March 17th, 2008 05:19pm
Laura
In conceptualising change within organisations it can be tempting to think that people experience change in a similar way. Theories of change are useful in giving us an overview of the stages which large groups of people could be expected to go through; however they can also mask the differences which individuals exhibit during change - differences in their reactions, their needs, their behaviour, and the contribution they want to make during organisational change. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) gives us a robust basis for talking about individual differences during change and transition.
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February 18th, 2008 03:45pm
Laura
Brainstorming has been with us since Alex Osborne coined the phrase in the 50’s. So it really amazes me that we so rarely use it properly.
Years ago when running an Advertising Agency, I came across the problem which I’m sure Alex Osborne had when he thought up brainstorming (he also ran an Advertising Agency). Our creative team just could not come up with any ideas let alone decent ones. We tried scanning magazines and books for inspiration and whilst this often worked, the ideas were often flat and unimaginative. Eventually we tried real brainstorming and the results were impressive. We went for quantity rather than quality and suspended judgement until we had exhausted our creative juices. It was great fun and many ideas came as a result of other’s crazy ideas. In fact, so fruitful were the crazy ideas at stimulating new trains of thought, that I actively encourage people to come up with crazy ideas and then we try and generate more practical ones from them.
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September 21st, 2007 09:55am
Laura
We have recently returned from our annual 2 day team development event at the beautiful private estate of Harburn House in West Calder, www.harburnhouse.com.
This year we based our event around fun and lightness as it’s been a hectic, yet successful year for all of us a Taylor Clarke. So as well as the serious stuff, we tried something a bit different and out of our comfort zones. We invited along “laughter therapist” Margaret McCathie, an interesting lady to say the least, and with an extraordinary life story. Well…out of our comfort zones we lept, like kangaroos on po-go sticks! With her infectious laugh, vivacious personality and clothes to match (not to mention huge clown shoes!), she had us diving into her dressing up box, throwing on wigs and feather boas, dancing and singing ridiculously to “feeling hot hot hot”, laughing and doing the conga – without even a whiff of vodka!
(“ole, ole, ole, ole…”, I know you’re singing it too now, annoying isn’t it!)
(Margaret’s gift she shares primarily through her charity work but if you want to try it out too she can be contacted on caringclown@hotmail.com)
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July 31st, 2007 12:16pm
Laura
I attended a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Conference on Resilience in May, which I’ve been persuaded by Laura to now write up. Actually, having a nudge to reflect deliberately on a conference is just what I need …I love learning, and I love reflecting, when I have the time to do it, and when I discipline myself to do it. Then I remember what I did really learn, and how I might be able to apply it with clients.
I’m an occupational psychologist, so it was interesting to spend two days with an audience of mostly clinical psychologists (in a lecture theatre holding 800 delegates). I know bits’n’pieces about CBT, but must admit, am not overly attracted to it. However, I do know it’s the only therapeutic approach which carries enough research on it, to be able to ‘prove’ its efficacy in working with clients. Hence, I believe, it’s the only therapeutic approach which is officially endorsed by the NHS.
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July 12th, 2007 04:14pm
Laura
I recently attended a very useful seminar looking at the pitfalls and success drivers underpinning effective post acquisition integration, as part of our research for a new acquisition related change product we have been working on.
Having personally led a couple of acquisition integrations during my own managerial career, I can tell you it was quite a cathartic experience with many flashbacks…..leading me to reflect on the fact I was attending the programme 8 years too late!
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June 25th, 2007 05:14pm
Laura
How do YOU make sense of the umpteen theories and models of organisational change that are on offer? I’m not sure I’d have been able to put a theory or approach or model into a helpful framework or historical context before Birkbeck College introduced me to Chin and Benne. (Not to be confused with Bill and Ben).
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June 20th, 2007 03:43pm
Laura
A lot of Taylor Clarke’s work has been and remains leadership development. We often use an exercise which we first came across when working with a large public sector client on their major leadership programme a few years ago. The exercise is called ‘Think of a Leader’ and it is, without doubt one of the simplest, yet the most energising and affirming exercises I’ve ever used when working on leadership development programmes. Just give people some time for reflection around the following statement, “think of the best manager you ever worked for?”And then ask two straightforward questions: “What was it that they did that made you think of them that way? How did working for them make you feel?”We normally give people five minutes for so to make some notes and then go round the room asking each person in turn to tell the group about their best ever manager.So what do people say? Well, thankfully for someone who works in leadership development, they say what you’d hope that they’d say. However what makes the stories remarkable is the consistency between people and between groups of people across organisations throughout the UK. Even more interestingly people tell their stories with a level of emotion which is compelling, especially given that in some cases (sadly) they are speaking about a manager who they worked for over 20 years ago. (more…)