Pandemics, more wars than ever before, heat waves, melting glaciers and political upheaval: we are living in an era of increasing complexity, chaos and uncertainty: From VUCA to BANI, the ‘unpredictability of the world’ is greater today than ever before. Many people find it difficult to get used to the fact that ‘the old rules of “it won’t happen” and “basically everything will stay the same” are increasingly no longer valid,’ as psychologists Eva Lermer and Matthias Hudecek write in their book ‘Uncertainty’ [1].
Solving complex real-world problems: From VUCA to BANI
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Good questions lead to good listening (and vice versa: 
The transition of the ‘people function’ title to ‘People and Culture’ represents a fundamental shift in how organisations view their workforce. Linda Grant explores the evolution of this function, now seen as being a strategic partner in achieving organisational goals.
Know-how is crucial and is a major part of the capital of all organisations, including the non-profit sector. It has three main components:
Drawing attention to issues and hoping that they will be fixed or solved is normal. It’s what we do every day: There’s a problem, like a dripping tap or a flat tyre or the mobile phone has no power, and we ‘analyse the problem’ and fix it easily. But when it comes to people, like interpersonal and social problems, things get complicated. That’s why I think we need to change our approach and focus on finding solutions. And that starts with the being.
We are now into the final months of 2024 and for many of us, this signals the budget round and thinking about our people strategy.
The multiple crises and chronic work overload have made “well-being” a top issue generally and especially in non-profit organisations. It is natural for NGOs to want to provide workplaces that promote rather than hinder well-being, but it is not always easy to do so.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” — What Mahatma Gandhi wrote of the individual, perhaps applies even more to organisations founded to make the world more ecological, social, just and peaceful. NGOs ought to exemplify what they want to see in the world in their own, self-designed world. Unfortunately, this is not always the case! Hence the Purpose Paradox.
Transfer of learning is the extent to which learners can apply their newly learnt skills, tools or techniques in everyday professional life. But how do you measure learning success and impacts? Organisations struggle to evaluate these effects, as unlike a weight or a temperature, they are expressed in changes in behaviour that cannot be directly measured.
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