Learning to Learn: Images, interpretations, and insights.

This module is recommended as a precursor to any multiple-module program that the Being Academy conducts. It is an “intellectual warm-up” routine that uses Morgan’s popular constructs of organisational and personal metaphors, Borton’s “practice”model of critical reflection, and the timeless wisdom from Nichomachean ethics, and eastern philosophy to get you primed and ready for the learning to follow.

Extended Personality: The “and, both, and more” perspective

This module weaves nature, nurture and the “conscious scribe” in an energising narrative. Your personality is the drawing-together of these three diverse, but related strands at three different levels of functioning. Together, they represent three echelons of sophistication in your understanding of, reaction to, and meaning-taking from your lived-experiences. They constitute your extended personality.

Adversity & Extended Personality: Into each life some rain must fall

If that which does not kill you, does indeed make you stronger, adversity maybe just the tonic for your soul. This module looks at the just world fallacy, post-traumatic growth, learned helplessness, and learned optimism theory to demonstrate the link between adversity and your learned attitudes. It shows how cognitive behavioural therapy models can reduce stress exacerbated by irrational beliefs.

Signature Strengths: Attending to the positive, for a world of possibility

This module harks back to Nichomachean ethics. The Aristotelian view of Eudaimonia or the engaged life is also the foundation of positive psychology. It argues that wellbeing anchored in authenticity requires that you identify, revel in, celebrate, and frequently use your signature strengths in the wilful choice and pursuit of morally praiseworthy activities. The big, little question is, “what are your signature strengths?”

Personal Branding: The brand called You

This module catalyses your conscious and strategic efforts at self-reflection. It helps you define your “unique value proposition” for your target audience, and the “brand persona” you wish to create for them. Once you have completed these tasks, sculpting your “personal brand statement” will not be as daunting as it sounds.

Flow at work: Being in the zone

Excelling at work is about human agency and persistence in the face of formidable challenges. This module delves into the psychology of optimal experience using concepts like flow, vital engagement, and job crafting to make mindset and behavioural shifts to achieve happiness at work.

Organisation Learning and Collective Wisdom: Finding the real problem

This module uses the power of Action Science to make participants more aware of their behaviours, assumptions, and decision-making processes. It uses key principles of Action Science, like for example, Multiple Loop Learning, Model 1 and Model 2 behaviours, and Ladders of Inference to help participants recognise and remedy sub-optimal problem solving both in themselves and in their organisations.

The iConnected World: Renaissance of Amateurism

In this module, participants are encouraged to connect deeply with the iConnected world in which their organisations and they find themselves. It is a very new, and very different world to the Industrial world it has supplanted in less than two decades. The iConnected world is awash with vibrant online communities, relational networks of connections, and digital weapons of mass collaboration. Participants understand the challenges and opportunities that this world brings with it and strategies for leveraging them for best advantage.

Building Inclusive Futures

There are significant challenges and immense benefits accruing to organisations and people that seek to understand and embrace social and cultural diversity. Leaders in an iConnected world must empower and enable their people to utilise their similarities and their differences to underwrite organisational growth and personal flourishing. This module will show you how you can build such a network of informed, unified, and respectful groups in your own organisation.

Sense of Mission model: Consistent identity needs a core philosophy

This module uses the Sense of Mission model to provide you with a structured approach for defining your organisation’s purpose, articulating its values, and communicating these elements effectively to all stakeholders. As you familiarise yourself with this model, you will see its obvious merit in ensuring alignment and clarity of purpose across the organisation

Balanced Scorecard: Spherical views of the organisation

This module champions the Balanced Scorecard as a strategic performance management tool that provides a holistic view – both financial and non-financial – of organisational performance. It shows how this comprehensive view helps organisations and leaders drive strategic success and adapt to changing conditions.

Leading “unique”: Strategic innovation in an iConnected world

This module argues that creating the future is a lot less about being better, and a lot more about being different. It differentiates between creativity and innovation and uses the power of enduring new-millennium models and frameworks from strategy to explain how “happening” organisations and people are winning in the iConnected world.
Finally, participants are supported as they mindfully integrate and embed learning from this course, through a self-directed project that underwrites their own organisation’s sustained creativity.