Globalised Organisations

We live in a world where organisations are increasingly globalised. Thanks to the internet, professional connections can be made, meetings held and information shared between multiple
nations on opposite sides of the world in a matter of seconds. The way we work has changed to accommodate this shift, and has made it essential that we work successfully alongside organisations
with different cultures, and are able to navigate a more diverse professional landscape. As an Organisation Development Advisor, my role is focussed on helping leaders work through these processes.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a keen interest in how people relate to one another – both in everyday life and within organisations. When I first started out in this career, I thought that success was entirely dependent on being an expert in your given field. I remember being told that the other side of success was building strong professional relationships, but at the time this didn’t resonate with me. I turned my attention to working as hard as I could while keeping my colleagues at a distance.

A decade later and I had, by my own standards ‘made it’ career-wise. However, I began to realise that relationships were the key to taking the next big step, and being able to empathise and connect with people from other cultures and backgrounds could teach me valuable lessons and build my understanding of the world.

Another decade on, and I now have a much deeper understanding of how to achieve successful leadership. A leader doesn’t simply command respect: he or she brings us together and creates an environment where individuals within an organisation can better relate to one another. I am no longer the most skilled in my designated field – there are many people professionally my junior who are better at performing these tasks than me, but I can relate to people better than ever.

I reflect on each and every experience to see what I have achieved and assess where I can improve. I’m always seeking new ways to improve and grow as a person, both professionally and personally, and have undertaken the creation of an immersive course that combines everything I’ve learned within the Organisation Development field.

“I now appreciate that empathy and the ability to relate to other people is an essential key to achieving professional success”

I am inspired by thinkers like Kurt Lewin, who penned essential theories within my field combined with Applied Behavioural Sciences, which have significantly impacted how we approach group dynamics and action in the workplace. The 1950s was an important time for this area of study, as this was when connections began to be made between theories of individual internal psychology and the wider psychology of organisations.

I now appreciate that empathy and the ability to relate to other people is an essential key to achieving professional success. I am able to approach multiple organisations around the world, and my work is just as valuable abroad as it is in my home country of South Africa. I continue to build my skills repertoire every day, as I believe that Organisation Development work is as important now as it ever was, if not more so.

We Are Experts In Organisation Development