Why development and learning?

We live in a world of change

Managing change is a key issue in organisations today. However the process does not always go according to plan. Organisations often turn to consultants for help – but then find that such help is ineffective. Problems seem to be that:

• change is assumed to be a single process – and with standard models or techniques to cover all the varieties of change processes;

• there is a lack of integration of different kinds of change – for example, technological changes are not linked to changes to people or markets;

• cultural issues are ignored – ideas from the USA may not work in Europe (and vice versa) – and ideas from both may not work in South-East Asia.

We take account of these factors and treat issues on their own merits. We do not impose pre-packaged solutions. Our approach is to work in partnership with organisations to enable them to mobilise their own resources effectively.

Learning is the key

There is no change without learning – organisational change cannot happen without people learning. Some of this is quite practical – such as learning how to use new information technology. But much of it goes beyond knowledge and skills. The complexity of change usually requires people to change in more fundamental ways. People need to learn to think and work in new way – and to drive the learning themselves. That kind of learning is more complex –and it can’t be gained in the classroom. Learning needs to be located in the real concerns of the organisation and of the people who work in it.

Learning through strategic development

We offer a wide range of approaches to support organisations and the people in them. What is common to them all is our commitment to provide practical, cost-effective strategies linked to real organisational needs. In short, we enable individuals, teams and whole organisations to learn to be more effective through taking a strategic approach to development.