Funny how we remember things.

My first recollection is from before I could walk.  I was in a walker (a four wheeled frame with fabric in the middle for the baby to stand/sit upright in.  Then they could move themselves around with their hanging feet).  

I was near the front door of my parents house watching my dad making a frame across the front of the driveway.  I didn't know what he was making but, now, looking back, I recognise it as a fence made from with raw wood planks around the edge with chicken wire in the middle.  Now I don't know if it was the same memory but I can recall moving around using that walker and then one of the wheels went into the flower bed.  I started to topple over towards a rose bush and...

That's all I can remember.

Sums up a lot of businesses in a metaphorical way.

But I learnt from it and I still am alive - I think.  But I'm not afraid to explore.  To succeed in business we have to take risks sometimes.

There are lots of other childhood memories.  Some are obviously connected to some major event (one like getting my finger trapped in car door when I was about four - I needed stitches for that one!) but others I can't for any reason see why I should recall them.

Some I think are funny in strange ways.

At a primary school when I was about four I was pushed off a climbing frame and broke my leg.  I had a cast up to my knee.

When I went back to school a girl said to me, "Ha ha you've got a fat leg!"

I looked at her and replied, "Well at least I don't have a fat body."

I'm sure you have similar silly memories.

I remember designing imaginary album covers for fictional bands. 

I can recall the exams my parents put me through when I was about 11 for, I think, four different grammar schools.  One was so stressful it had me in tears - that was the one I ended up going to...

Manchester Grammar School.

During my teens I can remember how confused I was.  I went to the Central Library after school to read books on psychology.

I remember how I questioned how we all acted.  I look around now and I think how we still play roles.  We're still shaped by unconscious prejudices.

Do businesses learn from the mistakes of the past or do we do what so many Governments around the world keep doing?

If we do not remember the mistakes of the past we are doomed to repeat them.

The Americans keep making the same military errors it seems...

Drawing:

I can recall drawing my first portrait (of myself using a mirror - I still have it!) and that started me drawing more portraits of photographs of women in various magazines.

My parents wanted me to go to a university.  When I had an unconditional offer  (I was in whatever my 'A' level results were) to go to York University that was the place I wanted to go to.

Because I had fond memories of York when my parents took me to visit there as a child. 

You see?  We have powerful memories.

I also wanted to change my first name.  I did that on my first day at that university.  It was years before I had it made legally official.

But that's another story.

I was hard working during my first year.  Studying Chemistry with Industrial Economics.

I also had my first serious girlfriend.

From the second year I became famous apparently as the guy who went from being studious to being a bit of a ... rogue I suppose you'd call it.

Skiving out of lectures.  Playing pool at 3 in the morning.  Getting stoned... Photocopying other people's lecture notes... gatecrashing parties. 

My closest friend at that time was also a bit of a rogue.  He and I stole stupid things like benches.  Climbed on university walkways and the buildings' roofs. Stealing library books (got returned after the exams).  Breaking into people's rooms - not to steal but to climb out of their window and gatecrash a big party...

Some 15 years later I went back to the university to look around.  I went into the Chemistry block.  The security guard there immediately recognised me and went directly to the class photo and point out me and my friend.

THE SECURITY GUARD REMEMBERED US AFTER 15 YEARS????!!!!

I should say we're both very very upstanding members of society!  My friend is now a senior accountant and I'm now a doctor campaigning against hate crimes.

Anyhoo...

At York University I also made a large painting (for the first time!) and it was from a photograph of an amazing guitarist called Daniel Ash (from Bauhaus).  I painted it on my work desk (well, I wasn't using it for work).

Amazing how life can change.  And it changed so much after I left that university.

Businesses need training....

To thrive in the present economy, business change is essential.

Redundancies shouldn't be the first ways of saving costs - they should be the LAST ways of saving.

I saw a recent brilliant and inspiring training session where several psychological issues regarding employees were talked about.

Many companies, certainly in the US, are at 'breaking point'.  Many previous training schemes are wasted because of 'disengagement' - not interested in improvements - in change.  Past opinions and prejudices are held.

Familiar?

Senior staff in companies should be QUESTIONING.

"IF PEOPLE FEEL THEY ARE NOT BEING LISTENED TO THEY WILL DISENGAGE."

But too many senior staff in companies don't understand that and wonder why staff morale goes down and down and...

There are media reports, like on Radio 4 (30th May), stressing about the rise in inequality in the UK...

 To Help Change Culture and To Stop Staff From Being Disengaged:

In this training session we were told that 90% of human thoughts are imagination...  To change company culture we must change many past memories (prejudices) to grasp imagination.

We need to picture the unconscious mind...

[ Now, as a side issue here, think about my art piece 'ERi'. Just think about it.]

Many industries don't want imaginations.  They want compliance...

I remember a Mark Steel episode where he was criticizing teaching methods in schools.  On a classroom door you could see he'd posted,

"IMAGINATION WILL BE CONFISCATED "

As children, many of us are repeatedly taught to be compliant.

The trainer, in this workshop suggested a change in outlook - "Let's not call it 'creativity' - let's call it 'thinking'."

So if you suggest some idea but someone says, "Yes, but..."

NO!

Instead say, "Yes, AND..."

Don't think of ways things can't be done but ways they can be made even better...

Imagineering:

This trainer expressed this term.  She got a volunteer to show how things could be... how things should be...

"I can't do this skill."

Don't answer,  "What can I do to help you?"

Instead, ask, "What would it be like if you could do this skill?"

And then ask, "What would you need to learn this skill?"

Making them - FORCING THEM TO - think for themselves - to see new ways...

I wondered about this in my training work for the police.  And my work with colleagues also in training.

Assumptions:

[You still thinking about my 'ERi' art piece?]

People get angry about assumptions.

I always remember reading a quote from the comic strip Peanuts:

"In all of mankind's history, there has never been more damage done than by people who 'thought they were doing the right thing'" - rather than doing what they KNOW is the right thing.

With assumptions always guard against sympathy with customers instead of actually empathizing with them...

If a customer asks for something you can't supply don't say, "Unfortunately..."

Instead say things like, "What we can do..."

Plus give them a choice.

The trainer talked about 'clean language' skills not negative language.  Effectively asking (completely) open questions - which is how I conduct interviews during my research work.

It's often good to have breaks and have fun...

The trainer also talked about the physiological and psychological benefits of stretching in a 'victorious' way:

She also told about the positive effects of countering sadness by looking up.  it's hard to be depressed when doing positive body language!

The trainer also gave training about enhancing a person's peripheral vision.  It's a skill she says that can be rediscovered.

Blame Culture:

"It's not my fault.  They did it."

The trainer stressed there has to be COLLABORATION for an inventive, productive culture.

Plus she stressed that there has to be trust.

And a willingness to fail trying in order to learn the best ways instead of being afraid to try anything.

The trainer expressed that BALANCE is needed in company culture.

Resist using negative words that only harm motivation and damage productivity.

In company conscious and unconscious bias will harm the flexibility of that organization.  Most people will be able to embrace positive changes.  Those that cannot alter may have to go elsewhere rather than harm the positive changes...

These changes can be shown in company language...

"Due to expansion..."
"We have to work..."
"To support you..."

Phrases to be more upbeat.

With the support of organizations, such as TransForum Manchester and Mosscare Housing, the art piece 'ERi' (see below) will be touring around Manchester and photographed with various people.  It will highlight environmental support and resistance to hate crimes.

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