When I started my career in organizational development, I thought that if you gave people the best tools, training, and resources, they would move mountains. I thought by helping people problem solve and logically work through their issues, they would be better employees. Organizations would leap at the opportunity to become better organizations by investing small amounts of resources to leverage the organization’s ability to be as effective as possible. If you built it, they would come…and prosper. As a general concept, I still believe this. As a practical matter, I’ve learned along the way, it’s really hard for organizations (or individuals) to consistently and effectively develop their talent pool (personal resources). I have always been curious as to why this is.
This blog will dig deeper into that curiosity. The outcome will be the creation of a place where others, who believe that organizations (and individuals) are at their strongest when they effectively develop their resources; can compare notes, tell some stories, ask some questions, learn something new, and remind themselves of things from the past that work.
by Geoff Foulds
03 Jun 2011 at 08:48
Great post on sleep deprivation and public policy. You probably know about the book “Switch” already. If you haven’t come across it you might find it very interesting. It applies the new theories of brain structure and its impact on thinking and decision-making, to the challenge of change. The authors also use the metaphor of the Elephant and the Rider. Best of luck.
by An Elephant Rider
04 Jun 2011 at 16:47
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath is very good. Another interesting book is The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt. Jonah Lehrer writes The Frontal Cortex blog for Wired.com covering a number of topics related neuroscience. All three have used the metaphor of the elephant and rider when discussing decision making. As I add to my knowledge about how individual’s understand the relationship between their intellect and emotions, I’m thinking very small rider, very large elephant.