an online book by David Gurteen
Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develops a person's capabilities and potential, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the course of an individual's entire lifespan and is not limited to one stage of a person's life. It can include official and informal actions for developing others in roles such as a teacher, guide, counselor, manager, coach, or mentor, and it is not restricted to self-help. When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems offered to support positive adult development at the individual level in organizations.
Credit: Wikipedia - Personal_developmentThe function of an academic piece is not to communicate your ideas, it’s to change the ideas of an existing community. Now, sometimes you do that by communicating your ideas, sometimes you don’t. But understand what it’s for and understand that your training has been all about revealing your head. Credit: Larry McEnerney Comment: Larry … Continue reading The Function of an Academic Piece of Writing Larry McEnerney
I get this question all the time. Simon, I buy into all your stuff, it’s wonderful. Thank you very much, but I’m not the CEO. How do I change the organization when I’m not in charge? There’s like four levels up above me. What am I supposed to do? And the answer is, of course, … Continue reading Influence Change at Any Level Simon Sinek (2024)
Despite current ads and slogans, the world doesn’t change one person at a time. It changes when networks of relationships form among people who share a common cause and vision of what’s possible. This is good news for those of us intent on creating a positive future. Rather than worry about critical mass, our work … Continue reading The World Doesn’t Change One Person at a Time Meg Wheatley
I have long argued, and repeated ad nauseam that in complexity we start journeys with a sense of direction we don’t try and achieve goals. We remain open to the evolutionary opportunities of the here and now, the present and the adjacent future states. Credit: Dave Snowden Source: On craft in strategy by Dave SnowdenPosts … Continue reading In Complexity We Start Journeys with a Sense of Direction Dave Snowden
A culture is emergent and is the result of millions of interactions, behaviours, artifacts and stories that people build up over time. It is unpredictable and results in surprise. The idea that a “culture change initiative” can be rolled out from the top of an organization is not only a myth, it’s a hidden form … Continue reading Culture Is Emergent Chris Corrigan
Changing the interactions between people is both more effective in achieving change and more ethical; telling people what sort of people you think they should be is a paternalistic form of neo-colonialism. Credit: Dave Snowden Posts where this quotation is embedded A Brief History of Knowledge 200,000 years of human history A Knowledge Café in English, French … Continue reading Changing the Interactions Between People Dave Snowden
Stop the paternalistic attempt to define how people think and engineer a XYZ culture and instead focus on creating and disrupting connections and engaging people in small actions in the here and now. Mindset change smacks of indoctrination. Credit: Dave Snowden Source: Dave Snowden in a post on LinkedIn.Posts where this quotation is embedded A Brief … Continue reading Mindset Change Smacks of Indoctrination Dave Snowden
If you want to make any real difference then stop making lists of idealised qualities of how things should be — they will always end up as anodyne platitudes — focus on understanding and critically ACTING in the present to start shifting things in a better direction Credit: Dave Snowden Source: Dave Snowden in a … Continue reading Stop Making Lists of Idealised Qualities of How Things Should Be Dave Snowden
Gurteen Knowledge Blog June 1, 2023, 10:51I like the argument made in this article; A better environment does start with you. In it, the author, Marc Davidson, challenges the notion that governments alone are responsible for solving the climate crisis. He argues against the either/or debate of individual responsibility versus government intervention, stating that it leads … Continue reading Driving Environmental Change Individuals and Government Working Together
Gurteen Knowledge Blog March 21, 2023, 20:02The question “How do we get those people to change?” constantly arises when pursuing improvement or change. The focus is on how to get management, employees, family, or some “other” group to change their behavior. But this question is fundamentally flawed. When the question is how to change “those people,” … Continue reading The Fallacy of Changing Others The power of personal agency for change
Gurteen Knowledge Blog March 23, 2024, 10:29Change is constant and unpredictable in our complex world. Traditional linear approaches to managing change often fail to deliver results, leaving us struggling to adapt. The Vector Theory of Change, developed by Dave Snowden and described in my blook post “Navigating Change in a Complex World,” offers a solution. This … Continue reading Charting a New Course Dave Snowden’s Vector Theory of Change
You think that writing is communicating your ideas to your readers. It is not. What is professional writing? Professional writing, what is it? It’s not conveying your ideas to your readers. It’s changing their ideas. Nobody cares what ideas you have. Credit: Larry McEnerney Comment: Larry stresses that the purpose of professional writing is to … Continue reading Changing Your Readers’ Ideas Larry McEnerney
The kind of conversation I like is one in which you are prepared to emerge a slightly different person. Credit: Theodore Zeldin Source: Conversation Comment: One of my favorite quotations from Theodore.Posts where this quotation is embedded A Brief History of Knowledge 200,000 years of human history A Knowledge Café in English, French and Russian Knowledge Cafe’s … Continue reading The Kind of Conversation I Like Theodore Zeldin
Managers Are Employees Too ** Protected: My Writing Process Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Conversations shape how we understand and adapt to change. When dialogue is restricted by rigid goals or constrained by fixed plans and schedules, creativity, and insight are often lost. By embracing a flexible, direction-focused approach and allowing the process … Continue reading The Vector of Great Conversations A parallel between the vector theory of change and conversational leadership
Emergence ** Navigating Complexity with Safe-to-fail Probes Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Traditional change management methods, with their rigid plans and fixed outcomes, often struggle in today’s complex, unpredictable environments. Dave Snowden’s Vector Theory of Change offers a more adaptable solution by focusing on setting a broad direction (vector) rather than a specific … Continue reading The Vector Theory of Change Navigating change in a complex world
Wisdom of Crowds of Crowds What Is the Optimum Group Size for a Conversation? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Small group conversations are at the heart of Conversational Leadership, but there are several challenges to be overcome if they are to be effective. Small groups | Peter Block These are some of the … Continue reading Introduction: Small Group Conversations Small groups are an essential building block to any future you want to create
Listen with the Intent to Understand Don’t Give Advice Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Don’t Discourage Dissent: Many view conflict as bad and try suppressing it, but disagreement is healthy. It is an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation, and we should encourage it. FUD – fear, uncertainty, and doubt. No, not the … Continue reading Don’t Discourage Dissent Fear, uncertainty and doubt are good things
