Alan Miller

I've worked in a variety of organisations including private sector, central and local government, and not for profit. I've led teams and programmes of works and have experienced traditional organisational structures, transformation programmes and radical structures such as matrix management.

In my view, it doesn't really matter the sector or organisation you work in, you'll likely come across similar issues. After all, the one constant in any organisation is that it contains people. It's people that help decide the organisation structure, values and culture. Senior leaders, I believe, are key to the success of the organisation. For it is they who set the tone for the organisation and help create the vision.

I'm really interested in how and why people learn, and how the organisation facilitates learning. Peter Senge was one of the first to identify a concept called a 'learning organisation' and like all good concepts it has largely stood the test of time.

Although like any concept it has been rather misinterpreted or, worse still, turned into a buzz phrase used by leaders without actually understanding what it means. In my experience of creating a learning organisation it takes time, requires careful thought and absolutely has to be role modelled by senior leadership.

I'd also add it isn't about delivering more courses or formal learning activities. A learning organisation should have learning and development running through everything it does, with a growth mindset that learns by doing and can adapt by learning when things don't work out the way they should. Adaptation is key to business survival, and everyone in the organisation has to have the ability, and mindset, to adapt and develop as required.

It seems the current trend is for hybrid working, which perhaps is not susprising given what we've learnt from working in the pandemic.

For those who's job makes it possible being able to work from home, office or any location its clear that the last couple of years have been like a proof of concept that it works.

However, if we're to embed hybrid working as the default model then it has to be truly flexible. I'm surprised by the number of organisations that still offer flexible working, and then list all the rules around it including such things as 'core working hours' and which days are office days.

Prior to the pandemic I was fortunate to work for a very forward thinking organisation that was, in my opinion, truly flexible in it's offer. Managers didn't decide, I and the work I had to complete decided. It felt like I was really trusted to make the right decision, and that's how it should feel at work.