Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Did You Know?

Watch this video first and then let's chat...


Mind blowing, isn't it? One quote in the above presentation really hits home with me and it's this; "We are living in exponential times". The definition of exponential that I really like, not being a mathematician, is "increasing at an increasing rate". Given that, it is easy to lose sight of just how quickly the world around us changes. That change used to be measured in years, and now is measured in hours and minutes. Change is both a reality and a requirement. We cannot ignore the reality of the changes that happen around us both in the wider world as well as in our businesses and homes. We also cannot ignore the fact that, if we are to continue to be successful and grow, either as individuals or businesses, then we must change.


In my last post, I suggested that we, as HR practitioners, must shift the current paradigm and perceptions from HR being seen as a reactive, potentially bureaucratic organisation to that of a proactive, commercially focused business. In doing so, changes to the norm that we are used to, positive or not, will impact on us as individuals as well as those that we provide services to. We are all familiar with the Change Curve that was created by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in "On Death and Dying" (1969). Yet what is forgotten is that the intention was never that this should become a rigid structure that defined how all people react to such significant events. There's a good blog post that covers this here. Personally, I don't believe that a change in the way HR operates and engages will impact the inidviduals involved necessarily across all 3 Stages of personal Development and 9 States of Emotion. Certainly I did not see it when we made the changes in my last Company. We do however need to be aware that in bringing about change we, and our customers, inevitably will experience some of the States.


So what can we do to mitigate this when we implement change? We become aware. We empathise with the people with whom we interact; customers, staff and colleagues. By our actions, we will encourage them to make the changes that will drive success, both personally and professionally.


And Finally...
I leave you with this quote from Charles Darwin to ponder;

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most reponsive to change"


All the best
Jim

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