Corporate Learning and Development is still reinforcing old, industrial management priorities...

"For almost 100 years management has been associated with the five basic functions outlined by management theorist Henri Fayol: planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling."

Joseph Pistrui and Dimo Dimov

"Generative organising is about shifting the focus from planning of outcomes to participation in inquiry."

Jan Hoglund


I think there is a simple choice for corporate L&D as it struggles with the increasing speed of change in business models and expectations of workers.

Choice: Continue to align with industrial management priorities defined by Henri Fayol a century ago:

Train in the fixed skills required to execute static job roles.

Develop content and interventions that (inadvertently?) reinforce the command and control model.

Search for new ways to link access to programmes with meaningful performance change.

Serve as grateful contributors to the existing business plan and culture.

Choice: Step up with a new focus: To lead and prioritise what is valuable, difficult and differentiating for businesses today.

Prioritising support for the pockets of individuals, managers and teams where learning from and through work is already encouraged.

Working with managers and team members to understand and agree the work that needs to be improved.

Working collaboratively to agree the gaps in performance that need to closed.

Coaching and role modelling that helps people to take responsibility for their own continuous, self managed inquiry and learning.

Facilitating new opportunities to bring individuals and teams together across 'functional' boundaries.

Enabling and accelerating new connections and introductions.

Building new platforms for better questions and reflection.

Finding and testing new ways for knowledge, ideas, information and feedback to move faster between teams.


Paul helps L&D with their urgent challenge - to contribute to adaptable, human, future ready organisations