Category Archives: Learning

Jane and Jack the Ripplers

February 2, 2020 By in Change Management, Entrepreneurship, Learning, Strategy, Uncategorized Tags: , , , Leave a comment

When presented with new challenges or opportunities people often say something like, “I’ll get to that when things settle down.”  No, they won’t.  That response generally means they’re more focused on the now and not embracing the future.  They’re like still water.  Successful organizations, teams, and individuals are in a constant state of change.  They’re like rippling water.

There are lots of good reasons why organizations, teams, and individuals don’t change.   Fear of the unknown is a common reason cited.  People are often in a comfort zone where their desire to change is outweighed be whatever is holding them back.  They’re stuck.  They need a rippler.  

Say, for example, there’s a new system being implemented at a workplace.  The old system has been in place for many years, and a common lament from team members is, “it works just fine.”  For them to leave their comfort zone and embrace the new unknown system something special needs to happen.  Most importantly they need to see movement towards the new system by their leaders and their teammates.  They need to see the ripples of change.  That’s not an easy thing to create but it can be done.  Its called change management.

There are many change management theories and methodologies.  They are generally grounded in social science and are often both academically pure and commercially successful.  Many PhD’s have been earned answering questions about change management and many consulting fees have been paid for helping to manage the people side of change. One common theme seems to be that someone needs to start the change wave which is sometimes referred to as change sponsorship.  The higher up the organizational hierarchy, the better the impact of change sponsorship, but it needs to start somewhere.  Someone needs to drop a pebble in the still water and make the water move for others to notice. That’s when their desire to participate in the change increases, and generally that’s when they begin to “get it and get with it.”  There needs to be a rippler. 

So, ask yourself, when it comes to change are you a rippler?  If you think you might be, then consider learning more about change and change management.  There are many great resources available to help you become a change manager.  Dr. John Kotter developed a highly regarded change process as did Jeffrey Hiatt and Tim Creasy who founded a research and training organization dedicated to change management.  Check out their stuff.  Maybe you’ll become a (better) rippler!

Addressing complexity with open design thinking

September 30, 2019 By in Learning, Strategy, Teaching, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Sometimes its tough to see the big picture, especially when its really ugly. Our world and everyone in it are facing some ugly problems right now. They are problems that are wickedly unstructured, open ended, multi dimensional, systemic and for which there are often no solutions. Our wicked problems require a new way of thinking and a new leadership paradigm. This week the global climate strikes offered evidence of a wicked problem. Where do you begin? There are so many unique yet interconnected elements each of which seems radically unpredictable. Without directly referencing the science, suffice it to say that the debate, let alone the hope of a solution, seems beyond our control. Don’t despair. Fortunately, this week also offered some hope for our future and not just in the form of #teamgreta and the many brave climate change activists.

systemsinnovation.io

This week three global industry leaders shone a light on a new way of thinking which is credited as the kind of new management approach which our world needs now. Deloitte, IBM, and RBC joined forces to offer Nova Scotia post secondary students a taste of design thinking. The investment which these companies made in developing and delivering the two-day learning event was impressive. The scale of the event was significant, involving about 200 students from five schools all hosted at Saint Mary’s University. Yes the three corporate amigos got to see potential recruits in action and endeared themselves to a cohort of future leaders – the event helped their recruiting efforts for sure but I think the investment goes far beyond that.

Opening up the internal capabilities of these firms for others to learn and apply took a leap of faith for these three industry giants. They offered their know-how and their people in an effort to build community capacity so that we can begin to solve a growing world of wicked problems. The open source nature of the design thinking movement is evidence of healthy corporate values which help to address community and social issues – not just profit. In a world of wicked problems its nice to see some creative solutions emerge. Bravo IBM, Deloitte, RBC and all the student participants who made an investment which will make a difference and some day may get us to the other side of complexity. Post-complexity simplicity here we come!

Do Canadians believe in education?

July 24, 2019 By in Learning, Strategy, Teaching, Uncategorized Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Most Canadians believe post-secondary education positively impacts the country, is more relevant in today’s rapidly changing world, and makes us stronger in the face of new challenges. A new national survey conducted by Abacus Data for the Canadian Association of University Teachers offers some interesting insights including that 78% of Canadians believe public sector education (PSE) positively impacts the direction of the country

Most Canadians believe PSE is more relevant now than ever. A full two thirds agree that it has never been more important to get a post-secondary education now given the changes in the economy and society.

When told that Canada has the highest rate of residents with a post-secondary degree among comparable countries, two thirds of respondents feel it makes Canada a better place to live, a view that’s held across demographic, regional, and socio-economic groups. Given the importance of PSE in the eyes of Canadians it is likely that it will play a prominent role in the upcoming federal election. Although a provincial jurisdiction, federal policies supporting the sector are likely to be a focus. For more information visit Canadian Association of University Teachers, http://www.caut.ca July 23 post. Photo credit widehdimages.

How should graduate success be measured?

June 21, 2019 By in Career Management, Learning, Teaching, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Graduates from Nova Scotia earn about $60K per annum five years after completing their first degree (about 96% of them anyway) according to research conducted by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission in 2018. This is a useful measure, but it begs the question what are the most appropriate ways to measure graduate success? Surely some more subjective factors are considered relevant.

It is generally accepted that careers have an internal and an external dimension. The external dimension relates to the career as perceived by others where the internal dimension relates to notions of self. In addition to compensation, other common objective/ external measures include the number and rate of promotions, span of control, hierarchical level or rank, and perceived importance of job outcomes. Subjective/ internal career success outcomes commonly include career satisfaction, happiness, emotional well being, physical health, and work engagement.

The external career dimension gets the most attention although increasingly research is focusing on the internal dimension. Post-industrial society has experienced changing notions of career success that have coincided with, and may be influenced by a transition in values to a post-materialist view.

An increased focus on self-expression values, subjective well-being, self-expression, and individual spirituality has emerged (Dries, 2011). These values differ across cultures but the transition to a post materialist view has been most evident in affluent societies, such as North American. This transition has challenged ideology, such as “the American dream” and its influence on notions of success.

Nova Scotia Community College Convocation 2019

Post-commencement career advancement

May 28, 2019 By in Career Management, Learning, Teaching, Uncategorized Tags: , , , Leave a comment

There’s a lot of graduating going on these days and more to come.  Bravo to all the teachers and learners who are making it happen.  It’s time for celebration and reflection.  A common commencement address theme is that of the career.  My research suggests that some students don’t think seriously about their careers until long after graduation. My teaching experience is further evidence of this – despite best efforts.  It was also my workplace experience that many people don’t look ahead at their careers. Most people spend more time thinking about jobs.

Recently I asked 48 Canadian senior executives about their careers to identify barriers and enablers to career advancement.  The interviews were quite personal and very reflective.  In many cases these executives from across Canada shared their life stories with me.  Most of these people had achieved career success seemingly by all standards. Following a reasonably rigorous methodology, I identified the most common barriers and enablers to their career advancement.

The research considered early career, mid career, and mature career phases.  A key observation from early career reflection was that careers start in school.   Executives considered their early years and education as part of their career story.  At mid career, the most common enablers to career advancement identified in this research were:

Lessons

There were fewer barriers described by participants which suggests an overall forward progression for their careers.  They typically had worked in 5.3 organizations and had 9.3 positions over their careers.  Half had lived and worked in more than one region of Canada. Of the barriers, more were described by women than men.

Career highlites for these executives came from advancing the careers of others and from paying it forward through mentorship.  Mature career reflection featured this theme of sharing career luck with others who are at an earlier career stage. There were a few laments about promotions missed, and money lost but mostly it was full circle, back to commencement, right around when it all began.

So, graduates, soon-to-be graduates, and students consider these two questions:  When did your career start?  What are your emerging career advancement enablers?  Maybe you’re experiencing post-commencement career advancement.

Reflect yes, but don’t beat yourself up

May 15, 2019 By in Career Management, Learning, Teaching, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Dwelling on missed opportunities or mistakes is human nature.  A colleague recently lamented that she had left a great job to find a better one, only to realize that the grass was much greener in her original position.  She repeatedly regretted her decision and in some ways was paralyzed by it.  Researchers have found that obsessing over regrets has a negative impact on mood and sleep, can increase impulsivity, and can be a risk factor for binge eating and misusing alcohol (Taitz, 2019).

Abstract lights

Participant memories about negative career experiences were quite clear – even those long ago.  Reflection should be positive.

When asked about career regrets in a study of Canadian technology executives the most common answer was denial of negative reflection, “Oh I don’t dwell on  the past” (Fauteux, 2017).  When pressed during interviews, participants described a range of regrets including assignments not pursued, transfers not accepted, promotions not lobbied for, and other moments in time that could have been (better).  Their memories were quite clear about decisions made long ago.  No doubt you have some career regrets, I do! Its important not to let them get a hold of you.

Psychologists suggest that in order to avoid regret spiral you need to interrupt your negative thought pattern and look to the positive.  Taitz, 2019 describes this as interrupting your obsessing and treating yourself like your ideal mentor would.  Don’t beat yourself up – practice self compassion.  Her science explains once again what we know intuitively but sometimes can’t put into practice – see the sliver lining.  Life long learners who use reflection may know this best – there is positive value in every experience.

Kintsugi is a Japanese art which literally translated means “golden repair.” It is a philosophy of repairing broken things, including imperfections which are considered part of an item’s history.  So, life long learners, take time to reflect, look for the positive in every experience, and repair the broken thing(s) which are part of your career.

 

Ten probing questions which seek to understand…

April 30, 2018 By in Learning, Teaching Leave a comment

Questioning and listening go together like salt and pepper, or like teaching and learning. They are different sides of the same coin. Effective questioning is dependent on context. There is no recipe for the right question in any given situation. In most discussions, active listening provides the context and leads to the best next question.

Following is a list of ten Questionseffective questions to generate good discussion. These are probing questions which can help to explore almost any issue (Christensen, 2008).

  1. “Why?”
  2. “Could you say a little more about that?”
  3. “What leads you to that conclusion?”
  4. “How did you come up with that?”
  5. “Could you walk us through your thought process?”
  6. “Do you have any evidence to support that?”
  7. “How did you interpret that?”
  8. “What are your assumptions about that?”
  9. “Why is that important?”
  10. “What are the implications?”

Consider these questions the next time you’re in a group discussion in a classroom, at work, or event at the dinner table. Probing questions seek to understand.

Ref: Roland Christensen, 2008, Harvard Business School

Image: http://www.cbs.com

 

How teams last forever

April 13, 2018 By in Learning, Teaching Tags: Leave a comment

DSCN4538 (2)Many people around the world are thinking about teams today. These thoughts are rooted in a tragic story but they remind us of a beautiful reality. Teams last forever. I teach management and recently in class discussion we explored the topic of how teams are different from groups. Both groups and teams are very important in management. They both have their place. The intensity of interaction is greater in a team and a team’s vision or purpose is much more specific than that of a group (Jones et al., 2016). So, do teams last forever as the headline in this post suggests? I think so.

I try to be intentional when I describe myself as a team member versus a group participant. I don’t take the team label lightly. Teams have a structure with roles, and norms. We have team captains and we wear team jerseys. We are “mates” in a team. Teams have a higher purpose which can require sacrifice to be achieved, e.g. “She did it for the team.” We trust each other on a team, e.g. “I knew she would be there for me.” We think of teams like we think of family. We are sisters and we are brothers.

I don’t think teams ever stop being teams. Their intensity and their purpose sustain them forever. Once you join a team it will always be part of you, and you will always be part of the team. #jerseysforhumbolt #humboltstrong #nscc

Canadian students: 60% feel hopelessness

August 2, 2017 By in Learning, Teaching 1 Comment

Mental health costs the Canadian economy $51 billion per year according to a publication recently released by the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.  Of 30,00 Canadian college students surveyed about mental health, 60% expressed feelings of hopelessness, and 90% felt overwhelmed.  Unhappiness, anxiety, depression, lost sleep, drinking and alcoholism are symptoms of mental health issues broadly and among students.

If you’re like me you don’t know a lot about mental health.  Despite significant impact on my family, mental health remains something of a mystery to me, so I found the student focused publication interesting.  The provinces of Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia each contributed Mental Healthto the publication from different perspectives. Following are some highlites.

Until recently mental health promotion in Canada has been lacking. A stigma about talking mental health prevails. Early identification of issues, diagnosis, and mental health care is important. A systemic view of mental health supports is needed which addresses housing, justice, health, workplace, and other domains.  Financial stresses are significant for students so more cost-effective access to post secondary education is seen as part of the solution. Student assistance programs (SAP’s), similar to traditional employee assistance programs (EAP’s), are considered valuable complements to campus based supports provided by institutions.  Government funding of a full range of supports and initiatives is considered key to addressing the challenges of mental health.

Innovative approaches are emerging and are described in the publication.  Three specific initiatives which caught my eye include:  www.jack.org (a national network of young leaders transforming the way we think about mental health); www.defeatdepression.ca/anti-stigma (The Elephant in the Room anti-stigma campaign); and the familiar www.letstalk.bell.ca initiative.  The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA/ACAE) publication is worth a read, if only to raise your awareness.

Note: The image on this post is taken from the CASA publication

What I have learned…

October 2, 2016 By in Family, Learning, Teaching, Uncategorized Leave a comment

For many,20161001_085739 this week is a homecoming, a return to alma mater, and a time for (enhanced) reflection. I was privileged to have a great educational experience. I am privileged. Period. And I never take that for granted. I have leaned a lot but as I come home and I reflect, here’s what I conclude that I have leaned. Three things…

All people are decent! Despite the hate in this world and all the nasty things that people do to each other, deep inside, at the core, people are decent. To see people any other way serves no purpose. Assume that we are all essentially good even though our actions sometimes suggest otherwise. In the long run, our behaviours at least approach decency, and given enough time we will all get there.

The truth must be told! Although ‘truth’ in the sense of knowledge and science is sometimes hard to know, at least the moral truth is always evident. You can’t hide from it. You need to seek it. There is no point in lying. You may get away with it for a while but it will gradually eat you up inside. You might justify not telling the truth to protect other people. But they can take it. And they’ll forgive you. After all, they’re decent.

Fear is what holds us back! Take a look at anyone with a disability or anyone who has ‘overcome the odds’ and you’ll see someone who has embraced fear. People who are considered as gifted or ‘natural,’ at one time overcame a fear of not meeting rising expectations. If you’re honest with yourself about what you want, big or small, and if you’re not achieving it, you’re probably just afraid. Reaching goals requires that you overcome fear. Get out of your comfort zone and just do what you truly want. If you fail, and you admit it, people will support you. After all they’re decent.

My alma mater has always been a place of learning for me. As I walk around campus, 35 years after being graduated, and ask myself what I have learned, the answer is not in the text books. At least not the business ones. Supply and demand, fiscal policy, sensitivity analysis, cost allocation, debits and credits, strategic frameworks, bla bla bla are all important but they’re not the stuff of life.

Thirty five years on, what I have learned is: All people are decent; the truth must be told; and fear is what holds us back! Now, where was I? Oh yes, I need another drink. Cheers!