Exciting new Learning Workshops in Johannesburg

Together with my colleagues in Kessels & Smit, we have planned an exciting new series of learning workshops over the next couple of months. All the workshops will be facilitated with a participative and engaging methodology, in which participants will work with their questions and real issues pertaining to their work, and their professional growth and development. Workshops will be limited to 12 participants each. Each workshop will offer some theoretical perspectives (with reading material) as well as practical opportunities to work with and practice new approaches. The interactive nature of the workshops will attract participants who are open to trying new ideas and who are comfortable with ambiguity.

The workshops are 3 hours long and will take place on Thursdays (either afternoon or evening) at Unit 7, The Rosebank Fire Station, Bath Avenue, Rosebank. Afternoon workshops will start at 2pm (coffee and biscuits from 1.30pm), and evening workshops will start at 6pm (coffee and biscuits from 5.30pm). Bookings and payments can be made by contacting Kgomotso Ratswana at kratswana@kessels-smit.com or on 011 447 9898.

Details of the workshops are as follows:

1. Working with Appreciative and Integral Perspectives
Facilitator: Mark Turpin
Date: 4th August 2011
Time: 1:30 pm

This workshop will introduce the thinking behind ‘appreciative inquiry’ and ‘integral thinking’, drawn from the work of David Cooperrider and Ken Wilbur respectively. These perspectives will be contrasted with more common problem-centered and deficit-based approaches to working in organisations, and to how larger ‘wicked problems’ are addressed in society.

Participants will be encouraged and supported to apply these new approaches to organisational issues that they face, and also to think about how these approaches can also be used in their personal lives, with the objective of uncovering new perspectives that can support personal empowerment and liberate new energy for solving problems and resolving conflict.

2. Designing Learning Processes: Exploring Different Paradigms on Learning
Facilitator: Paul Keursten
Date: 4th August 2011
Time: 5:30pm

Learning is of critical importance, and there are many ways to learn. But it’s not so easy to know which approach works for what and when. Over the past 50 years, various paradigms on learning have developed, each with its own strengths and pitfalls. Every paradigm has a different vision and definition of learning and how learning can be best supported. Every paradigm uses its own language. Understanding these paradigms and the language and approach that comes with it helps us to navigate the field of learning and development. It helps to understand the often implicit views of key stakeholders and why some discussions never get solved. Most importantly, it enriches the way we can create the powerful learning interventions that are so needed in organisations.

3. The Intelligent Conversation
Facilitator: Mark Turpin
Date: 11th August 2011
Time: 1:30 pm

This workshop introduces the idea of a productive and generative form of dialogue that can be utilised when important outcomes are desired and when a building conversation is needed. A number of simple rules are introduced that can easily be learned and internalised by groups and teams that need to work effectively together.

Participants are then encouraged to practice a real dialogue utilising these new ‘intelligent conversation’ rules and to hold each other accountable in using the rules. They are then given an opportunity to reflect on the experience and develop plans to use this new dialogue format in their day-to-day work.

4. Managing Complexity through Simple Rules
Facilitator: Andrea van der Merwe
Date: 11th August 2011
Time: 5:30 pm

This workshop will explore concepts of complex systems and the relevance and value of this frame for individuals and organisations today. Drawing on the work of amongst others Senge, Stacey and Snowden (Cynefin model), this workshop will explore some of the foundations of complexity thinking and useful frameworks for personal, business and organisations that can help us manage challenges in ways that create more simplicity and meaning, while creating results.

Participants will be encouraged to apply the frameworks and properties of complexity thinking to challenges they face, while creating their own ‘simple rules’ to manage and thrive in complex contexts.

5. The Brain at Work: Using the skill of Reframing to Increase your Effectiveness
Facilitator: Andrea van der Merwe
Date: 18th August 2011
Time: 1:30 pm

The savvy use of our most important tool, the brain, plays an important role in our success in the work and relationship environment. In his book, The Brain at Work, David Rock describes the skill of reframing or reappraisal as the brain’s ‘killer application’. Using this skill effectively can become one of your most important tools for social intelligence. Reframing is about changing your perception by understanding something in another or different way, and the ability to do this in highly charged or emotive situations can change the course of the situation and your ability to shape it. Being able to think about things in a variety of ways, builds a spectrum of understanding and responses for individuals and especially leaders.

Drawing on the growing field of neuroscience and behavioural psychology, participants will have the opportunity to learn how the brain can be used for reappraisal and have the opportunity to apply a number of practical methods on their own challenging situations or relationships as the start of a practice.

6. The Odyssey of the Young Professional
Facilitator: Neliswa Fente
Date: 18th August 2011
Time: 5:30 pm

This workshop is aimed at young professionals who have just entered into a new working environment - maybe you have moved to a new organisation or have just entered the cooperate world. The workshop will focus on the individual journey as well as how to incorporate this journey into that of the organisation. What makes this workshop special is that it is led by a young professional who understands the journey and has experience in both large and small corporates.

The workshop introduces the Heroic Journey framework, a way of understanding, describing and planning for processes of change at the personal, organisational or community level. It is an archetypal story of transformation found in cultures around the world – in myths, fairy tales, ancient stories, legends, books and movies. It is a way of understanding the lives of great leaders – such as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. A successful journey is a transformative experience, where basic attitudes and assumptions are often challenged, and we are frequently different at the end from when we set out.

7. The Logical Levels Framework
Facilitator: Mark Turpin
Date: 25th August 2011
Time: 1:30 pm

This workshop introduces the thinking framework of Bateson & Dilts as a structured way of developing effective responses to complex social problems and individual/societal relationships. The framework can be used for problem-solving and conflict resolution, as well as for finding purpose.

Participants will be supported in applying the framework to particular questions or problems that they are concerned with as a logical and systemic way of developing effective strategies. The framework will create clarity and insight on issues of purpose, identity and values as tools for guiding thinking and decision-making that is aligned with what is desired.

8. Social Capital and Learning
Facilitator: Mark Turpin
Date: 1st September 2011
Time: 5:30 pm

The idea of ‘social capital’ has recently been popularised by Robert Putnam though his book ‘Bowling Alone’, which deplores the decline of social and collective activities in American society. This workshop examines the idea of social capital as a very real form of capital that can brings returns to individuals and society. Social capital in the workplace can also be seen as the basis for powerful learning that can unleash innovation and creativity, as well as stimulating happiness. Participants will be encouraged to explore their own social capital and how it can be developed and exploited.

9. Learning to Innovate: Facilitating Breakthroughs
Facilitator: Paul Keursten
Date: 8th September 2011
Time: 5:30 pm

Innovation and learning are strongly linked: without learning there is no innovation. But it requires a special kind of learning: learning that creates new knowledge, that results in answers and practices we did not know before, that creates a breakthrough in thinking and in doing. How do you organise this kind of learning processes? What are some ways to create such breakthroughs? These fascinating questions prompted us to start a research programme in 2002, in which we investigate many innovative practices to uncover principles and methods that work.

Participants will gain access to the main outcomes of this research and are invited to link these to their own practices. We will focus on finding ways to deal with issues and challenges where more of the same is not enough and breakthroughs are needed.

10. Learning to change: Exploring Paradigms on Change
Facilitator: Paul Keursten
Date: 15th September 2011
Time: 5:30 pm

As the saying goes: change is the only constant. But change is such a broad concept and there are so many visions on change. Ask people ‘what is needed to create change’, and you will hear many different answers - often rooted in strong beliefs. In many companies there are heated debates on how to achieve the desired change. De Caluwé and Vermaak conducted extensive research into various approaches to change and discovered five basic worldviews on change. Their conclusion is that the best chance to achieve change is to balance these five views and include elements of all five.

Participants will explore these five different worlds of change. Through a self-assessment participants will learn their own view on change in thinking and in practice.

11. Leadership for Learning
Facilitator: Amanda Barnes
Date: 22nd September 2011
Time: 1:30 pm

It is said that organisations that have developed the capacity to learn are more able to adapt to the fast rate of change. Too often in organizations, the responsibility for learning is limited to the learning and development manager.

Drawing on the work of authors such as Peter Senge and Michael Fullan, this workshop will explore how organisations can develop a learning culture that permeates the organisation and the leadership required at various levels of the organisation to sustain such a learning culture.

12. Performance Management as a Learning and Progressive Process
Facilitator: Kholiswa Menemene
Date: 22nd September 2011
Time: 5:30 pm

Most articles on employee performance management deal with the basics of the process. They provide managers with guidance on how to: measure and track performance; give feedback effectively; conduct a performance appraisal meeting; and coach to sustain performance throughout the year.
However, there are a number of other highly effective and sustainable practices that can enhance your process but often get overlooked. At this workshop we will go beyond the basics by looking at:
• helping employees improve and succeed with Development Plans;
• aligning the individual goals with the organisational goals;
• conducting self assessments to get the individual’s perspective.


We plan that this series of workshops will become a continuing rolling programme, and also to offer workshops by other professionals in different fields. Watch this space...