The Blogworld of Poppyfish People Development

We've all seen it. It's one of the most famous cinema sequences of all time. Luke Skywalker is hurtling at high speed along the narrow canyon around the Death Star. On his shoulders rests the last hope for a bright future for the galaxy. If he succeeds in targeting his torpedo on the tiny exhaust port target then the explosion will cause a chain reaction that will lead to the destruction of the Empire’s most deadly weapon. Skywalker will be a hero and his friends will live. Should he fail, his friends will suffer a terrible fate and the rebel base will be destroyed, plunging the galaxy into endless torment and suffering at the hands of the evil Emperor and his even more sinister minions. Tough call. Skywalker is piloting a state of the art space ship, crammed with targeting systems and computer guided what-nots designed by experts to maximise the chances of the all important direct hit. Others have tried to hit the exhaust port before him, but all have failed. Now, with t...

Technical excellence. You strive for it, you study for it. Ever since that first day at school when they opened the top of your head and started pouring in all those facts, algorithms, rules, dates, ratios, laws and equations you have been building the extreme specimen of technical genius that you are today. Technical knowledge is essential, it is the bedrock of our physical world, and for year upon year you have strived to improve your mastery of it. Technical excellence is important for all sorts of reasons, but at the most basic level it is important because it gives us power. It gives us power to speak with authority on our chosen area of excellence. It gives us power to get our foot in the door of that job we are seeking, it gives us power to earn reward and recognition, and it gives us power over other people. Neuroscientists are technical experts. They have power over me. The power I assign to them means that I believe them when they talk to me about the way the brain ...

Is Business Continuity a form of OD? It's a bit early in the week to wire up  "The Cogitator" and consider the world of OD through my own particular lens, but as I am delivering a Business Continuity decision making exercise this week I wanted to stop for a moment to consider the connection between Business Continuity and Organisational development. Does BC = OD? Simulations provide a key opportunity for learning and offer an opportunity to analyse decision making in a safe environment and are an excellent tapestry for personal development, yet few relatively few organisations choose to run decision making exercises for this purpose. In the field of L&D overall simulations tend to be niche areas, and not always regarded as the first option. I find this rather thought provoking, especially when the role of simulations is so well established in some other areas of organisations. Take for instance the field of Business Continuity. Business Continui...

In 1969 the American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon. Yesterday, he died. Few things epitomise the power of human aspiration more symbolically than our attempts to explore our galaxy. Driven by a quest for knowledge and to further the development of the human race, achievements such as those that enabled Armstrong to achieve the dream of millions know few parallels. His famous phase " One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind " reflected the age in which he lived. When asked about the purpose of the Apollo 11 mission ahead of the launch from Florida and the subsequent touchdown in the Sea of Tranquility Armstrong said " I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges...it's in the nature of his deep inner soul ". His passing provokes me to pause for thought amidst a hectic weekend, and reflect on the value of lived experience and personal narrativ...

We are coming towards the end of a memorable two weeks in London. From all over the country, people have been flocking to the Olympic venues to cheer on Team GB. The success of the home team, in jubilee year, has raised fervour of support across the Shires. Euphoria has a lot to answer for. The celebrations have been openly emotional.  The normally reserved British have suspended the stiff upper lip in preference to tears, hugs and emotional outbursts. Even the Queen let her hair down, kicking off the happiness by staging a parachute arrival at the Opening ceremony. The achievements of the competitors have been stunning. You can feel the passion swelling within the chests of athletes and medal winners alike. You can see the emotion in the tear filled eyes of commentators and coaches. You can see it in the faces of those Union Flag clad supporters making their way to London. And you can see it in other places too. Just look at your facebook  feeds and you’ll see how ...

With less than a week to go until the start of the London Olympics let's start with a topical metaphor. Think of a successful organisation as a healthy athlete. Honed, toned, in the zone and eager for success. Reaching the pinnacle of Olympic success takes time, commitment, vision and only comes with dedicated practice and preparation. This preparation comes in different forms – mental and physical - and all with the aim of being at your best when the moment of truth arrives.  Coaches ask their athletes to visualise what it will feel like to compete, to imagine in great detail, how they will compete in those vital moments when there is all to gain, or all to lose. What does success look like? What will it take to win through? How will it feel to do so? What needs to happen for success to be realised? The same preparatory techniques can be applied to organisations, where simulations can form part of this preparation, helping the organisation develop and maintain its v...