2010 is not only a New Year, it will also mark the start of a new decade.
Amazing that it’s been 10 years already since the Millennium.
So I suspect this year, many individuals, even if they have not previously been the enthusiastic “New Year Resolution types”, would be hard pressed not to contemplate about life, work and family and find at least an area they would like to “do something about”.
And now, with the global economy showing signs of a recovery, however fragile naysayers say it may be, many organizations I bet are gearing up for the “upturn” – planning and setting targets & goals, managing expectations from their stakeholders.
One of the programs I facilitate is Performance Management and a common recurring theme that crops up again and again that invariably impacts the entire process, happens right at the front-end of the cycle i.e. proper or rather, the lack of proper goal setting.
So whether we are individuals looking to “do something about” their personal lives - like giving up smoking, exercising more, lose weight, learn a new skill, or a corporation - looking to regain lost market share, to improve on profitability, to improve their customer satisfaction index or reduce manufacturing wastes etc , a key success factor is ensuring the Goal-Setting is done right!
Here are some ways to give you a better shot at success:-
1)Set Realistic and Specific Goals
Trainers oft refer to this as setting SMART goals ie
Specific , Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Frame
For example, do not set a goal to stop smoking in 4 weeks when you are doing 2 packs a day or say you are going to exercise everyday when you can count the number of days you have excercised in the last 6 months on your hands.
Be realistic – like gradually cutting down to 1.5 packs per day by Chinese New Year or I will schedule to do 1 or 2 half hour sessions a week for January.
2) Write your Goal(s) and Action Plan(s) Down
There is no better or constant reminder for you if your goal is written and visible to you on a daily basis. Not only can it act as motivation to achieve, but also a reminder to act, if you are falling behind.
3) Act – Just Do It® as Nike says!
Do not get obsessed with immediate results – just take it one step at a time, small goals at a time. More importantly, just focus on getting started and keeping the momentum going.
4) Celebrate Success & Reward Yourself
Do not forget to celebrate and reward yourself once your goal (no matter how small) is achieved. An example is to reward yourself with new sports gear after successfully doing 2 half hour sessions of exercise per week during January. Or a new watch from the savings of reducing half a pack a day of cigarettes for 6 months!
Finally, go back and set the next (realistic and specific) goal – perhaps 3 sessions per week for February and March and plan a reward of say a new pair of running/gym/tennis shoes when you achieve that.
Suddenly by Q12010, you find yourself exercising regularly – up to 3 times a week. Or you are down to 1 pack per day, then half a pack by May 2010 and then a ¼ pack by September and just 5 sticks a day by November.
So even if you did not achieve your original goal of stopping smoking in 2010 or exercising daily, the improvement would still be significant and worth celebrating. So then work on improving on 2010 in 2011 and so on.
Invariably, these “smaller” goals amount to a great step forward, even if it was not in the time-line you expected.
Not everyone, or every organization can do quantum leaps. And many fail in trying to do too much too soon.
Juggling your personal, family and work lives is not easy. But isn’t it better to ensure we finish the races we started than not even managing to complete them, even if we were leading the pack at the beginning.
As we spend some time in reflection this New Year’s Eve and as we cast our eyes towards the New Year and New Decade ahead, I wish that you will find your “success(es)” in 2010 and beyond!
I would like to also take this opportunity to thank you for joining my blog journey this past year and especially for your emails with your comments and words of encouragement - I am very appreciative of your support.
Here's Wishing You and your Loved Ones a Blessed and Wonderful holiday season!
Happy New Year !
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Evaluating Training
Yesterday, an associate and I delivered a team-building program to some 80+ managers, executives and the leadership team of the Singapore office of a global leader in the digital document managing technology and services industry.
On the ride back from Jewel Box @ Mt Faber to the office, we got into one of our regular philosophical discussions about learning and development and this time we gravitated to the topic of training efficacy.
The conversation reminded me about Kirkpatrick’s Levels of Learning Evaluation.
Donald Kirkpatrick is Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US and also a past president of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). He is best known for his highly influential model for training evaluation, consisting the four levels of learning evaluation that essentially measure:
1. Reaction of the participant - what they thought and felt about the training
2. Learning - the resulting increase in knowledge or capability
3. Behaviour - extent of behaviour and capability improvement and implementation/application
4. Results - the effects on the business or environment resulting from the trainee's performance
Kirkpatrick's ideas were first published in 1959, in a series of articles in the US Training and Development Journal but are best known from his book entitled, "Evaluating Training Programs", published in 1975.
Most people would be very familiar with level 1 ie the post training questionnaire. Even Level 2, with some form of assessment to test understanding or competency by way of a written, verbal or practical test is also not unusual. This could also take the form of a pre & post training evaluation by the participant (self) or the participant’s supervisor or both.
But it is levels 3 and 4 that most organizations or rather HR/L&D/OD professionals find harder to evaluate and subsequently justify for training dollar investments. For individual contributors, it might be easier, but in today’s complex and matrix organizations, where results arise from project or team collaborations, it would seem that more difficult for organizations to evaluate a particular training or even a series of interventions to the overall business results.
Hence, it is no surprise that a further addition to Kirkpatrick's model has been suggested by Jack J Phillips in the form of a fifth level - Return on Investment (ROI) level, which is essentially about comparing the results (ie fourth level of the standard model) to the overall costs of training.
Only when organizations really invest in the resources to adequately evaluate training at all the 4 or even 5 levels, the question of training efficacy and return on training investment will continue to be a blot that will not go away in the landscape of learning & development.
On the ride back from Jewel Box @ Mt Faber to the office, we got into one of our regular philosophical discussions about learning and development and this time we gravitated to the topic of training efficacy.
The conversation reminded me about Kirkpatrick’s Levels of Learning Evaluation.
Donald Kirkpatrick is Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US and also a past president of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). He is best known for his highly influential model for training evaluation, consisting the four levels of learning evaluation that essentially measure:
1. Reaction of the participant - what they thought and felt about the training
2. Learning - the resulting increase in knowledge or capability
3. Behaviour - extent of behaviour and capability improvement and implementation/application
4. Results - the effects on the business or environment resulting from the trainee's performance
Kirkpatrick's ideas were first published in 1959, in a series of articles in the US Training and Development Journal but are best known from his book entitled, "Evaluating Training Programs", published in 1975.
Most people would be very familiar with level 1 ie the post training questionnaire. Even Level 2, with some form of assessment to test understanding or competency by way of a written, verbal or practical test is also not unusual. This could also take the form of a pre & post training evaluation by the participant (self) or the participant’s supervisor or both.
But it is levels 3 and 4 that most organizations or rather HR/L&D/OD professionals find harder to evaluate and subsequently justify for training dollar investments. For individual contributors, it might be easier, but in today’s complex and matrix organizations, where results arise from project or team collaborations, it would seem that more difficult for organizations to evaluate a particular training or even a series of interventions to the overall business results.
Hence, it is no surprise that a further addition to Kirkpatrick's model has been suggested by Jack J Phillips in the form of a fifth level - Return on Investment (ROI) level, which is essentially about comparing the results (ie fourth level of the standard model) to the overall costs of training.
Only when organizations really invest in the resources to adequately evaluate training at all the 4 or even 5 levels, the question of training efficacy and return on training investment will continue to be a blot that will not go away in the landscape of learning & development.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Teachable Moments
In the educating of the young/children, you will oft hear of the term “teachable moments”.
Some have even gone a step further to say that one of the most important skills to nurture as a parent or educator, is the ability to recognize and capitalize on these teachable moments in everyday life, which can happen almost anywhere.
And many of these are important lessons pertaining to values, morals and ethics.
My wife just blogged about such a moment with our son this week arising from an episode from his badminton training session last week - about staying focused and not giving up until the game is over.
What is the relevance of this to adults, working life, corporations and businesses you ask?
In my trainings, I always endeavour to facilitate learning for my participants as I take them on a journey of discovery and awareness - whatever the topic, be it team development, conflict management or leadership.
This is done by encouraging the recounting and sharing of their own workplace experiences, as these occasions present countless teachable moments - those that arise from failures or successes, customer praises or criticisms.
The question is - Are leaders, managers and supervisors seizing on these opportunities to model the desired behaviours they want to see within the organisation?
Are they using these moments to coach and mentor to motivate high performers or help the under-achievers?
Are they leveraging on them to recognise talent as well as help develop and retain said talent?
Parents naturally want the best for their children.
Hopefully we also want the best for our staff and subordinates and by seizing on these “corporate teachable moments”, it will translate to a more engaged and motivated workforce that consistently performs and achieves the desired objectives of the organisation.
Use that “teachable moment” the next time it presents itself.
Some have even gone a step further to say that one of the most important skills to nurture as a parent or educator, is the ability to recognize and capitalize on these teachable moments in everyday life, which can happen almost anywhere.
And many of these are important lessons pertaining to values, morals and ethics.
My wife just blogged about such a moment with our son this week arising from an episode from his badminton training session last week - about staying focused and not giving up until the game is over.
What is the relevance of this to adults, working life, corporations and businesses you ask?
In my trainings, I always endeavour to facilitate learning for my participants as I take them on a journey of discovery and awareness - whatever the topic, be it team development, conflict management or leadership.
This is done by encouraging the recounting and sharing of their own workplace experiences, as these occasions present countless teachable moments - those that arise from failures or successes, customer praises or criticisms.
The question is - Are leaders, managers and supervisors seizing on these opportunities to model the desired behaviours they want to see within the organisation?
Are they using these moments to coach and mentor to motivate high performers or help the under-achievers?
Are they leveraging on them to recognise talent as well as help develop and retain said talent?
Parents naturally want the best for their children.
Hopefully we also want the best for our staff and subordinates and by seizing on these “corporate teachable moments”, it will translate to a more engaged and motivated workforce that consistently performs and achieves the desired objectives of the organisation.
Use that “teachable moment” the next time it presents itself.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
"Fitting" In
I was involved in a Recruitment & Selection training program last week and in line with my focus on group facilitation, quite a lively discussion arose regarding finding someone who would fit the job and also the organisation.
Now then shouldn’t a person who is right for the job naturally be also right for the organisation you ask?
This concept of “fit” is not new and is the main crux of the hiring process i.e. finding the right person that is right for the job but also right for the organisation.
Industrial or organizational psychologists have defined “fit” in 2 distinct ways:-
Person-Job Fit (or P-J Fit).
Person-Job Fit involves what we can refer to as the “hard” aspects about a candidate’s suitability for the tasks that are required for successful performance of a specific job.
These “hard” aspects of P-J Fit include things such as a candidate’s level of knowledge (K) and level of specific skills (S) about the specific subject matter, and could also include their cognitive abilities i.e. tests for literacy, numeracy, intelligence, verbal reasoning etc.
For example in hiring a secretary, an assessment to his/her ability to do short-hand and type at more than 45 words per minute, could be a necessary requisite.
In many cases, P-J Fit also includes “softer” aspects such as the examination of an applicant’s personality traits or work preference or attitude (A) with respect to the job requirements ie tests relating to values, relational style, leadership style etc.
This is by far the easiest part of the recruitment and selection process, evidenced by the numerous assessment tools available to “test” a candidate’s suitability.
Person-Organization Fit (or P-O Fit).
For the second type of fit known as Person-Organization Fit, it would be fair to say that it is much less common for this kind of fit to be properly measured during the hiring process using a valid assessment tool.
Instead, this type of fit is typically based on anecdotal evidence and based a lot on the “gut feel” of the Hiring Manager (HM) or Human Resource (HR), usually after a face-to-face interview.
“I have a good feeling (or vibe) from this candidate”. “I’m more comfortable with that candidate”. Do these sound familiar?
But how many times have we also found out the hard way that the new recruit is just not performing to expectations, usually not from the job competency standpoint, but from the way he/she relates to the rest of their colleagues, in terms of the values that are not in synch with the organization’s, or does not seem as motivated to succeed etc.
The simplest way to look at it is that the candidate does not seem to fit the “culture” of the organization. How oft have we heard about the famed US or Korean or SME “work-cultures”?
So it is important to not only understand what our company’s organization culture is like ie is it formal vs informal, task or people-oriented, results or process-oriented, team orientation, orientation towards learning and development etc but also how well a potential candidate can ‘fit” and eventually thrive in those sorts of environments.
So, in addition to getting the “P-J” fit right, organizations would do well to spend a bit more effort and resources to get the “P-O” fit as it would yield both tangible outcomes like reduced turnover and lower costs of hiring but also in other intangible ways like a more happy, committed and productive staff.
Now then shouldn’t a person who is right for the job naturally be also right for the organisation you ask?
This concept of “fit” is not new and is the main crux of the hiring process i.e. finding the right person that is right for the job but also right for the organisation.
Industrial or organizational psychologists have defined “fit” in 2 distinct ways:-
Person-Job Fit (or P-J Fit).
Person-Job Fit involves what we can refer to as the “hard” aspects about a candidate’s suitability for the tasks that are required for successful performance of a specific job.
These “hard” aspects of P-J Fit include things such as a candidate’s level of knowledge (K) and level of specific skills (S) about the specific subject matter, and could also include their cognitive abilities i.e. tests for literacy, numeracy, intelligence, verbal reasoning etc.
For example in hiring a secretary, an assessment to his/her ability to do short-hand and type at more than 45 words per minute, could be a necessary requisite.
In many cases, P-J Fit also includes “softer” aspects such as the examination of an applicant’s personality traits or work preference or attitude (A) with respect to the job requirements ie tests relating to values, relational style, leadership style etc.
This is by far the easiest part of the recruitment and selection process, evidenced by the numerous assessment tools available to “test” a candidate’s suitability.
Person-Organization Fit (or P-O Fit).
For the second type of fit known as Person-Organization Fit, it would be fair to say that it is much less common for this kind of fit to be properly measured during the hiring process using a valid assessment tool.
Instead, this type of fit is typically based on anecdotal evidence and based a lot on the “gut feel” of the Hiring Manager (HM) or Human Resource (HR), usually after a face-to-face interview.
“I have a good feeling (or vibe) from this candidate”. “I’m more comfortable with that candidate”. Do these sound familiar?
But how many times have we also found out the hard way that the new recruit is just not performing to expectations, usually not from the job competency standpoint, but from the way he/she relates to the rest of their colleagues, in terms of the values that are not in synch with the organization’s, or does not seem as motivated to succeed etc.
The simplest way to look at it is that the candidate does not seem to fit the “culture” of the organization. How oft have we heard about the famed US or Korean or SME “work-cultures”?
So it is important to not only understand what our company’s organization culture is like ie is it formal vs informal, task or people-oriented, results or process-oriented, team orientation, orientation towards learning and development etc but also how well a potential candidate can ‘fit” and eventually thrive in those sorts of environments.
So, in addition to getting the “P-J” fit right, organizations would do well to spend a bit more effort and resources to get the “P-O” fit as it would yield both tangible outcomes like reduced turnover and lower costs of hiring but also in other intangible ways like a more happy, committed and productive staff.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
An Interesting Read......
I was doing some research recently and came across this book which I think is quite good as (which the inside cover also pitches) it "demystifies the essential concepts that any entrepreneur, manager or student of business must grasp".
It's concise, bite-sized and easy to digest and is really good for an introductory overview.
Some the 50 management ideas include:-
1) Adhocracy
2) Balanced Scorecard
4) Blue Ocean Strategy
13) Costs of Complexity
17) The 80:20 Principle
18) Empowerment
20) Experience Curve
21) The Five Forces of Competition
28) Lean Manufacturing
30) The Long Tail
43) Systems Thinking
45) Tipping Point
49) Web2.0
50) What business are you really in?
If you would like to find out more, here are the details
50 Management Ideas You Really Need to Know (Hardcover)
by Edward Russell-Walling (Author)
Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc (3 April 2008)
ISBN-10: 1847240097
ISBN-13: 978-1847240095
Edward Russell-Walling is a writer and editor, specializing in business, finance and economic affairs. He had contributed to a wide range of publications, including The Times, New Statesman and the Financial Times, and he has edited numerous magazines.
Happy Reading!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Achieving Learning in Training
I just came out of conducting a 3-day training early this week.
I was appreciative of the enthusiastic response by participants during the course, especially their effort and great work, as evidenced by their very productive and colourful flipchart outputs. And I was most gratified by the positive rating for my facilitation.
The whole event reminded me of Gagné’s “Nine Events of Instruction”.
Gagné’s most major and best known contribution to the theory of instruction was his model of "Nine Events of Instruction".
1. Gain attention
2. Inform learners of objectives
3. Stimulate recall of prior learning
4. Present the content
5. Provide "learning guidance"
6. Elicit performance (practice)
7. Provide feedback
8. Assess performance
9. Enhance retention and transfer to the job
If any trainer is able to apply these 9 events into the delivery of their program - whether it is on how to operate a stamping machine, to how to communicate better or on performance management, I am pretty certain participants will be responsive, learning would have taken place and the trainer will be “rewarded” with an appreciative rating.
I was appreciative of the enthusiastic response by participants during the course, especially their effort and great work, as evidenced by their very productive and colourful flipchart outputs. And I was most gratified by the positive rating for my facilitation.
The whole event reminded me of Gagné’s “Nine Events of Instruction”.
Robert Mills Gagné (1916-2002) was an American educational psychologist best known for his "Conditions of Learning". Gagné pioneered the science of instruction during WWII for the air force's pilot training. Later he went on to develop a series of studies and works that helped codify what is now considered to be 'good instruction.' He also was involved in applying concepts of instructional theory to the design of computer based training and multimedia based learning.
Source: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
Gagné’s most major and best known contribution to the theory of instruction was his model of "Nine Events of Instruction".
1. Gain attention
2. Inform learners of objectives
3. Stimulate recall of prior learning
4. Present the content
5. Provide "learning guidance"
6. Elicit performance (practice)
7. Provide feedback
8. Assess performance
9. Enhance retention and transfer to the job
If any trainer is able to apply these 9 events into the delivery of their program - whether it is on how to operate a stamping machine, to how to communicate better or on performance management, I am pretty certain participants will be responsive, learning would have taken place and the trainer will be “rewarded” with an appreciative rating.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
What's Your Learning Profile?
I was back behind the classroom desk this past week as part of an industry certification course.
I “survived” the 04 days, fortunately by the fact that the topic allowed the training to be very hands-on and participative and an enlightened trainer that decided to leverage on that. Versus just the atypical lecture and information dump so typical of many certification-type courses.
If you hadn’t already guessed by my profession and approach & methodology to facilitation and training, I am a very hands-on, participatory type of person. I seem to learn and assimilate best in those sorts of experiential training environments and I have observed that many working adults seem to be that way.
Many would be familiar with the Dunn & Dunn's VAK model, with it’s origins from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), which asserts that for most circumstances and most people, their mental processing is dominated by three main sensory based modes:
visual (V- learning by seeing)
auditory (A - learning by hearing)
kinesthetic (K- learning by doing)
But I personally prefer Honey & Mumford’s (1982) typology of experiential learning styles.
Activitists (Do)
involve themselves fully in new experiences
enjoy the here and now
open minded, enthusiastic, flexible
act first, consider consequences later
seek to centre activity around themselves
==> Enjoy learning through games, competitive teamwork tasks and role plays.
Reflectors (Review)
prefer to step back and observe
cautious, take a back seat, can be perceived to be indecisive
likes to collect and analyze data about experience and events, slow to reach conclusions
use information from past, present and immediate observations to maintain a big picture perspective.
==> Prefer learning activities based on observation/investigation which gives leeway to ponder upon.
Theorists (Conclude)
Think through problems in a logical step-by-step manner, value rationality and objectivity
can assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories
disciplined, aiming to fit things into rational order
keen on basic assumptions, principles, theories, models and systems thinking
==> Prefers activities that explore the inter-relationship between ideas and principles.
Pragmatists (Plan)
Keen to put ideas, theories and techniques into practice
Search new ideas and experiment
Act quickly and confidently on ideas, gets straight to the point
Are impatient with endless discussion
==> Prefers learning activities that resembles direct work experience.
Knowing your learning style can accelerate your learning as you undertake activities that best fit your preferred style.
I “survived” the 04 days, fortunately by the fact that the topic allowed the training to be very hands-on and participative and an enlightened trainer that decided to leverage on that. Versus just the atypical lecture and information dump so typical of many certification-type courses.
If you hadn’t already guessed by my profession and approach & methodology to facilitation and training, I am a very hands-on, participatory type of person. I seem to learn and assimilate best in those sorts of experiential training environments and I have observed that many working adults seem to be that way.
Many would be familiar with the Dunn & Dunn's VAK model, with it’s origins from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), which asserts that for most circumstances and most people, their mental processing is dominated by three main sensory based modes:
visual (V- learning by seeing)
auditory (A - learning by hearing)
kinesthetic (K- learning by doing)
But I personally prefer Honey & Mumford’s (1982) typology of experiential learning styles.
Activitists (Do)
involve themselves fully in new experiences
enjoy the here and now
open minded, enthusiastic, flexible
act first, consider consequences later
seek to centre activity around themselves
==> Enjoy learning through games, competitive teamwork tasks and role plays.
Reflectors (Review)
prefer to step back and observe
cautious, take a back seat, can be perceived to be indecisive
likes to collect and analyze data about experience and events, slow to reach conclusions
use information from past, present and immediate observations to maintain a big picture perspective.
==> Prefer learning activities based on observation/investigation which gives leeway to ponder upon.
Theorists (Conclude)
Think through problems in a logical step-by-step manner, value rationality and objectivity
can assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories
disciplined, aiming to fit things into rational order
keen on basic assumptions, principles, theories, models and systems thinking
==> Prefers activities that explore the inter-relationship between ideas and principles.
Pragmatists (Plan)
Keen to put ideas, theories and techniques into practice
Search new ideas and experiment
Act quickly and confidently on ideas, gets straight to the point
Are impatient with endless discussion
==> Prefers learning activities that resembles direct work experience.
Knowing your learning style can accelerate your learning as you undertake activities that best fit your preferred style.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Future Now
My wife was invited to SIM’s 2008 Annual Management Lecture last August to hear the keynote address by their distinguished speaker Dr James Canton.
Canton is CEO and Chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a think tank he founded in 1990 that advises business and government on future trends. He has worked with Fortune 1000 firms like IBM, BP, Intel, Philips, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Boeing, FedEx, and Proctor & Gamble on trends in innovation, financial services, healthcare, population, life sciences, energy, security, workforce, climate change, and globalization.
I found his book The Extreme Future: The Top Trends that will Shape the World in the Next 20 Years, to be insightful, clear and relevant.
Points raised relating to the workforce for 2009, updated from this book, makes for good reading and I have reproduced it here for sharing:-
Top Ten Workforce Trends for 2009
1. A global war for Smart Talent will be the top driver of competitive advantage, as educated, skilled and experienced employees will be in demand.
2. The aging of the population in America and Europe will have dramatic effect on society and the economy impacting productivity, knowledge and growth.
3. An increase in women in the U.S. workforce will change the policies, power and positioning of organizations. Women will alter the strategies of boardrooms, industries and markets.
4. A diversity savvy workforce will be required to understand and align with the diversity in the global marketplace. Diversity will be a critical competency for leaders and employees.
5. Finding, training and retaining high-tech skilled employees from a global talent pool will be the greatest challenge for every organization.
6. Incorporating innovation into the organizational DNA will be a key driver of future competitive advantage.
7. Building a sustainable, healthy and green workplace will be an essential capability for retaining talent and attracting the future workforce
8. Preparing employees to meet the challenges of a complex and stressful future, where accelerated change and risks can be managed effectively with high performance agility, will be vitally important.
9. An organization that is committed to employee development, continual education and training, will return to the organization new skills and new competencies.
10. Attracting the next workforce, or preparing the current one, will require a new workforce culture to better understand trans-national teams, online collaboration, globalization and business process transformation.
Source: Institute for Global Futures
James Canton, Ph.D is a senior fellow at the Centre for Research in Innovation at the Kellogg School of Management and is also an advisor to our Economic Development Board (EDB).
He is also the author of Technofutures: How Leading-Edge Innovations Will Transform Business in the 21st Century.
Canton is CEO and Chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a think tank he founded in 1990 that advises business and government on future trends. He has worked with Fortune 1000 firms like IBM, BP, Intel, Philips, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Boeing, FedEx, and Proctor & Gamble on trends in innovation, financial services, healthcare, population, life sciences, energy, security, workforce, climate change, and globalization.
I found his book The Extreme Future: The Top Trends that will Shape the World in the Next 20 Years, to be insightful, clear and relevant.
Points raised relating to the workforce for 2009, updated from this book, makes for good reading and I have reproduced it here for sharing:-
Top Ten Workforce Trends for 2009
1. A global war for Smart Talent will be the top driver of competitive advantage, as educated, skilled and experienced employees will be in demand.
2. The aging of the population in America and Europe will have dramatic effect on society and the economy impacting productivity, knowledge and growth.
3. An increase in women in the U.S. workforce will change the policies, power and positioning of organizations. Women will alter the strategies of boardrooms, industries and markets.
4. A diversity savvy workforce will be required to understand and align with the diversity in the global marketplace. Diversity will be a critical competency for leaders and employees.
5. Finding, training and retaining high-tech skilled employees from a global talent pool will be the greatest challenge for every organization.
6. Incorporating innovation into the organizational DNA will be a key driver of future competitive advantage.
7. Building a sustainable, healthy and green workplace will be an essential capability for retaining talent and attracting the future workforce
8. Preparing employees to meet the challenges of a complex and stressful future, where accelerated change and risks can be managed effectively with high performance agility, will be vitally important.
9. An organization that is committed to employee development, continual education and training, will return to the organization new skills and new competencies.
10. Attracting the next workforce, or preparing the current one, will require a new workforce culture to better understand trans-national teams, online collaboration, globalization and business process transformation.
Source: Institute for Global Futures
James Canton, Ph.D is a senior fellow at the Centre for Research in Innovation at the Kellogg School of Management and is also an advisor to our Economic Development Board (EDB).
He is also the author of Technofutures: How Leading-Edge Innovations Will Transform Business in the 21st Century.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Save Gaia
Today is Earth Day. Happy 39th Birthday!
Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in way back in 1970. That nation-wide environmental protest movement in the US was first proposed by him to thrust the environment onto the national agenda.
April 22, 1970, the inaugural Earth Day marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. That event had approximately 20 million Americans participating, all with a goal of a healthy and sustainable environment.
Today millions all over the globe, observe Earth Day, this as the dire consequences of our continued industrialization and modernization has put the environment onto the global agenda.
What can organizations do?
Here are some simple ideas that'll work for the 2-pax to the 20,000-pax organization
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Restore
Reduce
- electricity usage in the office – make sure all electrical appliances are turned off at the device and also the mains at the end of the work day.
- or eliminate the use of plastic / sytrofoam cups in the office (including plastic bottled water) – everyone to use their own cups.
- the amount of paper used for non-essential printing eg printing out emails to read.
- non-essential air-travel, do a tele-conference instead
Reuse
- the other side of unwanted/unimportant (non-confidential) paper print outs
Recycle
- copier or printer cartridges
- have recycling bins for paper, plastics, aluminium
- organize a recycling drive eg newspaper collection in your community
Restore
- offset your carbon footprint by organizing a tree-planting event with your local community partner http://www.gardencityfund.com.sg/pat/How_to_take_part.htm
- organize a beach / park / mangrove clean-up to rid them of litter and refuse
- use public transport or car-pool or even cycle to work
As Nike succinctly puts it - "Just Do It!"
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Darwin200
We hear lots of buzz words today - in business, the economy and for the workforce.Words like re-inventing, paradigm shift, thinking out-of-the-box, re-skilling, change management, resilience, mind-set change, transformation, catalyze, innovate, revolutionize….the list is endless – but all eluding to the importance of change and adapting for the better.
Which leads me to one of my favourite quotations - from Charles Darwin, 1809-1882 :
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
Charles Darwin was an English naturalist and author of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, the book on the theory of evolution by natural selection that shook the scientific world.
Darwin200 is centered on his 200th birthday in February 2009 as well as the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in November 1859.
It will be a platform for countries and scientific communities all over the world to celebrate how the impact of his ideas, about evolution and his approach to the understanding of the natural world as an outstanding scientist, continues to have on our lives today.
Ideas that continue to have relevance and resonance for us in this constantly changing and rapidly evolving world we live in.
Many organizations I have been asked to work with are often grappling with either coping with and/or sustaining change management.
If you have a similar dilemma and need a solution or intervention, let me know and I can share with you why so many change initiatives fail and how not to go down that same path.
Change is the only constant these days.
Question is are you or your organization ready to face up to it?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
HR Day
In celebration of Singapore's most important asset, this nation's first Human Resource (HR) Day and a centre dedicated to HR training (Human Capital Centre) was launched by the Minister of Manpower yesterday.
Singapore's HR Day will be held annually on March 1st.
Madam Ho Geok Choo, President of Singapore Human Resources Institute and also the new Chief Executive of the Human Capital Centre (HCC), was quoted by the media as saying "Singapore's success story is really all about human resources" and this "day formally recognises the significant contribution of HR and people managers."
In the many workshops/facilitated meetings that I have conducted relating to employee/staff motivation, one of the top factors that come up again and again, that really motivates employess at the workplace is recognition.
Employees who are regularly recognised/praised for their contributions ie positive feedback that their effort/work matters, will be more motivated and engaged at the workplace.
This leads to enhanced morale, reduced attrition and improved productivity & performance. All of which will go to boosting organisational effectiveness, performance and results.
Simple, novel and when done with sincerity, HR Day is a great way of letting employees know that people really are an organisations greatest asset.
What will you be doing come 1st March?
Singapore's HR Day will be held annually on March 1st.
Madam Ho Geok Choo, President of Singapore Human Resources Institute and also the new Chief Executive of the Human Capital Centre (HCC), was quoted by the media as saying "Singapore's success story is really all about human resources" and this "day formally recognises the significant contribution of HR and people managers."
In the many workshops/facilitated meetings that I have conducted relating to employee/staff motivation, one of the top factors that come up again and again, that really motivates employess at the workplace is recognition.
Employees who are regularly recognised/praised for their contributions ie positive feedback that their effort/work matters, will be more motivated and engaged at the workplace.
This leads to enhanced morale, reduced attrition and improved productivity & performance. All of which will go to boosting organisational effectiveness, performance and results.
Simple, novel and when done with sincerity, HR Day is a great way of letting employees know that people really are an organisations greatest asset.
What will you be doing come 1st March?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Servant-Leadership
In 1970, noted American organizational expert, Robert K Greenleaf, coined and defined the term ‘servant leadership’ in his essay The Servant as Leader.
This visionary approach to leadership development has since been advanced by such renowned authors such as Steven Covey, Ken Blanchard, Peter Senge and others.
In that essay, Greenleaf describes servant leadership in this manner:
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead……The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”
In these trying business and economic times, amidst corporate management debacles about ethics and responsibility, the principles Greenleaf talks about are a timely reminder on what true leadership can be, be it in the community, politics or business.
In Western literature and tradition, Jesus Christ was truly the epitome of a servant leader where he made servitude a central principle of Christianity.
This visionary approach to leadership development has since been advanced by such renowned authors such as Steven Covey, Ken Blanchard, Peter Senge and others.
In that essay, Greenleaf describes servant leadership in this manner:
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead……The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”
In these trying business and economic times, amidst corporate management debacles about ethics and responsibility, the principles Greenleaf talks about are a timely reminder on what true leadership can be, be it in the community, politics or business.
In Western literature and tradition, Jesus Christ was truly the epitome of a servant leader where he made servitude a central principle of Christianity.
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10: 42-45 (NIV)
As Christians across the globe celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ today, I hope that His message will renew a sense of urgency and purpose for leaders to do what is right.
Mark 10: 42-45 (NIV)
As Christians across the globe celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ today, I hope that His message will renew a sense of urgency and purpose for leaders to do what is right.
Happy Easter!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Why Juggle?
Why not?
Juggling is a fun and very beneficial activity - for all ages.
It improves your rhythm, hand eye co-ordination, timing and it gives you a bit of exercise too. More importantly, it involves whole brain integration (see my earlier post regarding Left-Brain, Right-Brain).
When you are concentrating on the task of juggling, it is a great way to relax and forget about everything else for a moment, attaining what is called a "relaxed state of concentration". It is acknowledged that athletes perform best in this state, what is commonly referred to as being “in the zone”.
Still need convincing?
In edition 427 of Nature (311-312), dated 22 Jan 2004, researchers from the University of Regensberg in Germany found that learning to juggle causes certain areas of your brain to grow.
In the article Neuroplasticity: Changes in grey matter induced by training, researchers discovered that absolute beginners who learnt to juggle over a period of three months had increased their grey matter in areas associated with processing and storage of complex visual motion functions.
But they also discovered that brains returned to their original size when they stopped juggling ie this effect was transient. 'The brain is like a muscle, we need to exercise it," said Dr Arne May who led the research team. A case of use it or lose it.
So want your brain/brain power to get a boost? Learn to Juggle!
And then the next time you encounter a problem/issue - Take a time out, go juggle and when you have attained that relaxed state of concentration, see if a solution or at least some light at end of the tunnel presents itself.
You will be surprised at the results.
I have run many juggling workshops (from 8 to more than 120 pax) and participants often are skeptical at the beginning. But at the end, they not only had great fun, but they take away an important skill (which many secretly wished they knew how to) that gives them a fun way to achieve whole brain integration.
Juggling is a fun and very beneficial activity - for all ages.
It improves your rhythm, hand eye co-ordination, timing and it gives you a bit of exercise too. More importantly, it involves whole brain integration (see my earlier post regarding Left-Brain, Right-Brain).
When you are concentrating on the task of juggling, it is a great way to relax and forget about everything else for a moment, attaining what is called a "relaxed state of concentration". It is acknowledged that athletes perform best in this state, what is commonly referred to as being “in the zone”.
Still need convincing?
In edition 427 of Nature (311-312), dated 22 Jan 2004, researchers from the University of Regensberg in Germany found that learning to juggle causes certain areas of your brain to grow.
In the article Neuroplasticity: Changes in grey matter induced by training, researchers discovered that absolute beginners who learnt to juggle over a period of three months had increased their grey matter in areas associated with processing and storage of complex visual motion functions.
But they also discovered that brains returned to their original size when they stopped juggling ie this effect was transient. 'The brain is like a muscle, we need to exercise it," said Dr Arne May who led the research team. A case of use it or lose it.
So want your brain/brain power to get a boost? Learn to Juggle!
And then the next time you encounter a problem/issue - Take a time out, go juggle and when you have attained that relaxed state of concentration, see if a solution or at least some light at end of the tunnel presents itself.
You will be surprised at the results.
I have run many juggling workshops (from 8 to more than 120 pax) and participants often are skeptical at the beginning. But at the end, they not only had great fun, but they take away an important skill (which many secretly wished they knew how to) that gives them a fun way to achieve whole brain integration.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Left Brain - Right Brain
I hope you managed to catch my earlier post featuring a talk by Sir Ken Robinson. In it he talks about how we are “educating” children from their “waist up to their heads and slightly to one side”.
Sir Robinson was eluding to the concept of brain lateralization.
The term brain lateralization refers to the fact that although the two halves of the human brain (cerebral hemispheres) look pretty much alike, they are actually quite different in their functions. Each hemisphere has functional specializations.
Below is a listing of what is generally widely-accepted today as these “specializations”.
Sir Robinson was eluding to the concept of brain lateralization.
The term brain lateralization refers to the fact that although the two halves of the human brain (cerebral hemispheres) look pretty much alike, they are actually quite different in their functions. Each hemisphere has functional specializations.
Below is a listing of what is generally widely-accepted today as these “specializations”.
LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS--------------------------- RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic--------------------------------------------------------uses feelings
detail oriented--------------------------------------------------"big picture" oriented
facts rule---------------------------------------------------------imagination rules
words and language--------------------------------------------symbols and images
present and past------------------------------------------------present and future
math and science-----------------------------------------------philosophy and religion
knowing----------------------------------------------------------believes
acknowledges---------------------------------------------------appreciates
order/pattern perception----------------------------------------spatial perception
knows object name--------------------------------------------- knows object function
reality based-----------------------------------------------------fantasy based
forms strategies-------------------------------------------------presents possibilities
practical--------------------------------------------------------impetuous
safe--------------------------------------------------------------risk-taking
............................... 
Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci............ Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso
Both renowned and esteemed artists.
I wonder which side of their brains they used more to paint with?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Ask A Stupid Question?
In August 2000, the National Library Board (NLB) launched a series of forums for it's key staff to get ideas for their key projects.
Ask Stupid QuestionsTM (or ASQTM) is a practical methodology to create original, innovative ideas for any issue and or solutions to any problem. The more “stupid” or unconventional the question, the more original the idea that will be generated. Using these questions as a base, one can brainstorm and arrive at innovative solutions that can be further developed into profitable projects or resolve organisational issues and challenges.
The ASQTM Movement (ASQm), thus, hopes to spread this methodology through partnerships with various associations, clubs, societies etc.
Source: ASQTM Movement, National Library Board, 2009
Since then, NLB has shared this methodology successfully with many organisations both in the public and private sector, with ASQTM practitioners from NLB continuing to champion and share this approach.
In conjunction with the Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) Learning For Success Education Fair, NLB will be holding an Ask Stupid Questions (ASQ) Movement workshop.
Thanks to my friend in my weekly running group (who works in NLB), I was clued into this event by a series of press ads and I'm looking forward to experiencing this methodology tomorrow.
I wonder what stupid question I'm going to ask?
Ask Stupid QuestionsTM (or ASQTM) is a practical methodology to create original, innovative ideas for any issue and or solutions to any problem. The more “stupid” or unconventional the question, the more original the idea that will be generated. Using these questions as a base, one can brainstorm and arrive at innovative solutions that can be further developed into profitable projects or resolve organisational issues and challenges.
The ASQTM Movement (ASQm), thus, hopes to spread this methodology through partnerships with various associations, clubs, societies etc.
Source: ASQTM Movement, National Library Board, 2009
Since then, NLB has shared this methodology successfully with many organisations both in the public and private sector, with ASQTM practitioners from NLB continuing to champion and share this approach.
In conjunction with the Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) Learning For Success Education Fair, NLB will be holding an Ask Stupid Questions (ASQ) Movement workshop.
Thanks to my friend in my weekly running group (who works in NLB), I was clued into this event by a series of press ads and I'm looking forward to experiencing this methodology tomorrow.
I wonder what stupid question I'm going to ask?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
On Creativity
I was blown away last year when I first came across this talk from Sir Ken Robinson at a 2006 TED* conference. He makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.
* TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).
Why you should listen to him:
Why don't we get the best out of people? Sir Ken Robinson argues that it's because we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies -- far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity -- are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says. It's a message with deep resonance. Robinson's TEDTalk has been distributed widely around the Web since its release in June 2006. The most popular words framing blog posts on his talk? "Everyone should watch this."
Enjoy!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Building or Bonding - is there a Difference?
Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English defines these 2 words as follows:-
bond :
1) something that unites two or more people or groups, such as a shared feeling or interest
2) to (cause to) stick together
build
1) to make (a structure) by putting pieces together
2) to (cause to) develop; form
3) to try to establish a connection or friendly relationships, especially between opposing groups or ideas
4) to use as a base for further development
5) to base on, to depend on
6) to (cause to) increase, develop or become gradually larger
As you can see, there are marked differences to the nuance to these 2 words which should be self-evident, even if you put the word team before it ie team bond, team build. I especially want to highlight definitions #3 & #4 for "build" as it has such relevance when we discuss team-building.
Yet many organizations fail to make this distinction when they decide to make a request for a team activity.
Michael West in his 2004 book Motivate Teams, Maximize Success – Effective Strategies for Realizing Your Goals shares that research suggests that “quick fix” bonding sessions may have little impact upon how effectively the team actually works together.
He goes on to share that team building is oft imagined to be specially organized outward-bound activities or group exercises like figuring out how to cross a river using plastic barrels, wooden poles and rope. (Others I might go on to share like ‘amazing race’-type activities, dragon-boating, white water rafting, paint-ball, which on deeper reflection equate almost to the ubiquitous bowling session, just more “glam”)
Whilst such activities can result in team members having more positive attitudes towards one another (because of their shared experience), significant impact to the efficacy of the team working together is often not achieved.
"More effective team building processes involves taking days out of the team’s regular work specifically to focus on task performance."
So I will always ensure the following 3 key factors are part of any of my client discussions:-
What is/are the (real) objective(s) for this team building?
Be realistic that this is a gradual and continuous process that takes time and miracles do not happen overnight with just 1 session.
Design with the participants and group dynamics in mind but it is essential that meaningful discussions and reflection arise from these facilitated-activities so that the learning can be applied and sustained back at the work place.
Team-building or Team-bonding ? Do think again.
bond :
1) something that unites two or more people or groups, such as a shared feeling or interest
2) to (cause to) stick together
build
1) to make (a structure) by putting pieces together
2) to (cause to) develop; form
3) to try to establish a connection or friendly relationships, especially between opposing groups or ideas
4) to use as a base for further development
5) to base on, to depend on
6) to (cause to) increase, develop or become gradually larger
As you can see, there are marked differences to the nuance to these 2 words which should be self-evident, even if you put the word team before it ie team bond, team build. I especially want to highlight definitions #3 & #4 for "build" as it has such relevance when we discuss team-building.
Yet many organizations fail to make this distinction when they decide to make a request for a team activity.
Michael West in his 2004 book Motivate Teams, Maximize Success – Effective Strategies for Realizing Your Goals shares that research suggests that “quick fix” bonding sessions may have little impact upon how effectively the team actually works together.
He goes on to share that team building is oft imagined to be specially organized outward-bound activities or group exercises like figuring out how to cross a river using plastic barrels, wooden poles and rope. (Others I might go on to share like ‘amazing race’-type activities, dragon-boating, white water rafting, paint-ball, which on deeper reflection equate almost to the ubiquitous bowling session, just more “glam”)
Whilst such activities can result in team members having more positive attitudes towards one another (because of their shared experience), significant impact to the efficacy of the team working together is often not achieved.
"More effective team building processes involves taking days out of the team’s regular work specifically to focus on task performance."
So I will always ensure the following 3 key factors are part of any of my client discussions:-
What is/are the (real) objective(s) for this team building?
Be realistic that this is a gradual and continuous process that takes time and miracles do not happen overnight with just 1 session.
Design with the participants and group dynamics in mind but it is essential that meaningful discussions and reflection arise from these facilitated-activities so that the learning can be applied and sustained back at the work place.
Team-building or Team-bonding ? Do think again.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Facilitation in Small Groups
I truly believe that small group/team facilitation, when done correctly, will yield significant results for the group/team in their performance goals as the improvements in team functioning are relevant and sustainable.
Marsha Speck (1996) contends that
Adult learners come to learning with a wide range of previous experiences, knowledge, self-direction, interests, and competencies. This diversity must be accommodated in the planning of any professional development program.
Adults need to participate in small-group activities during the learning to move them beyond understanding to application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Small-group activities provides them the opportunity to share, reflect, and generalize their learning experiences.
Transfer of learning for adults is not automatic and must be facilitated. Other kinds of follow-up support like coaching are needed to assist adult learners transfer their learnings into daily practice so that it is sustainable.
Source:
Best Practice in Professional Development for Sustained Educational Change - Speck,M. ERS Spectrum, v14 n2 p33-41 Spr 1996
Having had the privilege to facilitate and work with many groups of differing sizes, from CXO/board level to middle managers to production line teams, I believe this to be inherently true.
With an appropriate program and a good facilitator, these small groups/teams invariably report getting much better results for the objectives laid out - from reducing conflict, to improving team effectiveness and performance to enhancing collaboration and cohesiveness.
Isn't it time you benefitted from such a facilitation?
Marsha Speck (1996) contends that
Adult learners come to learning with a wide range of previous experiences, knowledge, self-direction, interests, and competencies. This diversity must be accommodated in the planning of any professional development program.
Adults need to participate in small-group activities during the learning to move them beyond understanding to application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Small-group activities provides them the opportunity to share, reflect, and generalize their learning experiences.
Transfer of learning for adults is not automatic and must be facilitated. Other kinds of follow-up support like coaching are needed to assist adult learners transfer their learnings into daily practice so that it is sustainable.
Source:
Best Practice in Professional Development for Sustained Educational Change - Speck,M. ERS Spectrum, v14 n2 p33-41 Spr 1996
Having had the privilege to facilitate and work with many groups of differing sizes, from CXO/board level to middle managers to production line teams, I believe this to be inherently true.
With an appropriate program and a good facilitator, these small groups/teams invariably report getting much better results for the objectives laid out - from reducing conflict, to improving team effectiveness and performance to enhancing collaboration and cohesiveness.
Isn't it time you benefitted from such a facilitation?
Friday, March 27, 2009
The Power of the Story
I am a strong believer in the use of (relevant) stories as part of my facilitation approach.
When used appropriately, it can be a powerful and emotive tool to effect change - for reconciliation, for motivation, for innovative thinking.
John P Kotter, renowned management guru from Harvard writes in a 2006 article in Forbes:
"As I look around me today, I see that too few business leaders grasp the idea that stories can have a profound effect on people. The gestures made (or not made) by leaders can turn into the stories that powerfully affect behavior.
Leaders who understand this and use this knowledge to help make their organizations great are the ones we admire and wish others would emulate. Those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies and for themselves. "
From the time Man sat together in front of their earthen fires, stories have been the way to transfer knowledge, pass on traditions, counsel (historical coaching), motivate and lead.
Organisations should return to these roots and re-discover how stories can be a powerful tool for learning and change.
When used appropriately, it can be a powerful and emotive tool to effect change - for reconciliation, for motivation, for innovative thinking.
John P Kotter, renowned management guru from Harvard writes in a 2006 article in Forbes:
"As I look around me today, I see that too few business leaders grasp the idea that stories can have a profound effect on people. The gestures made (or not made) by leaders can turn into the stories that powerfully affect behavior.
Leaders who understand this and use this knowledge to help make their organizations great are the ones we admire and wish others would emulate. Those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies and for themselves. "
From the time Man sat together in front of their earthen fires, stories have been the way to transfer knowledge, pass on traditions, counsel (historical coaching), motivate and lead.
Organisations should return to these roots and re-discover how stories can be a powerful tool for learning and change.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Leveraging Organisations from Within
Who understands your job and challenges better?
Who understands the issues facing an organisation, group or team best?
The answers lie with the people within the organisation.
Their collective experience, knowledge, know how and will are the answers - the only issue is getting past the obstacles that abound - like turf wars, lack of communication, conflict, pride.
A truly honest and effective consultant will tell you he/she is not a "magic pill" that you can hire and miraculously solve an organisation's issues overnight.
Instead, we seek to ensure that there is a real analysis and understanding of the issues at hand before crafting of a relevant and customised approach to begin the "healing process". To get this collective experience, knowledge, know how and will back on track and to bear on the issues at hand - be they overcoming the competition, conquering new markets, cost-cutting, improving quality, product innovation, leadership or staff morale.
A facilitator will bring in approaches to help an organisation achieve these goals by assisting them to overcome internal obstacles and to find a solution collectively.
Facilitate : to make easy
Who understands the issues facing an organisation, group or team best?
The answers lie with the people within the organisation.
Their collective experience, knowledge, know how and will are the answers - the only issue is getting past the obstacles that abound - like turf wars, lack of communication, conflict, pride.
A truly honest and effective consultant will tell you he/she is not a "magic pill" that you can hire and miraculously solve an organisation's issues overnight.
Instead, we seek to ensure that there is a real analysis and understanding of the issues at hand before crafting of a relevant and customised approach to begin the "healing process". To get this collective experience, knowledge, know how and will back on track and to bear on the issues at hand - be they overcoming the competition, conquering new markets, cost-cutting, improving quality, product innovation, leadership or staff morale.
A facilitator will bring in approaches to help an organisation achieve these goals by assisting them to overcome internal obstacles and to find a solution collectively.
Facilitate : to make easy
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