There can be little doubt that the world is in crisis. The number of issues humanity is facing seems to increase daily. Soaring inflation and a cost of living crisis, climate change, the war in Ukraine and the threat of global food shortages, millions of displaced people, increasing political polarisation are only some of the challenges we face. And all are largely unprecedented. And one thing is certain – we cannot meet them with historic solutions. As Albert Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it!”  

Many of these problems are the result of issues that have troubled me for years. However, as someone who always looks to solve problems rather than criticising or complaining about things, I have always sought to answers. And as matters have increased my concerns, and made me anxious about the overall trend, my efforts have multiplied. This has led me to make more effort to develop and share my solutions, culminating in my latest book, “Searching For Better.”

To communicate effectively you’re going to need

1. Information, which becomes
2. Knowledge, which leads to
3. Experience, which leads to
4. Proficiency, which gives you
5. Wisdom, which gives you
6. Deeper Experience, which gives you
7. Authority

At least that is what I learned from a recent “Wizard of Ads”, Roy H Williams’, weekly newsletter. Impressed, I decided to depict it graphically.

In creating this, I realised two important lessons.

1. Each “need” is effectively a stage or milestone and thus, in and of itself, effectively inert.
2. The process is a cycle and thus continuous.

These are significant because they mean:

1. Their qualitative measure is not innate, but dependent on how they are derived.
2. Even “authority” becomes redundant if it is not continually updated.

Nevertheless, this provides a useful start in the quest for proficiency, which you would have to think is the objective of any and every organisation. Certainly it provides a solid argument for “continuous improvement.” So let’s examine how this can help you and your organisation.

Developing proficiency is a people-dependent process. It can perhaps be better depicted as delivering milestones using a simple equation or series of equations as follows:

1. Consciousness x Context = Knowledge
2. Knowledge x Application = Experience
3. Experience x Practise = Proficiency

And, if you want to move beyond Proficiency to Authority

4. Proficiency x Challenge = Authority

Naturally these terms are subjective and the equations perhaps simplistic, but hopefully they give you some indication of the scope of the process and the iterative nature of what is involved if you wish to optimise your level of proficiency. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you wish to find out more or need my help to further your efforts.

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If you like what you have read contact me today to explore how my original thinking could help you break though logjams that are inhibiting your business or how my ‘Every Individual Matters’ Model could help you value your people and provide the catalyst to help you create an organic culture where everyone cares and the business becomes our business, embedding continuous improvement that engenders ‘love at work’ and transforms – and sustains – organic business performance.

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Bay Jordan

Bay is the founder and director of Zealise, and the creator of the ‘Every Individual Matters’ organizational culture model that helps transform organizational performance and bottom-line results. Bay is also the author of several books, including “Lean Organisations Need FAT People” and “The 7 Deadly Toxins of Employee Engagement” and, more recently, The Democracy Delusion: How to Restore True Democracy and Stop Being Duped.

Last Saturday I was privileged to be part of my niece’s wedding. It was a memorable occasion, on a beautiful sun-drenched day with joy, love, and fun extending throughout the day and the late-night dancing and celebration. Sunday, however, was different, despite being just as beautiful a day. It was as though the goodness had gone on honeymoon with the bride and groom, and, the weeks’ of planning and preparations now over, the rest of us were left feeling unfocused, flat and purposeless.

This contrast exemplifies the way our attitudes and expectations shape our experience. Nothing had really changed, yet the world felt different. It is undoubtedly a better place when love is prevalent.

Reflecting on this I started questioning why it takes a wedding to bring out all that latent goodwill, fellowship and friendship. Yes, a wedding is a formal declaration of love and common purpose between two people, but it is merely symbolic. The substance exists without it and, apart from formalising it and providing a legal and/or moral framework for the union, the ceremony intrinsically changes nothing. So why isn’t it more evident in everyday life?

In my last blog, I made a strong case for the need to increase the Return on Training (ROT) and why it is important for your organisation that you do so. Now I want to give you a recipe that will deliver this and provide a framework for a significant, and sustainable, transformation of your performance.