John Hayes (Picture: USI)
Zurich – The way people behave is influenced by how they construct reality and see the world around them. All too often they perceive organizational life as problematic, adopt a deficiency perspective and focus all their attention on identifying and solving problems. An alternative perspective is to focus attention on what is good and working well and to view organizations as “possibilities to be embraced”.
John Hayes will explore how appreciative inquiry can be used to generate a shared image of what the future would be like if the best of what is becomes the norm. It involves discovering the best of what is, understanding the structures, processes and behaviours that have promoted these pockets of excellence, and exploring ways of amplifying and spreading this best practice across the organization.
Agenda
17:30 hrs: Doors open
18:00 hrs: Welcome by USI Università della Svizzera italiana and .HarbourClub.
18:15 hrs: Crafting communication to accentuate the positive
19:15 hrs: Q&A session
20:00 hrs: Apéro riche
Speaker
John Hayes is Emeritus Professor of Change Management at Leeds University Business School and is a regular contributor to executive programmes at Copenhagen Business School, Aarhus School of Business and USI Università della Svizzera Italiana. He has published over sixty papers and book chapters on topics relating to change and development, and cognitive style, plus ten books including The Theory and Practice of Change Management (Palgrave, 2014), and Interpersonal Skills at Work(Routledge, 2002). In parallel with his academic career, John works with individuals and groups to help facilitate change in complex organisational settings and works with top teams to help them learn from their experience of managing change.
Over the last 30 years he has worked for a wide range of private sector companies, including GNER, National Australia Group Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, British Gas, BT, ICI, Lucas, Delphi, BP, Occidental Petroleum, Bawden Drilling, Glaxo, Reckitt and Coleman (pharmaceuticals), DLApiper, SIX Swiss Exchange, iQuest and Nestle. He has also worked for a range of public sector organisations such as the American Army, RAF, Benefits Agency and Department of Work and Pensions, KU, NACRO, and the NHS. John is a chartered psychologist and has a degree in economics.
