Mayvin director speaks about making a difference at free Chichester lecture

• Leadership and organisational development specialist Professor James Traeger presents free talk on Wednesday 25 May
• Lecture addresses gap between theory and practice to illustrate the challenge for those involved in organisational learning
• Starts at 6pm at the University’s campus in Chichester – or can be watched online

Keeping learning relevant in a fast-paced and ever-changing world of processes is the subject of a new open lecture from a renowned speaker at the University of Chichester.

Leadership and organisational development specialist Professor James Traeger, director of research at business management consultants Mayvin, will speak on Wednesday 25 May.

His talk will address the gap between theory and practice to illustrate the challenge for those involved in accredited executive development and applied or vocational organisational learning.

The lecture, which starts at 6pm, is free to attend and is being hosted both in-person and virtually – to book tickets or to receive the online link go to https://what-difference-chichester.eventbrite.co.uk.

Prof Traeger, who is also a published author, said: “Goethe rejected the separation of Cartesian mind-body dualism at the core of the western science mind in favour of a more entwined, researcher engaged form of knowledge development, which he called ‘delicate empiricism’.

“In this type of study, the learner learns as much about themselves as they do the object (or process) of study. This was how nature worked, in his view, as he said: ‘the eye owes its existence to the light’. So how can we stay close to the grain of our work in developing our knowledge in practice, whilst keeping in contact with quality, validity and criticality.”

“This session will aim to have a go and in the spirit of practice-based learning work at our own ‘juicy edge’, evaluating own practice together through experience, narrative inquiry and dialogue. And maybe have a bit of fun too with lemons.”

The talk is being hosted in the University of Chichester’s Academic Building 0.01 on its Bishop Otter campus, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6PE.

Mayvin director James, a Professor of Practice in Leadership and Management at Ashridge Business School, was named as named as one of HR’s Most Influential Thinkers, by HR magazine, which followed the success of his authoritative text Organisation Development: A Bold Explorer’s Guide.

He co-founded Mayvin in 2010, an academic partner of the University, which works mostly with mature learners who are engaged in change practice in large and complex organisations, such as the UK government, Virgin Media, and the NHS, among others.

Event host Rob Warwick, a Professor of Management and Organisational Learning at the University, said: “I love the way that James brings a sense of ‘thoughtful fun’ to important topics of our organisational lives. At a time of enormous change, what could be better or more important than exploring questions about how do we understand what is around us and how this relates to our day to day practice.”

Free tickets can be booked at https://what-difference-chichester.eventbrite.co.uk – which also has details of how to watch online.

For more about Professor James Traeger and his work at Mayvin go to www.mayvin.co.uk.