Mark Cole

Nov 7, 2024 | medium.com | Mark Cole

A reflection on civic dialogue in light of a polarised electionMark Cole·Follow9 min read·--Steeped in BloodWhen you do a first aid course, you are often reminded by the instructors that a relatively small volume of blood when spilled can look to be a frighteningly large amount.

Oct 18, 2024 | peoplemanagement.co.uk | Mark Cole

In the 11 years that I spent as the head of an L&D function in two NHS organisations, a disproportionate amount of my time was spent scouring spreadsheets or print-offs from the learner management system instead of thinking about the practicalities of learning across the organisation and its purpose. I was then – and am even more so now – very much convinced that the bureaucratisation of L&D in so many organisational settings urgently needs to be challenged.

Aug 30, 2024 | peoplemanagement.co.uk | Mark Cole

I recently re-watched Office Space (1999), one of the best films ever made about the human experience of the workplace. It is clearly a comedy, although its accurate reflections of dysfunctional management, unthinking adherence to process, and the fact that “the way we do things around here” is so very often the dominant mindset are tragic to watch. It drove me to recall Theodore Roethke’s poem Dolor, which I had used in a response to a LinkedIn post a few weeks previously.

Aug 7, 2024 | churchleaders.com | Mark Cole

Sometimes I lead the worship band and sometimes I play in the band. Both are important roles and have specific responsibilities to do them well. As both a leader and a player/singer, here are my 10 most important rules for great worship team members. The 10 Commandments of Great Worship Team MembersI find that players need to play a minimum of twice per month to stay in the flow of the worship and maintain good relationships with the leader(s) and team members.

Mar 22, 2024 | peoplemanagement.co.uk | Mark Cole

Many years ago, I was working in an organisation that suddenly became perturbed by the lack of representation of people of colour at the top end of its middle-management ranks. This obviously adversely impacted the profile of the senior leadership in the company in terms of its talent pipeline, so was rightly seen as an issue that needed to be addressed promptly and effectively. A consultancy was invited in to do a review of the situation and to make some recommendations.