Instead of developing off-the-shelf solutions never fully adapted to clients' specific needs and ageing quickly, we have used our collective academic knowledge, field and management experiences to develop from the beginning an organisational practice that systematises our approach to research, learning and change assignments.
Our conceptual framework, design principles and choice of methodologies originate from this early work. They now underpin all our activities and the methods used by our consultants. This enables us to meet client's needs with innovative, tailor-made and co-created solutions.
Conceptual Framework
Holistic Approach
Our approach to research, learning and change builds on a blend of existing cognitive theories, our shared values, and on our experience as consultants, facilitators, trainers and students. It recognises and considers people's physical, relational, intellectual, and emotional dimensions, enriching the way our consultants understand the people they work with, and undertake their assignments.
Integrative
We conceive our work as a process of alignment between "People, Projects and Process". This method underpins the preparation, research, and analysis leading to our recommendations, as well as their implementation from vision, strategy, and planning through to action. It also helps our consultants implement mutually reinforcing loops between people involved in the organisation and the processes they use to deliver the projects agreed by the organisation.
Developmental
The worldviews and attitude of our consultants reinforce our holistic approach. Together, they facilitate team work, encourage change in behaviours and help uncover, and/or enhance important personal and professional qualities such as:
- Collaboration
- Insightfulness
- Constructive criticism
- Responsibility
- Self-confidence
- Creativity
- Capacity to other (understanding of diversity)
- Capacity for reflection
From the word "go" we encourage strong staff ownership of our deliverables, to enhance enthusiasm and performance. We ensure on-going transfers of our knowledge and skills during the assignment so that autonomy and long-lasting results can be achieved through early planned handovers to internal staff.
Design Principles
Principles guide us in the design, creation and delivery of all our services. For Aspiral Learning international, Learning and Change are at their best when:
- they are designed as a cyclical process of sense making
- they happen within a community
- they take place in a context where diversity is valued
- they start where the individual is, and not where the trainer or consultant would like them to be
- they use evaluation of performance as a means and not as an end
- they are grounded in real life experiences
- they are designed as an inquiry which "organically" brings to the surface the object of the learning
or change
Methodologies
Since early days, we have adopted the following participatory methodologies for researching and working with people.
Action Research
This methodology grounds our consultancy in the practical reality of the organisation and maximises transfer and sharing of knowledge and skills. It emphasises the full integration of action with reflection and increased collaboration between all parties involved. It ensures that the¡§change¡¨or¡§learning¡¨outcomes arising from the consultancy process are turned into effective management practice and practical knowledge as quickly as possible. Equally important, it also ensures that these outcomes are directly relevant to the issues being addressed. In others words, our consultancy is conducted with, by and for people involved rather than on people, as conventionally practiced by consultants.
Links:
What is Action Research? |
Learning and Change through Action Research
Co-operative Inquiry
In co-operative inquiry a group of people come together to explore issues of mutual concern and interest. All members of the group are stakeholders of the issue that is being researched, and contribute together to the ideas that go into the work. Everyone has a say in deciding what questions are to be addressed and what ideas may be of help; everyone contributes to thinking about how to explore the questions that are being researched; everyone tests and experiences in their practice the on-going findings coming from the inquiry, and finally everyone has a say in whatever conclusions the co-operative inquiry reaches. All those involved act together as "co-researchers" and as "co-subjects".
(Adapted from Reason and Heron)
Links:
A Short Guide to Co-operative Inquiry
Experiential Learning
"Experiential learning" is learning through the face-to-face encounter with person, place, or issue. It is learning through osmosis, empathy and practice. Importantly, it is learning how to put that newly 'experienced' knowledge into everyday use to effectively further the goals of individuals, organisations and projects. It encourages people to "reflect in practice" and to develop their own "theories in action" from their conclusions, improving their capacity to easily apply the learning gains to new situations.
Systems Thinking
"Systems thinking" requires the use of various techniques to study systems of many kinds. It includes studying things in a more integrated way, instead of only with an analytical, reductionist, and goal orientated method. It aims to gain insights into the whole by understanding the linkages, interactions and processes between the parts that are involved into the whole "system".
Links:
Introduction to Systems Thinking |
What is Systems Thinking?
Working Practice
Enriched Contribution
While there is only one leading consultant responsible for the assignment, we always form an internal project group of consultants to enrich the thinking behind the delivery. Depending on the client's choice, this group may or may not be visible.
Collaborative
Once on the assignment, the leading consultant sets up and leads a cooperative consulting team composed of internal champions and other members of staff (or other appropriate stakeholders) chosen for their engagement, enthusiasm, and ability to contribute as internal content experts or role-models . Such emphasis on effective relationships and team working allows us to surface knowledge already held in parts of the client's organisation and enrich it with our external input before bringing it as a co-created solution to the broader organisation.
Practical
Our emphasis on "practical and experiential knowledge" rather than "theoretical knowledge" facilitates step-by-step changes, and makes possible the immediate usage of newly 'experienced' findings into everyday work while seeking further improvements.
Quality Assurance
We ensure that our work unambiguously serves the purpose of the organisation, and considers the various systems at play to create rich feedback opportunities for effectiveness and continued improvement. Our internal project group continually monitors the quality and relevance of the recommendations and work proposed by the leading consultant, notably looking at the balance between planning, acting and reviewing phases and encouraging fit-for-purpose and practical solutions that can be implemented and improved swiftly rather than uncompromising or burdensome ones.
Sustainable
In congruence with our purpose, we strive to maintain the highest possible level of transparency and sustainability in our work. To this effect we have adopted various policies relating to air miles, carbon emission, consultant fees, income ceilings, job swapping, recycling, etc. Being a responsible enterprise also means offering our clients reasonable rates, open cost proposals, cost-conscious spending, and expecting from them and our suppliers the same transparency, accountability, and fair practice.
