Deepens Professional Judgement and Ethical Leadership Story Lesson
The Power of Fiction: Developing Character Traits Through Reading WorkLife Compass Guided Programme
Booking Information
Tickets are non-refundable.
Thank you for respecting the time, preparation, and care that go into each class.
If you’re unable to attend, you’re welcome to gift your place to someone else — simply send me their name and email address so I can forward the class information and resources.
About School of WorkLife
School of WorkLife creates story-based learning resources designed to help people think more clearly about the challenges, conversations, and decisions that shape a working life.
The work combines storytelling, reflection, structured frameworks, and practical application to support self-direction, self-leadership, and meaningful professional development.