MY BUSINESS MEETS THE ARTS!

The learning journey continues...

I just love meeting new people and last night was no exception. I am part of a business networking group called BBA (British Business Alliance) who organise meeting events in some fabulous places.

So far this year I have been to dinner with David Blunkett MP at the House of Commons, had a guided tour around The College of Arms which is the official repository of the coats of arms and pedigrees of English, Welsh, Northern Irish and Commonwealth families and their descendants history, had dinner with three former Olympians at The Leander Club in Henley, even got to hold their Gold medals.

Last night, I was attending a BBA event in a Post-Production House in Central London that had been turned into an art gallery for the night with some amazing pictures by the celebrity artist, Sam Shaker. The sound studio in the basement had my mouth watering, even got to touch a beautiful U87 Neumman - oh, dream on. I will need to do quite a few more voice overs to be able to afford one of those. Mustn't say that too loudly or my little 2200a will get upset, very sensitive these recording microphones you know.

Afterwards, I joined Sam, and some of my new film production colleagues, for drinks at his jazz club on Greek Street, called Jazz After Dark.

I think I could get used to this arty life - and tomorrow?

Just been invited to a Thames cruise followed by a clay pigeon shoot as part of a photo /PR event to publicise a new service that will be available to visitors here for the 2012 Olympics - I might even feature in the promotional literature!

Life is certainly starting to get exciting.

Especially as I am heading off to Latvia to close down and report on a EC funded project looking at quality management standards in training companies.

More soon with pictures and film.

Józefa
Trainer | Learning Specialist | Voice Over Artist | Quality Assessor

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LEARNING 2.0

Training tools are varied and can be used together to support the process - listen here

The learning journey continues...

CUTTING YOUR TRAINING BUDGET

Józefa guides you in how to cut your training budget

The learning journey continues...

ATTITUDINAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CHANGE

Józefa talking about how to better affect change in the workplace

The learning journey continues...

KM UK IN LONDON

The learning journey continues...

Fantastic blog post from Amy Sample Ward who is in London at #KMUK10, also known as the Knowledge Management UK Conference. She has captured some great thoughts from keynote speaker, Lee Bryant of Headshift and his opening talk. See below...

KM = sense making. We are currently suffering from filter failure; which means the need to help people navigate and work within this world is really huge; we need skilled sense makers!

KM is about helping people make better decisions

KM has a purpose, skills/values/practices related to it have a real purpose today – but why are we not succeeding? why is there not a bigger impact on organizations today?

• km has dysfunctional relationship with IT
• km people are not the IT people and the IT people are not part of the KM development process
• km people need to have more confidence and either find budets or other people with budgets so that they aren’t dependent on IT dept

Where does km sit within in the org? how much influence does it have?

Value of knowledge is contextual and relative – trying to give it value is a mistake; instead focus on the value of having it and sharing it. We need to free up knowledge in order to have healthier networks to work with.

Structure emerges with content – not the other way around. There’s a great deal of misunderstanding about psychology, human nature, and incentives.

Let’s take a critical view of process: “Process is a response to prior stupidity.”

I am following #KMUK10 on Twitter throughout today and tomorrow for more highlights that emerge from the conference!

Józefa

Learning Specialist | Interim | Trainer | Voice-Over | Quality Assessor

http://thePOLgroup.com (Collective Intelligence Collaboration)

CATCH 'EM DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!

The learning journey continues...

As I begin training a new cohort of healthcare managers in a London hospital, I have already discovered a wealth of expertise and motivation amongst them.

All too often, the media would have us believe that there are too many managers in the health service (maybe at senior level???), they are too expensive (salaries are not as high as people would imagine) and there is too much bureaucracy (the last point is probably true).

However, having already completed the first group just last month, I was witness to a wonderful array of practical, low or no-cost ideas from them about how to improve things for the end user i.e. THE PATIENT.

I have no doubt, this new group will be just as motivated.

What a shame that the media overlooks this fact - but then that wouldn't sell papers would it?

Józefa
http://thePOLgroup.com

CREATIVE TEAMS

The learning journey continues...

Just received this from a dear work colleague who clearly appreciates our differences and our strengths in working together.

“Why can creative teams achieve more together than they can separately? …

1. Great creative teams are diverse. They are composed of very different sorts of people with different but complementary talents. ..
2. Creative teams are dynamic. Diversity of talents is important, but it is not enough. Different ways of thinking can be an obstacle to creativity. Creative teams find ways of using their differences as strengths, not weaknesses. They have a process through which their strengths are complementary and compensate for each other’s weaknesses too. They are able to challenge each other as equals, and to take criticism as an incentive to raise their game.
3. Creative teams are distinct. There’s a big difference between a great team and a committee. Most committees do routine work and have members who are theoretically interchangeable with other people … Creative teams have a distinct personality and come together to do something specific … “
   

Robinson, K. (2009) The Element London Penguin

Józefa
The POL Group - a unique community of learning practice

LEARNING 'MOODS'

The learning journey continues...

...and so it does following my recent business trip to Antalya in Turkey, where I stayed in what must be the most extraordinary concept hotel - ever!

Really a 'couples' hotel, the Adam & Eve, was chosen by my fellow European project partners as a welcome change from the norm, and this it was.

Outside walls lined in astro turf, inside all white and mirrors, a bar the length of a football pitch and black dark corridors leading to your room. The concept being that you leave your negative vibes outside your white mirrored room. Of course, as you enter the room, you have the choice to impose whatever mood you like and change the colour accordingly. From black to white, to red, green, blue and pink!

Needless to say, having a jacuzzi in a totally red room with all the bubble flying everywhere was a surreal experience.

Given that the nature of the European project is about quality and excellence of management, it would be good to question, was all of this 'luxury' high quality? After all, what is quality and of value to one person might not be so for the next, and is it sustainable?

I have to admit, that after just three nights, I felt that was enough of the multi-colour rainbow experience and longed for normality (and a good old B&B again).

What did I learn?

Well we were all much more creative and I learned not to put a whole bottle of bubble bath into the jacuzzi!

:-)

Józefa