I am on a new adventure and I would like to share this journey with you too!
As I enjoy a beautiful spring afternoon in London, I am only a few days away from attending the first workshop in a doctoral program in Organizational Change offered by Ashridge School of Business.
Its been almost two years since I finished the MSc in Responsibility and Business Practices from University of Bath, and I am ready to learn formally once again.
I would like to create a space where I share this learning journey with you. At the moment I am not exactly sure how I would do it, and what format it would take and the kind of space we would create for sharing and learning together. To begin with, I will tell you more about the program, the structure, my engagement with it, and how I would continue to work while I study, research and learn.
The Ashridge Doctorate in Organizational Change (ADOC) is a 4 year program designed for professionals in organisational change to make a “unique contribution to our understanding and knowledge of initiating and sustaining change within and across organisations, including working on issues of macro level social and institutional changes” (extract from the Ashridge brochure). It is designed as a practice based or professional doctorate (DProf), where the first year will be a Master of Professional studies (MProf) with the option to transfer to the doctoral program.
What I find to be a unique feature in this program is that apart from the real world practical aspect of research, the learning and research methodology is based on Action Research, where participants engage not only as objective researchers but as subjective researchers, delving in to their topic of research and in to their own selves as part of the research. This approach tries to capture the researchers own process of change and engagement with the research (otherwise known as first person action research / inquiry).
As it is a doctorate in professional practice, it requires the researcher to engage in their own practice during the process. Hence, my research topic is very much ingrained in my own professional practice, and I would continue my consultancy, coaching and training work as before.
I would like to invite you to be part of my learning journey, and in the coming months and years I would like to share and learn with you. As mentioned before I am not sure about the kind of structure or space I will be creating. I am sure most of it would be a virtual space. Some of it for sure will be through my website, Facebook, twitter and newsletters. However, I would explore other face to face mediums as well. I look forward to your suggestions and feedback on this as the journey progresses. For the moment, I will share my learning as blog posts on my website www.corporatedruids.com under ‘Learning Journey’. You could also sign up for a RSS feed from the website so that updates will be delivered to your email address. I will also post on my corporate druids facebook page and via twitter and will also attempt to send a newsletter to those who would like to sign up for it.
I cannot promise that my learning will be shared in neat little packages. The learning process is sure to be messy and unclear as I find my way and gain insights. Those already experienced in such research assure me there are many false starts and black holes. At the moment I can share a very brief explanation about my research question and as I gain more clarity and focus I will share more.
My research topic centres around “the art of conversations” and how these conversations influence people to influence change in systems. I am interested in different forms of conversations we have in organisations – informal and formal conversations. My interest is also in complex adaptive systems (i.e. systems where there are many parts, with non-linear relationships among the different parts, having feedback mechanisms, behaviour that over time can be mapped as patterns and unpredictable behaviour) and how these conversations can influence change in such systems.
As a leadership coach, organisation development consultant and facilitator of meetings and different forms of planning discussions I am intrigued by the phenomena of people getting together, in meetings, workshops, at lunch, having conversations, dialogues, discussions, presentations, debates and seeing how these can be converted in to action. Most often these conversations are lost in a myriad of other happenings in the organisations. My interest is in seeing how these conversations can be insightful, motivating and reflective and bring learning and action in a system that is often uncertain and complex and most importantly how these conversations can co-create shared futures.
This is my inquiry … for the moment. Its sure to change shape and form, and I will share as much as possible of my journey and learning with you, as it evolves in the next coming months and years.
I invite you to join me, share experiences, ask questions, challenge concepts and theories and learn together.
I cant wait to begin! So lets talk!!!
Wishing you many insightful and joyful conversations!
Mihirini
Image Credit – http://picapixels.tumblr.com/post/131121537/imgfave-dandelion-by-faithananek-on-deviantart Original design by John Oxton, Illustration by Denis Radenkovic,