Skill

The systematic investigation and the deep learning on the part of a student as they construct knowledge and create meaning from their surroundings, whilst needing to master interconnected forces of mass data, speed, complexity and uncertainty, making judgements on data integrity, reliability, quality, value, correctness and ultimate benefits

Competency

Innovator

Competency Level

95%

Knowledge (Theories, Ideas & Concepts)

Through Professional/Personal Study Gained Through Experience
  • Undertaking the 7 stages of research – Preparing the research proposal, Carrying out a Literature Review, Conducting research and collecting results, Analysing the results and developing hypotheses, Producing an original thesis, Writing up the dissertation, and defending my PhD at a viva voce
  • Strong advocate of autodidacticism, content knowledge and collaboration
  • Researching subjects as diverse as soil mechanics, finite element modelling, trackway systems, robotic vehicles, robotics concepts of operations, organisational dynamics, management systems, project management best practices, retention of knowledge and putting the information gained into use in real systems and delivering operational benefits

Skills & Application of Knowledge
in Real World Situations

Together with Responsibilities/Accountabilities
  • A prolific active self-learner (learning without a teacher) with a lot of self-direction and self-drive, who is also committed to formal training and instruction, whilst also engaging the skills of a professional coach to help realise my personal and business objectives
  • Lecturing, setting and marking degree exam papers, teaching, coaching, instructing, mentoring, advising, reviewing and providing constructive feedback, on all aspects of knowledge gained throughout my career
  • Saw the InnoCentive Challenge on-line and knew it was one of the chapters I wanted to write about in my new book, so scheduled to bring it forward. Wrote the article and sent it in. I won the challenge. Saw a similar challenge in the UK, updated the article and it was rejected because they thought it was already published and I had copied it from a book

What does Researching & Active Learning Involve?  

Selected Challenges & Approaches

Together With lessons Learnt
  • Completing my PhD meant I was really able to challenge myself, push myself to new heights and achieve difficult goals. It meant I could engage in curiosity, explore and learn new things whilst improving my ability to understand and solve complex problems [That thirst for knowledge has never left me and my insatiable appetite to read and understand topics that interest me is something I still enjoy doing every day]
  • Developing this website and creating appropriate content supporting my aims was achieved in a very short timeframe using some of my active learning tools and techniques [Creating a framework and supporting metrics is a great way to achieve learning aims and objectives]
  • The idea of writing a management and self-development book emerged a couple of years ago and started off as a hobby. Research happened in my spare time and articles started to be created. The InnoCentive competition was a great testing environment, and when I won it, I knew I was onto something special. It was the turning point that meant I have to take it seriously. I needed a platform to showcase some aspects of the book and to act as a marketing tool, and that is where the seed of the idea of a website came from. You will see from the Downloads page some elements of the book as it is being created [If you want to do something, do it well, do it with passion and do it by aiming at the 95% mark]

Selected Achievements & Successes

Together with Any ‘So What’ Statements of Insights
  • In writing my book, I have come to understand that the sciences are not all about knowledge, it is the application of knowledge that counts. There are the knowns (which can change over time), the unknowns (where we try and push back the frontiers every year) and the grey areas (areas subject to debate, discussion and disagreement). You need to test your knowledge to see if it rings true in our realities, because all the answers are not in books. The less of an expert you are, the more you can under-estimate the knowledge of others, however experts can get railroaded down alleys, and may fail to see the bigger picture [The more I get to know, the more I understand and recognise that there is so much more to know] "If you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you" [Fredrick Nietzsche]
  • My successes and accomplishments have been the result of me being able to stand on the shoulders of giants. I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of people who have helped make me be the person I am today: my wife Elaine, my children (who have taught me new things), Dr E. G. ‘Ted’ Hellewell, Mick Gillman, Eddie Allen, Nick Jacques, Richard Renaud, Paul Clement, Ed Blackmore and Carole Laithwaite. I would also like to thank some of my colleagues (apologies if I have missed you out) that I have met along my journey and had some great times with: Stuart B. Cornes, Paul O’Grady, Lawrence Greaves, Aidan Lawson, Chris Harvey, Gary Taylor, Brian Marshall, Graham Dawson, Bob Ford, Scott Seivwright, David Muir, John Wright, Roy Duffee, Colin Jones, Ormond Doty, Maria Tong, Mark Boast, Jim Tough, David Sullivan, Ian Glossop, Mike Laithwaite, Andy Morgan, Andrew Wiley, Ashley Morris

Signup Success

Thank you for registering for our newsletter.

Email not correct

Please provide valid email address

An Error Occured