Our HBR Article: Skilling strategy for an age of hyper innovation

An article that we wrote got published by Harvard Business Review. It was fun writing with Greg Satell and Todd Mclees.

Plus, I attended the Recalibrate summit of the NeuroLeadership Institute and took some notes. If you want to know about the AGES model for designing content, then read on!

The HBR article in brief

• We are living in an age of hyper innovation. That is going to mean an additional pressure on businesses to keep the employees skill current.
• The model of bringing people to the headquarter to build their skills will not work in the current environment.
• It will take a combination of education-exposure -experience to build skills. The people managers can be powerful skill builders. That is what I did to build storytelling skills in our leadership team when I worked at 维布络 . I actually took them to the #JaipurLiteratureFestival to see what world-class storytellers can doRead the article here: https://hbr.org/2023/10/help-your-employees-develop-the-skills-they-really-need

If you like the ideas suggested there, please do leave a comment. Want to know more? Email me at [email protected]

I attended the two-day summit held by NeuroLeadership Institute

What I liked about the design of the conference:

1. Experts share the models they have developed. After every 15 minutes, the audience gets 3-4 minutes to discuss an idea with the person sitting next. This builds connections and helps recall. See the AGES model described below
2. Build variations every 10-15 minutes. Eg Keynote - BREAK - panel discussion - BREAK - recap the key take aways.
3. I loved the mix of academics and practitioners. Good theory is based on good practice. Good theory is based on documenting what worked and why. Deconstructing a practice is a powerful way to learn.

Design tip: make it compelling, build interest

How do you behave when you are told that you HAVE to do something. That it is mandated. We rebel and avoid doing something when we don't have the power to choose. (I wonder though if I would avoid eating dark chocolate if I was forced to). OK... back to the conference and what the speakers spoke about.

Mandates are counterproductive. You get compliance, but what you really want is to create a compelling option.

Telling people, you HAVE to play, because we are paying you, is counter-productive.

Heidi Grant spoke about an experiment where children were given magic markers. The children loved playing with magic markers. Then they were paid to use the same magic markers and they lost interest in playing with them. They did not want to use the same markers they loved playing with. Money can ruin your motivation.

So what can you do?

1. Look at design from the lens of the learner. Try to experience what the customer will.
2. Make it easy to do something you want others to adopt. Remove obstacles. To build a habit of going to the gym in the morning keep your gym shoes next to your bed so you step into them as soon as you wake up.
3. Tell them that others (like them) are doing something. That motivates people to do something. Mandates and directives do not work. Hotels used to tell people that they should reuse (their own) towels for a few days because washing was bad for the environment. It took up precious resources like water... basically getting them to feel guilty. Did it work? No.Instead when they say 86% of guests give their towels for a wash after 3 days. That works. they don't even have to add "You should do that too." Simply creating positive role models can work.

So why do people in power often give mandates and directives? What does the science say?

Camille Inge spoke about the impact of power.

The powerful are seen to be less likely to take into account the perspective of others. (Read more https://bit.ly/3QuQRAc)

Research has shown that people in positions of relative power think in more abstract terms. They also process information in a simplified way, which can lead to more stereotyping and a heightened focus on central versus peripheral details of a situation. Power has also been shown to make people more strict in how they judge others and less likely to consider other people’s perspectives. Power also leads people to be more confident in their decisions and minimize the perceived impediments to their goals. (read more https://bit.ly/3Q0Px6u)

I also learned how space can impact how we behave.

"If you want to encourage creative thinking, use a room with very high ceilings. Rooms with low ceilings are good for doing focused work." - Danish Kurani , architect

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Email me: [email protected]