The E-Learner

Issue No. 17

Published by

© European Consortium for the Learning Organisation.

All rights reserved.

Welcome to the fifteenth edition of The E-Learner, ECLO's electronic newsletter for members.

As always, we welcome contributions from members, as it is impossible to keep on top of the wealth of information on the World Wide Web on topics of interest to you all.

For your ongoing reference The E-Learner will be archived in the members' zone of our web site.

Editor:

BRIAN TAYLOR

Editorial

In this issue we have a chance to meet Harold and participate in what remains of the KALiF project. Words of wisdom from Peter Honey, with the opportunity to join Peter and colleagues at a new gathering on the "Declaration for Learning", which challenges out of date practices and points the way for Learning Organisations.

Michael Kelleher - KALiF Project

‘KALiF – To Share is to Multiply’ publication is now available to those ECLO Members interested in receiving a copy of this excellent and very informative work. ECLO Members have performed key roles in producing the projects outputs, which in addition to the aforementioned publication includes a Model/ Toolkit, Notebook and Handbook. Mike is appealing (no he’s just handsome !) to anyone who would like to evaluate these three items, copies of which he will gladly email to you directly. All those interested should contact Mike Kelleher .

Antonio Massari – The day I met HAROLD

I was walking along the corridors of our office. They were always the same, for a long time. I was tired. Tired of the usual life, of routine, of my colleagues’ faces more tired than mine. We didn’t talk anymore to each other: each one supposed what the other would reply to whatever question. I ignored them. They ignored me. The most important thing was to arrive at the end of the day without a sense of guilt. I was sure that someone detested me but I didn’t know why.

In January, that year, the Chief Executive posted a signboard: "From tomorrow, we will turn over a new leaf !" But nobody believed anymore that the future of the company could be different.

After some days our Chief Executive met and sat down with us and we listened to a man, Harold, who told us: "Are you ready to come into play ?" Even if suspicious and obedient we replied "yes", our Chief Executive answered "yes", too. It was a strange moment; it was new.

Unbelievable working days followed. All together we played, laughed and reflected very much. It seemed to me that my idea about work, the way in which I had always lived it, was far away. At first, everything was abstruse, different form all the kind of meetings we were accustomed to. When I met my colleagues, those days, I saw a new light in their eyes.

One day, I arrived late at my office. For the first time, after years, my colleague came up to my desk, held out his hand to me, looked into my eyes, so to make me shiver, and told me:

"Good morning ! How are you ? Is everything OK ?". He called me by my name. He made me happy. I offered him a coffee.

Those strange meetings followed one another in an intense working programme. Special targets were chosen. We worked in groups, we cried, we laughed. All together we practised physical activities so to rediscover spaces, other people, ourselves. We practised brainwork, to understand who we were; how we worked. We learned how to improve ourselves. We learned to look at the world with different eyes, to think in circle rather than in straight line. We learned how to learn in every moment, from each error, from whatever circumstance.

We achieved our goals: we improved our sales, we learned to better plan our work, we analysed the costs, we thought over some of our internal processes. But the real conquest was the change we are breathing today. Like children, we throw ourselves into difficult enterprises with a new and entrepreneurial attitude, all ready to be wrong, to suffer, to risk, each time wishing to win and look higher and higher, in search of more and more ambitious aims.

Thanks to Harold, today I know where we are going. Today, I know who I am and how I can improve myself. Today, I know that I want to be here to build a better future for my organisation, for my family, for my town.

Editor’s Comment: We will be seeing more of Harold at this year’s Lisbon Conference, but if you would like to know more of Harold’s whereabouts, contact Antonio Massari

Peter Honey’s Newsletter

Learning at Work Day - an excuse to be bold !

Each year in the UK we have a day dedicated to the promotion of work-based learning. This year Learning at Work Day is on 17 May. Even if you are one of our many non-readers, without an officially designated day, you could take some of the ideas from this piece that follows and create your own Learning at Work Day.

"The 17th May is Learning at Work Day - masterminded by The Campaign for Learning. In a way, to have a designated day for learning at work is patently absurd. It is an indisputable fact (and there can't be many of those) that people at work are learning all the time. They may not be learning as effectively as they might, and they may not be learning what you want them to learn, but learning, like water running downhill, is unstoppable.

In another way, having a day where learning whilst at work is made prominent is admirable and very necessary. Too many working environments have, deliberately or accidentally, a deadening effect on people's learning and a working day, where learning takes centre-stage, helps to redress the balance and might, just might, release the l else's learning for them. I just wish my two teenage sons would take this on board. But then, I didn't at their age. Perhaps it is a realisation that can only kick in once you break free from the dependency bred by compulsory education ?

Ways to help people learn and develop

Answering Questions

‘The answers you give to people's questions have the capacity to help or hinder their development. Questions are asked in order to solicit answers from which people can learn...'

Learning Declaration: One-day conference, London

On Tuesday 5 June, AMED are hosting a conference featuring the new, improved Learning Declaration. Seven members of the Declaration Group will participate (John Burgoyne, David Clutterbuck, Ian Cunningham, Bob Garratt, David Megginson, Michael Pearn and Peter Honey).

The day will focus on challenges to policy makers, leaders in organisations, teachers, trainers and developers, and individual learners.

Do come and join us. Full details of the programme, venue, booking procedure and cost can be found on > http://www.amed.management.org.uk/AMEDEvents/Jan2001/LearmDec.htm

Horror Scope – a light hearted look at Astrology; as a Business Tool

This month we consider the Taurean Personality. These are general personality traits found in people who are ‘typical’ of Taurus (The Bull ! ), so look for The Bull in Your China Shop !

Taurus [The Bull] Members – (Born between 20 April to 20 May).

Positive:

• A careful and conservative outlook. ( Bo………….ring ! ! )
• Dependable and offers enduring loyalty. ( As sticky as a baby’s bottom ! )
• Calm and Patient ( Likes watching paint dry ! )
• Artistic ( A budding Picasso ? )
• Thorough and attentive ( Watch you back ! )
• Values talents of others. ( Magic ! )
• Very Loving and resourceful (Read ‘Love’ as ‘Motivated’ in the workplace, otherwise

criminal proceeding, may follow ! )

• Gentle and placid ( A mushroom. Kept in the dark and takes plenty of manure )
• Excellent Cook ( Handy to note ! when appointing Canteen Staff )
• Good sense of timing and orderly ( For all those looking for a Dance Partner )

Negative:

• A tendency to be self indulgent ( Brings own Lunch Box )
• Can be stubborn and obstinate ( Must be the Boss ! )
• Materialistic ( Has a ‘Tupper-Ware’ Lunch Box )
• Slow Moving ( A Snail ! )
• Little to say ( Can’t be the boss ! )
• Delays action by lengthy pondering ( A centipede in a three-legged race ! )
• Easily embarrassed ( A blusher ! )
• Boring ( What did I say ! )
• Insensitive ( Thick skinned ! )

This month’s prediction for all you Taurean is (come don’t be shy):-

"Your limitations are lifting and it is time to start thinking about putting your life back in order. Talk to people you trust and find out what advice can be offered regarding future direction. You will have some creative ideas, but they might not be all that plausible, if you forge ahead by yourself. The saying safety in numbers will apply this mont develop; and the implications for markets, communities and organizations.

Participants are able to attend three international workshops:

· Extending Individuals - new 'soft' and 'hard' technologies for extending individuals' connectivity, knowledge and power – Stockholm May 2001

· Harnessing Minds - the challenge facing organizations to harness the diversity that is both the individual and the organisation - Montreal September 2001

· Creating Sustainable Communities - the role of communities in

reconciling the interests of the individual and the many – London November 2001

For details of the forums, themes and membership options:

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0005452E?open&r=1&p=2215

Albert Einstein on Human Beings

Growing up as a scientist (my degree is in Physics for God's sake!) I only ever knew Albert Einstein as one of the world's greatest scientists. It is only in recent years that I have discovered the spiritual side to this great man. Here is one of my favourite quotes by him but follow the link to his page for several more quotes and resources.

"A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."

On Human Beings

Click on > http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00003D02?open&r=1&p=2215

For more on Albert Einstein, Click on>

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X000064B2?open&r=1&p=2215

Know Your Value ?

Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is about taking a personal or individual perspective to Knowledge Management, rather than an organisational or corporate one - I wrote a little about the concept in last month's knowledge-letter and said that as far as I knew there were no books on the subject. Well thanks to those of you who came back and told me about Mick Cope's book

"Know your value" - clearly a book on PKM. Mick has since sent me a copy that I have yet to fully digest but it looks extremely good.

Know your value ? value what you know, so Click on>

For more on PKM in general, Clickk on>

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00028452?open&r=1&p=2215

Quick Clicks:

Top Achievement

- Personal development resources website - runs a daily e-mail quotation service- I love some of the quotations by more obscure authors. Try:

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0001270E?open&r=1&p=2215

Learning Circuits

- Online magazine on e-Learning. Several good articles on this site plus an e-learning newsletter.

Click on > http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0001E0FE?open&r=1&p=2215

Michael Porter on Strategy

"The world's most famous business-school professor is fed up with CEOs, who claim that the world changes too fast for their companies to have a long-term strategy. If you want to make a difference as a l

Managing Information Technology in a Global Economy

20 - 23 May 2001, Toronto Ontario, Canada

Click > http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0001E576?open&r=1&p=2215

KM Asia 2001

18 - 20 Jul 2001, Singapore

Click > http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0002CD66?open&r=1&p=2215

The O'Reilly Peer-to-Peer Conference

17 - 20 Sep 2001, Washington DC, US

Click > http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00045656?open&r=1&p=2215

KM Europe 2001

27 - 29 Nov 2001, Den Haag, Netherlands

Click > http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0000D6FA?open&r=1&p=2215

Final Thoughts

A few thought before packing my bags for the Lisbon Conference, where I hope to see you all.

or Empty heads make light work of it ! - Taylor

or You can fool most of the people, most of the time - Taylor

or Does this dress make me look fat ? No, it’s your fat makes you look fat ! - Taylor

or If at first you don’t succeed, treat every failure as yet another opportunity to succeed - Taylor

The E-Learner is published by the

European Consortium for the Learning Organisation

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Tel/Fax: + 32 10 24 1600

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