CIPD Centre's Conference 2011: Keele's Most Thought Provoking Quotes

I came back from Keele and the CIPD's 2011 Centre's Conference at the end of last week. I had never been to a CIPD conference, or Keele for that matter, so it was something new in terms of travel and professional experiences from the off.

Image via Wikipedia

Keele - a recent CIPD hotspot. Literally!

It also have some really interesting seminars and lectures for everyone present, a lot of it having to do with application of CIPD assessments for students and lecturers alike, with my interest being on the intermediate level information.

There was also a lot of talk about the HR Professional Map from the CIPD. And when I mean a lot of talk I mean a tsunami of feedback on it - not all positive but at least the CIPD were willing to consult and take it on board, no? (cue furrowed brows and shakes of the head from my audience)

Anyway, overall I enjoyed the sessions at the conference and there were some speakers who really got me going to scribble down what they were saying at different points. So here are my most thought provoking quotes from the sessions I attended - apologies in advance to the speakers if it is not verbatim, my mind and writing was playing catch up with all the good stuff you were saying :) :

"Getting learners to act as creators and co-creators of new sources of information is proving key... it generates artefacts which benefit their own learning, as well as being of use to their peers who follow in footsteps"
Dr Keith Smyth, Edinburgh Napier University

"How you leverage entrepreneurship in your staff and organisation and engage with it is key in the knowledge economy we live in... this spirit is a move away from the 'policy hugging' that can be seen in HR, but sometimes you need to step up, make a judgement call on an idea and see where it takes you"
Perry Timms, Big Lottery Fund

"Previously you would provide students with the information, set out the format, ask them to go away and learn it. Now we can see them coming forward much more as co-creators, having a hand in driving the process - what does this mean as our role as educators?"
Julia Fotheringham, Edinburgh Napier University

"Patrick! What are you doing here?!"
My former (and slightly surprised) CIPD lecturer from Croydon College

My lecturer's quote aside, the others came from seminars that had a social media spin to a lot of their content. I am not sure what that might say about either the conference content or my mindset in terms of what I found interesting but maybe a sign of some of the L and D avenues that are growth areas, or a flash in the pan? 

Either way hope they were as thought provoking as I suggested!

CIPD Mentoring Event - TONIGHT!

If you have read my previous posts you will know that tonight is the West London Branch of the CIPD’s ‘Turbo Charge through Tough Time with Mentoring’ – I know, the anticipation is getting too much for me too!

In light of yesterdays announcements by the government of widespread budget cuts, this event is quite apt. There would seem to be pretty uncertain times ahead for all in both the private and public sector so never could it be more vital to be able to draw upon the experiences and knowledge of a mentor to help make tough decisions in the months ahead.

 

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Does this guy need a mentor maybe?

As I have mentioned previously John McGurk, L and D Advisor to the CIPD will be speaking at the event and there will be an opportunity to meet both mentors and mentess who have experienced the scheme previously. In short, as I have gone long on previous posts on this event (!), I think this is an event you cannot afford to miss!


As far as I can tell spaces are still available – please feel free to look at the CIPD website for further information. Either way I hope to see you there tonight for some inspiration in these tough times!

What is the authentic organisation?

I attended a recent CIPD Event hosted by Clayton Glen of HDA, when he spoke about authentic organisations and the growth in employee brands looking to obtain all of these positive associations. 

Google and the Innocent smoothie company were given as leading examples of the practice in its more positive aspects whereas BP - struggling with the fallout from the oil spill in North America and the attention the spill has brought to their business practices - was sighted as perhaps having problems grappling with the issue of authenticity.


When trying to research this post I kept coming up with information on authentic leadership as opposed to information on organisations - until I stumbled across this post from the Authenticity Book and the 3 rules on the area (apologies in advance if this is something I have been living totally obliviously to but the rest of the world is aware of - thanks to Jim and Joe either way!).


Applying these rules works for me for most organisations -  though it can lead to an ugly truth, is there no alternative for businesses now to be anything but 'authentic'?


Perhaps a reflection of a shift in the balance of the corporate conscience/CSR agenda in someways? With the explosion of the internet, demands from Gen Y of work life balance and business which will support this, being authentic requires more than just lip service it seems.


The alternative? Well maybe you can instill an image of success and endless profits...

... but in this instance access/information age we have the means to look a little closer.

For those above who did you will have guessed already that this photo was not taken when Lehman's still existed (if not my trick worked!) - rather it is taken in the windows of Christies Auction House in South Kensington, London. For those of you who dont know what they do here is another photo to explain...

I know - £2000-£3000 for the sign alone!


But would Lehman not have once been considered, in some quarters, an authentic organisation? This is in the sense that they were authentically driven towards profit and had a very clear agenda in that regard, i.e. work hard , play hard, then work harder, play harder etc.

You might not agree with the agenda of chasing more and more dollars but at least you knew where you stood? And are they arguably more authentic than ever in their current state?

3 Weeks till you get turbo charged!

Leaves are turning brown on the trees, Christmas cards are going on sale and my summer exercise regime has totally lost its edge. With these events slowly creeping up on me can only mean one things - yes, that's right, 3 weeks until we all get turbo charged at the West London CIPD Mentoring event! 

Image via Wikipedia

What? We were all on the same page in that regard no?!

I have mentioned about some of the events content in previous posts but just as a reminder Dr John McGurk, Learning and Development guru to the CIPD (no joke - he is a Dr so surely guru goes without saying right?)  

will be talking at the event and you will have an opportunity to register as a mentee/mentor, meet people who have used the scheme, eat pringles* etc.

Not sure whether this might be for you? Well the scheme is of use to HR practitioners across all different spectrums of the career ladder - have a look at the CIPD website if you are not convinced. 

Not got time for the link? Well think about whether you would be interested in a free service which could benefit your professional development, help accelerate elements of your career management, therefore making sure what you do during 35-40 hours of your week has more purpose to it.

Interested? We both knew you would be!

*confirmation of Pringles and related food stuff tbc.

CIPD Mentoring Schemes - heroes wanted!

Ever wondered at times what benefits there are more benefits to be gained from your CIPD membership than you are getting at the moment? You have been to the branch events and seminars, picked up a brochure or two but have not really attended something that captured your imagination for the weeks and months after the event.

If this sounds like you, then I think you might be in luck. Across many regions of the CIPD branches operate mentoring schemes for members so that the experiences and knowledge of wise HR practitioners can be passed on in an informal basis to the next generation.

Although the new mentor was a whiz with teaching the crane kick, his expertise in ER was limited

Speaking from experience, I can honestly say you will find it hard to beat a scheme which is freeof charge yet can have massive benefits to your professional development, networking opportunities and having an impartial sounds board

Events are happening on a regular basis all over the UK but I would like to highlight that the West London branch of the CIPD has an event coming up on October 21st, “Turbo Charge through Tough Times with Mentoring”:

http://www.cipd.co.uk/branch/wlondon/_events/Making%20the%20Most%20of%20Mentoring.htm


Details of the location and time of the event can be found on the site, with more information on the content to follow. What I am delighted to confirm is that we have John McGurk, Adviser to the CIPD on Learning and Development speaking at the event.


John is a terrific public speaker, specialising for the CIPD in all matters coaching, L and D, and research in knowledge economy issues. In short I think if we think he could make the event of real interest to both regular and new branch members, as well as those familiar with the scheme itself.


Referring to branches in general, they are always on the lookout for new mentees but especially mentors – so if you are a CIPD member and think you have something to offer why not get involved?


Luke had Obi Wan, Eminem had Dr Dre, Daniel La Russo had Mr Miyagi – surely the question should not be if you want to get involved in mentoring, but whether you can afford not to…?


Where is my local CIPD branch? Search here:


http://www.cipd.co.uk/branches


Interested in all CIPD things wild and wonderful in the West London area? Look no further:


http://www.cipd.co.uk/branch/wlondon

Home Improvement

Frustrated at the lack of promotion opportunities? Worried about how cut backs might limit the chance to develop in your role? Just generally fed up or stuck in something of a career standstill?



Everyone experiences this from time to time but there is something positive to take from the fact that you feel this way in the first instance – you are looking for the means with which to grow in what you do and how best to facilitate your learning.


So here are some suggestions of ways you might be able to find learning and development opportunities both in and out of the workplace:


1) Become an active part of your professional community

Its like Facebook. But if Facebook gave you homework and other stuff

The immediate thought when reading that might be to view this from a position of networking opportunities. There is no problem with this, however do not underestimate the fresh perspectives meeting peers from across industries and sectors. Not finding a CIPD branch event that covers a subject in HR you are passionate about? Why not look or set up forums for advice on places like their website or Linkedin – what, you did not think that social media was created just to throw sheep at people on Facebook?


Involvement in acts of citizenship outside of the standard needs of your job shows that you are passionate about what you do and are looking for new solutions to help improve it. Also you never know what new ideas or perspectives which might present themselves to you.


2) Examine where a service or policy can be improved upon


Everyone is looking for ways to achieve more with less. Is there an area in which you think your employer could either become more efficient or better at servicing their client groups? An easy way to start such an analysis would be to look at areas you are passionate about – for example, want to get more involved with L & D? Could you show that perhaps there is a need to improve upon the induction and probation training for managers? Using an argument of the need to improve rates of retention, lower costs in recruitment, people being more quickly integrated and hitting the ground running and so on, could you suggest this might be something that the organisation considers?


If you are able to show means of providing quantative improvements you have the start of a case to promote you being the one who gets to work on this – and suddenly you have exposure to a project in the area you are interested in/have a skills gap for.


Even if you are not, at the least is shows you are concerned with improving service and engaged with the need of the business.


3) Be a go-giver, not a go-getter


Napoleon Hill coined this phrase in his book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ and I think it still has relevance today.


Plenty of people are enthusiastic with excellent skills and in return expect certain rewards. This is fine but if you do not think your rewards are matching what your expectancies or skill set you need to take a look at yourself in the first instance.

Steve's perception of the results of his appraisal were different of those of his line manager

It is easy to point the finger at a third party and the way they have mistreated you or how you have been dealt a bad hand. However, and I hope this is a clear underlying them to the first two points you have read, although circumstances and your environment are out of your control (and at times turbulent) what changes you implement by yourself for yourself are your choices to manage.

What is the alternative? Well maybe you could complain and do nothing – but as David Schwartz once put it “no one promotes a problem”. If you feel dissatisfied with your circumstances keep that in mind and see if you can find solutions to try and beat the malaise.

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"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable,

but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." (George Bernard Shaw)

I really like this quote because for me it sums up one of the quandaries of working in HR – we have to be by the book in terms of employment law and the advice we give, nevertheless are encouraged to look for means of providing a more innovative support to our organisation, if not leading and creating means for this innovation to occur.



A recent piece by Vineet Nayar in the Harvard Business Review I felt outlined this really well. He used the term ‘ristakes’ for when we might be looking for a means of improvement which although might allow for improvement in efficiency/service, yet leaves your vulnerable to problems if they initially do not work out.


We can all recount examples from our own professional life of instances where we have come across parties resistant to change and the difficulties this has caused – some might argue it is an every day occurrence working in HR!


Nevertheless, I think there is something to be said for the spirit of looking for means to improve upon what is in place and encouraging a mindset engaged with change.


If you are looking for some everyday examples for inspiration, perhaps the Next Generation HR research recently undertaken by the CIPD might be of use? I found the sections referring to how HR can be both partner and provocateur of interest.


In the meantime don’t be afraid to take some ristakes and keep making mistakes – remember, like Edison said, you are not failing but finding ways that do not work!


And if it were not for his mistakes we might all still be in the dark…

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You say it best when you say nothing at all

Miscommunication can occur in so many different ways, with so much of our communication being non verbal. Go to any casino in Vegas and you will see whole tables of people keeping a grip on their ‘tells’ and what they might give away. If you need an example of how it can go wrong on a day to day professional level, ask Jackie Orme how she feels after being quango’d.

Going back to the non verbal means of communication and looking at this from an L and D perspective, how is this addressed in webinars?


I say this as someone who has yet to experience one, so apologies in advance if it is just my ignorance shining through! My understanding is that it is delivered via a link online to multiple users, with the trainer /module leader providing instructions and feeding back as the webinar develops.


There was a recent article in HR Zone suggesting this might be the wave of the future – but how does it function in a way that works and allows for free flowing communication?


My understanding of delivering a training session was that elements of the session would require you to ‘think on your feet’, reacting to how the session develops in order to facilitate the learning of the group - and yourself in doing so.


Is this perhaps a naïve vision and how does your experience of webinars fit in with the perceptions mentioned above? Is it the case that moves in L and D towards more remote learning are inevitable, especially in light of these lean economic times?


Or perhaps, in the words of the Springsteen, we need a little more of that human touch?

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Those who can, teach. Those who can coach...?

With the economic downturn organisations have been looking for means to maximise their return from their resources, including staff.

Some really do believe the children are our future – well not quite, though it is really heartening to see how much McDonalds were last year throwing their weight behind (no pun intended) apprenticeship schemes aimed at getting young people on a career path.

However, not all organisations have the financial resources to support such schemes and are looking for more cost effective means of a return from their employees. Recent studies from the CIPD have shown that there has been an upsurge in coaching activities, with 82% of those organisations surveyed taking up more coaching opportunities from only 69% in 2009.

Virginia Matthews wrote an interesting piece in XPert HR (afraid you will need to be able to log in to view the article in its entirety) about how the business world might use some of the examples from the sports world and apply them to the world of work.

What is encouraging for someone in HR who is an unashamed sports nut is the suggested parallels between the two disciplines – setting long terms goals, intermediate mile stones to be met, examining problems as they occur and coming up with solutions and so on. What is shared by both is how the need for the coaching must come from the person concerned. Individuals must be seeking out the means for improvement in their performance.

Interestingly, some of the examples sighted by Matthews have internal coaches – so the individual uses someone else employed by the organisation to help guide them through means of improving performance (though it is not clear whether they are their line manager in most instances). Does this make improving team, departmental and, therefore, organisational performance more difficult if there is the possibility of previous history or agendas between both? Do external third parties have a more objective, possibly more effective (but undoubtedly more expensive) approach as coaches?

Personally I would worry that the ‘coach’ would have been forced on to the individual in such circumstances – rather defeating the spirit of the exercise. Has that been your experience, or has it always been learner led? Also does anyone have any examples of schemes/suppliers they would recommend?

In the meantime, might be useful to keep in mind some thoughts from Jan Brause’s at HR Zone on the subject and the pitfalls of its perceptions…

A slice of the big Apple

Following on from my post about missing (still cannot believe I am saying this) the CIPD due to the structure that it provided in terms of learning and development, I was pointed in the direction of a speech by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple to graduates at Stanford University.

If you have a spare ten/fifteen minutes I strongly recommended you watch this – you will need sound on your machine or headphones as I am not sure if watching him mime the speech will have any affect otherwise.

The general gist is to, as he put it, ‘stay hungry, stay foolish’ and not to become bogged down in narrow linear thinking in terms of your career, as well as life in general, and to try new and exciting things. I found it really uplifting stuff, especially when he speaks about his own childhood and educational experiences as a young adult. I loved how he said ‘how all of the dots eventually join together’ – so although you might think there is something you are doing at the moment which makes sense in your career, it could end up having productive uses at a later date.

In short everyday is a learning day I suppose – including weekends!

How do you replace the CIPD?

‘Missing the CIPD? Have you gone soft in the head?’

These were sympathetic words of a friend who was rather thrown by my explanation as to why I have been slightly wrestles recently. Well you would think I would be elated it is at a close but it seems that it is true that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.

Although it was hard work at times and the final exams drinks were well deserved (and well drunk) I can honestly say that I feel as though there is a slight void from the absence of the regular study.

I wondered if this was the case with other HR practitioners. Having spoken to colleagues who have completed post graduate studies whilst also holding down a full time job, the consensus seems to be that although tough to juggle at times there does seem to be common feeling of post-study ‘come down’ – I can now read texts of my choosing and spend time reading on the latest developments in the field, but where is the feedback? Where is the examination?!

Perhaps that is what I have not understood - with a professional qualification the examination is applying day to day what you have learnt; the criteria being able to provide a service that meets the needs of your client groups?

I can agree with that – but what do I do with the spare 6-8 hours I have back with my week now?! If you have any original suggestions I am all ears - directly applicable to professional development or something more left field, which ever you think might help fill the void and regain a lost sense of purpose!

How talent should be managed?

I saw a recent visible example of how talent can be managed to its fullest for the benefit of an organisation and its aims. However due to its nature am worried it might seem totally irrelevant to readers but will reveal all at the end of this post- but stick with me, I think I have a point on this one!

The CIPD is, along with the rest of the industry seemingly, pushing the idea more and more. But what of those who feel disenfranchised from the process, those who are not considered the talent?

I think the keys are communication and equality. If the processes are publicised so all parties are aware of what is required and regulated so that there is a real feeling of partnership between management and staff, introducing it should be less problematic. However it seems as though recent evidence suggests that employers are finding the balance between the two difficult- as suggested from this recent article in People Management.



But surely there are more areas to consider when implementing such projects? Absolutely- here is some ideas from HR Zone of what to consider.

In the meantime, what was the organisation that was a shining example of talent management in action? Well the case in point shows how by aligning your strategic goals with everyday work practices, whilst at the same time investing in developing your ‘talent’ can have pretty exciting results. Apologies who have no interest in the subject area but I truly believe that this was an example of talent management in action- and here is a bit of background to how it came about.

Loggers leap

Well it turned out to be a co-incidence but it was as though the CIPD listened!

Following on from my last post about the CPD log and how to get people engaged in the process the CIPD have launched the HR Professional Map. On first sight it looks like it is a lot more intuitive than what was in place previously with suggestions of how to move on up in terms of your career ladder as well as providing an idea of where you are currently at.

It takes some time to complete but I think it is time well spent- but what are your thoughts on the matter? In the meantime here is something from Tim Ferriss about how if you are being shot down at for your ideas it is perhaps a sign you are making moves in the right direction.

You down with CPD? Er, well, sort of

Hand on heart, how many of you complete and keep up to date your CPD log?

Now of those who have said yes, how many have completed it under instruction- with it either being linked to a recent or upcoming appraisal, or perhaps part of your studies towards your CPP or CIPD?

I have yet to meet someone who is anti their own professional development, yet at the same time do not know many of my colleagues in HR who without fail will keep an up to date log of their CPD independent of a deadline or direct order to complete it. Maybe this is perhaps a reflection of the company I keep- there again, most of those I have spoken to are soon to be fully qualified CIPD practitioners or long gone being qualified. A mix of the future and current graduate (and higher level) representatives of the CIPD and beyond seem to not want to prescribe to the log itself.

However, when I have raised the subject the first answer always tends to be a defensive one shrouded in an off the cuff response along the lines of “If it is the CIPD asking I can get it to them- but my dog ate it last night so I might need a little time for a redraft”. People are weary of falling foul of the CPD log police but would not seem to exhibit many other motives in wanting to get it completed.

I think this might be partly due to buy in from CIPD members. It should be like preaching to the converted- we all tell our managers and staff to take their appraisal process seriously, approaching it as a reflective space of what has been achieved, what will be required in future and so on. Yet we are not jumping to get on board.

Would we take as much care to our own review as part of our organisation’s appraisal system if it did not often have the possibility of an extrinsic reward waiting for us in the form of a pay rise or promotion as a result of it? Not to assume we are all chasing extra pay but as a certain giant retailer likes to remind us, every little helps!

There will be some reading this that are using the log as a template for a structure for their appraisals and will undoubtedly be reaping the benefits. If this is the case please comment, we need to know you actually exist! But I feel comfortable by making the generalisation that the majority of people I have come across do not take part in it.

So what can be done about this? I think there might be some benefits in the CIPD considering a different approach other than stick. I say stick as there would seem to be no carrot at present as the motivation is all about just in case- “I will do it just in case I get audited/door stepped by the CIPD”.

What about rewarding the most original entries or suggestions that some people make on their log? Perhaps introducing something for the local branches to award and regulate? One would assume that if you are taking part in local branch events you have some interest in your own development as it is so this might be an easy audience to pitch to. It might also be a little easier to implement than the CIPD having to take on at national level. Once the branches have made their choices/nominations there could be a comparison with different regions, a la the Great British Menu. It could end up a modern day HR version of the war of the roses, or Guys Vs Dolls- but with action plans for all parties to take forward afterwards.

Apologies in advance if there is something already in place that I have not mentioned (again, those completing the log step forward or forever be the silent minority!) but if there is it has slipped past myself and those I have spoken to.

An opportunity to share ideas with peers, possibly leading to local and possibly national professional acclaim? Whilst continuing your own journey in professional development? If someone asked in that context was I down with CPD, I would be obliged to say yeah you know me.