Learning gets social...

• Tony Bingham, President/CEO opened the conference and emphasised that the majority of learning occurs outside the formal professions purview, known as informal learning. The strong emphasis of social media in today’s world with issues such as Facebook and Twitter offering new avenues for effective personal learning and knowledge sharing.
• Dan Tapscott – In his book “Grown up Digital”, writes about the Net Gen generation (32 and younger, and will make up a good 40% of our workforce by 2015) reflect norms of a desire for freedom, fun and collaboration. They mix work with their personal lives and often speak a new digital language. They want customisation, and managed as individuals, which means individualised learning, lots of feedback and open dialogue with their managers. They are seen as potentially the smartest generation of all times.
• 70/20/10 formula states that 70% of Learning and Development takes place in real life and on-the-job experience, while 20% comes from feedback and observation. 10% Comes from formal learning.

The new world of work

Globalisation, new Technology and the economic crisis and work-life balance are creating a new world of work. What 5 key factors are emerging for future leaders (Marshall Goldsmith)?

1. Global Thinking. You can’t only focus on your own region. Get exposure in globally connected markets.
2. Appreciate Cultural Diversity. You need to understand and appreciate economic, cultural and behavioural differences.
3. Demonstrating Technological Savvy. This is one of the future key competencies. Surround yourself with Technical competence, understand it and nurture it. This could be the future competitive advantage.
4. Building Partnerships. Opportunities to form alliances, sometimes even with competitors. Outsource anywhere to-day due to re-engineering and downsizing.
5. Sharing Leadership. Knowledge workers know more than we do. Don’t tell... ASK. Review reward systems. Visit the website for hundreds of articles and books on LEADERSHIP.

Nine ways to ensure your upward mobility in tough times

1. Adapt to change. What you did before might not work now. Get ahead and be pro-active.
2. Keep your balance. Balance your career, personal side and your finances. Develop your personal action plan to identify your purpose and where you are heading. Act on it.
3. Get visible. Build personal networks for others to see you at work. Gain visibility, deliver results.
4. Don’t show but TELL. Actions speak louder than words. Words get shredded in tough times.
5. Don’t be one dimensional. Continuously expand your knowledge and deepening your portfolio.
6. Be willing to recover from mistakes made. Take calculated risks and learn from success and failure. Build a strong recovery mentality.
7. Think like an entrepreneur. Think of creative ways to go above and beyond the call of duty.
8. Pace yourself. The faster you go, the more exhausted you become. It could be counter productive.
9. Show optimism. The more anxious you come across, the less intelligent and the less reflective you project outwards. In tough times show optimism and resilience. You will then stand out.

The shadow side of Management and Leadership (Pat Mclagan)

Over the years leaders have avoided the dark side of management. Here are the 8 deadly sins: 

• IGNORANCE
• INSTANT GRATIFICATION (short term focused)
• REDUCTIONISM (applying wrong solutions to problem solving and decision making)
• ABDICATING RESPONSIBILITIES
• COWARDICE
• ABUSE OF RANK
• CORRUPTION
• THE PETER PRINCIPLE (promoted to the level of incompetence)

Pat is a key note speaker at our 2010 conference in May at the Drakensberg, and will expand on these issues.

Talent Management findings (Pat Galgan & Jennifer Homer)
Talent Management is defined here as a holistic, systematic approach which enables an organisation to drive short-and-long term business results by building culture, engagement, capability through integrated talent acquisition, optimisation, development and deployment process. ‘Talent must be aligned to the business goals.' The findings of their research shows the following:

• 50% of organisations report  that to a moderate extent they utilise an effective Talent Management Programme.
• 20% have an effective programme.
• 41%  report that customer satisfaction rates are the most frequent used measuring  method.
• 9% actually use ROI measurement.
• 66% reported that to retain talent was their organisations key driver.

Visit the website for more information.

Emotional Eloquence (Doug Stevens)

Doug Stevens suggests that EE is the next step in leadership development for current and high potential leaders. This involves helping leaders to translate qualities of emotional intelligence into talks and presentations that motivate and inspire people to achieve results.

Definition of EE? The ability to positively affect the moods and emotions of a group of people, thereby elevating morale and increasing productivity and co-operation.

’Speak from your head with your heart wide open‘

The 8 elements of Emotional Eloquence (EE)

1. Engage first then motivate, using true stories for attention grabber.
2. Emotion is the fast lane to the brain. Feel it when you say it.
3. Use metaphors and stories to frame your content. Imagery+Emotion+Logic=Engagement.
4. Brand your message by weaving a theme.
5. Design your presentation yourself.
6. Go deep not wide. A good presentation informs. A great presentation influences..
7. Appeal to people’s higher aspirations and moral convictions.
8. Close with a message of hope.

Enduring Leadership truths in enduring times James Kouzes)

Real Leaders actually do their best when faced with adversity, crisis and setbacks. Challenge is the opportunity for greatness.
What is the first question people will ask of you as leader? The following order emerges:

1. Your values, WHO ARE YOU ? NO1
2. Where are you taking us ? NO2
3. What do you care about ? NO3
4. Why should we follow you ? NO4
5. Why are you our leader ?
6. What makes you better ?

He uses Desmond Tutu’s explanation of UBUNTU... One who is open and available to others; does not feel threatened by others, be self-assured knowing you come from a greater whole... You are diminished when others are humiliated... you can’t be human all by yourself.

Invitation to attend the ASTD annual feedback session
from Washington DC (Conference in June 2009)

Costs : R395 members, R450 non members             

Every year, delegates, who had the privilege of attending the ASTD International Conference  in the USA (over 8,000 delegates  from all over the world), are there to share with us their key learnings from 9 tracks and over 300 speakers on the latest thinking in the area of HRD/HR. By attending you gain insight into valuable information as well as an update on  what is happening in the world out there.  We also feature speakers from S.A. who actually presented at the conference (Niel Steinmann & Andre Vermeulen).  To register please contact juanitapro@mweb.co.za to reserve your seat at least a week in advance.