Ridge CEO Jim Bolton Speaks at ASTD 2006 International Conference & Exposition
May 2006
Ridge CEO Jim Bolton led a conference session at the ASTD 2006 International Conference & Exposition, held May 7th through 10th. The session was entitled "Rigorous Candor: HR's Next Imperative."
Bolton chose the topic because the need for candor has been getting a lot of attention in the business press. "A number of best-sellers, from Jim Collins' Good to Great to Jack Welch's Winning, discuss the need to 'confront the brutal facts' and create cultures of candor," says Bolton. "But none of them discuss how to do it. Ridge has been teaching candor skills for 30 years. Rigorous candor is a natural extension of our work."
Bolton's ASTD session began by reviewing the business case for candor. Session participants used Kurt Lewin's Field Theory as a lens for understanding and diagnosing candor. The heart of the session was an exploration of participants' "candor commitment," and small group discussions where participants discussed their commitments and the organizational behaviors that block them from speaking up when it counts. Bolton then reviewed some strategies for creating a culture of openness that benefits individuals and the organization alike.
Download the handouts for Rigorous Candor: HR's Next Imperative.
Download the "Personal Candor Worksheet" used in the session.
Hear an mp3 audio clip from the presentation.
To learn about how Ridge Training can help you increase candor in your workgroups, contact us.
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