Learming Hub
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            [post_content] => The IMI People Strategy Network kicked off a series of in-person events, due to take place throughout 2023. The series represents the return to in-person events, after a pivot to virtual during the pandemic.

This year’s first speaker was Ade McCormack, a former technologist, with a background in astrophysics and software engineering, who today advises leaders on transformational matters.

Ade started off by talking about disruption. It’s a buzzword that has certainly gained a lot of traction in recent years, but what does the word “disruption” actually mean? Firstly, it’s all about challenging the status quo.

Covid definitely shook things up, sometimes in a positive way. But while the majority of leaders most likely think they’ve responded well, that’s not the case at all. As soon as we got back to a relatively steady state, we could see leaders and organisations slip back into their old habits. This has even been evident in organisations that we look to as cutting edge, for example those which have begun to force staff back into the office. But the truth is that there is no “new normal”. From here on out, our lives will be characterised by large amounts of disruption.

In fact, humans are not particularly wired for this modern world. We’re wired to live in tribes, and in situations that cause short bursts of anxiety (like a life or death situation), not chronic anxiety like we tend to experience in the working world.

Ade moved on to talking a bit about how organisations haven’t really progressed from the factory model that worked well during the industrial revolution. The factory model is about rigid processes – something goes in at one end and comes out at another, after being processed in some way. Efficiency is very important here, but efficiency stifles innovation!

Humans are used as tech placeholders in the factory model – people are cogs in the machine, needed to perform a specific task. When it comes to technology, today is the fastest day we’ve ever experienced, and the slowest day we will ever experience. So, in a world full of disruption, it’s not enough to simply sprinkle your organisation with “tech pixie dust” and hope that technology will save you. The new definition of talent is doing something a robot or algorithm can’t, which is of value to the market. Our ability to be creative, bring diverse things together, and pick up on weak signals in small data sets is what set humans apart.

The industrial era was about creating synthetic certainty. While this may have been good for the factories and the government, but it wasn’t necessarily good for the citizens. Thanks to disruption, the world has shifted from the state of synthetic certainty to a new state of hyper uncertainty. Whereas in synthetic certainty, past successes were indicative of future successes, this is no longer the case.

How has industrial era shaped our lives, and how might that change with further disruption? The most obvious answer to this is that the Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm model might erode fully. Already, younger generations are working more flexible hours, which don’t adhere to this. The next is the commute to work, and the need to be in a big city to get the job you want. Remote working can facilitate employees from a much wider geographic range, and cut out the commute all together.

The factory model is dystopian, and no longer effective. But Covid has shaken us up from our slumber, and we can now think about exactly what the role of humans in an organisation should be. Our strength lies in the fact that we have creativity and the ability to perform tasks that AI and other technology just can’t do.

In summary, we need to get to a model where leadership is contextual. Think of a football match – the captains don’t run next to each player, telling them what to do next. In the moment, the player closest to the ball acts as the captain. As we enter this new, post-strategic planning world, getting through each day is the primary job.

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IMI Corporate members can enjoy access to webinars, in-person events and other benefits. You can find out more about Corporate Membership here.

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            [post_content] => We’ve all heard the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Yet a recent Gallup study shows that many people are, in fact, not loving their work and are miserable in their jobs, with only 21% of employees engaged at work and 33% thriving in their overall well-being globally. Individually and as a society, we seem to have lost our hope for the future. People want to succeed, but the path to achievement is murky. No one wakes up aiming to be average, but all the messages we receive, consciously and unconsciously, appear to push us to that undistinguishable level.

For nearly a decade, I’ve interviewed scores of high achievers, from astronauts to Olympic gold medalists to Nobel Prize winners, for my book The Success Factor. What was revealing is that irrespective of their industry, all high achievers had four things in common, and any of us can customize them to our own lifestyle, not by copying their habits but by emulating their mindsets.

1) Tap into your intrinsic motivation.

Why did you enter your chosen profession? Getting to the “why” behind your career choice is critical, as it will help you get in touch with your deepest motivations, block out distractions, and potentially adjust (or reengage) with your current path.

For instance, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is motivated by helping others. When I asked how he selects which problems to focus on, he told me that he picks problems that he feels are important, not just interesting. This sentiment was repeated by many of the people I spoke with — they focused on doing work that would make an impact beyond themselves. For the highest achievers, it’s not about the medals, rewards, bonuses, or promotions.

What you can do:

To tap into your intrinsic motivation, ask yourself: What fuels my curiosity? Is it aligned with what fuels my work? If you’re focused only on external factors (like rewards), you’re likely on the path to burnout.

I recommend creating a passion audit, which will help you differentiate between what you are good at versus what you are not, and what you enjoy doing versus where you procrastinate. Look for themes and see how you can embed some of your more passionate tasks into your career.

2) Get comfortable with failure.

Dr. Peggy Whitson is a biochemist who worked at NASA. She always dreamed of becoming an astronaut but was met with repeated hurdles. For a full decade, she applied to be an astronaut but was repeatedly rejected. She didn’t quit after the first, second, or even third rejection. Every time she faced a hurdle, she asked herself, “What strategy have I not thought of yet?” She leveraged what she learned working at NASA to be more competitive as an astronaut applicant, and even went on to become the first female commander of the international space station, and ultimately became NASA’s chief astronaut.

Some people fear failing, while others fear succeeding. High achievers fear “not trying” more than they fear failing. For them, it’s not a question of if they can overcome a challenge; the focus is always on how they can. They consider alternative strategies and work fiercely to control what they can control, and ignore distractions.

What you can do:

To achieve a similar focus, consider this two-step approach. Learn to leverage your cognitive hours, those when you are most able to concentrate, and spend that time on your deep focus work, not passive tasks such as responding to emails or scheduling Zoom meetings, which you can do when you are more sluggish.

Second, consider productivity sprints using the time management Pomodoro method, which has you working and taking scheduled breaks on a predictable cycle. If the work you’re engaged in during this time isn’t bringing you closer to your goal, or giving you the results you want, don’t stop trying or lose focus. Instead, us the time to brainstorm a different approach.

3) Reinforce your foundation.

The week the Nobel Prizes are announced, social media is in a frenzy showing the newly minted award winners going about their usual routine of teaching or writing grants in between press interviews. Despite all of their accolades, high achievers never rest on their laurels. Even if they’ve done a task or routine countless times, they still work on the basic skills foundational to their current — and future — success. It’s why NBA champion Kobe Bryant was famous for practicing the same warm-up routines you’d see in any junior high school gym.

In the military, people are told to “train hard, fight easy.” It’s also the strategy marathon runners use when they train in high altitudes so that running the race in normal conditions feels easier.

What you can do:

Consider the “must-have” skills of your profession and imagine how you can brush up on them or learn to build on them. Instead of letting them get rusty, think about what it would take for you to get to the point where they are so effortless that you can rely on muscle memory to lead you under stress. Do you need more practice? Do you need to practice under challenging conditions? Both strategies will sharpen your abilities.

4) Become a lifelong learner.

The high achievers I spoke with are continuously open to learning, although it is rarely in the classroom. Discussions with mentors, colleagues, peers, and mentees, coupled with reading, observing others, watching videos, and listening to podcasts, all inform their deep reservoir of knowledge.

Christopher Wadell, for instance, grew up as an able-bodied skier until an accident one day left him without use of his lower body. He wanted to return to the slopes and first learned this was possible years earlier when he watched a cancer survivor with one leg on a monoski. That memory was embedded in his mind, and it pushed him to learn to ski in this new way. Today, Christopher Wadell is a decorated Paralympian. He’s won 13 medals, five of them gold.

What you can do:

To increase your knowledge base, which can lead to making connections others don’t yet see, immerse yourself with interesting people and open your mind up to new ideas. Surround yourself with a team of mentors who can offer you challenges and scaffolding to try new things. Consume new ideas in a platform of your choosing — reading books and articles, watching webinars, taking LinkedIn Learning courses, or listening to engaging conversations and interviews.

 

People want to succeed, but there is a lack of understanding and discussion on how to achieve more, and more importantly, be motivated to do it. By learning the lessons from some of the most accomplished people of our generation, we can make average our beginning, not our end goal.

 

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IMI Members can sign up to attend our in-person event, The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skill set for Peak Performance with Ruth Gotian,  taking place on 22nd February in Dublin and 23rd February in Cork.

Non-Members can purchase tickets here for Dublin and Cork. Places are limited.
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IMI

IMI

26th Apr 2023

Related Articles

Event Insights: Talent Management in an Increasingly Unpredictable World
4 Things High Achievers Do Differently: Dr Ruth Gotian

The IMI Participant Experience

The IMI participant experience is designed to be a truly interactive one, which offers significant opportunities for networking, in addition to building new capabilities. There are a number of ways in which IMI supports you throughout your experience, so that you can get the most out of your Short Programme or Professional Diploma 

Entry Requirements 

A candidate’s eligibility for each Professional Diploma or the Professional Master of Business Studies will be determined by a combination of their academic qualifications, for example a degree from a recognised third level institution, and/or relevant professional experience. 

Programme Coordinator

As a participant on an IMI programme, you’ll have a dedicated Programme Coordinator, who will be able to assist you with queries in relation to your programme, or the IMI experience in general. Your programme coorindator will be in touch in advance of your start date, to provide you with key dates and other essential information, and to provide you with your pre-work.  

Pre-Work 

You might be asked to complete some “pre-work” in advance of starting your programme. This isn’t the case for all programmes, and if it’s necessary, your Programme Coordinator will get in touch and let you know. Pre-work usually includes reading specific texts, or watching introductory videos.  

Canvas 

Canvas is the name of the Virtual Learning Platform for your IMI programme. The platform will house your course content and materials, general programme information, as well as your assignments, feedback and grades. We will communicate with you via Canvas throughout your programme, and it is from Canvas that you will access the UCC library resources.
 

Facilitated Workshops 

IMI Professional Diplomas are part-time, and based on the standard IMI model of “block release” or “Facilitated Workshop” of three days per month over the given period. 

Your programme will have a “Classroom First” design, meaning that each Facilitated Workshop will be delivered at IMI Sandyford, and in addition you’ll be expected to spend time working on activities and assignments. It is expected that you will attend all dates for your programme. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend in person, you can get in touch with your Programme Coordinator to arrange alternative delivery options for you.  

Short programmes take the form of a short burst of learning. You’ll come to the IMI campus for two or three days at a time, and your learning will be broken down into a number of sessions across these days.  

Workshops typically run from 9am to 5pm, with breaks mid-morning, at lunchtime and mid-afternoon. The exact schedule depends on the workshop and faculty and will be communicated to you at your workshop.

Assignments 

IMI programmes are not assessed via examinations. Instead, you’ll need to complete assignments if you’re taking part in a Diploma, or Micro-Credential.  

You might need to undertake both individual and group work assignments, which will be specific to your particular programme. The programme may also require one or more presentations of your project in front of the programme teaching team.  

The pass standard for each module is 40%, so you’ll need to ensure that you reach this mark in order to obtain your qualification.  

Additional grades are broken down as follows: 

First Class: an aggregate of 70% and above, or an aggregate of at least 68% with at least 20 of the credits attained with a mark of at least 70%.  

Second Class Grade I: an aggregate of 60% and above, or an aggregate of at least 58%, with at least 20 of the credits attained with marks of 60% or above.   

Second Class Grade II: an aggregate of 50% and above, or an aggregate of at least 48% with at least 20 of the credits attained with marks of 50% or above.  

In addition to graded work, there will be opportunities to get qualitative feedback on your work from peers and the programme teaching team, throughout your programme.  

The HIT Approach  

IMI’s unique approach to learning, known as High Impact Transformation (HIT) has been designed to support you on your journey of change and growth. You’ll see this method applied throughout the learning experience, whether you’re taking part in a Professional Diploma or Short Programme.  

Through a structured process, the HIT approach is put in place to positively challenge and open participants to potential new ways of thinking, behaving and developing new habits which will lead to impactful individual and organisational change. The HIT approach has been developed from sound academic theory and research based on Transformational Learning theory (Mezirow; 1996, 2000). Unlike other learning theories, Transformational Learning was developed specifically with the adult learner in mind.  

UCC 

All participants on IMI programmes which lead to awards by UCC (for example, Professional Diplomas) are fully registered UCC students with all the same rights and responsibilities as other UCC students registered on part-time postgraduate programmes.  

Participants have access to a variety of supports: 

  • UCC IT Help Desk for IT issues relating to UCC services.
  • Access to the electronic holdings of the UCC Library
  • For those who wish to present in person to UCC, a student card
  • Access to online supports such as https://www.ucc.ie/en/skillscentre/

Micro-Credentials 

When you participate in selected IMI Short Programmes, you can elect to complete an assignment in order to have the programme accredited as a “micro-credential”. This means that you’ll be able to put credits from the programme towards an IMI Professional Diploma.  

Depending on the programme, you might be provided with some pre-work to complete before your first day of facilitated workshops. This may take the form of readings, questionnaires, or videos.  

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