Britain's Future
I have 2 daughters at a state school and in the past 2 years have had the opportunity of working with disadvantaged pupils from four major comprehensive schools at both pre and post 16 level.
Those familiar with our state schools will know that after a prolonged period of austerity there is much to be fixed. Perhaps the deepest issue of them all is, are we producing citizens fit for the future?
It would appear that no one is happy with the curriculum as it stands. Parents, teachers, pupils and employers not to mention Futurologists and Horizon scanners all indicate that we are not preparing pupils well for an uncertain future. Teachers’ give the curriculum as one of the key reasons for leaving the profession. Parents question why their children are being taught the same subjects, in the same buildings, in the same way as they were when they were at school, whilst clearly seeing the rapid changes in society and technology with environmental issues already impacting. Pupils, now facing radical changes in employment and the potential for climate change ask themselves what is the point of learning the Kings and Queens of England, Macbeth or straight-line equations? With research showing that over 1/3 of pupil’s stating that they are, “bored” at school.
In the past 3 years there have been at least 3 major reports from the employer’s organisations the CBI, the CMI and the IoD all of whom are saying that employers are dissatisfied with our current system and the calibre of candidates that they are seeing.
The following quote is from a CMI (Chartered Management Institute) report entitled, An Uncertain Future
“Our findings show that employers rate attitude and aptitude for work as the most important factors when recruiting school and college leavers, these characteristics are ranked more highly than academic grades and formal qualifications, underlining the importance for young people to develop capabilities such as resilience, critical thinking, ambition and leadership in order to succeed in later life.”
The Past
Our current curriculum was designed under the auspices of Lord Kenneth Baker of the Conservative party in 1988, its aims were
“To prepare such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life”.
This curriculum was further revised by Michael Gove when he was Conservative minister for education in 2013.
The Future
Dr Carl Fry is Co-Director of the programme on the Future of Work at Oxford University. When asked what kind of skills he thought should be taught for the future and why said,
“You want to focus on things which machines perform poorly …….…jobs such as bus drivers, taxi drivers, cashier's, receptionists, insurance underwriters and telemarketers will disappear.
Professor Cliff from the University of Bristol studies intelligent machine learning and is looking at the societal or social economic effects of a technology.When Professor Cliff was asked what he thinks the long-term contribution of AI to the future would be, he responded:
“I think by the time current teenagers are in their 30s a lot of that technology would have played out.”
So, what does the curriculum need?
…….” fundamental things that I think are missing like being a nice citizen. I hope I'm not being too influenced by immediately recent events but if you look at the way in which political discourse has dissolved into really ugly shouting matches, I think maybe there's room for educating people in how to analyse and present an argument.”
At Grass Routes we are proud of our innovative approach and our ability to provide programmes which reengage young people in learning. All of our programs are designed to increase confidence and broaden horizons these have been very successful. To illustrate this, I have included some quotes received from a senior teacher commenting on one of our school programs which demonstrate better engagement with schools.
“X has half the number of negatives in the 2 months since he started the program 10 compared with 20, he got in the 2 months previously “.
“Y has improved his punctuality he had 7 lates in 2 months preceding the program and none since the program “.
“Z is now attending homework club every night of the week and his period 6 revision sessions he did not attend before the program”.
It appears to me that our current curriculum is designed to produce obedient not innovative employees. The curriculum has stripped out many of the confidence building activities leaving young people unable to cope with what they see as an uncertain future. This leads to many with anxiety issues and being labelled by the unkind and uninformed as, “snowflakes.” My experience of even the neediest is that with support and care, such as that provided by the content of Grass Routes Programmes, these young people can become more confident and resilient. These are surely character traits which they're going to need in the future.
As we transition from one government to another and hopefully the distraction of Brexit is left behind, I hope that whoever is in government comes to realise that simply putting more money back into education is not the only consideration necessary. This is not just about money this is about hitting the big red button and asking the question,
” Where are we going and what skills will we need to get there?”
Steve Thomas, Director, Grass Routes
I have 2 daughters at a state school and in the past 2 years have had the opportunity of working with disadvantaged pupils from four major comprehensive schools at both pre and post 16 level.
Those familiar with our state schools will know that after a prolonged period of austerity there is much to be fixed. Perhaps the deepest issue of them all is, are we producing citizens fit for the future?
It would appear that no one is happy with the curriculum as it stands. Parents, teachers, pupils and employers not to mention Futurologists and Horizon scanners all indicate that we are not preparing pupils well for an uncertain future. Teachers’ give the curriculum as one of the key reasons for leaving the profession. Parents question why their children are being taught the same subjects, in the same buildings, in the same way as they were when they were at school, whilst clearly seeing the rapid changes in society and technology with environmental issues already impacting. Pupils, now facing radical changes in employment and the potential for climate change ask themselves what is the point of learning the Kings and Queens of England, Macbeth or straight-line equations? With research showing that over 1/3 of pupil’s stating that they are, “bored” at school.
In the past 3 years there have been at least 3 major reports from the employer’s organisations the CBI, the CMI and the IoD all of whom are saying that employers are dissatisfied with our current system and the calibre of candidates that they are seeing.
The following quote is from a CMI (Chartered Management Institute) report entitled, An Uncertain Future
“Our findings show that employers rate attitude and aptitude for work as the most important factors when recruiting school and college leavers, these characteristics are ranked more highly than academic grades and formal qualifications, underlining the importance for young people to develop capabilities such as resilience, critical thinking, ambition and leadership in order to succeed in later life.”
The Past
Our current curriculum was designed under the auspices of Lord Kenneth Baker of the Conservative party in 1988, its aims were
“To prepare such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life”.
This curriculum was further revised by Michael Gove when he was Conservative minister for education in 2013.
The Future
Dr Carl Fry is Co-Director of the programme on the Future of Work at Oxford University. When asked what kind of skills he thought should be taught for the future and why said,
“You want to focus on things which machines perform poorly …….…jobs such as bus drivers, taxi drivers, cashier's, receptionists, insurance underwriters and telemarketers will disappear.
Professor Cliff from the University of Bristol studies intelligent machine learning and is looking at the societal or social economic effects of a technology.When Professor Cliff was asked what he thinks the long-term contribution of AI to the future would be, he responded:
“I think by the time current teenagers are in their 30s a lot of that technology would have played out.”
So, what does the curriculum need?
…….” fundamental things that I think are missing like being a nice citizen. I hope I'm not being too influenced by immediately recent events but if you look at the way in which political discourse has dissolved into really ugly shouting matches, I think maybe there's room for educating people in how to analyse and present an argument.”
At Grass Routes we are proud of our innovative approach and our ability to provide programmes which reengage young people in learning. All of our programs are designed to increase confidence and broaden horizons these have been very successful. To illustrate this, I have included some quotes received from a senior teacher commenting on one of our school programs which demonstrate better engagement with schools.
“X has half the number of negatives in the 2 months since he started the program 10 compared with 20, he got in the 2 months previously “.
“Y has improved his punctuality he had 7 lates in 2 months preceding the program and none since the program “.
“Z is now attending homework club every night of the week and his period 6 revision sessions he did not attend before the program”.
It appears to me that our current curriculum is designed to produce obedient not innovative employees. The curriculum has stripped out many of the confidence building activities leaving young people unable to cope with what they see as an uncertain future. This leads to many with anxiety issues and being labelled by the unkind and uninformed as, “snowflakes.” My experience of even the neediest is that with support and care, such as that provided by the content of Grass Routes Programmes, these young people can become more confident and resilient. These are surely character traits which they're going to need in the future.
As we transition from one government to another and hopefully the distraction of Brexit is left behind, I hope that whoever is in government comes to realise that simply putting more money back into education is not the only consideration necessary. This is not just about money this is about hitting the big red button and asking the question,
” Where are we going and what skills will we need to get there?”
Steve Thomas, Director, Grass Routes
These young people have just completed 6 days on an intensive Residential Leadership development programme. RYLA. This performance was part of the work that they did around presentations. This was designed and rehearsed in 1.5 hrs on the morning that this video was shot with some very tired people. NO SNOWFLAKES HERE! ENJOY!!
BLOODY MEETINGS
1 hour of time for a salary of £30 k costs £ 16.67
1 hour of time for a salary of £40 k costs £ 22.22 1 hour of time for a salary of £50 k costs £ 27.78 1 hour of time for a salary of £60 k costs £ 33.33 YOU do the math! |
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- Define the purpose of the meeting.
- Define the outcome of the meeting.
- Have a timed agenda and someone in charge.
- Facts--not opinions!
- Keep people on-point. (Only talk about matters relating to their job)
1. Define the purpose of the meeting.
Why are we holding this meeting? If you can’t answer that, don’t hold it.
Here are some examples but you can make it whatever you want for your business:
2. Define the outcome of the meeting.
An outcome is something of value. It is finished. It will be closely aligned to the purpose.
You should work toward the outcome as you are holding the meeting.
3. Have a timed agenda and someone in charge.
This may apply more so to internal meetings. Your meetings will go out of control someone doesn’t control it! Someone should be totally responsible for obtaining the outcome of the meeting.
4. Facts--not opinions!
Opinions will de-rail a meeting and waste your time more effectively than anything else, particularly if from someone who’s job it’s not! (See point 5).
Insist people come with their figures, their plans, what was done, what was not done, Their solutions to increase production etc. Challenges WITH solutions. No one wants to listen to 10 minutes explaining why they didn’t do their job.
Someone who doesn’t mind hurrying people up and cutting people off if they are off-topic should run the meeting to the agenda.
5. Keep people on-point. (Only talk about matters relating to their job)
Simple but highly effective.
Don’t let the Sales Manager talk about how Production should be delivering.
The National Sales manager should talk about what deals they are going to get closed and what is needed to get them closed.
Production Manager should present facts relating to his area…
Coordination between different departments and roles is a vital function of meetings and you’ll get more of it if you stick to this point.
Finally, give everyone one of these. It's fun and makes a point!
Home Working - The Way Ahead
Recent statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are revealing.
In April 2020, 46.6% of people in employment did some work at home, of those who did some work from home, 86.0% did so because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. People aged 16 to 24 years were less likely to do some work from home than those in older age groups.
An article on the mail on Sunday on the 15 August revealed that tens of thousands of staff will never return to full-time office work in the City of London under plans being drawn up by some of Britain's biggest companies.
The audit and consulting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers are preparing for '50 to 60 per cent' of its staff to work flexibly on a permanent basis after the Covid 19 crisis passes.
That means around 13,000 of PwC's 22,000 UK staff could work some days each week from home, and some days in its London offices or one of its 18 regional 'hub' offices.
It does appear that some degree of greater home working is here to stay. For people who commuted to work daily, home working has been an enormous change.
Home working has existed for years, so, why hasn’t it caught on? The biggest barrier appears to have been the lack of trust exhibited by senior management and boards. As the pandemic set in and millions were sent home it became rapidly apparent that many of these fears were unfounded and that in many cases productivity rose rather than fell.
In April 2020, 46.6% of people in employment did some work at home, of those who did some work from home, 86.0% did so because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. People aged 16 to 24 years were less likely to do some work from home than those in older age groups.
An article on the mail on Sunday on the 15 August revealed that tens of thousands of staff will never return to full-time office work in the City of London under plans being drawn up by some of Britain's biggest companies.
The audit and consulting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers are preparing for '50 to 60 per cent' of its staff to work flexibly on a permanent basis after the Covid 19 crisis passes.
That means around 13,000 of PwC's 22,000 UK staff could work some days each week from home, and some days in its London offices or one of its 18 regional 'hub' offices.
It does appear that some degree of greater home working is here to stay. For people who commuted to work daily, home working has been an enormous change.
Home working has existed for years, so, why hasn’t it caught on? The biggest barrier appears to have been the lack of trust exhibited by senior management and boards. As the pandemic set in and millions were sent home it became rapidly apparent that many of these fears were unfounded and that in many cases productivity rose rather than fell.
The Negative Impacts of Home Working
Some negative impacts have emerged from home working which should be discussed
Human Contact & Face to Face Meeting
Often overlooked is the so-called coffee machine or water cooler conversation, often boiling down to office gossip. Body language he said to make up more than 50% of all human communications and in this new world most of this has gone. These serendipitous conversations and the body language that accompany them are the glue which binds teams and organisations. They are also important to the culture of an organisation. In our new remote working world socialising mechanisms will need to be found to replace them.
The newly on – boarded also face issues. With little or no real time for social interaction, new employees find it difficult to embed into teams and forge relationships with their managers and colleagues. People in offices are used to the constant moving tapestry of working life beyond their immediate workstations. Prior to covid employees would often look up to see people that they vaguely knew but recognised as part of the tribe. This and many other small things are what serve to create a feeling of belonging, so much needed by many.
Managers complain that they may have individual and, in some cases, whole teams that they have not yet met in person. This may work in the short term but in the longer-term new solutions will need to be found.
Those just starting out in their careers often have a need to be seen and valued. Fearing that not being recognised or valued could lead to redundancy, this can be stressful and makes a return to work more attractive.
The newly on – boarded also face issues. With little or no real time for social interaction, new employees find it difficult to embed into teams and forge relationships with their managers and colleagues. People in offices are used to the constant moving tapestry of working life beyond their immediate workstations. Prior to covid employees would often look up to see people that they vaguely knew but recognised as part of the tribe. This and many other small things are what serve to create a feeling of belonging, so much needed by many.
Managers complain that they may have individual and, in some cases, whole teams that they have not yet met in person. This may work in the short term but in the longer-term new solutions will need to be found.
Those just starting out in their careers often have a need to be seen and valued. Fearing that not being recognised or valued could lead to redundancy, this can be stressful and makes a return to work more attractive.
Wellbeing
Statistics from the Institute for Employment Studies, (IES) published during the lockdown have reported that:
- There has been a significant increase in musculoskeletal complaints.
- Diet and exercise are on the wane with one fifth (20 per cent) of respondents admitting to an increase in alcohol consumption. Whilst one third (33 per cent) are eating a less healthy diet, and over half (60 per cent) acknowledging that they are exercising less.
- Poor sleep and increased risk of exhaustion are also cause for concern.
- The mental health of survey respondents depicts a workforce with a lot on its mind. Half of all respondents (50 per cent) reported not being happy with their current work-life balance; a third (33 per cent) frequently feel isolated, over a fifth (21 per cent) are worried about job security, while just under half (41 per cent) harbour health concerns for family members.
- Many managers find it difficult to switch off. Walking straight from their bedroom to their office in the morning and working throughout the day with no lunch break or reasonable breaks between appointments. Often reporting “ZOOM” fatigue, this is working harder but not smarter and it is these people who are likely to suffer more from the problems identified above.
Reflection Time
For many the daily commute provided a time to think. This time is important thinking time both for the day ahead or for decompressing before re- entry to private lives. With these daily rituals now not available individuals should strive to find a way to reinstitute this valuable thinking time back into their working day. Perhaps through a walk or yoga or some other form of relaxation.
The Home Working Environment
Not everyone possesses the ability to work comfortably from home. Many lack space and have to share with others, this is particularly true for millennials who live in shared households. Clearing off their workstation from the kitchen table at meal times can be a significant inconvenience. Many do not have the luxury of a nice home office and garden in which to work. Low broadband speeds that are unstable or unsafe can make the prospect of video conferencing platforms unrealistic. Other considerations might include whether the workspace is ergonomically practical or not. Interruptions are often a barrier to clear headed thinking. There are many other considerations, all of which make the return to work a more attractive prospect. Managers and leaders need to understand that people have a range of home working circumstances and a one size fits all approach to this issue will not suffice.
Productivity, Creativity and Dynamism
Some are saying that not having everyone in the office leads to a drop in creativity, innovation and dynamism. To date the evidence is anecdotal and there is little scientific evidence to indicate a drop in performance, companies like Apple and Google have worked well remotely and continue to produce innovative products. Over time it is likely that the office will become more of a “hub” for creative brainstorming, moving away from the traditional desk-based environment.
Team Management
Managers who at the beginning of the crisis were crowing about the extra time that they had gained as a result of the loss of the daily commute, soon learned that this time was more than eaten away by the extra time required for home working team and individual maintenance. Some managers have found this tough and without a strict discipline have succumbed to the problems of stress. Managers have discovered that having teams working from home requires them to be good at managing people (high EQ). Those who have been made managers because of their technical skills may struggle requiring coaching or training in specific areas. This is particularly true for managers working with, millennials, remote teams or performance.
The Joys
Conversely, many have discovered the joys of working from home. Why is this?
Obviously, you are far less likely to catch COVID-19 if you work from home, (particularly if you avoid public transport) which is a major stressor for many. In many cases productivity has risen overall and the technology such as Teams, Zoom etc have stood up well to the test. Workers have found that they have more time with their families or for exercise enjoy the autonomy that they're given experience less stress, and save money. Finally, the environment benefits enormously, with less pollution, traffic and more appreciation of natural surroundings.
Obviously, you are far less likely to catch COVID-19 if you work from home, (particularly if you avoid public transport) which is a major stressor for many. In many cases productivity has risen overall and the technology such as Teams, Zoom etc have stood up well to the test. Workers have found that they have more time with their families or for exercise enjoy the autonomy that they're given experience less stress, and save money. Finally, the environment benefits enormously, with less pollution, traffic and more appreciation of natural surroundings.
Home Working in the Medium to Long Term
What is emerging is a hybrid picture where there will be a different way of working for many.
A new report commissioned by the business division of mobile operator O2, which is based on two
recent surveys of UK workers, has found that 45% of respondents predict a permanent change in their employer’s approach to flexible working when the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) lockdown lifts.
The report, which is based on an ICM study of 2,019 UK workers and a YouGov survey of 4,509 adults (of whom 2,394 were workers), found that nearly half the workforce think flexible working will increase. A third (33%) of this group are expecting to work from home by at least 3 days a week after lockdown. This rises to 81% for those expecting to work at least 1 day a week from home.
The lockdown has forced many people to work from home, some for the very first time, and as businesses adapt then one of the few positive legacies of COVID-19 could be that many more end up working from home (WFH) more often; saving money on travel and helping the environment.
A new report commissioned by the business division of mobile operator O2, which is based on two
recent surveys of UK workers, has found that 45% of respondents predict a permanent change in their employer’s approach to flexible working when the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) lockdown lifts.
The report, which is based on an ICM study of 2,019 UK workers and a YouGov survey of 4,509 adults (of whom 2,394 were workers), found that nearly half the workforce think flexible working will increase. A third (33%) of this group are expecting to work from home by at least 3 days a week after lockdown. This rises to 81% for those expecting to work at least 1 day a week from home.
The lockdown has forced many people to work from home, some for the very first time, and as businesses adapt then one of the few positive legacies of COVID-19 could be that many more end up working from home (WFH) more often; saving money on travel and helping the environment.
The New Normal
In the medium to long term there will be a minority of organisations who will go back to working as they did before.
Some visionaries are already actively re-imagining the workplace. Following extensive staff surveys and much communication they have discovered that their workforce wants to work from home.
It is clear in the mind of these managers that this is not the whole solution. It is a recognised that there needs to be a hybrid work picture where there is a percentage of work carried out at home augmented by regular face to face meetings.
Some managers are actively considering changing to home working contracts for all their workforce and considering how to layout the office space for a return to work.
Many recognise that the high cost of floor space and that the attractiveness of working from home will lead to less of a requirement for office space. Gone will be the serried ranks of desks and VDU’s, being replaced by a far more dynamic and creative workspace designed for collaboration where teams will meet on a regular basis. They will not have permanently allocated spaces and will be expected to work from home on days when other teams use them.
Rental savings on premises should be used to up-skill managers, who according to Professor Carry Cooper (President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, CIPD) will require a far higher level of EQ and a better understanding of a coaching style to manage this new work situation. This is particularly true for millennials who are likely to represent a higher proportion of the workforce that is returned in the short term and perhaps longer term. Managing the expectations and aspirations of these people will present its own challenges.
Organisations who change their business model to greater home working, will have to work hard on organisational values. These values will need to be agreed with the workforce and communicated throughout the organisation. This requires a very high degree of trust and a management style that is open and honest.
Several organisations have already seen the gap and are implementing team days on a regular basis. Currently these are small and socially distanced. Organisations will need help being innovative in designing team activities that can be practised online from simple games of bingo all the way through to talent contests. These will grow in number and diversity and indicate a direction of travel where team days will become the norm and an accepted part of organisational working practice in the future.
One area worth highlighting are corporate social responsibility projects. Recent research has shown that CSR projects create a genuine feel good factor that is lasting and can be used to reinforce values.
Some visionaries are already actively re-imagining the workplace. Following extensive staff surveys and much communication they have discovered that their workforce wants to work from home.
It is clear in the mind of these managers that this is not the whole solution. It is a recognised that there needs to be a hybrid work picture where there is a percentage of work carried out at home augmented by regular face to face meetings.
Some managers are actively considering changing to home working contracts for all their workforce and considering how to layout the office space for a return to work.
Many recognise that the high cost of floor space and that the attractiveness of working from home will lead to less of a requirement for office space. Gone will be the serried ranks of desks and VDU’s, being replaced by a far more dynamic and creative workspace designed for collaboration where teams will meet on a regular basis. They will not have permanently allocated spaces and will be expected to work from home on days when other teams use them.
Rental savings on premises should be used to up-skill managers, who according to Professor Carry Cooper (President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, CIPD) will require a far higher level of EQ and a better understanding of a coaching style to manage this new work situation. This is particularly true for millennials who are likely to represent a higher proportion of the workforce that is returned in the short term and perhaps longer term. Managing the expectations and aspirations of these people will present its own challenges.
Organisations who change their business model to greater home working, will have to work hard on organisational values. These values will need to be agreed with the workforce and communicated throughout the organisation. This requires a very high degree of trust and a management style that is open and honest.
Several organisations have already seen the gap and are implementing team days on a regular basis. Currently these are small and socially distanced. Organisations will need help being innovative in designing team activities that can be practised online from simple games of bingo all the way through to talent contests. These will grow in number and diversity and indicate a direction of travel where team days will become the norm and an accepted part of organisational working practice in the future.
One area worth highlighting are corporate social responsibility projects. Recent research has shown that CSR projects create a genuine feel good factor that is lasting and can be used to reinforce values.
My Conclusions
There is a phrase that goes something along the lines of, “Never waste a good crisis!”
As an environmentalist I am a great fan of Charles Darwin who said -
As an environmentalist I am a great fan of Charles Darwin who said -
We can help with support in the following areas
Steve Thomas, Director, Grass Routes,
T. 44 + (0)1761 220066 M. 44+(0)7711 908012
LinkedIn - steve-thomas-81a4531
- Online workshops - www.grassroutes.co.uk/management-skills-workshops
- Executive Coaching - http://www.grassroutes.co.uk/coaching
- Team Days and CSR projects- http://www.grassroutes.co.uk/team-days
Steve Thomas, Director, Grass Routes,
T. 44 + (0)1761 220066 M. 44+(0)7711 908012
LinkedIn - steve-thomas-81a4531