2019

The end of any year has always been a time for reflection, thinking about what has happened in the past year and, perhaps, what changes do we want (or need) to make in the coming year and beyond. My personal sense of reflection has been turbo-charged this year with a visit to CIPD HQ in Wimbledon to deliver a workshop on leveraging the power of Read more...

I read a lot about leadership, and not just because I’m professionally interested in leadership. What people write about leadership is a great source of insight into how they are viewing business organisations, and what they are thinking about how those organisations are likely to evolve. I’m particularly drawn to well-considered writing about Read more...

Facilitation - what do we mean?  One of the key learning messages from Colourblind, RSVP Design’s flagship communication skills exercise, is the importance of understanding messages in the way that is intended by the message senders. This requires careful use of language, conversations that explore different interpretations of the same words Read more...

“If I was in your position….” “That sounds like a good idea….” “When that happened to me, I did this…..” “I would suggest….” How often, when working to develop coaching skills, do you hear interventions like those above, closely followed by a groan and a recognition that once again, the inexperienced coach has Read more...

Today’s organisations: flatter, faster, more pressured, more accountable. This situation has created the worrying paradox that every member of the organisation carries more responsibility for ‘getting it right’ yet there is less resource for the scrutiny that protects these members from ‘getting it wrong’. In these circumstances there Read more...

There are a great number of activities that a facilitator can build into an intervention with the purpose of building trust between participants. However, there’s a different, and potentially more important, interpersonal trust relationship that exists in the training room, and ought to be given priority in opening any programme of learning. Read more...

Everyone has unique preferences when it comes to learning, but experiential learning is something that benefits everyone. It engages the brain in a way that no other form of learning does, forcing you to think for yourself instead of simply absorbing and regurgitating the materials you’re being presented with. As for what it can involve, there Read more...

As I write this blog, I’m looking out at a classic Scottish Summer’s day, low cloud, drizzle and a penetrating westerly wind. I smile at the irony as I look back to what I’m writing, an encouragement to move outdoors for at least some of your experiential learning programmes. Why on earth would anybody think about doing that? Yet a Read more...

With Learning at Work Week (13th - 19th May 2019) happening soon I took the time to reflect on what makes a difference in terms of building a workplace culture of learning, what really makes a difference. In my opinion it’s pretty simple, doesn’t cost a lot in terms of time or investment, and is achievable without major changes in current Read more...

You don’t need to dig deeply into the literature of Leadership Development before you find advocates of ‘learning on the job’. Strong voices tell us that the best way for leaders to hone their skills is through the first-hand practice of leadership itself. I’ve got some sympathy for this viewpoint, there are some parts of leadership Read more...