Aitch Are Gives You...
G'day all, and welcome to my second virtual cuppa extravaganza thingy!
It gave me great pleasure to welcome Rob Robson (@robertsrobson) to my sumptuously appointed, Covid-Secure virtual lounge, to share a pot of lapsang sounchong, which works wonders for hangovers. Apparently. Aitch: So, Rob, a warm welcome to my virtual lounge. I hope you enjoy the tea, and the marmite sandwiches hand-made by yours truly. First things first, how are you coping with Covid? What's frustrated you, and what's inspired you during the past few months? Rob: Generally well, I think. The first few weeks were very disorientating and I was anxious about business. However, I realised that I could get through a few months and that helped me put my mind towards re-evaluating my goals. Since then it hasn’t been plain sailing, I’ve had my fair share of anxious days, irritability and weird dreams but I’ve also had some good family time, followed some passions and enjoyed the work I’ve done. I am getting fat, though, and my liver probably isn’t too happy with me! Aitch: Yes, I don't think you are alone there. You mentioned your business - tell us a bit about 8Connect. What's behind the name, why did you create the business, and what is it all about? Rob: Just over two years ago I left my role as VP HR at Tata Technologies and I was, frankly, not ready to jump into another “relationship”. I’d been a consultant before and always toyed with setting myself up. I was referred to my first client, to help with the people strategy at a large retailer and decided to go for it. My focus is on helping businesses and their people adapt and thrive in our changing and challenging world. I draw upon my various experiences in HR, change, OD, sport psychology and operational leadership and the thing that connects all of these is Apter’s Reversal Theory, which is a framework that describes the dynamic relationship between 8 motivational states, emotions and behaviour. Aitch: That sounds interesting - tell us a bit more about Apter's work, and indeed the work you do, and its possible value to an organization? Rob: Apter’s Reversal Theory is a very broad, holistic framework that focuses on the role of motivation in personality and human experience. Motivations in Apter’s theory aren’t drives as such, or even needs, but states of mind based on operating values that become lenses through which we experience the world. As they change so do our emotions, which is why I also describe it as ‘emotivation’. No theory is without its limitations, but I find it to be very powerful and its value comes from a few key attributes. First, its ability to open up solutions to many different people ‘problems’, for example around performance, wellbeing, relationships, leadership, even culture. Second, it focuses on what’s changeable and dynamic, which makes it practical and relevant in the world we live in. Third, it’s an integrator. By that I mean it helps to join the dots between different issues - and levels i.e. individual and organisational - and enables a systemic, coherent perspective on them. The academic world is fundamentally competitive, so the ‘people’ landscape is cluttered with overlapping or competing concepts. Reversal Theory helps me tidy it up in my mind! Aitch: I'm all for a tidy mind. Just changing gears slightly, what lies behind your passion for sports? Rob: I was a national junior champion in swimming, but fell out of love with it by the time I went to University. I guess that process kindled my interest in psychology, and I went on to do a masters in sport psychology and become Chartered. In my mid-30s I got back into swimming, and I compete in masters competitions which is very interesting after training as a sport psychologist! I’m also developing a development programme for sports coaches, with a guy called Rob Griffiths (who is a Tri Coach) that came onto the Apter accreditation programme that I run. Aitch: So given this backdrop, what do you feel are the key lessons from the world of sport that the business world can learn from? Rob: I think both domains have many lessons that transfer. The lessons from sport are less from the performance arena and more from the training and preparation, because that’s where most of the ‘performance’ happens. In business there isn’t the equivalent of the Olympics. Sure, you’ll have a big presentation or deal, but not the major moments that there are in sport. It’s more about performing every day. I think the single biggest example is the obsession that elite sports people have about building the platform, or getting the process right in order to perform (which will in turn lead to results, or not). In business there’s a tendency to focus on results, which in the sports arena is disastrous. It’s not healthy for businesses either. Aitch: We are at a tipping point in the world of work, and much has been made of a "new normal" emerging from the ashes of Covid. What changes do you see happening? Rob: I think that’s still hard to predict. I think that many of the ideas that have been slowly gaining traction over the last decade, such as the importance of psychological flexibility, agility and change capability, have come into sharper focus. Wellbeing is clearly important to people right now, and what I’d like to see is more people engaging with the idea that the two are inextricably linked. Things like flexibility may or may not become the norm.. ..but we do know that we’re in a period of relative volatility that didn’t begin with the pandemic and won’t end when it ends. Aitch: Given your prior spells as a senior HR practitioner, what do you see as the key challenges facing the profession as we emerge from Covid. Rob: I think right now there are so many ‘operational’ issues that HR are having to deal with, bringing people back from furlough, unfortunately lots of redundancies, wellbeing challenges, getting the return to work / or not right (so many issues with people being at home but not properly set up).. ..that at some point they are going to have to lift their own heads and encourage their peers to do the same, to think about people strategy and long-term challenges. Aitch: We "met" on Twitter. How do you find it as a platform? Rob: It’s a bit of a love / hate thing. I’ve had long periods (as a user of 13 years) not being on it, sometimes I only really use it for business, but sometimes I really get sucked into the toxic side, the politics and the negativity. At the same time, even though I value Linkedin as a platform, I find twitter much better as a platform for striking up relationships. Aitch: How do you like to spend any spare time that you may have? Rob: Swimming, mostly, or water polo, or training in the gym for swimming! I enjoy being with my family, and our rescue dog of 6 months. Aitch: Well, as the sands of time finish their trickle through this rather attractive hourglass, it's time to bring this virtual cuppa to a close. It's been great to have you along, and to hear a bit about what you get up to. All the best.
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AuthorSenior HR executive who has seen it all. On a mission to simplify the world of work. Archives
May 2020
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