Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
Afternoon plenary session Tuesday 23rd October 4.00 – 5.30pm.
Scene Coronado Ballroom: 2,100 people in the room. Elliott Masie leading the charge. Interviewing: John Howley, Kaye Scholar and Senior Partner.
Corporate Lawyers are frustrated because all they are doing is firefighting. Talk to them about bigger strategic issues and they will love you for that. Help them see the wider issues and they will serve you better. Lawyers need to be risk managers not risk avoiders. That is their training and that is where most want to get back to.
Interviewing Scott McPherson Florida Pandemic Coordinator.
700,000 Americans were killed by the influenza pandemic in 1918 over 20 weeks half were young adults aged 18 – 40. It was a bird flu that jumped straight to humans. This could happen again.
The North Sumatra Cluster of H5N1 infection killed everyone in a family group bar one who was brain damaged. Damage to the brain is a key indicator of a pandemic in the making. Incidents all over the world. It has the potential to go pandemic. You can read more in Scott’s blog here.
The last pandemic was in 1968 and everyone born before 1956 was immune. It was very mild in and easily managed.
If H5N1 hit it would spread rapidly over 170 day period. Absenteeism will exceed 35% on any given day. Just-in-Time supply chain will fail. Schools, universities and day care will be ordered closed. Medical and law enforcement will be stressed to the limit. Public health crisis for two weeks then a public safety crisis.
"The plan is useless, it’s the planning that’s important." Eisenhower. Succession planning is deeply important in this event.
Need:
Enterprise pandemic planning
Cross-train all staff
Prepare Communications Plan
Teach protective actions
Gain an understanding of influenza and how it works.
Read John Barrie’s the Great Influenza NB IBM has a Chief Pandemic Officer.
Wayne Hodgins Futurist at Autodesk.
Update on SCORM. The ownership by the US Dept. of Defense is no longer appropriate and there is no existing organisation able to take it on. LETSI was set up to do just this. Learning, Education and Training Systems Interoperability. Many founding partners some national partners like Korean Government. First Q of 2008 LETSI will formally be established and open for memberships. LETSI has a web site: click here.
Wayne is taking off South from San Francisco in his 51 ft sailing boat. High speed connectivity and video conferencing will be installed. Looking at learning globally.
Survey of the audience
Who has a learning strategy?
64% no, 36% yes
My organisation has made a significant effort to develop right brain skills: 35% agree, 45% disagree.
What is your primary obstacle to optimal effectiveness as a Learning Organisation?
37% = adoption of new learning methods
30% = funding
Off to dinner!