Developing Capacity, Enhancing Capability

I always have a deep interest in knowledge; i.e the kind of knowledge which is in line with my cognitive preference, of course. If anybody were to ask whether I want to further my study, without hesitation, I would say YES, definitely. I find the challenge on my cognitive ability as a refreshing exercise which provides me with the 'drive' I need to always give my best in any endeavors I embark on.

Being 'occupied' in knowledge-seeking endeavors is a great challenge to one's intellectual capacity, perseverance, patience, sincerity; and reciprocally, it provides a continuous drive to always give the best in any endeavors in life. In fact, it gives the opportunity for one to constantly challenge oneself beyond one's present capacity and capability. So, why am I not registering for my doctoral program when many others are eagerly embarking on this journey?

Well, for almost 20 years, I had been in the teaching line. And for that almost 20 years, I would say that I had been developing my capacity and capability as the 'expert' of my subject matter. I had constantly developed my knowledge, skill, attitude and drive to ensure that I would always be in my best form to teach my subject and give my best performance in delivering the content knowledge to my students. I had also contributed to the achievement of my group (panel) and also to the school as a whole; i.e. my actual practical capability.

But, now, I am in a different ball game altogether. Though my previous 'content' knowledge comes in handy with my new role, function and task , I need to accommodate it to suit the current context while concomitantly assimilating the new one. So, judging from my past performance, I would say that I had managed to develop my innate capacity to bear on the demands of the present organizational context, both as an individual knowledge worker as well as a member of a collective unit.

So, why am I not pursuing my doctorate degree? To be honest, at this juncture, I see myself as still being in the middle of a 'learning' process. Actually, for me to be 'competent' in this new vocation, I need to be able to further enhance my capability to execute my tasks and to perform effectively as an educational leader. And it is a 'slow' learning process, indeed.  Not having the experience of being in an administrative post in school, I have to start from scratch. On my own.

I could not possibly anticipate the bigger challenges awaiting me or how should I prepare myself for the unexpected as I do not have the 'helicopter' view of how things actually work within the system. I need to learn directly from the field; i.e. to learn through experiential learning. And when I finally manage to have a complete understanding of the knowledge of the organization, i.e. practices, procedures, processes, then by that time, I would be able to identify the kind of study I should embark on that will enable me to make bigger contribution to the organization. I would then be able to select the right doctoral course that would further benefit my organization.

In any organization, the development of people is unavoidable. It is especially crucial for  us knowledge workers to constantly develop ourselves, as we need to have the autonomy to determine our own task. Nevertheless, each individual has different needs in relation to the development of his or her capacity and capability. Thus, they might want or need a specific kind of development that will further strengthen their strength. For example, some who came from the administrative background might  want to pursue a doctorate program than to go for specific training skills. They might need to learn, unlearn or relearn old and new content knowledge so that they could develop their higher-order thinking  and communication skills. While undergoing the demanding process of studying, they might even learn to develop the right attitude and be highly challenged which will strengthen their drive to succeed in their current undertakings.  

While others who came from the teaching line might need 'on-the-job' kind of learning experience to familiarize themselves with the present working context. A direct interaction with the job. Only when they have understood how the organizational structures fit in with each other as parts of the organizational system and how the practices, processes and procedures are being carried out that they could learn to apply and adapt their innate capacity with the present job demands.  They need to know  and understand the details of the current job and what is expected of them in their positional roles. This is why 'coaching' and 'mentoring' is important in every organization. The highly-experienced veterans or old-timers who have deep understanding on how the organization functions need to coach and mentor those who are very 'green' in the field to optimize their strengths so that they could successfully apply their 'theoretical' knowledge onto the real context.

Well, there is still another group of people who might need a different kind of development. This are those who stubbornly think that they are already competent in their present job when what they are actually doing is to busy themselves with the 'manual work'.  After years of  learning to prepare documentations for various stakeholders when they were in school, it is hard for them to see that what is demand from them in their present job is not to merely pass forms, collect them and efficiently file them should anytime anybody wants to 'check' on them. What they might need is a specific training skill that would make them know and understand how to function effectively within their specific departmental unit,  in relation of course, with the other functions as specified by the organization.

I must admit though, developing people is a sure challenging task for the top people in any organization. Of important consideration is to see people development as a long-time effort rather than a quick short-term endeavor. But, I believe, a mature organization will be able to brave the obstacles, challenges, hiccups, setbacks or even failures when dealing with people development. It is inevitable. It is part of being a 'living' organization.