Keep Discovering
This is the motto and tag line for Borealis, a creative European company that specializes in polyolefins and base chemicals (http://www.borealisgroup.com/). One of the things I love about Borealis is their semiotics. Let’s start with their main brand ‘keep discovering’. What a great way to understand life, work and living, by acknowledging the journey in learning as foundational to work. One of the other tag lines I like about the company is their own word (trade marked to them) ‘Nimblicity’ (see photo on right). Another of their tag lines is ‘stay curious’.
In this word they acknowledge the reality of fast and frugal decision making (heuristics), so well articulated by Gigerenzer (author of Risk Savvy and many other texts). Organisations that get bogged down in their own sunk cost will rarely be creative or innovative.
Well, this week I have been delivering the second group coach training to Borealis to safety leaders and coaches in the Social Psychology of Risk. The five day training was held in the Innovation Centre for Borealiz in Linz Austria. Twenty six leaders from 9 countries flew across Europe for the training and ten had previously undertaken leadership training with Josh and I in Brussells, Hassellt (Belgium) and Helsinki Finland in 2014. The five day training is adapted from the Post Graduate Certificate in the Social Psychology of Risk. The group of participants is pictured below in the central atrium of the Innovation Centre.
One of the challenges but also advantages of the training is that of language. Everyone who participated were fluent in English and then will translate the program into their own language for further coaching throughout the company. One of the advantages of the language barrier is an understanding that words and symbols matter. We had lots of fun translating meaning from culture to cultural understanding and this also assists understanding of the dynamics of culture itself. How important it is to know that semiotics matter if one wants to influence culture change.
All participants received a copy of all four books and a draft of a book being especially written for the European context. A range of Human Dymension’s tools were used and videos produced for use back in each person’s factory and context. The program is the brain child of Michael Kruger the leader in HSE at Linz who has completed the Graduate Certificate in the Social Psychology of Risk at ACU. Now the next step is for these leaders to adapt the training to their context, translate into their language and implement the program in their workplace.
So, apart from having new friends in Europe the program offers a new approach in tackling risk and safety. How interesting that this comes from a company that understands itself through innovation (keep discovering) and heuristics (nimblicity). The next steps include further programs in Sweden and Germany in the near future and participants are excited about the application of their new learning. I’ll keep you posted.
Dr Rob Long
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