REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF TRAINING
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION
I would like to say how delighted I am to be with you this evening – and how grateful I am to Dolores Carr, the IFTDO President, for giving me this opportunity to join with you during your deliberations. I know that you have already received a welcome from the Irish Institute of Training and Development - and from the International Federation – but on behalf of the people of Ireland, I would like to formally welcome all of you to Dublin for the conference.
I understand that there are delegates here from 39 countries – with particularly strong representation from the Unites States, Bahrain, the U.K., Finland, Taiwan and Japan. To these, and to all of our overseas visitors, I extend a warm Irish welcome. Some of you will no doubt by in Ireland for the first time – and I hope that during your stay you will have some opportunity to get even a glimpse of what we have to offer for visitors - outside of the conference agenda.
The theme of the Conference – “Revitalising HRD for the New Millennium” – may give the impression that the process of revitalising is something of a rare occurrence – something that only happens in the context of a landmark - such as the approach of a new century or millennium. As professionals concerned with the development of people in an organisational context – with their training and development – with their role as team players – and as important assets and resources that are very much influenced by changing circumstances – you know that ‘revitalising’ is an on-going process – a process of continuous review and critique – and of constant response to the demands of change.
It has been said that in business, change is the only constant and indeed the great intellectual giant of modern Irish education – Caroline John Newman – said “to be human is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often”. The pace of change in all our lives speaks of a drive for perfection of a sort. Advances in modern communications and the advent of the information superhighway have added to the pace of change and are profoundly impacting on the way businesses compete, and indeed co-operate. Management theorist Igor Ansoff coined the phrase ‘environmental turbulence’ back in the 1960's to describe the change from a static, to a dynamic view of business. That phrase has even more resonance today for enterprises facing the challenges of a radically globalised, high tech world. The science and art of management is all about meeting the challenge of change, generating competition and yet ensuring that a stable economy is the backbone which allows us to control or harness that turbulence, and use it as a source of energy with which to drive forward.
Equipping people to be capable of confidently and self-assuredly adapting to new challenges and changing circumstances, to harness the resources that are or could be at their disposal – that is the key role of human resources development. And to meet that developmental challenge requires a frame of mind and attitude that is open, curious and always ready to address new requirements. Forging that curiosity into an energy, which drives effective change, calls for special people of rare insight and wisdom. All successful organisations depend on people who are dedicated to the task of leadership and management, and who are able to react quickly and readily to the ever changing circumstances and fortunes of the market place - people who know that the person “who uses yesterday’s methods in today’s work, won’t be in business tomorrow”. To be such a person sometimes means being lonely - being courageous - being the first to think the unthinkable, to suggest the thing that is hard to swallow – being prepared to persuade the crowd that yours is the right direction - the clearer vision.
For us in Ireland – which has seen tremendous progress in the last decade – these are the people who transformed Ireland into a ‘can do’ culture – who gave it energy and vision, and whose judgement was rewarded with success. That success has built up our self-confidence – our national self-esteem. We are a people not afraid to adapt to change. We see change as challenge not as something to fear. The willingness to change is the key to success in all organisations and economies – and will be central to what you will be discussing at the conference over the coming days.
With the full agenda of workshops, sessions, off-site visits and exhibitions covering the many aspects of human resources development and training, you have a comprehensive programme of topics to discuss and plenty of food for thought on the impact of the pace of change on your professions and organisations. Occasions like this usually mean a lot of hard work – both for delegates and presenters – as new information is shared and analysed – and views and ideas are explored. I commend all of you on taking the time out from your busy schedules to be here in Dublin for the conference - for having the openness of mind and the intellectual curiosity - to advance thinking and practice in the whole field of human resources development – and, perhaps most importantly, to ensure your disciplines remain fresh and vital.
This conference will cover many aspects of your work. It will be an opportunity to meet many other professionals with whom you have a great deal in common – and to share current thinking and developments. As technology provides new solutions and new ways of addressing organisational change and personal development - your task gets more complex – and is constantly in need of critique and review. The quality of service that you give is directly related to your willingness to be open – to embrace change – to critique and amend – to try out new ideas and to learn.
In your own workplaces you may often feel like voices crying in the wilderness – you may struggle against scepticism, cynicism even simple laziness of tempo. It can be easy to become de-energized. Yet a conference like this can be a great opportunity to refuel, to re-dedicate yourself to your vocation and to go away with a fresh, deepened renewed sense of commitment.
I want to wish all of you well in your deliberations. I hope you have an enjoyable and fruitful conference – that when you leave Dublin you will have clearer perspective on the implications of a rapidly changing world on your role – and on your organisation. May you bring home many happy memories of Dublin and Ireland and may you return time and again to refill them.