Progress is Impossible Without Change

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Progress is what we call that motion when it is in a desired direction (or at least desired to the person calling it progress).

That requires us to be willing to change our minds when the errors in our thoughts are pointed out to us. If we are unwilling to change our minds, there is nothing which can be done for us, right?

This quote is about examining the facts, and changing our opinions when the facts no longer support our prior thoughts or beliefs.

Why is considering the facts important?  
The people who believed in a flat Earth, or the Sun revolving around the Earth eventually changed their minds. Or they didn’t. But those that didn’t eventually died out, and now neither the flatness of the Earth nor what is at the center of the Solar System is in any dispute.

Humanity has believed all sorts of things in the past. But change, and eventually progress, have slowly been working at straightening out these misconceptions. When we consider the latest facts, we have to consider what changes we need to make to our beliefs and lives.

Many of us believed at one point in our young lives that we could fly. Whether it was with a cape or a bed-sheet, we believed we could make it happen. Eventually, after considering the facts, we changed our minds about our ability to fly. And that was progress, right?

But if we refuse to consider new facts as they are uncovered and verified, how will we ever be able to change our minds? If we refuse to change our minds, how will we ever be able to progress beyond our misconceptions? Change is the nature of the Universe. Adapt or be left behind.

Where can I apply this in my life?
When I was a child, the big scare of Climate Change was about Global Cooling, and where we would place all the Canadians fleeing the encroaching ice sheets. People changed their minds as the cooling trend changed. Then it got warmer, and people changed their minds and it was Global Warming.

The latest data says temperatures have been stable, and so it appears it is time for us to change our minds once again. At least that is what the facts seem to show, and what would appear to be a reasonable conclusion. But for some, they won’t be able to change their minds.

Imagine how difficult it would be to make progress in your life if you believed something untrue, and refused to let go of that thought. If someone believed they were ugly and no one could possibly love them, how would they react when someone expressed interest in them?

Until that person is able to change their mind, how will they be able to make any progress regarding their self-image, and their ability to feel loved? How long will they feel this way? Until they can reconsider the facts and change their mind. For some, that takes a very long time indeed.

What advice would you give your younger self?

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#LeadersHour

by hardeep dhillon

What advice would you give your younger self?​

For one of our weekly #LeadersHour chats we posed the following question: What advice would you give your younger self?  The idea of this was to give people the opportunity to impart their knowledge and share their experience. 

The question provoked quite a response with a range of valuable and inspiring advice including the following wise words from @vincentbaxter, “Don’t be put off by arrogance. Don’t wait for someone to notice your abilities”, our #SuperTweet winner.

A big thank you to everyone who took part and shared their retrospective advice.  It was interesting to read how many of the responses were around, having more confidence, not being afraid to be yourself and the need to keep learning.

For me, the question posed the opportunity to reflect and reassess myself. Although we can’t go back and change time, by taking the time to look inwards it gives us the ability to consider our strengths, weaknesses, and values.  This reflection is essential for self-development and doing this on a regular basis will help us to remain focused and ultimately work towards our goals.

A small selection of the responses we received listed below:

  • @GBChamberBoss ‘Trust yourself. Obviously listen and be open-minded and receptive to ideas and advice…but fundamentally ‘Trust yourself’.

  • @kirstenlholder ‘It’s ok not to know the answer. It’s ok to make a mistake as long as you learn from it.’

  • @DaveP_KPlusG ‘To keep being the difference of me, and to believe in myself and my actions, because there is a reason that I’m choosing them!

  • @CSGMacDonald ‘Things will work out the way they are meant to. In the meantime work hard, learn, be positive, develop a USP and learn to manage upwards

  • ‏@CarlDaviesPH ‘Work hard, Work Smart, solve problems that need to be solved and relax, you will be rewarded’.

Hardeep Dhillon (@HDhilln)

Lead Copywriter: Future Leaders Club

LinkedIn

#LeadersHour is the number one leadership chat on Twitter. Be sure to join us every Monday at 20:00 (UK time). If you have a topic you would like to submit for a future #LeadersHour chat then tweet us @_Future_Leaders

What is the future of learning and development in organisations?

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#LeadersHour

by hardeep dhillon

What is the future of learning and development in organisations?

This is the question we posed as part of our weekly #LeadersHour on Twitter in September. It certainly gave our followers and participants plenty to think about with many of them sharing their perspective, looking into their crystal ball to predict the future of learning and development in organisations. In this blog, I take a closer look into some of the themes that emerged.

The way we live, work and play has changed significantly with the rapid advancement in technological innovation, changes in society and the way in which people go about their life’s, with no sign of the pace of change slowing down. In fact, according to experts, the pace of change is only going to quicken. The learning environment is also changing, with organisations now accessing a whole host of technology; automation, robotics and artificial intelligence.

New tech enables the workforce to have more choice in learning, where and when they want, which, in turn, allows organisations more opportunity to be flexible and innovative in their approach to learning and development.

From ‘nanobots’ connecting our brains to the internet, microchips being inserted into our brains to download research and gamified learning, our followers certainly predict an exciting future for learning and development in organisations. Other themes that emerged from the Twitter chat include;

  • Good communication
  • Good leadership skills at all levels of the organisation
  • Learning and development a part of the whole organisation and not a separate entity
  • Virtual learning environments
  • Personalised learning
  • Simulated learning environments
  • Genomic learning
  • Workforce taking greater responsibility for their own learning.

In my view, good communication and leadership at all levels is fundamental to any organisation, not just now but in the future. Without having good communication and leaders that help create, curate and promote a learning organisational culture, organisations risk being left behind. This is central to having an engaged workforce.  

By involving its workforce through meaningful collaboration, making a commitment for learning and development initiatives organisations can truly embed a learning and development, and empower its workforce to take greater responsibility for their own learning.

It is also important to consider how the workforce needs to develop to gain most potential from new technologies. By supporting and assessing their workforce to meet their individual learning needs, organisations can improve productivity, engagement and performance, as well become more innovative and forward thinking.

So what is the future of learning and development in organisations? New tech will no doubt continue to adapt and change the future of learning and development. And for those organisations that choose to not only embrace it, but use technology for all that it offers to make communities and the world a better and happier place, will have a leading and competitive edge.

To harness the full potential exciting opportunities new tech will bring, and to generate desired results, a happy and developing workforce, leadership and communication must play an active role.

Hardeep Dhillon (LinkedIn)

Communications Lead: Future Leaders Club (@_Future_Leaders)

Hardeep is Communications Lead at the Future Leaders Club. She is an experienced communications professional with nearly 10 years of her career working for one of the biggest brands in the country, the NHS. She tweets about all things comms, social media, and leadership. Follow @HDhilln

#LeadersHour is the number one Twitter chat on all things leadership and personal development. Join the conversation every Monday at 20:00 (UK time). Follow @_Future_Leaders 

What skill would you teach your junior self in order to succeed professionally?

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#LeadersHour

BY Tschaka Roussel-Milner

What skill would you teach your junior self in order to succeed professionally?

The funny thing is we’re more likely to answer with soft skills such as ‘confidence’ or ‘resourcefulness’ than ‘arithmetic’ or ‘art’.

Academic brilliance never prepares us for the ‘university of life’ with all its conflicts, rebuffs and missed opportunities. And how many of us are truly academically brilliant anyway?

We need to raise our children to learn “team work”, “behavioural awareness”, “resilience”, “coaching skills” – just some of the topics discussed in a recent #LeadersHour Twitter conversation on the key competencies we need to foster through education.

It is often pointed out that some of the most successful people in the world had troubled school careers, Stephen Fry was expelled twice, Simon Cowell had two O Levels, Clare Balding didn’t make the grade (at least not at the first attempt). The problem is not particularly our teachers but what our society expects schools to produce.

Sir Ken Robinson, a leading proponent of remodelling our education system argues that: “It’s usual to think of education in terms of what people need to know, understand and be able to do… For me, the purpose of education is to help young people understand the world around them and engage in the world within them… Rather than defining education through a group of subjects, I think it is better to think of the competencies people need to make their way in the world now and to engage with the world the way it seems to be evolving.” https://hundred.org/en/media/sir-ken-robinson

Ken Robinson goes on to list curiosity and creativity as crucial for developing our children’s minds in a way that is fundamental “in every field of human endeavor from the arts, the sciences, technology, mathematics to business”. He also cites communication and collaboration as key to creating thriving communities.

An ancient philosopher called Plutarch taught us that: “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” If we want our children to lead fulfilling, successful lives, it is a lesson we still desperately need to learn.

Tschaka Roussel-Milner (LinkedIn)

Copywriter: Future Leaders Club

Tschaka is a Copywriter for the Future Leaders Club. He has penned his way through business and broadcasting with stories, scripts, articles, blogs and newsletters. An ardent devotee of apostrophes, question marks and parenthesis, he is easily distracted by good writing, social justice and the humbling hilarity of everyday life @HelloTschaka.

#LeadersHour is the number one Twitter chat on all things leadership and personal development. Join the conversation every Monday at 20:00 (UK time). Follow @_Future_Leaders