Date/Time: Thursday 8 February 2018 17:30-20:00

Venue: Partners' Room 8.10, Newcastle University Business School

Programme: Registration and networking from 17:30.  Event starts at 18:00.

Overview 

Organisations should be clear about purpose. A simple and obvious proposition. Why, then, do they not measure it? A large part of the reason is that we are training our managers, through courses such as MBAs, against an outmoded model of the ‘good organisation’. This organisational model predisposes performance to be moribund, ineffective, inefficient and uncreative. Richard will argue that we don’t need ‘managerialism’, instead we need creative scientists in both the public and private sectors. Rejecting managerialism and replacing it with a creative and scientific mindset raises morale, increase productivity and improve people’s lives. After 30 years of kissing frogs Richard is still waiting to find an organisation that has measures against purpose. He will ask why it is not normal to have measures against purpose and what can we do about it.

Biography  

Richard Davis studied psychology at University College London before doing a masters at Lancaster in Behaviour in Organisations.

He then studied job information systems in the air transport industry and moved into training, becoming training manager for Avis, UK. While there he was leading the work to revive the exceptional service culture that had been developed under Colin Marshal (later of British Airways).

He came across the work of John Seddon showing how the system drives behaviour and the task began to make sense. Richard joined John at Vanguard UK in 1990 and has worked as a consultant ever since.

He has worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors but of late has focused on the public sector and how to design services that help people and communities thrive rather than just fixing problems and needs.

 

This event is free to attend but registration is essential as places are limited.  Please book your place using the button below.