İstanbul ülkeyi çökertecek, kalkınmaya engel noktaya ulaştı

Doğan Kuban - Eylül 2016

Çelişik gibi görünen bu söz, İstanbul’un bir çok alanlarda örnek ve öncü olduğunu yadsımak için değildir. İstanbul’un başını alıp gitmesi, ülkeye yayılması gereken çağdaş davranışların, teknolojinin önünü kesiyor. Halkı ve işverenleri kendine çekip, çağdaş etkinlikleri inhisarına alıyor.

İstanbul ulaştığı megalopolis boyutlarıyla, ülkenin vücudunun taşıyamayacağı bir koca kafa haline dönüşen, ekonomik etkinliğin yurt yüzüne dengeli yayılmasına engel olan ve Anadolu halkının topraklarını terk ederek ülke tarımını dış dünya pazarına dönmeğe zorlayan, ve sonuçta uluslararası sermayenin aşağı düzeyde bir ortağı olarak fakir halkı tüketici olmaya teşvik eden, giderek Türkiye’nin sömürülen bir topluma dönüşmesine neden olacak bir emme basma mekanizması olarak çalışmaktadır.

Bu kent her zaman bir çekim merkezi olacaktır. Fakat ülkeyi ekonomik olarak çökertmesine olanak vermemek gerekir. Günümüzde o sınıra ulaştık.

Dünyanın dengesini bozan pek çok neden var. Fakat temel neden artan nüfustur. Toplumlar arasında bilim, teknoloji ve uygarlık farkları ne olursa olsun, dünya nüfusunun sürekli artması dünyanın önündeki en büyük tehlikedir.

Bunu izleyen bir de küresel iklim değişikliği var. Dünyanın nüfusu 1800’de bir milyardan, 215 yılda sekiz milyara ulaştı. Üretimin yıllık artışı bağlamında dünyanın zengin kapitalist şirketlerinin söylemi ulusal gelirleri artamayan fakir ülkeler için içi boş bir propagandadır. Türkiye’nin kişi başına geliri aşağı düşüyor.

Bugün 1800’deki dünya nüfusu kadar aç var 

Nüfus artışının göstergesi işsiz ve açların, nüfusu kalabalık ülkelerde, büyük kentlere göçüdür. Bunun sanayinin gelişmesiyle ilgili olduğu bir yalandır. 19. Yüzyılda doğruydu. İşsiz ve topraksız Halkın Hindistan’da, Güney Amerika’da, Afrika’da büyük kentlere üşüşmesi açlıktan, sanayileşmeden değil. Çin’de de büyük kent sayısının çok oluşu sanayileşme ile birlikte, ülkenin olağanüstü nüfus yoğunluğundan.

Fakat Türkiye’de kente göç sanayileşme geliştiği için değil, yapılaşma (inşaat) üretimin en büyük parçası olduğu ve ülke yeteri kadar sanayileşmediği için oldu. ‘Her şeyi yapan inşaat işçisi’ hala ekmeğini malzeme taşıyarak yapıyor. 1980’den sonra kent nüfusu %70’i geçti. Köyler boşaldı. Tarlalar toprak oldu. Geleneksel Türk tarımı çöktü.

Dünyada nüfusu 20 milyona ulaşmış bir kentin sağlıklı yaşamını gerçekleştirebilen bir planlama yöntemi henüz keşfedilmedi. Batının en kalabalık kentleri olan Londra, New York, Paris’in nüfusları bugün İstanbul’dan az. İstanbul’un nüfusu 1950’deki bir milyonun 17-20 katı. İşgal ettiği alan 500.000 nüfuslu İmparatorluk başkentinin 250 katından fazla.

Megalopolis: fakir üste hastalığı

Megalopolis hastalığı sınırsız kapitalizmle nüfus artışının karıştığı, çaresiz bir ‘hipertrofi’ olarak çok vurgulanan fakat çare bulunamayan bir fakir ülke hastalığıdır. Ülke ekonomisinde yarattığı dengesizlik yanında, toplumun en zengin katlarıyla en fakir katlarını yan yana getirdiği için toplumsal ayrışmanın da mekanıdır. Yaşam olanakları birbirlerinin zıddı olan insanlar birlikte yaşamasalar bile birbirleriyle dirsek teması içindedirler.

Bu, fakir sınıfları iki türlü bilinçlendiriyor: Kentsel çevre, ulaşamadıkları zenginliğin görüntüsüdür. Öte yandan yaşadıkları çağın olanaklarını, yüzeysel olsa da, onlara gösteriyor ve öğretiyor. Bu öğrenme tüketme eğilimini arttırıyor ve kapitalizmin işine geliyor.

Fakat sınıfsal ayrışımın altını çizerek zengin sınıfları bu çelişkileri saklamak için bir sürü yalan icat etmeğe zorluyor. Bu durum onların statülerini korumalarına yardım belki yardım ediyor, fakat giderek toplumun ahlak dokusunu bozuyor.

Ahlaksız ve dengesiz toplum

Toplumsal hipertrofinin sonucu, ahlaksız ve dengesiztoplumdur. Bu dünyanın her yanında aynıdır. Dünyanın büyük kentleri toplumları kanatan yaralardır. Kuşkusuz Lagash ya da Karaçi ile Paris aynı değil.

Paris her zaman büyük olan ve örgütlenmesi yüzyılları bulan bir dünya kenti. Diğerleri, kendi çıkardıkları toz duman arasında boğulan aglomeralar. Çünkü kaşla göz arasında büyüyüverdiler. İstanbul da bu sonunculardandır. Kentin sadece 2000 hektarı 550.000 hektar içinde (yani 225’de biri) tarihi bazı kalıntılar içeriyor. Bir de her gün bozulan eşsiz bir doğal yapısı var.

Bu dev kentlerde Batılı gelişmiş kentlerden herhangi bir yöntem ithal edilemez. Bu, maymuna inci kolye takmağa benzer. Kaldı ki bu büyük aglomeralar fiziksel planlama ile düzenlenecek yerleşmeler değildir. Zaten bu büyüklükte planlamanın birkaç yıl içinde gerçekleşmesi de ekonomik olarak olanaksızdır. İstanbul’da yapılan tıkanan bir dev su şebekesinin ara sıra birkaç borusunu temizlemek ya da değiştirmek gibidir.

Bazen yüz kilometrede birkaç yüz metrelik çiçekli pasajlar olur. Bu, çölde saksıda çiçek anlamına gelir. Yine de İstanbul’da yapılan akıl almaz çirkinlikler yanında çiçek bir ferahlama oluyor. Fakat bunu çiçekleri düz duvarlara yerleştirme yöntemi ile uygulamak evlere şenlik bir uygulamadır. Kargaşanın büyüklüğüne işaret eder.

İstanbul planlanabilir mi?

Bu kentler, bir yandan sınırsız bir spekülasyonun doymak bilmez iştihasına sunulmuşken planlanamaz. Tek çare halkın planlı olarak yurt yüzeyine yeni yaratılacak sanayi merkezlerine, zaman içinde yerleştirilmesi ve ülkenin ekonomik dengesizliğinin önüne geçilmesidir. Spekülasyonu engelleyemesek de, kontrol edilebilir büyüklükte yerleşmelere transfer ülke ekonomisinin giderek çökmesine engel olabilir.

Büyük kent, insanoğlunun bütün tarihinde kendi yaratıp kontrol edemediği en büyük deformasyondur. İnsanoğlunun yaşamını karartan bütün kötü insan davranışlarını, pek çoğunu suç diye tanımladığımız kişisel ve grupsal etkinliklerin en kolay oluştuğu ortamdır.

Uygarlık adına yaratılan bütün olgu ve araçlar büyük kentlerin bütün bu kötülükleri üretmesine engel olamaz. Bu iyi-kötü çekişmesinin kentin ortalama fizyonomisindeki verileri o toplumun uygarlık düzeyini açıklar. Her türlü suç, cinayet, hırsızlık, arsa ve yapı spekülasyonu, kuralsız davranışlar, eğitim, ulaşım, sanat etkinlikleri, müzeler, planlama, kent estetiği, yol, kaldırım, kentsel işlevler yeşil alan, konut, adalet, güven, sağlık, temizlik ve daha pek çok alan kent için bir yaşamsal kalite standardı tanımlarlar.

Bu standart genelde küçük kentlerde yüksek, büyük kentlerde düşüktür. Berlin ya da Amsterdam’da Karaçi, Kahire ya da İstanbul’la karşılaştırılmayacak kadar yüksektir. İstanbul gibi yarım yüzyılda kontrolsüz bir büyüme gösteren kentlerde örneğin Sao Paolo ya da Lagash’da çağdaş yaşamın en büyük kargaşa ve dramları yaşanır.

Yaşam kırılgandır. İnsanların geleceğe güvenleri azdır. Onun için megalopolisler uygarlığın ortadan kaldırmağa çalıştığı bütün kötülükleri içerirler. Büyüklükleri oranında suç yuvalarıdır.

İstanbul’u hiçbir planlama boyutu, estetik ve insan davranışı ile Viyana, Berlin, Stockholm ile karşılaştırmak olası değildir.

Çok kez vurguladığım gibi, 80 milyon nüfuslu Almanya’nın en büyük kenti ve başkenti Berlin’in nüfusu 4 milyondan azdır.

Anadolu’ya yeniden yerleşmemiz gerek!

Alain Deneault: “Dünyayı vasatlar yönetiyor”

Michel Abescat – Télérama – / Çeviri: Haldun Bayrı

“Vasatlık hükümdarlığında, ortalama olan, bir kural haline gelir; ortayolculuk hâkim olur: Fikirler ve insanlar birbirinin yerine konabilir. Uyuşturan devrime karşı direnmek gerek“ diye alarm veriyor filozof Alain Deneault.

“Uyuşturan bir devrim” söz konusu. Bizi hep merkezde konumlanmaya, gevşek düşünmeye, başkalarıyla yer değiştirebilen ve çekmecelerde saklanabilen varlıklar haline gelmek için kanaatlerimizi cebimizde tutmaya davet eden bir devrim. Aman bir tatsızlık çıkmasın, ekonomik ve toplumsal düzeni sorgulatabilecek hiçbir şey icat edilmesin sakın.

“Bastille’in alınması gibi bir şey olmadı; Reichtag Yangını’yla karşılaştırılabilir hiçbir şey yok; Aurora’dan daha tek pâre top atılmadı” diye yazıyor, Montréal Üniversitesi’nde siyasetbiliminde eleştirel düşünce dersleri veren filozof Alain Deneault. “Oysa ayan beyan hücum oldu ve başarıyla taçlandı: Vasatlar iktidarı aldılar.” Açıklaması aşağıda:

1970 yılında doğan Kanadalı yazar Alain Deneault “Kara Kanada: Afrika’da hırzılık, yolsuzluk ve yasadışılık” (Noir Canada: Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique) kitabıyle ünlenmiş; pek çok şirket hakkında pek çok dava açmıştı.

“Vasatlık iktidarı” (médiocratie) derken neyi kastediyorsunuz?

Deneault: Fransızca’da “orta” (moyen) olana işaret etmek için “vasatlık” (médiocrité) sözcüğünden başkası yok. “Üstünlük” (supériorité) üstün olana gönderiyor, “astlık” (infériorité) ast olana; fakat “ortalık” (moyenneté) diye bir sözcük yok. Oysa ortalama ile vasatlık arasında bir anlam farkı var; zira ortalama çoğu zaman bir soyutlamaya bağlıdır: ortalama gelir, ortalama uzmanlık, yani değerler hiyerarşisinin ortasında bir yer. Vasatlık ise, buna karşılık, iş üstündeki ortalamadır.

Vasatlık iktidarı (médiocratie) böylece ortalamanın cisimleştirilmesi gereken buyurgan bir kaide haline geldiği bir rejime işaret eder. Model mertebesine yüceltilmiş vasatın düzenidir bu. Dolayısıyla benim için hiç kimseyi damgalamak söz konusu değil; daha ziyade, ille de buna meyyal olmamalarına rağmen bugün insanlara yük olan o vasatlaşma buyruğunun doğasını anlamak söz konusu.

Nedir o buyruk? Nereden geliyor?                                                                     

Deneault: Vasatlık iktidarı öncelikle meslekleri istihdama dönüştüren bölünmeden ve emeğin sanayileşmesinden gelir. Marx bunu daha 1849’da tasvir ediyor. Emeği önce bir güce, sonra da bir maliyete indirgeyen kapitalizm, onun içinden canını çekip almıştır; Taylorizm ise emeğin standartlaştırılmasını en uç mantıklarına zorlamıştır. Böylelikle meslekler azar azar yitirilmiştir; emek cisimsiz bir ortalama yükümlülük haline gelmiştir.

Şu ya da bu işte çalıştığı fark etmeyen çok sayıda ücretlinin gözünde, emek bir geçim yoluna indirgenir. Ortalama yükümlülük, ortalama sonuç; bu işin mimarları ile bu işten istifade edenler dışındaki insanları, neredeyse kimsenin bilincine varamadığı büyük üretim kümelerinin bağrında, birbirinin-yerine-konabilir kimseler kılmaktır hedef.

Vasatlık iktidarının kökeninde, “yönetişim”in (gouvernance) güç artışının bulunduğu hususunda da ısrar ediyorsunuz…

Deneault: Vasatlık iktidarının doğuşunun siyasî yamacı bu. Zararsız görünen yönetişim terimi, Margaret Thatcher ve mesai arkadaşları tarafından 80’li yıllarda kullanıma sokulmuştur. Kamu kurumlarının sağlıklı işletilmesi maskesi altında, daha etkili oldukları varsayılan özel şirket işletme yöntemlerinin Devlet’e uygulanması söz konusuydu.

O zamandan beridir yıldızı parlayan yönetişim, ayırt edici özelliği mevzuatın kaldırılmasıyla kamu hizmetlerinin özelleştirilmesi ve kurumların kendilerini şirketlerin ihtiyaçlarına uyarlaması olan bir neo-liberal devlet işletme biçimidir. Böylelikle siyasetten, tam tersi olmasına rağmen demokrasiyle karıştırma eğiliminde olunan yönetişime geçmiş bulunmaktayız.

Bir yönetişim rejimindeki siyasî eylem, işletmeye, management elkitaplarında problem solving” (sorun çözme) diye adlandırılan şeye indirgenmiştir: hemen önünüzdeki bir soruna hemen bir çözüm arayışı; ki bu da ilkeler üzerine kurulu her tür uzun vadeli düşünme çabasını, kamusal olarak müzakereye sunulan her tür siyasî görüşü dışlar. Yönetişim rejiminde, tek perspektif olan liberalizm perspektifinde dünyaya ortalama bir bakışı tıpatıp cisimleştiren ufak itaatkâr ortaklar haline gelmeye davet ediliyoruz.

Vasat olmak, işinin uzmanı olmamak değil mi yani?

Deneault: Hayır. Sistem, ortalama uzmanlıkta aktörlerin yükselmesini süper uzmanların ya da hiç uzman olmayanların aleyhine olacak şekilde teşvik ediyor. Hiç uzman olmayanların aleyhinedir, çünkü işe yaramazlar; sistemi ve bu sistemde benimsenen uzlaşmaları sorgulama riskini taşıdıkları için de süper uzmanların aleyhinedir. Vasatta yararlı bir bilgi olmalıdır, bununla birlikte ideolojik temelleri sorgulamayı öğretmemelidir. Böylelikle eleştirel anlayıştan çekinilir, zira her an her şeye yönelebilir o; kuşkuya açıktır, daima kendi talepkârlığına itaat etmektedir. Vasat “oyunbozanlık etmemeli”dir.

Ne demek istiyorsunuz?

Deneault: “Oyunbozanlık etmemek”, sıradan, hatta oyuncaklı görünen güleryüzlü bir deyiştir. Bununla birlikte oyunbozanlık etmemek, kısa vadeli çıkarlara hizmet eden beyaz yalanlara inanmayı kabul etmek, gözümüzü söylenmeyene ve kuralları îmâ eden düşünülmemişe çevirmeksizin kendimizi kurallara tâbi kılmak demektir. Oyunbozanlık etmemek, filanca raporda falancanın ismini zikretmemek, şu kısmı gözardı etmektir, bunun adını hiç anmamak ve keyfîliğin baskın çıkmasına imkân tanımaktır. Eninde sonunda oyunbozanlık etmemek, hile yapa yapa, yozlaşmış kurumlar üretmekten ibarettir.

Aktörler yozlaşmış olduklarını artık bilmedikleri vakit yozlaşma ucuna varmış olur. Hastalığa yakalananların ancak 130 yaşına vardıklarında tehlikeli bir gelişme gösterebilecek olan prostat kanserlerini büyük masraflarla iyileştirecekleri yolunda teminat veren ilaç firmaları gibi. Öğrencilerini özerk zihinler değil de araçsallaştırılmaya müsait uzmanlar olarak yetiştirmek isteyen üniversiteler gibi.

Montréal Üniversitesi’nin rektörü, 2011 sonbaharında bâriz bir gerçeklik gibi teyit etmişti bunu: “Beyinler şirketlerin ihtiyaçlarına tekabül etmelidir.” Hâlâ geniş ölçüde devlet tarafından finanse edilse de, bu üniversitenin idare heyeti üyeleri arasında da şirketler bulunmaktadır zaten. Böylece başlıca Fransızca müfredatlı üniversitemizin rektörü, TF1 genel müdürü iken Patrick Le Lay’in, 2004’te, kanalının Coca-Cola’ya “yatkın beyin zamanı” sattığını söylerken dediklerini neredeyse kelimesi kelimesine tekrarlamaktaydı.

Oyunbozanlık etmemek, nerede olunursa olunsun, özel şirket dilini benimsemek de aynı zamanda…

Deneault: Yönetişim düzeninde kamu hizmetleri, terminolojisiyle birlikte ortadan yok olur. Bir hastaneye giden hasta, tren ya da metro kullanıcısı, bir konser salonundaki seyirci, bir müze müdavimi, hepsi “müşteriler” haline gelir. Québec’teki devlet radyosunda kültürel program yapan bir gazeteci, “tiyatro tüketicisi” olup olmadığımı sordu geçenlerde. Ulusal Kütüphane ise, aldığım kitapların iadesini geciktirdiğimde, “Sevgili müşterimiz” diye başlayan bir mesaj gönderiyor bana. Bu sözcükler alelâde değil. Bir şeyi açığa vuruyorlar. Bugün yaşamakta olduğumuz uyuşturucu devrim hakkında epey mâlûmat var bunlarda.

Vasatlık iktidarının merkezine uzmanı yerleştiriyorsunuz. Neden?

Deneault: Çoğu zaman uzman, demin tanımladığım anlamda vasattır. Yetersiz olduğundan değil, fakat düşüncesini onu istihdam edenlerin çıkarları uyarınca formatlıyordur. Kendilerini meşrulaştırmak için ona ücret ödeyenlerin ihtiyaç duydukları pratik ya da teorik verileri sağlar. İktidar için, aracılığıyla düzenin dayatıldığı ortalama varlıktır.

Böylelikle uzman, filan şirket, falan sanayi, vb. özel çıkar tarafından temenni edilen parametrelere kapatır kendini. Obezite üzerine bir araştırmada Coca-Cola’nın adını zikretmeyecektir, çünkü araştırmayı bu marka finanse etmiştir. İklim değişimlerinin sanayi faaliyetlerine bağlı olmadığını belirtecektir, çünkü araştırmalarını Exxon Mobil bursuyla sürdürmektedir. Uzmanların hakkından gelebilmek için, zamanının doktorlarını Hastalık Hastası’nda yerden yere vuran Molière gibi biri gerekirdi.

Vasatlığın iktidarı siyasî söylemi yavanlaşmaya da itmiyor mu?

Deneault: Şaşacak bir şey yok; siyasî düşünceye hükmeden ortadır, merkezdir, ortalamadır. Aralarındaki söylem farkları ufacık; farklılıklar, temellerden ziyade bir anlaşmazlık görünümüyle simgelerde. “Dengeli ölçüler”, “tam orta”, ya da “taviz”, fetişleştirilen mefhumlar. Sol-sağ eksenindeki bir noktadan ziyade, tek bir yaklaşım ve tek bir mantığın yararına bu eksenin yok oluşuna tekabül eden konumdaki aşırı merkezci siyasî düzendir bu.

Bu vasat ortamda iş bilenin dümen çevirenindir. Yöneticiler bir siyasî çizgi üzerinden seçilirler ve bir kez seçildiklerinde başka bir çizgiyi uygularlar; seçmenler yerel seçimlerden istifade ederek ulusal politikayı protesto ederler, öfkelerini dışa vurmak için Ulusal Cephe’ye (FN) oy verirler; medya ise sadece aktörlerin stratejilerine ilgi göstererek bu yoldan çıkışlara iltimas geçer. Hiçbir gelecek vizyonu yoktur, bütün siyaset oyunu burnunun ucundan ötesini göremez, sürekli onun bunun ucundan tutmaktadır.

Vasatlığın iktidarına nasıl direnmeli?

Deneault: Önce sizi davet ettikleri açık sofraya oturmayacaksınız, sizi oyuna sokmak için devreye koydukları cezbedici ufak şeylere direneceksiniz. Hayır diyeceksiniz. Hayır, bu göreve gelmeyeceğim; hayır bu terfiyi kabul etmeyeceğim; şu avantajdan ya da şu ödülden imtina edeceğim, çünkü zehirli. Bu anlamda direnmek, çileye girmektir, kolay değil.

Kültüre ve entelektüel göndermelere dönmek de aynı şekilde bir gereklilik. Tekrar okumaya, düşünmeye, günümüzde hiçbir anlamları yokmuş gibi elimizin tersiyle itilen kavramların değerini vurgulamaya koyulursak; artık anlamın kalmadığı yere tekrar anlam zerk edersek, marjinal kalma pahasına, siyaseten ilerleme katedilir. Bugün bizzat dile saldırılıyor olması bir tesadüf değil. O dili tekrar kuralım.

Kadıköy Anadolulular seriye ‘otosansür’le katıldı: Işığa koşacağız

Türkiye’nin köklü liselerinden İstanbul Erkek, Galatasaray, Cağaloğlu Anadolu, Bornova Anadolu ve Vefa Lisesi’nde idarecilere yönelik protestolara son katılan Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi öğrencileri oldu.    

Fotoğraf: Kadıköy Maarif

Kadıköy Anadolulular okul yönetiminin öğrencilere yönelik baskısını, ‘Duyuru’ başlığı altında ‘idarenin incelediği’ bir metinle anlattı.

Metne uyguladığı ‘otosansürle’yaşananları anlatan öğrenciler, açıklamanın ‘sansürsüz’ kısmını protestoya katılan diğer ‘Proje Okul’lara selam gönderip şu sözlerle bitirdi: “Yandaşlara arkasını dönenlerle, yarımada yokuşunda geçmişi özleyenlerle, Fikret’in mirasını koruyanlarla beraber bu kara mürekkebi dağıtmak için ışığa koşacağız.”

Kurulduğu dönemde Türkiye’nin altı Maarif Koleji’nden biri olan Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi öğrencilerinin yayınladığı ‘otosansür’lü bildirinin tamamı şöyle:

“Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi öğrencileri olarak giriştiğimiz …………….. etkinliklikler……….. idareciler tarafından destek gör(me)mektedir. Okulumuzda ………….. hiçbir …………… problem …………… bulunmamaktadır. Etkinliklerimize ………….. kesinlikle ……………… sansür ………………… uygulanmamaktadır. Kulüp faaliyetlerimiz …………….. özgürce …………… gerçekleşmektedir. Son olarak …………… proje okulları ……….. öğrencilerinin …………….. yaptıkları ………………… yanlışlıklarından …………….. derhal ………………… dönmelerini …………. tavsiye ediyoruz.

Yandaşlara arkasını dönenlerle, yarımada yokuşunda geçmişi özleyenlerle, Fikret’in mirasını koruyanlarla beraber bu kara mürekkebi dağıtmak için ışığa koşacağız”

Why Socialism?

REPRISE

by Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is the world-famous physicist. This article was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949). It was subsequently published in May 1998 to commemorate the first issue of MR‘s fiftieth year.

Is it advisable for one who is not an expert on economic and social issues to express views on the subject of socialism? I believe for a number of reasons that it is.

Let us first consider the question from the point of view of scientific knowledge. It might appear that there are no essential methodological differences between astronomy and economics: scientists in both fields attempt to discover laws of general acceptability for a circumscribed group of phenomena in order to make the interconnection of these phenomena as clearly understandable as possible. But in reality such methodological differences do exist. The discovery of general laws in the field of economics is made difficult by the circumstance that observed economic phenomena are often affected by many factors which are very hard to evaluate separately. In addition, the experience which has accumulated since the beginning of the so-called civilized period of human history has—as is well known—been largely influenced and limited by causes which are by no means exclusively economic in nature. For example, most of the major states of history owed their existence to conquest. The conquering peoples established themselves, legally and economically, as the privileged class of the conquered country. They seized for themselves a monopoly of the land ownership and appointed a priesthood from among their own ranks. The priests, in control of education, made the class division of society into a permanent institution and created a system of values by which the people were thenceforth, to a large extent unconsciously, guided in their social behavior.

But historic tradition is, so to speak, of yesterday; nowhere have we really overcome what Thorstein Veblen called “the predatory phase” of human development. The observable economic facts belong to that phase and even such laws as we can derive from them are not applicable to other phases. Since the real purpose of socialism is precisely to overcome and advance beyond the predatory phase of human development, economic science in its present state can throw little light on the socialist society of the future.

Second, socialism is directed towards a social-ethical end. Science, however, cannot create ends and, even less, instill them in human beings; science, at most, can supply the means by which to attain certain ends. But the ends themselves are conceived by personalities with lofty ethical ideals and—if these ends are not stillborn, but vital and vigorous—are adopted and carried forward by those many human beings who, half unconsciously, determine the slow evolution of society.

For these reasons, we should be on our guard not to overestimate science and scientific methods when it is a question of human problems; and we should not assume that experts are the only ones who have a right to express themselves on questions affecting the organization of society.

Innumerable voices have been asserting for some time now that human society is passing through a crisis, that its stability has been gravely shattered. It is characteristic of such a situation that individuals feel indifferent or even hostile toward the group, small or large, to which they belong. In order to illustrate my meaning, let me record here a personal experience. I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked that only a supra-national organization would offer protection from that danger. Thereupon my visitor, very calmly and coolly, said to me: “Why are you so deeply opposed to the disappearance of the human race?”

I am sure that as little as a century ago no one would have so lightly made a statement of this kind. It is the statement of a man who has striven in vain to attain an equilibrium within himself and has more or less lost hope of succeeding. It is the expression of a painful solitude and isolation from which so many people are suffering in these days. What is the cause? Is there a way out?

It is easy to raise such questions, but difficult to answer them with any degree of assurance. I must try, however, as best I can, although I am very conscious of the fact that our feelings and strivings are often contradictory and obscure and that they cannot be expressed in easy and simple formulas.

Man is, at one and the same time, a solitary being and a social being. As a solitary being, he attempts to protect his own existence and that of those who are closest to him, to satisfy his personal desires, and to develop his innate abilities. As a social being, he seeks to gain the recognition and affection of his fellow human beings, to share in their pleasures, to comfort them in their sorrows, and to improve their conditions of life. Only the existence of these varied, frequently conflicting, strivings accounts for the special character of a man, and their specific combination determines the extent to which an individual can achieve an inner equilibrium and can contribute to the well-being of society. It is quite possible that the relative strength of these two drives is, in the main, fixed by inheritance. But the personality that finally emerges is largely formed by the environment in which a man happens to find himself during his development, by the structure of the society in which he grows up, by the tradition of that society, and by its appraisal of particular types of behavior. The abstract concept “society” means to the individual human being the sum total of his direct and indirect relations to his contemporaries and to all the people of earlier generations. The individual is able to think, feel, strive, and work by himself; but he depends so much upon society—in his physical, intellectual, and emotional existence—that it is impossible to think of him, or to understand him, outside the framework of society. It is “society” which provides man with food, clothing, a home, the tools of work, language, the forms of thought, and most of the content of thought; his life is made possible through the labor and the accomplishments of the many millions past and present who are all hidden behind the small word “society.”

It is evident, therefore, that the dependence of the individual upon society is a fact of nature which cannot be abolished—just as in the case of ants and bees. However, while the whole life process of ants and bees is fixed down to the smallest detail by rigid, hereditary instincts, the social pattern and interrelationships of human beings are very variable and susceptible to change. Memory, the capacity to make new combinations, the gift of oral communication have made possible developments among human being which are not dictated by biological necessities. Such developments manifest themselves in traditions, institutions, and organizations; in literature; in scientific and engineering accomplishments; in works of art. This explains how it happens that, in a certain sense, man can influence his life through his own conduct, and that in this process conscious thinking and wanting can play a part.

Man acquires at birth, through heredity, a biological constitution which we must consider fixed and unalterable, including the natural urges which are characteristic of the human species. In addition, during his lifetime, he acquires a cultural constitution which he adopts from society through communication and through many other types of influences. It is this cultural constitution which, with the passage of time, is subject to change and which determines to a very large extent the relationship between the individual and society. Modern anthropology has taught us, through comparative investigation of so-called primitive cultures, that the social behavior of human beings may differ greatly, depending upon prevailing cultural patterns and the types of organization which predominate in society. It is on this that those who are striving to improve the lot of man may ground their hopes: human beings are not condemned, because of their biological constitution, to annihilate each other or to be at the mercy of a cruel, self-inflicted fate.

If we ask ourselves how the structure of society and the cultural attitude of man should be changed in order to make human life as satisfying as possible, we should constantly be conscious of the fact that there are certain conditions which we are unable to modify. As mentioned before, the biological nature of man is, for all practical purposes, not subject to change. Furthermore, technological and demographic developments of the last few centuries have created conditions which are here to stay. In relatively densely settled populations with the goods which are indispensable to their continued existence, an extreme division of labor and a highly-centralized productive apparatus are absolutely necessary. The time—which, looking back, seems so idyllic—is gone forever when individuals or relatively small groups could be completely self-sufficient. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that mankind constitutes even now a planetary community of production and consumption.

I have now reached the point where I may indicate briefly what to me constitutes the essence of the crisis of our time. It concerns the relationship of the individual to society. The individual has become more conscious than ever of his dependence upon society. But he does not experience this dependence as a positive asset, as an organic tie, as a protective force, but rather as a threat to his natural rights, or even to his economic existence. Moreover, his position in society is such that the egotistical drives of his make-up are constantly being accentuated, while his social drives, which are by nature weaker, progressively deteriorate. All human beings, whatever their position in society, are suffering from this process of deterioration. Unknowingly prisoners of their own egotism, they feel insecure, lonely, and deprived of the naive, simple, and unsophisticated enjoyment of life. Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting himself to society.

The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil. We see before us a huge community of producers the members of which are unceasingly striving to deprive each other of the fruits of their collective labor—not by force, but on the whole in faithful compliance with legally established rules. In this respect, it is important to realize that the means of production—that is to say, the entire productive capacity that is needed for producing consumer goods as well as additional capital goods—may legally be, and for the most part are, the private property of individuals.

For the sake of simplicity, in the discussion that follows I shall call “workers” all those who do not share in the ownership of the means of production—although this does not quite correspond to the customary use of the term. The owner of the means of production is in a position to purchase the labor power of the worker. By using the means of production, the worker produces new goods which become the property of the capitalist. The essential point about this process is the relation between what the worker produces and what he is paid, both measured in terms of real value. Insofar as the labor contract is “free,” what the worker receives is determined not by the real value of the goods he produces, but by his minimum needs and by the capitalists’ requirements for labor power in relation to the number of workers competing for jobs. It is important to understand that even in theory the payment of the worker is not determined by the value of his product.

Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.

The situation prevailing in an economy based on the private ownership of capital is thus characterized by two main principles: first, means of production (capital) are privately owned and the owners dispose of them as they see fit; second, the labor contract is free. Of course, there is no such thing as a pure capitalist society in this sense. In particular, it should be noted that the workers, through long and bitter political struggles, have succeeded in securing a somewhat improved form of the “free labor contract” for certain categories of workers. But taken as a whole, the present day economy does not differ much from “pure” capitalism.

Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an “army of unemployed” almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers’ goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before.

This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future career.

I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that a planned economy is not yet socialism. A planned economy as such may be accompanied by the complete enslavement of the individual. The achievement of socialism requires the solution of some extremely difficult socio-political problems: how is it possible, in view of the far-reaching centralization of political and economic power, to prevent bureaucracy from becoming all-powerful and overweening? How can the rights of the individual be protected and therewith a democratic counterweight to the power of bureaucracy be assured?

Clarity about the aims and problems of socialism is of greatest significance in our age of transition. Since, under present circumstances, free and unhindered discussion of these problems has come under a powerful taboo, I consider the foundation of this magazine to be an important public service.

Development Plans

Erdem Asma Healthcare Executive

August 26, 2014 • 23,383 Views • 485 Likes • 69 Comments

How to develop and implement an employee development plan that drives to career growth?

Introduction

Plans do not develop anyone—only development experiences develop people. 

We see examples where people put more effort and attention into the planning process than they do into the development process. Development plan that drives to career growth process has lots of to-do s, forms, charts, meetings, due dates and checklists. They sometimes create a false sense that the planning process is an end in itself rather than a precursor to real development. Many of us fall into the same trap regarding physical fitness. We have may have fantastic plans in place to lose weight. We may be very proud of our plans, which include detailed daily goals for diet, alcohol consumption, and exercise. And if our execution were half as impressive as our planning, we would be very slim & fit. Our focus should be on weight loss, not planning for weight loss.

Consider we’re highly trained and experienced at this phase of our professional careers as senior managers. Organizations require their employee career development as a part of their organizational vision in order to drive performance, retain people and breed satisfaction.

Career development requires a systems approach. In simple terms means 'Providing employees an opportunity to grow', especially to those employees who deliver performance in a systematic form. This is why capturing and storing essential data about each employee is critical. As a general rule of thumb, your development plan must impact on your: Training path, performance evaluation, awards & recognition, special skills & competencies, promotions, pay increments and many other fields which depict the capability profile of an individual. Below are some examples what growth may possibly mean to an employee:

• Climbing up the ladder in the organizational hierarchy.
• On-going increase in salary.
• Acquiring higher level skills & competencies.
• Occupying higher level Job positions/titles.
• Having an opportunity to benefit from some exclusive benefits/privileges.

Why We Need to Create a Development Plan?

Development Plans help the organization…

1. Build a global, diverse talent pipeline for leaders and individual contributors for targeted talent – attracting, developing, and retaining the best and the brightest

2. Build required capabilities of our employees through development and learning

3. Keep strong performers within the organization by constantly challenging them either in their current role or desired future role

4. Address generation issue in a more straightforward way

Organization’s talent pool is the most important asset and in order to build on our skill sets and desires to be successful our company has to make sure that they are doing all they can as an organization and leadership team to build the bridge between where an employee is currently and where the business needs us to be…what are the business goals and how does current talent pool line up to the business and customer needs.

The Importance of Analysis while creating effective development plans

Career development is a composite organizational process which involves people, addresses their ambitions, assigns them roles and responsibilities aligned with their potential, evaluates their performance, and promotes referral based Job opportunities to accommodate growth ambitions of employees. Since there are a variety of types of development opportunities available for employees we have to figure how to determine what makes sense for our goals.

Employees decide what they want from their careers now and in the future.

1. Examine individually, or along with their managers, their interests & ambitions.
2. Create 'Development Plans' by obtaining inputs from the managers, observing market trends, aligning themselves with other peers to meet the requirements of the current Job and to cater for the long term perspectives.
3. Work with the mentor, manager to identify on the job learning and training opportunities and other avenues for professional development.

While creating your development plan keep in mind that:

1. You are helping your manager to identify the job-related knowledge, skills, competencies and experience needed for you to be effective in that position.
2. You are endorsing pro-active planning to engage with future promotional opportunities.
3. You are helping your juniors to define their short and long term development needs which support organizational objectives and employee's career goals.
4. You are indicating specific steps that need to be initiated to accomplish your learning goals in a formal form.
5. You are expressing yourself in communicating the type of tasks which will be best suited for your career growth.

How developing SMART targets helps us to identify capabilities 

To ensure quality in results, it is imperative that targets are formulated and set in a S.M.A.R.T. way!

Specific-concrete

• Is the objective clear and precise?

Measurable

• Do you know how to measure it?

Is it possible to see clearly whether the objective is achieved?

Action oriented

• Do you really know what kind of an action is expected from you?

Realistic

• Do you think that your target is challenging enough but also achievable?

Time bound

• Have clear timeframes for the achievement of the target been set?

Which of these capabilities that you may like to advance?

1. Healthcare Operations or whichever industry you perform at

2. Industry Knowledge (Healthcare Regulations or any applicable industry norms)

3. Product Knowledge

4. Communication Skills

5. Project Management Skills

6. Facilitation Skills

7. Team Building Skills

8. Problem Solving Skills

9. Understanding Contracts (Internal and/or External)

10. Software Tools

11. Quality Process (Order Fulfillment, Project Management Methodology)

12. Product Functionality

13. Difficult Communications

While Building your development plan

"Do s"

* Stay realistic.

* Keep it simple.

* Measure outcomes, not process

"Don’t s"

* Fail to be flexible when flexibility makes better business sense.

* Try to do too much, too fast.

* Neglect your individual development plan; instead layer in emphasis on on-the-job developmental experiences, such as rotations and stretch assignments, as opposed to” off-the-job” formal training programs.

Where am I? - Make Accurate Analysis to Discover Yourself

SWOT analysis will help you organize the information gathered in this planning process. Many of you are familiar with SWOT for a business analysis. SWOT is a strategic planning method to evaluate 4 arenas Strength or S, Weakness or W, Opportunities or O, and Threats or T. Typically used in business modeling, let's look at how SWOT can help you with career development.

S or Strength refers to employee attributes that are helpful to achieving a career/professional development objective. This can include core competencies such as technical knowledge and skills a person especially if these skills are transferable or niche; should also include experience and education. This arena also includes personal attributes and characters that may give someone advantages, such as, ability to work under pressure, innovative, or creative. An additional component is networks - what are the connections the employee has to other - internal and/or external to our organization.

W or Weaknesses refer to attributes of the employee that can be viewed as harmful to their success - some of these may have been identified in the gap analysis you just performed. These may include lack of work experience or lack of knowledge - especially if it is a gap in key areas you've identified as critical; this arena may also include negative or weak personal characteristics; such as presence/image/attitude - characteristics and behaviors that may be seen as obstacles/challenges such as indecisiveness or someone who is destructively confrontational. Lastly consider geographic limits – do you feel like you are locked into a specific geographic location or situation that may be seen as less desirable? You may certainly have good reasons for the geographic limitation but the limitation may still be just that, a limitation.

T or Threats - these are conditions which can do damage or threaten one's career field - these may include impacts due to corporate structure or culture, your limitations - for example, perhaps your niche skills are a strength but the niche is becoming obsolete so the same skills can be part of a threat, consider the degree of competition for a career - do others tend to have new or superior skills. Additionally consider changes in the business or field that may negatively impact career options.

O or Opportunities - this refers to conditions that are helpful in your career field- these may include latest patterns or trends or innovation in the field/company/industry (in Healthcare one might consider the governments push for meaningful healthcare as creating opportunity for us, opportunities may include how needed and valuable our skill sets are - the more our organization needs our talents/the better the opportunity. One might also include opportunities for professional development in one's field. Also consider the potential support system or network - this can be quite an asset. Lastly, consider your option for relocation, transfer-ability and skills.

A couple more factors to consider by a Manager

Helping to build your employees capabilities is just as crucial as your employees meeting the objectives and targets that are set for them. Typically these capabilities are the soft skills and receiving feedback and/or development in these areas can assist an employee in meeting some of our customer, financial and process targets.

High performers like to be challenged. They often times have other goals such as education, certifications that they would like achieve outside their day-to-day responsibilities of their current role. They see what they do everyday for us as a career and not just a job. Having a development plan and having it be supported by you guarantees that you will get our return on our investment.

Closure

In helping prepare you to create a development plan, I have reviewed components from What, Why, Where, How, and When perspectives around Definitions, Evaluation, Assessments, and Analysis angle.

In each step/phase – I've given you tips tools and resources you and the manager can use to create an impact in development plan. Keep in mind that it will take some time to gather the information for the evaluation of making insightful assessments; plus at least couple of discussion sessions in a development dialogue with our manager. The goal is to drive our organization forward so if done well, it should reflect to be time well present.

As I've discovered, there are numerous resources in organizational development planning world –see below. That being said, sharing ideas with others may be helpful - don’t forget your colleagues are excellent resources too and of course don’t forget to touch base with your HR team for assistance.

Thank you again for taking time to review these notes and start making efforts to create/drive high performance culture.

Referenced Links:

• Kramer, R. 2008. Learning How to Learn: Action Learning for Leadership Development. A chapter in Rick Morse (Ed.) Innovations in Public Leadership Development. Washington DC: M.E. Sharpe and National Academy of Public Administration, pp. 296–326.

• Waddill, D. D. and M. Marquardt (2003). Adult learning orientations and action learning. Human Resource Development Review 2(4): pp. 406-429.

• Career Development: A Policy Statement of the National Career Development Association Board of Directors (Adopted March 16, 1993; revised 2003)

• Best Practices in Leadership Development and Organization Change, Best Practice Institute, by Louis L. Carter, Marshall Goldsmith, and David Ulrich by Jossey Utot The Leadership Development Guide Australian Leadership Development Centre

• S. Cromwell & J. Kolb 2004, “An examination of work-environment support factors affecting transfer of supervisory skills training to the work place”, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 449-71.

• Herr, E.L., & Cramer, S. H. (1996). Career guidance and counseling through the lifespan: Systematic approaches. New York: HarperCollins) (Niles, S. G. & Harris-Bowlsbey, J (2002) Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century. Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall., pp.7

• Baldwin, T. & Ford, K. (1988), "Transfer of Training: A Review and Directions for Future Research', Personnel Psychology, Spring, Vol. 41 Issue 1, pp. 63-105

• Richard Arvid Johnson (1976). Management, systems, and society: an introduction. Pacific Palisades, Calif.: Goodyear Pub. Co. pp. 224–226. 
  

• Newton Margulies (1972). Organizational Development: Values, Process, and Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Co. pp. 3.

• Weisbord, Marvin. (1987). Productive Workplace: Organizing and managing for dignity, meaning and community. Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco.

Written by

Erdem AsmaHealthcare Executive

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• 
  Belkassem Habbal

  --

  thank you very much for your article i learnt a lot from it very helpful

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  28 days ago
• 
  Diego Salas

  Global Trade Supervisor at Monsanto Company

  Great article Erdem Asma MSM, PMP, very interesting. The plannification is very important but also the execution! Thanks for sharing!

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  September 24, 2014
• 
  Anna Chua

  Brand Marketing Department

  Very informative. Although, I would like to add that every employee is different and development plans for various people would be more effective if they are catered to the type of personality, character and work ethic that they have.

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  September 2, 2014
• 
  kiran kumar

  PGDM/MBA Fresher (HR,MARKETING)

  nice article to understand our self

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  August 31, 2014
• 
  Frans Bezuidenhout

  Professor at NMMU Graduate Business School

  I have enjoyed reading this article and much within has merit; especially the fact that even the novice manager who undertakes an solo-flight to implement the ‘framework’ will have an excellent opportunity to revisit self and define a path of development. More so, there are elements that point to development of others, while supportive measures allow for both horizontal and vertical dynamics which enable collaboration, decision-making and empowerment. However, with reference to GAPS-analysis as outlined within the article, I ‘question’ why attention has not been given to enable the ‘developer’ to define his/her purpose; or am I missing something. Also, I believe that development of self cannot only rest (even) on the honest perceptions of others, neither on that of self. Both are open to misperception. Perhaps acquiring ‘authentic perception’ is implied in the GAPS-analysis as reported in the article. However, it is my belief that individuals create perceptions that cause mind guards or mental / emotional blocks about self that are based on past life experiences; some which are false or their dynamics is not understood. Without intervention, these blocks cause false perceptions that will linger and impact, irrespective the fact that an individual may have attained excellent academic qualifications, reached heights along his/her career path, or can envision an outcome through career planning leading to greater or rewarding possibilities. Thus my belief that when enabling career planning attention should first be given to eliminating these ‘blockers’. Irrespective my input, I still think this article gives excellent guidance.

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  August 31, 2014
• 
  Sophia X.

  ACA，MBA

  Each employee also needs to take accountability of his/her career progression. It is two-way communication. A good staff development process could formalize the procedure, but at the end of the day, it is really down to the employee.

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  August 30, 2014
• 
  regina Noya-Asa

  Nonprofit Organization Management Professional

  Wow - I did not formally study management auto-didactly studied through reading of references and articles and have involved in humanitarian and development project's P-O-A-C, so to me this article is a source of content knowledge - enlightened. Great and well done

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  August 30, 2014
• 
  Margie Peterson

  Senior Survey Interviewer at Wilder Research

  Erdem, you have just written a lesson plan for an entire year! I will take all of your recommendations under advisement and let you know about my progress. You are a gifted educator and can use your remarkable writing ability and analysis in any field you wish to pursue. Editing, speech writing, contract law. Look at the multi-nationals (food companies in particular) that you have access to and go from there. Blessings.

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  August 30, 2014
• 
  Erdem Asma MSM, PMP AUTHOR YOU

  Healthcare Executive

  Margie Peterson: I am not an expert about how to improve facilitation skills; to build some personal comfort in dealing with challenging group dynamics. However my approach around how to write this up for a development plan would start with understanding yourself, both your strengths and weaknesses, so you can develop strategies to meet the demands of your plan parallel to your environment. As an individual, our goal must be truly understand ourselves, how we analyze and interpret our experiences blend with our personality. A person's judgment, enthusiasm and depth of perception or discernment, is directly related to his/her level of performance throughout a specific skill such s facilitation. The stronger an individual's expertise in what they chose to perform at, the more aware they are of their reality in both their external and internal world. While personal skills are certainly important for career development, it is not necessary to fully develop all of them at an expert level. In fact, development of a personal skill may not benefit your career if it isn't required in your current job/role. In order to optimize your career potential, it is best to focus your development efforts on the personal skills that are required in your current job, or the job you want. After clearing out those details, let’s take the “Evaluation, Assessments, and Analysis” approach… Facilitation demands interacting and communicating effectively to groups (including challenging ones). Therefore some of your (O) opportunities will be to focus on how to effectively: • Organize information to be available in succinct, logical sequence to gain respect. • Channel information in ways that makes abstract or complex concepts clear and understandable. • Effectively utilize language, understand backgrounds, stories, metaphors and humor to keep the momentum. • Implement and command a variety of aids and diversity to capture and invoke the audience's senses, participation and interest. • Control project authenticity, confidence, conviction and discipline. • Appeal to and engage the heart and mind of your stakeholders regardless of their differences/priorities. • Tailor your flexibility to the interests, needs and wants of those group dynamics. • Communicate in ways that elevate required decision makers awareness and understanding. • Configure ways that enlighten, educate, challenge and persuade the participants to think, agree or change in a specific way. Once you recognize and comfortably able to rely upon some of these knowledge and skills, perception of developing them as your strengths as an effective facilitator will be much more clear.

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  August 28, 2014
• 
  Margie Peterson

  Senior Survey Interviewer at Wilder Research

  Erdem, very thorough. This would make a great presentation to firms that are rolling this out in different fields. I work at a non-profit and my great passion is to develop my facilitation skills. We often do focus groups and I am beginning to think that being a stand-up comedian might be necessary to build some personal comfort in dealing with challenging group dynamics. How would I write this up for a development plan.

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  August 28, 2014
• 
  Alen Teodorescu 1st

  Revenue Cycle Consultant

  Very good article. Strategic points for direct and indirect applications.

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  August 28, 2014
• 
  Carol Stubbs

  Managing Director at Connexe

  This is a great article, thank you. It's inspired me to take some time and work through the process you have outlined.

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  August 27, 2014
• 
  LinkedIn MemberUp to the mark and very very informative for Self-Help. Thanks

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  August 27, 2014

  LikersVani Papaiah
• 
  LinkedIn MemberThank you for sharing the vital clues of self-help in management. These points are useful. especially when we screw-up something.

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  August 27, 2014
• 
  Christine Nyamwanda

  Former Head of Business Development at Genesis Kenya Investment Management Limited

  A clearly outlined process. Thanks. Looking forward to more

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Paul Marsolek

  Field Operations Supervisor, Published Author on Leadership

  Wow - you have a lot of great information here. You might think through what is essential in your development plan, and perhaps try to simplify the process, but maintain the intensity of what is left. Great read, and great content. Well done.

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  August 26, 2014

  LikersJoan Thomas and Mariam Mohamed
• 
  Ed Trancozo MBA

  Senior Manager at Apple Inc.

  Great article Erdem, thanks for sharing your work with us. My team will benefit from this article. It explains the development plan process in a simple and easy to understand format. Ed

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Luis E. Hernández

  Assistant Mgr at Walmart

  The key is the ejecution. Any plan need a action and any action need dicipline....

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  August 26, 2014

  LikersPaul Marsolek
• 
  stacia CAMERON

  Customer Services Analyst

  this a very informative and detailed article

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Gladstone L Samuel

  Strategic communicator |Change agent|Innovation evangelist

  I have been associated with performance management for quite some time now. We do have an elaborate process to capture the development plans for each team member. All the efforts will go in vain unless the employee is convinced that the agreed plan matches his/her career progression.In other words the onus is on the employee. Or else it will remain on paper. .

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Suzanne Ritchie, MS

  TD Ameritrade L&D Manager & Adjunct Faculty at Bellevue University

  I love the GAPS analysis template you described. What a great tool to help people really reflect on where they are now and where they want to be.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Levin Amondi

  Administrator. at Mikalmat Construction Company Limited

  Thank for this...

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Diana omet

  Senior architect / specification unit

  Great article and helpfull charts,thanks for sharing

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Luis Rita

  Service Manager at Siemens

  Perfect and so realistic

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Lisa Gregory

  Marketing Communications Expertise. Amplifying brands across channels.

  Thanks, the chart that maps specific skills to development action is very useful for managers and team members.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Ghada Youssef

  Assistant Commercial Director & Business Development Associate

  Amazing & to the point..Thanks for sharing.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  orkideh abbaspur

  Phd student of educational administration

  very good ,

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Shannon Lazovski

  Owner of The Lazov Agency, Social Media Strategist

  Thank you. Great article.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Michael Lancaster

  Operation Manager C&K Industrial Services, Inc.

  Very Helpful

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Anthony Groppi

  Department of Workforce Development at State of Wisconsin - To build community & provide opportunity through employment.

  This is a great article.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Pellagie Jupe

  secretaire at de mine

  Very Very interesting

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Sandra Hernandez Matus

  Global Mobility Leader for LA, NA and South America for EMEA at Sadara Chemical Company

  A crash course on employee development without the crash cost. Excelent article, Erdem.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Towela Chisi

  senior human resource management officer at government

  I appreciate this article

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Jenny Libreros Bonilla

  Contador Público

  Very interesting.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Salem AlAbri

  Head of Management Department at Sultan Qaboos University

  An important factor for organizaitons to consider in their emplyee-retention efforts. A well-written article.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Oscar Romero

  Head of Biddable Media at Starcom MediaVest Group

  Great article

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  MAY THANDAR WIN

  Assistant Manager, SCADA System Design & Implementation

  Excellent & insightful article. Thanks for sharing.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Raymond Mari 2nd

  Global Markets Data Management & Governance Lead at Standard Bank Group

  Well articulated

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Otto Manuel Andérez Ramos

  --

  Very good

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Nadhu K

  Senior Technical Leader at Cegedim Software India Private Limited. ITIL®2011; PRINCE2®; ITSM®(Foundation)

  Great article, simple and understandable

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  RAMESH SHARMA

  WRITER at for newspapers, magazines & online.

  Planning without implementation means no development.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Beth Mayo

  RN surveyor at Georgia Department of Community Health

  Excellent! Thanks for sharing

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Bryan Cross

  Studying Bachelor of Business ( Logistics and Supply Chain Management )

  Thanks for the insights. great info for both staff and managers

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Mary Ann Leonida-Alcalde

  SAVP, HR Relationship Manager, Human Resources Group

  Great stuff; thanks for sharing.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Ian Estinozo II

  Global Supplier Quality Management / Experienced in driving sustainable quality programs across different industries.

  One of the key considerations for employee retention.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Yeboah Nhyirah Ekuah

  Student at University of Cape Coast

  i enjoyed reading dis article,its on point

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  mabe musi

  Director (Human Resources ) at Network Building Services Consultancy Engineers

  Excellent article, simple and to the point

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Gerard Cooper

  Store Manager at Pat McDonnell Paints

  Why is it that the simply things get overlooked. I really enjoyed reading this article and have taken several key points from it. This should be a Managers basic tool. Simple to follow and simply to implement.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Paul Tolley

  User Support & Training Consultant at Knowquestion

  This article was good and the methodology used is thorough. The only thought that had occurred to me as I went through it was it would be a time-intensive exercise. The HR people would love this type of report because it is without doubt thorough. However, from my viewpoint the frequency it is issued will dictate how effective the exercise will be.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Giulio Massarotto

  Merchandiser/ Team Captain at Paul Baxter Agencies

  Quite interesting, thanks for sharing.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Rafiud Din Khalid

  Ahmed Soliman Al-Fahhad & Sons Ltd.Co

  useful indeed

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Marco Ponce

  GERENTE DE VENTAS Y COMERCIAL PARA EL AREA DE U.S.A CARIBE Y AMERICA DEL SUR

  Excellent Article

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Malebo Rammekoa

  Regional Development Assistant at Fair Trade Tourism

  very interesting, thanks for sharing

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Eshwar Kandukuri

  Leadership Hiring, Executive Hiring - Transforming Talents to Potential

  Quite useful info..

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  LinkedIn Membergreat points...thank you.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Sanjoy Chatterjee Rahman Shoe

  Area Manager at Rahman Industry

  Simple n sounds excellent.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Steve Edgecomb

  Seasoned IT Professional

  Nicely done Erdem! Very helpful, thank you.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Mohan Babu T

  Technical Consultant at Professional Composites (Bangalore) Pvt. Ltd

  Explained well

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Anjali Sharma

  Senior Trainer @ Intelenet ( Work For - Google India Pvt ltd )

  wow article

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  August 26, 2014

  Likerssapna meena
• 
  Junaid Ahmad

  Lead Analyst

  Excellent Article...

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Lillemor Persson

  Management consultant at Kvadrat AB

  WoW - great work. Capture many issues and challanges in one flow!!!

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Shahida Kazmi

  HR Specialist at World Food Programme

  very useful indeed.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Katharina Hayen

  Sourcing Manager på Wallenius Water

  Useful and a good route to follow, thanks for sharing.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Xixi Dai

  Project Management at Guangdong Zhuowei Network Ltd

  Usefull, I will have a try

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Rita Baranowski, MBA

  Business Development Sales Executive at Gallagher Corporation

  Excellent go-to article for all management to read, it is all here.

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  HYDRA INTERNATIONAL

  MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY OF AQUATIC, GREASE TRAP AND SEPTIC TANK TREATMENT

  easily approachable and hence seems fruitful

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  August 26, 2014
• 
  Glen L. Loveland

  HR Manager ✔ Talent Acquisition ✔ Recruiter ✔ Global ✔ Expatriate ✔ Director ✔ China Expert ✔Human Resources

  Excellent framework! This is also a reminder about why "high potential" employees are often tapped for "stretch assignments." Reading about theory and execution are completely different things.

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  August 26, 2014

  LikersSasha Stiasni
• 
  Hady Sutjahjo

  Commisioners at PT. BPR ARTAMULYA BUMIMUKTI

  quite detailed and complete, very interesting to learn and applicable, thank you for sharing Erdem!

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  August 26, 2014
• Flag and Hide
  Carina Li-Lin Vincent

  •Turn Key Living Australia• Designer Founder and Interior-Outfitter

  Thorough

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  August 26, 2014