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LEARNING…SO WHAT’S CHANGING?
and revenue shortages. This is known as ‘Red Ocean’ thinking and it has its place, but
should it be at the expense ‘Blue Ocean’ solutions which aim to creatively look at adding
value to what we do?
High value solutions are often born out of new and different thinking but few
organisations view creativity and innovation as an essential organisational competence
which is explicit and embedded in the way the business is run. Without embedded
creativity we are anchored in the ways of the past and we are slow to respond and
improve people’s lives.
INSIGHT number two – Whole person learning is essential…
for fulfilment and success
It used to be a popular 20th Century adage that for many people organisational life
amounted to ‘hanging up their brain with their coat’ as they went into work. Thankfully
the 21st Century has seen gradual recognition by successive UK governments of the
importance of people engagement at work. This was exemplified by the Macleod report
which makes a compelling case for the importance of psychological ownership of work
and the emotional engagement of people in their work.
The real gains in productivity, efficiency and creativity derive from greater psychological
engagement. This means seeing people in ‘whole person’ terms. It begins to recognise
that when personal values, emotions and thinking align with the needs of the business
there is a powerful psychological contract which goes far beyond the wage/effort
equation. Viewing staff in ‘whole person’ terms and helping them align with a cause
based on an organisation’s vision requires leaders who are emotionally intelligent and
skilled at making the most of their people.
Show me an organisation in which the vast majority of leaders hold regular and
meaningful one-to-ones with their staff, in which both work and personal issues are
openly addressed, and I will guarantee a high performing staff team and organisation.
The vast majority of people want to align and emotionally engage with their
organisation. It is not a simplification to say that many people leave an organisation
because of their boss!
INSIGHT number three – Left and right brain thinking are required in
the 21st Century
Managerial sophistication in the late 20th Century was exemplified by the growth in
university business schools and MBAs. Many of these postgraduate qualifications were
based on ‘left brain’ thinking which means it prioritised logical, fact-based, analytical
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