“What kind of a fool do you think I am?
You think I know nothing of the modern world.”
(Paul Weller 1977)

We have never been more globally connected
It’s now possible to collaborate globally in real time
With social media you can share whatever you want with whoever you choose
It’s possible to carry your entire music collection around with you on a small device
You can download whatever tools you need with a simple click
You can buy almost anything online
We have literally hundreds of TV channels to choose from
Or we can stream and download what we want to watch
We are more socially responsible than ever before
Organisations actively encourage volunteering
We have the most educated workforce ever
The options for training staff are endless
We travel far more than previous generations
Change is the norm not an exception
The workforce is more mobile, flexible and has less loyalty than ever before
News is instant and rolling
In this transparent world, we are becoming obsessed with ethics, integrity and values
We carry our entire lives around with us on what we still laughingly call phones although that isn’t really their main purpose any more
The traditional 9 to 5 working day no longer exists
I could go on…

So why are we still managing people like we always have?
When did you last update your HR policies, your performance management, your in house training or check their continuing relevance?
When did you last overhaul your staff reward systems, or scrap an HR process that is no longer necessary?
Why are your personal development plans about what courses and conferences you are going to attend?

The world has changed dramatically in the last five years. Have you?