Nomix - Blog by DewaldNomix - Blog by Dewaldhttps://nomix.co.za/blogs/author/dewaldFri, 10 Apr 2026 13:02:03 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[BCom: Creativity in Business Management]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/bcom-creativity-in-business-managementThe BCom in Business Management with Creativity in Management empowers students with innovative problem-solving. It emphasizes active thinking, real-world application, and assessment, fostering dynamic leaders in the evolving business landscape.]]>

Unleashing Creativity in Management is available as a BCom Business Management Degree: A Journey to Success

Introduction

In the dynamic landscape of business management, creativity in management has emerged as a driving force for innovation to solve complex problems, which according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) will continue to enable business success today. The future is here! The Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in Business Management with elective modules Creativity in Management is not just an ordinary degree, it is a pathway that helps students to discover and harness the power of the creativity needed to engage critical thinking and solve complex management problems in a business context. In this blog, we will delve into the fascinating world of Creativity in Management and its application in the BCom Business Management qualification. The purpose of this blog is to provide a overview of creativity in business management as not only a sought after skill but also an essential and practical work method for everyone. Keep an eye out for the blogs that will follow in which I will discuss the elements mentioned in this blog in more detail.

Creativity in Management Explained

Creativity in management is the ability to think critically, analytically, and break free from conventional and traditional business norms, and generate imaginative and innovative solutions to complex business challenges. It involves connecting seemingly unrelated ideas, finding patterns in chaos, and challenging the status quo. By understanding the essence of creativity, students can unlock their potential to become trailblasers in the business world. This topic will be discussed in more detail in my blog about creativity in management explained.

Thinking about Thinking

In this BCom Business Management, we emphasise the significance of metacognition and explain the relevance of thinking about thinking. Thinking about thinking involves introspection on our thinking processes and recognising our cognitive biases. Knowing how we think and understanding how our minds work, we can approach problem-solving with a fresh perspective and open ourselves to novel ideas. Follow this link to my blog on thinking about thinking for a more elaborate explanation of this element.

Thinking in Action

Creativity in management is not confined to abstract thoughts, in fact creativity in management flourishes where it is put into action. Unleashing creativity in management as taught in the BCom Business Management  degree cultivates a culture of analytical thinking and active learning, encouraging you to continuously experiment and to explore your occupational ideas in real-world scenarios. This hands-on approach equips you to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances and seize opportunities. Discover a lot more about thinking in action in one of my other blogs about this topic. 

Creativity in Action

Incorporating creativity in management practices is essential for cultivating innovation within organisations. The BCom Business Management that teaches creativity in management ensures that creativity is not be limited to specific roles and occupations as it is a valuable asset for every team member. Integrating creativity into day-to-day managerial operations, organisations acquire original solutions to stay ahead of the competition. In my next blog Creativity in Action I discuss this topic in more detail.

Creativity Assessment

Creativity Assessment entails the mechanisms needed to measure creativity as an attribute and the distinction between leading creative people and leading creatively. You need to discover the essentials of creativity assessment and gain insight into the measurability of creativity. Assessing creativity in management requires a nuanced approach. Measuring creativity in management involves evaluating both the procedure and the outcome. The BCom Business Management with creativity in management adopts various creativity assessment techniques, such as analysing the creative journey, understanding the impact of brainstorming sessions, and evaluating the successful implementation of ideas. Knowing the assessment process, you learn to appreciate the iterative nature of creativity in management that helps you to embrace continuous improvement. Read my blog where I focus on creativity assessment as a creativity in management instrument.

Applied Creativity in Management

Applied creativity in management is the culmination of competencies, knowledge and skills founded upon innovative and creative thinking processes such as critical, analytical, design and lateral thinking. The BCom Business Management with creativity in management places a strong emphasis on practical creative applications, where you are encouraged to work on real-world projects, tackle business challenges, and present creative solutions to industry experts. This applied approach hones your creative abilities and prepares you for the ever-evolving business landscape. Find more detail about Applied Creativity in Management in a subsequent blog.

Conclusion

So, join us on this exhilarating journey, where creativity in management paves the way for you to become a dynamic and innovative leader in the world of business management. Make sure to read and like our upcoming posts. 
The Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in Business Management degree with the elective modules Creativity in Management is not just a degree, it is a transformative journey that empowers you to embrace creativity in your management practices. Understanding the essence of creativity in management, fostering active thinking, and applying innovative solutions, you become a visionary who can navigate complexity and create positive change in your wold of work.
Dr Pieter du Toit
Specialisation: Change Management, Aviation Management, Business Management, Human Resources, Coaching and Business Leadership
]]>Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:08:05 +0200<![CDATA[The Collaboral Competencies of the Holistic Practitioner]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/the-collaboral-competencies-of-the-holistic-practitioner1Holistic practitioners play an essential role in helping people lead more fulfilling lives. They do not only focus on treating symptoms but also aim t ]]>

Introduction

Holistic practitioners play an essential role in helping people lead more fulfilling lives. They do not only focus on treating symptoms but also aim to identify the root cause of the problem to achieve long-term, sustainable results. However, to be effective in their practice, they need to possess a set of competencies that enable them to engage with their clients successfully. These are known as collaboral competencies, which involve a participative and discrete engagement within collaboral interpersonal relationships. In this blog post, we will discuss the collaboral competencies that a holistic practitioner should possess to provide excellent service to their clients.

Intuition

The first collaboral competency that a holistic practitioner should possess is intuition. Practitioners need to trust and rely on their intuition to understand the needs of their clients, even when they cannot articulate them clearly. Intuition allows practitioners to connect with their clients and create a safe and supportive environment for any conversation. To develop intuition, holistic practitioners need to work on their self-awareness regularly. Self-awareness can be enhanced by engaging in regular meditation practices, reflections, and other mindfulness exercises.

Empathy

Empathy is another essential collaboral competency that any holistic practitioner should have. Empathy allows practitioners to understand the emotions and experiences of their clients truly. By empathising with clients, practitioners can provide a safe space where clients can share their thoughts and feelings without feeling judged. Empathy also enables practitioners to tailor their techniques and treatments to suit each client's unique needs. To develop empathy, practitioners need to work on their emotional intelligence continuously. They can achieve this by engaging in emotional intelligence exercises such as reading books, attending seminars, and practising empathy-building exercises. Personal & Social Profiling provides insights about your personal and others' unique thinking styles to enable an approach.

Sensory

Sensory realisations are another vital collaboral competency that a holistic practitioner should possess. With sensory realisation, practitioners can perceive and understand the world using their five senses. This sensitivity enables them to read the subtle cues that clients give, which allows them to provide better care. Sensory realisation helps practitioners to understand clients beyond words. It enables practitioners to connect with their clients and foster trust and confidence in the therapeutic relationship. To develop sensory realisation, practitioners need to master their senses through practising mindful breathing, sensory-motor tasks, and body awareness exercises. Explore Practitioner Guidance Essentials for the cultivation of collaboral competencies.

Responsibility

Responsibility is another key collaboral competency of any holistic practitioner. Clients often come to holistic practitioners seeking solutions to their problems. For practitioners to be effective, they need to help clients understand and accept responsibility for their actions. Practitioners can do this by helping clients to identify the choices they need to make to reach their goals. Practitioners need to encourage clients to take ownership of their challenges and help them develop practical action plans to overcome them. To develop responsibility, practitioners need to deeply understand their client's needs, enabling them to provide informed guidance and advice.

Accountability

The final collaboral competency that a holistic practitioner should have is accountability. Accountability involves ensuring clients follow through with their action plans to achieve their goals. Accountability involves ensuring that clients stay motivated, focused and on track. Holistic practitioners can achieve this by setting regular check-ins with their clients to evaluate the progress made and identify areas that need improvement. Practitioners need to hold clients accountable for their progress and ensure they feel empowered to make their changes.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have explored the collaboral competencies essential for any holistic practitioner. By developing intuition, empathy, sensory realisation, responsibility, and accountability, practitioners can provide effective care for their clients. These competencies enable practitioners to connect with their clients on a deeper level, provide tailored solutions, foster trust and confidence in the therapeutic relationship, and help clients achieve their goals. Holistic practitioners who possess these collaboral competencies can make a significant difference in the health and well-being of their clients.
Dr Pieter du Toit
Specialisation: Change Management, Aviation Management, Business Management, Human Resources, Coaching and Business Leadership
]]>Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:22:26 +0200<![CDATA[The Habitual Competencies of the Holistic Practitioner]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/the-collaboral-competencies-of-the-holistic-practitionerApplied holistic practitioner competencies are exceedingly in demand as conscious and active change agents begin to recognise the value of alternative ]]>

Introduction

Applied holistic practitioner competencies are exceedingly in demand as conscious and active change agents begin to recognise the value of alternative, integrated experiential learning opportunities. These professionals apply holistic practices to unlock the optimal performance of participants, for example, through coaching sessions. Holistic practitioners are committed to supporting businesses in achieving optimal performance through a comprehensive approach addressing the whole person, including mental, emotional, and physical aspects.
In this post, we discuss these competencies which are expressed through practitioners' value sets. The implicit competencies are embedded in the person's authentic and unique character. Practitioners are thus endowed with competencies which are expressed through qualitative aspects of their habitual behaviour, grounded in value sets. The notion of 'habitual' refers to the practitioner's solutions-driven approach as an authentic, rarified, and deep-seated application of specific competencies rather than a reactionary impulse or mere reflex behaviour originating outside the locus of control and registering as a threat or imposition. The significance is that practitioners apply solutions with discretion, discernment, and intent, rising to the occasion and accepting challenges as learning opportunities. 

Establishing Trust and Rapport

One of the essential habitual behaviours that characterise the holistic practitioner entails the cultivation of trust and establishing rapport with their participants. Trust is built on authentic and trustworthy foundations that are universally recognised. Practitioners engage to establish rapport with clients based on the principles, norms, deeds, habits, and practices which people commonly identify with and relate to on a deeply personal level. This empathic personal approach creates a safe and comfortable space wherein participants are free to share their deepest fears and concerns.

Empowering Clients

Holistic practitioners support participants to discover why it is essential to make sound decisions, express their learning desires, and make the right choices regarding behavioural changes towards challenging the status quo. Participants learn to understand their traditional perspectives and recognise the patterned behaviours and typical reactionary impulses that stifle change. The empowerment journey develops self-confidence and belief in their abilities, and participants ultimately take responsibility for their actions. Empowering participants to understand their own abilities, practitioners thus assist them in realising their potential and taking the first step to life-changing and lasting actions. After all, actions speak louder than words. This is particularly true for authentic action that is embedded in who we are and springs from our true intentions as change agents.

Creating a Plan

Holistic practitioners make fine observations to determine the participants' learning responsibilities and assist them in making the necessary behavioural changes to support their learning styles. For example, the practitioner may demonstrate that the learning cycle contains the participant's whole experience, including both problem and solution states, and incorporates the best-fit thinking and learning styles, combined to express the desired action rather than a learned 'habit' in the common sense. This experience is part and parcel of the emerging learning opportunity. Participants are thus guided and prepared for the necessary behavioural changes and the original implementation thereof, and remain accountable for their progress while having realistic achievable goals.

Making Changes Visible

Behavioural changes occur when actions are mutually agreed upon. The right changes are made under the right circumstances, the correct actions are taken and so on. These changes are then made visible, indicating the nature of the agreement and the participants' readiness for the realisation of authentic habitual behavioural actions to ensue. The holistic practitioner supports participants in this process, ensuring that the changes are consistent, accompanied by an understanding of the agreed-upon actions and initial intent.

Providing Ongoing Support and Encouragement

Practitioners develop experience and knowledge of the various techniques and methodologies to best support their clients. It is understood that lasting change is not conceived at once. Having established trust and rapport, practitioners provide vital ongoing support, encouraging participants in developing new, positive habits to be maintained for a lifetime.

Conclusion

The unique habitual qualities of the practitioner's character determine the personal approach. It starts with their ability to establish trust and rapport with their clients and empower them to make lasting changes that positively impact their lives. Creating a plan, making changes visible, and providing ongoing support and encouragement are also key habits of a successful holistic practitioner. They possess the skills, knowledge, and mindsets to transform lives through an integrated and holistic perspective. In every fulfilling practitioner intervention, both practitioner and client obtain an enriched vision of a world in which each enjoys optimal health and well-being. Moreover, all participants have a shared responsibility in giving expression to the right practice.
Dr Pieter du Toit
Specialisation: Change Management, Aviation Management, Business Management, Human Resources, Coaching and Business Leadership
]]>Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:06:00 +0200<![CDATA[An Integral Perspective of Holistic Practitioner Competencies]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/integral-holistic-practitioner-competenciesIn your role as a practitioner, you are probably aware of the importance of the relevant competencies required for you to perform at your optimal leve ]]>

What the Practitioner Needs to Know

Introduction

In your role as a practitioner, you are probably aware of the importance of the relevant competencies required for you to perform at your optimal level in the coaching context. However, have you considered the impact of not having the essential competencies necessary to operate efficiently as a holistic practitioner in your organisation? The Holistic Practitioner competencies go beyond traditional attributes, skills and knowledge. Holistic practitioner competencies encompass intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative, ecological awareness, and spiritual constructs. These competencies have a measurable positive impact on the success of yourself, your team and the organisation as a whole. Read on to learn more about what these competencies are and how they can benefit your organisation.
Finding solutions in today's business environment is inadequate to approach complex problems, issues, and concerns from a single perspective, as the world is interconnected, and the problems we face are often transdisciplinary and multifaceted. For this reason, BluAgile®  Holistic Practitioners are becoming the sought-after resource for any forward-thinking business. But what skills and attributes comprise the successful holistic practitioner? In this blog post, we will explore the integral competencies required by holistic practitioners and how these may be acquired by you and your team.

Holistic Approach

Firstly, let us define the holistic approach. A holistic approach is an integrated perspective that considers the entire system and all its parts, rather than focusing on individual components in isolation. Holistic practitioners embrace systems thinking as a means to understand client challenges and can use this knowledge to solve complex problems. Practitioners, therefore, understand the interconnectedness of things and that there may be unintended consequences if actions are poorly identified or managed. The competencies of holistic practitioners discussed further down, assist them and their organisations to perform at their optimal levels. Typical competencies found in holistic practitioners are how they demonstrate their intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative, ecological awareness and spiritual abilities.

Intellectual Competencies

When approaching a complex problem from a holistic perspective, holistic practitioners must first identify and understand all the components involved. Holistic practitioners have deep consideration and empathy for the organisational culture, technology, processes, and people. From there, they can connect the dots between the elements and create a solution that considers the entire system. This holistic approach will provide a better understanding of the problem and ensure that all aspects of the organisation are accounted for in any potential solution.
The practitioner competencies are focused on the ability to think critically, solve complex problems, and learn continuously. Practitioners who possess strong intellectual competencies can innovate and adapt to adequately respond to rapid change more quickly. They are also able to assimilate and integrate new information and ideas with existing knowledge, making them valuable assets to any organisation. Why should one develop intellectual competencies and how should one do it? As a practitioner, you have the opportunity to instil the possibility for the development of intellectual competency. For example, one can encourage the development of intellectual competencies by providing opportunities for training and development, supporting continual learning, and promoting intellectual curiosity.

Emotional Competencies

Successful holistic practitioners will need to have excellent communication skills, empathy, and a non-judgmental attitude. They must be able to listen actively and be comfortable discussing sensitive subjects. It would be best if you could see the big picture while also understanding the nuances and details of specific situations. Additionally, they must possess the ability to adapt to different situations and be flexible with their approach.
The practitioner's emotional competencies refer to the ability to recognise, understand, and manage one's own emotions, as well as the feelings of others. In working anticipatively, one can be in tune with one’s emotional paradigm while also being receptive to those of other Practitioners. Practitioners who possess strong emotional competencies are better equipped to communicate effectively, build relationships, and manage conflict within the workplace. They remain calm and composed under pressure and can easily handle challenging situations without becoming emotionally embroiled or overinvested in crippling non-essential aspects. Who should develop emotional competencies and how do they do it? Practitioners can foster the development of emotional competencies by providing training and opportunity for development, promoting open communication, and leading by example.

Social Competencies

Social competencies refer to the ability to interact effectively with other Practitioners and co-workers. Practitioners who possess strong social competencies can build relationships, collaborate more effectively, and lead their teams to success. Generally, they can communicate effectively, listen actively, attentively and empathically, and reciprocate in constructive and meaningful ways towards participation. The entire team should develop social competencies, but how? As a practitioner, you can encourage the development of social competencies by promoting teamwork, collaboration, and inclusivity. It is vitally important to recognise and reward collaboration and teamwork and to give credit where credit is due.

Physical Competencies

Physical competencies refer to the ability to maintain physical health and well-being. Practitioners who possess strong physical competencies can work more effectively, maintain their energy level, and promote their longevity. Encouraging physical activities and a healthy work-life balance is important for maintaining a healthy workplace. What can one do to develop physical competencies? As a practitioner, you can encourage the development of physical competencies by providing opportunities for healthy snacks, making sure employees have regular breaks to stretch or take a walk, and promoting work-life balance.

Artistic, Creative, Ecological Awareness, and Spiritual Competencies

Artistic, creative, ecological awareness and spiritual competencies refer to thinking beyond traditional boundaries and approaching problems and solutions in unique ways. Practitioners who possess these competencies can bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the workplace. Why is it important to develop these competencies and how to develop them? As a practitioner, you can encourage creativity and innovation, embrace diverse perspectives, and provide professional development and growth opportunities. Recognising and rewarding creativity and innovation towards problem-solving is critical.

Learning and Growing

Just like any other practitioner, holistic practitioners must constantly be learning and growing. They must be continuously examining and reflecting on their practice methods and assess how they can improve. Holistic practitioners must keep up to date with the latest research in their field and continuously build on their knowledge and expertise. They can also attend courses or workshops and continue professional development to deepen their understanding and improve their competencies.

Practice Range

Holistic practitioners can practice in various settings, including consulting firms, healthcare, education, government, and non-profit organisations. They can also use their expertise to bring together different groups within an organisation or across businesses to develop strategic partnerships focused on problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation.

Conclusion

The competencies of practitioners go beyond traditional knowledge and skillsets and encompass a wide range of integral sensibilities that are more than simple reflex behaviours. These competencies, including intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative, ecological awareness, and spiritual competencies are indispensable for a successful, agile, participative work environment. As a practitioner, it's important to recognise the importance of these competencies and foster their development within your team. By providing opportunities for training and development, promoting open communication, and leading by example, one can create a workplace that values the integral competencies of practitioners and achieves success as a whole.
In the next 4 weeks, we will blog more about the Holistic Practitioner and look at the four integral foundational perspectives.
Dr Pieter du Toit
Specialisation: Change Management, Aviation Management, Business Management, Human Resources, Coaching and Business Leadership
]]>Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:46:00 +0200<![CDATA[Why I am a Holistic Wellness Counsellor]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/why-i-am-a-holistic-wellness-counsellorAre you curious about the essential qualities that define a successful counsellor? As professionals in the field, our roles require us to utilise a fu ]]>

The Responsibilities and Job Description of a Holistic Wellness Counsellor

From a Holistic Perspective

Introduction

Are you curious about the essential qualities that define a successful counsellor? As professionals in the field, our roles require us to utilise a full breadth of competencies in order to foster client growth. From intellectual and emotional capacity to physical and spiritual requirements, it is important that we have an understanding of each area so that we can adequately meet our clients' needs. In this blog post, we will examine the holistic wellness counsellor's competencies integral to counselling success, such as intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative, ecological awareness and spiritual competencies, while considering how these different traits contribute towards the overall fulfilment of participants.
Wellness counselling is an important profession that helps individuals lead a happier, healthier life. As a wellness counsellor, you are responsible for enhancing your clients' overall well-being by addressing various physical, mental and emotional behavioural issues.
Being a wellness counsellor is not an easy task, especially if you don't have a clear understanding of your responsibilities and job descriptions. As a wellness counsellor, you will be dealing with different kinds of people who are struggling with their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Your role is to provide them with an effective and safe solution to their problems. This requires you to be knowledgeable, empathic, and compassionate. If you are pondering why you should become a wellness counsellor, this blog will provide a detailed description of the role, job description, and responsibilities that come with the profession, and discuss why am I a wellness counsellor.

The Job Description of a Holistic Wellness Counsellor

The job description of a wellness counsellor involves promoting and developing awareness around various wellness issues, such as stress management, work-life balance, self-care, nutrition, and physical exercise. The primary goal is to help individuals adopt healthier lifestyles and achieve their wellness goals. Wellness Counsellors help in identifying and diagnosing behavioural and emotional concerns that affect an individual's overall well-being.
The responsibilities of a wellness counsellor are not limited to treating mental-health-related problems. They are also responsible for educating individuals and communities about different aspects of wellness, including physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Their role is to develop and implement wellness programs focused on preventing health problems, promoting healthy behaviours, and enhancing the quality of life. They also conduct assessments, develop treatment plans, and provide therapy to individuals or groups who are struggling with mental-health-related issues.

The Job Description of a Holistic Wellness Counsellor

The wellness counsellor's specific responsibilities vary depending on the client's needs and requirements. Some duties of a wellness counsellor include evaluating clients' mental and emotional well-being, developing customised plans in collaboration with clients to promote their wellness, and developing documentation to maintain a record of clients' progress. They are also responsible for facilitating client support groups and collaborating with other healthcare professionals to improve client outcomes.
The responsibilities of a wellness counsellor are vast and varied. They not only provide therapy and support to individuals struggling with mental-health-related problems, but they also educate individuals and communities on how to achieve and maintain optimal wellness. They develop and implement wellness programs focused on preventing health problems, promoting healthy behaviours, and enhancing the quality of life. Some of their specific responsibilities may include conducting assessments, developing treatment plans, and providing therapy to individuals or groups.

The Job Description of a Holistic Wellness Counsellor

Becoming a wellness counsellor is a fulfilling profession. Working in healthcare and nurturing a passion for helping people achieve their wellness dreams are the primary reasons many choose to become wellness counsellors. In addition, you have the opportunity to work with clients, offer them support and help, and witness their transformation. Moreover, the demand for wellness counsellors is on the rise, presenting unlimited job opportunities.

The Job Description of a Holistic Wellness Counsellor

Because wellness is …
  • in principle holistic, because it works with the human person as a bio-psychosocial system.
  • in method salutogenic, i.e., aims not at treatment, but at improving and enhancing well-being.
  • in-scope multidimensional, i.e., psychological, social, physical and spiritual well-being.
  • in practice non-invasive and complementary because it supports self-care.
  • in value, beneficial for its objective is preventative healthcare.
  • from a marketing perspective, popular and trending
  • in the clinical setting, scientific as it is based on research findings.
As a holistic wellness counsellor, I am committed to helping individuals and communities achieve optimal health and well-being. I believe that everyone deserves to live a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life, and my role as a counsellor is to empower people by providing them with the tools and resources they need to achieve this. I also believe in the power of prevention, and I am passionate about developing effective wellness programs that can prevent health problems before they occur.

Holistic Approach of Wellness Counselors

Wellness counsellors take a holistic approach to wellness, meaning they focus on the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. They recognise that each individual is unique and has their own set of needs and circumstances, and they tailor their services to meet those needs. This may involve integrating traditional therapy techniques with alternative therapies, such as yoga or meditation, to help individuals achieve optimal wellness.

Skills Needed as a Holistic Wellness Counsellor

To become a successful wellness counsellor, you must possess some critical skills. Of course, you must undergo the necessary education to build a strong foundation. The primary skills required include excellent communication skills, empathy, a strong sense of understanding, and non-judgemental attitudes. The ability to listen to and offer emotional support to clients is also essential to help them overcome challenging situations, sometimes outside of their control.  These skills are all in support of developing our own and our clients’ competencies in line with the World Economic Forum's (WEF) emerging jobs for upskilling & reskilling requirements, which includes Holistic Wellness Counselling. Some of the WEF's upskilling & reskilling requirements for Holistic Wellness Counsellors and emerging jobs are as follows:
  • Analytical thinking & innovation
  • Critical thinking & analysis
  • Troubleshooting & user experience
  • Leadership & Social Influence
  • Complex problem-solving
  • Creativity, originality & initiative
  • Quality control & safety awareness
  • Persuasion & negotiation
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Technology installation & maintenance
  • Resilience, stress tolerance & flexibility
  • Reasoning, problem-solving & ideation
  • Active learning & learning strategies

Conclusion

In conclusion, wellness counsellors are crucial in promoting optimal health and well-being holistically. We are responsible for educating individuals and communities about different aspects of wellness, developing and implementing wellness programs, and providing therapy to individuals or groups struggling with mental-health-related problems. As a wellness counsellor, I am proud of the work that I do to empower individuals and communities from an intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative, and ecological perspective and help them achieve optimal wellness in their respective environments.
Professor Marius Herholdt
President Association for Supportive Counsellors & Holistic Practitioners at ASCHP (SAQA: 984).
]]>Fri, 02 Jun 2023 09:22:00 +0200<![CDATA[The Need for Deep Counselling]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/the-need-for-deep-counsellingCounsellors provide a safe space for their clients to talk about their concerns and feelings. However, sometimes the surface-level conversations may n ]]>

Introduction

Counsellors provide a safe space for their clients to talk about their concerns and feelings. However, sometimes the surface-level conversations may not be enough to help their clients heal and achieve true emotional resolution. This is where deep counselling plays a role. Deep counselling, also known as depth therapy, entails a holistic approach to individuals' well-being that also requires them to engage in abstract thinking. The techniques used in deep counselling, therefore, require them to consider multiple meanings of concepts, explore patterns in their behaviour, and consider non-literal or metaphoric meanings.
In this blog post, we'll look at the importance of deep counselling and how it can benefit your clients' overall well-being.

The Role of a Counsellor

As a counsellor, it is your responsibility to assess whether the need for deep counselling exists and whether it is appropriate to address your client's needs. Once you have identified the need, conduct a full client assessment to understand the severity level and possible root cause of the problem. Next, tailor the sessions to meet the individual needs of the client, with a focus on self-discovery maintaining client independence, self-care, and self-reliance.
Jenny is a counsellor who sees clients on a daily basis with problems ranging from usually broken marriages, children with authority issues and learning problems, mild depression and anxiety, burnout, unmanaged stress and so forth. Jenny is adequately trained to help these clients and she manages to cope, but Jenny is becoming increasingly aware that her counselling focus might be very superficial. There remains, however, an existential residue that is not addressed for she is not competent in this field.
Could it be that some clients struggle with existential baggage so deeply ingrained in their beings that they cannot pinpoint it? Yes, this is indeed a threat that is universal – the futility, emptiness, meaninglessness, annihilation and absurdity of life that we all experience in the modern Western world.
At the root of all these encounters, is a worldview of materialism. It has become a scourge. Our education system, our scientific enterprises and our economies are all steeped in the metaphysics that 'matter is all that matters'. Fuelling this global system is technological advances, world exploitation and consumerism.
In a materialist world, there is no room for transpersonal reality, we practice healthcare without a soul, enter relationships in virtual reality and strive for things, not values. In such a world there is no room for beliefs, only things matter, respect for human life disappears and even killing becomes commonplace, for it is no longer murder but only a termination of another android!
Slowly life becomes eroded and we end up with people being reduced to biochemical androids. Aesthetical and ethical values are no longer deemed absolutes, but only pragmatic and relative arrangements to make society function orderly.
Counsellors that are materialistically inclined apply psychotherapeutic skills in a recipe-like fashion but often fail to touch the heart and souls of their clients. The Covid pandemic succeeded in depersonalising humanity further, adding insult to injury. We daily resort to an incognito existence masked like criminals prepared to decently observe the 2-metre distancing rule. Last week a student came to collect her study results and asked me: 'Prof. Do you still hug? I want to thank you properly'. How sad that we are afraid to act spontaneously due to these inhumane regulations!
We cannot erase materialism, only react with idealism. The only recourse is to engage with people on the level of the soul. Do we still remember what that means? It means being capable of expressing spiritual virtues and living again with joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, love, forgiveness and kindness. Because a client is a living soul, we as counsellors can treat them with unconditional positive regard as Carl Rogers taught us.

Understanding Deep Counselling

Deep counselling is therefore not the probing action of Freudian psychotherapies but in the words of Rogers the 'organismic valuing process of judging experiences to see if they are bringing us closer to self-actualisation or not'. In simple terms, it is to touch your soul, to react with empathy and compassion, and to instil an attitude of gratitude and contentment to replace consumerism. Only when we rediscover the soul do we become empowered to overcome all our struggles and uncertainties and integrate them into a more humane existence? The result: Authentic living, freedom and well-being are the fruits of being homo sapiens at heart.
“Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human”.
― Victor Frankl
As such, deep counselling is an approach that goes beyond the materialistic world and encourages clients to delve deeper into their souls, feelings and emotions to uncover the real root cause of their issues. It involves extensive exploration of the client’s thoughts, behaviours, past experiences, and belief systems. The aim is to help them gain insight into their behavioural patterns and understand their unique thought processes so they can better understand themselves and the world around them.

The Benefits of Deep Counselling

One of the main and powerful benefits of deep counselling is that it helps clients achieve long-lasting emotional healing. By exploring and addressing the root cause of their issues, clients learn to be more self-aware, empathetic and compassionate towards themselves and others. This can also improve the client's relationships with others, as they learn to communicate more effectively and understand their own personal boundaries better.

Empowering Clients

Deep counselling gives clients the tools to take control of their emotions and behaviours. Unlike traditional counselling which may offer a band-aid solution, deep counselling empowers clients to make significant and lasting changes to their lives. Client-led exploration and discovery can serve as a catalyst for positive life-altering changes, helping to improve overall mental health, well-being, and family/relationship dynamics.

Tailored to the Individual

Deep counselling is tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of each client. It’s designed to be an individualized approach that meets the specific needs of every client. By providing personalized therapy sessions to clients, they will feel heard, seen, and valued providing a prerequisite for successful therapeutic outcomes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, deep counselling is an essential aspect of a counsellor’s toolkit. Incorporating a deep-counselling approach will not only help your clients achieve the desired results, but it will also empower them to create sustainable change in their lives. Take your role as a counsellor seriously by providing your clients with a safe space for exploration, discovery, and growth. Explore your client’s thinking preferences, behaviours, past experiences, and belief systems extensively. Help them achieve lasting emotional healing, empower them to take charge of their emotions and behaviours, and focus on offering tailored, individualised treatment to achieve successful therapeutic outcomes.

Professor Marius Herholdt
President Association for Supportive Counsellors & Holistic Practitioners at ASCHP (SAQA: 984).
]]>Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:49:00 +0200<![CDATA[Freedom of Thinking or Conformity - Part 2]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/freedom-of-thinking-or-conformity-part-2“ But just think how it would be if everyone else looked at things as you do – what would the world be like? ” ―  F. Scott Fitzgerald Let’s look at co ]]>
“But just think how it would be if everyone else looked at things as you do – what would the world be like?”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald

Introduction

Let’s look at conformity thinking again: Thinking conformity can happen when people change their opinions to align with the majority opinion of a group. It occurs when people are influenced by the beliefs or behaviors of others and feel pressure to conform to the group’s standards. This can be seen in many aspects of life, such as fashion trends, political opinions, and social norms. People may conform to the group’s opinion because they want to fit in and be accepted, or because they fear being rejected if they don’t. Thinking conformity can lead to a lack of creativity and critical thinking, as well as a lack of individualism.
We have amazing brains. We can change any pattern, behaviour, or habit, as long as we take decisive action. Why? The brain is malleable – malleability of the brain refers to its ability to change, grow and adapt in response to new experiences and learning, as well as making a decision to change. This process is also known as neuroplasticity. It means that the brain can rewire itself in response to stimuli, leading to changes in behavior and cognition.
This malleability is due to the presence of dendrites and axons, which are structures that allow neurons to form new connections and re-arrange existing ones. The formation of new neural connections and changes in the strength of existing ones underlie the process of learning and memory.
Overall, the malleability of the brain is a critical component of our ability to learn and adapt to new environments, which is essential for our survival and success in life.

The Courage to Change Your Thinking

Even though our brains are wired for change, it takes courage to break the cycle of unwanted thinking habits and to start thinking differently! It is an important part of your personal development and allows you to explore your own thoughts and beliefs; challenging limited believes and negative thoughts; embracing new experiences and perspectives and cultivating positive habits and attitudes.
The quality of your thoughts can have a significant impact on the quality of your life. Practicing mindfulness and creative thinking can help to reshape the neural pathways in your brain and improve your overall well-being. Additionally, engaging in activities that promote neuroplasticity, such as learning new skills or practicing meditation, can also help to change the structure and function of your brain.

Taking Control of Your Thinking

Your thinking is the essence of who you are. It is therefore important to identify your way of thinking, to identify any forms of negative or closed thinking in order to change your thinking – and in so doing to change your strategies, business, your futures, and your life.
Once you allow constant negative thinking to take hold in your life, your thinking becomes conditioned and boxed in. You begin to respond in this conditioned way towards specific experiences, people, ideas and change – until the process intensifies and you think and act negatively towards everything. Dr Kobus Neethling, President of the SA Creativity Foundation, calls it ‘Below the line thinking’ and says it makes us defensive, full of resentment and irrational. By thinking (and therefore living!) below the line, you lock in your power and energy instead of setting it free in order to reach your full potential and to fly.
To develop into a creative PERSON you need to take responsibility for your thinking.

Coming Forth Into the Light

I was born the day
I thought:
What is?
What was?
And
What if?
I was transformed the day
My ego shattered,
And all the superficial, material
Things that mattered
To me before,
Suddenly ceased
To matter.
I really came into being
The day I no longer cared about
What the world thought of me,
Only on my thoughts for
Changing the world.
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem
Marita Durr
CEO — Applied Creativity. Neethling Brain Institute NBI® Whole Brain Trainer
]]>Fri, 05 May 2023 10:27:07 +0200<![CDATA[Parenting The Realistic Thinking Child]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/parenting-the-realistic-thinking-childRaising children is no easy task, especially if your child has an inclination for having or expecting ideas to be sensible and practical making him or ]]>

Raising a Child with a Realistic Thinking Preference: 
Thinking About the What for the Realistic Thinker

Introduction

Raising children is no easy task, especially if your child has an inclination for having or expecting ideas to be sensible and practical making him or her a realistic child. Realistic children tend to be more fact-driven than other children, which can make it difficult for parenting. Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks that parents of realistic children can use to ensure their child grows into an independent, confident adult.

Most realistic children have a tendency to be more reserved in some situations when it comes to expressing themselves because they don’t want to appear foolish or incorrect. Parents can incentivise the child's expression, by rewarding them whenever they open up or are prepared to share something with you. Incentivisation could be as simple as giving appraising them or encouraging them with small rewards to motivate them positively expressing themselves. Special privileges may be awarded when they express themselves in a positive way as appose to being negative or destructive. Supporting them in this way will give them the reassurance that expressing their thoughts is encouraged and valued in the family.

Realist learning styles

As explained in one of my previous blogs, Raising a Child with an Analytical thinking preference, where a child has a dominancy for analytical thinking, he or she prefers facts and seeks explanations, whereas raising a child with a realistic thinking preference parents should follow a more sensible and practical approach. As a parent, it is therefore important to understand your child's thinking preference, which may have an effect on his or her learning style and how they process the new information they receive.

Let us discuss the realist thinker's learning style

The realistic thinker's learning involves using concrete evidence to process and understand new information. Realistic thinkers would want concrete evidence to know how things work, and to understand the subject. Knowing how things work to understand the subject indicates that they would gather information by interpreting the facts that relate to the subject or conversation and recall the whole conversation by recalling the facts and or concrete evidence.
Successful parents of realist-thinking children lay the foundation for their teaching and parenting experiences, which is dependent on their thinking preferences, learning styles, and emotional well-being. Training role-players should understand the significance, impact and benefits of teaching and learning children founded on the learners' thinking preference, which in this case is the realist-thinker.

Realistic thinking learners structure their learning experience as follows:

  • They like to be alone when studying, with no disturbance,
  • They prefer clear guidelines with short and clear instructions,
  • They focus on achievable goals,
  • They prefer to sit at a desk when doing homework or studying,
  • They prefer facts and well-argued summaries of the most important facts
  • They like to research to find concrete evidence and information,
  • They like to analyze information.
Children with a realistic thinking dominancy may use different study methods, of which mind mapping may be one of those learning methods to study.  The child would then use facts as the keywords in their mindmap drawings. Follow the link and complete your unique thinking preference profile to learn more about. Follow the link and complete your unique thinking preference profile to learn more about your learning style.

Subjects and career choices for realistic children

The World Economic Forum (WEF) indicates that the most needed types of skills acquired for future jobs are Problem-solving, Self-management, Working with people and Technology use and development.
Children with realistic thinking abilities have a natural tendency to excel in acquiring the most needed skills and growing job demands as defined by the WEF.
The impact of the WEF's growing job demands for realistic thinkers is as follows:
  • Data Analytics: Realistic thinkers collect, examine, study, and interpret numbers, ratios and quantitative data to identify how a business could use the data to help them solve complex problems or to prepare quantitative reports. 
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Specialists: Realistic thinkers discover new and innovative methods of implementing various types of technology and tools into their daily operations by conducting quantitative research and proposing sensible, rational and practical explanations.
  • Machine Learning (ML) Specialists:  Realistic thinkers in the machine learning context, develop robotics (Bots) and computer systems by doing quantitative research to establish the sensible, rational and practical activities needed for Bots to think and perform tasks on their own as humans do.
  • Strategy Specialists: As Strategy Specialists, realistic thinkers have the ability to clarify the pros and cons of a company's strengths, weaknesses, operational effectiveness and opportunities from a factual perspective. Based on internal and external research, proven facts, and rational thinking abilities, they provide recommendations to minimise risks and formulate plans for the company to set their long-term goals. Strategy specialists have exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
  • Information Security Specialists: Realistic thinkers tend to focus on facts and have the ability to identify potential information security challenges and breaches using quantitative research. Information security specialists identify potential information security challenges and breaches in their organisation's electronic and or digitised systems, setting information security standards, and upgrading information security software and protocols to assist the organisation to prevent information security breaches.
  • Business Development Professionals: Realists develop business opportunities for organisations by evaluating their business performance with fact-driven research, simplifying growth and improvement prospects, focusing their attention on new product development and services, and engaging stakeholders with as little distraction as possible. Realistic thinkers build relationships with customers, producers, prosumers and or partners from a rational and sensible perspective.

Encourage Curiosity

Realistic-thinking children are naturally inquisitive and will often ask questions, especially the what question, about almost anything. While this trait is certainly beneficial in the long run, it can be exhausting for parents to answer all their questions continually. Parents can prevent themselves from becoming overwhelmed by responding to all the 'what' questions from the child, knowing what is important in instances like these. What is important for the parent to know is to prepare themselves for these kinds of conversations ahead of time. Parents may prepare themselves by researching the topics discussed and questions asked by the child and anticipate other questions the child may ask. Encourage your realistic-thinking children to read informative books which explain what things are made of, and motivate them to ask questions and explore new topics. 

Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Realistic-thinking children often get stuck in fact-driven thinking and can struggle to process alternative ways of thinking such as thinking outside the box. Thinking outside the box contributes to thinking creatively and it is important for the parent to encourage their child to open up and see new possibilities and explore different ways of looking at things. Parents can focus their conversations with their children on a wide range of topics and ask them what they think about certain issues or ideas. Realistic-thinking children solve problems first by gathering all the facts and then rationalising the pros and cons to simplify the goal-attainment procedure. Simplifying the goals attainment procedure will help children practice open-mindedness about different perspectives to solve problems.

Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is the ability to reflect on an idea or a problem, apply reason and simplify logical connections between the elements that are relevant to that specific idea or problem. Critical thinking also addresses the 'what' questions children may have.

As mentioned above, parents should encourage their children to ask 'what' questions, such as what they think will happen when and where ... and wait for the child to respond, allowing the child to indicate what they will do when certain problems occur. Parenting a realistic-thinking child will require parents to ask and answer questions with facts and suggest realistic solutions for problems. 

Conclusion

Parenting a realistic-thinking child can be challenging but also incredibly rewarding! It’s important to remember that while realistic-thinking children may have different thinking needs than the thinking needs of other children, they still need love, guidance, and support just like any other child would require. With some patience and understanding, you can create an environment where your realistic thinking child feels comfortable enough to express themselves freely without fear of judgement, solve problems in a realistic manner and study according to their unique thinking preferences.
Marlé Roestroff
Nomix™ Collaborateur. NBI® Whole Brain Practitioner.
]]>Fri, 28 Apr 2023 16:34:20 +0200<![CDATA[Parenting The Analytical Child]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/parenting-the-analytical-childFor parents of children with analytical thinking-preferences are both a delightful and challenging experience. It’s delightful because you get the opp ]]>

Raising a Child with an Analytical Thinking Preference: 
Thinking About the What

Introduction

For parents of children with analytical thinking-preferences are both a delightful and challenging experience. It’s delightful because you get the opportunity to watch your child think deeply, ask questions, and figure out solutions. But it can also be hard, especially when they are so focused on a task that they don’t respond to your requests or ignore you entirely. Let’s discuss what it takes to make the most of their thinking preference, and focus on the analytical learning style.
Knowing the thinking preference of your child is the key to discovering your and your child's most likely behaviour when it comes to learning, and it allows you to develop your child to his or her full potential.
Your and your child's thinking preferences will enable you to identify your thinking challenges from a different point to view. You will understand each other better and together you can work towards building a successful learning future, therefore, you will help them study exactly according to their needs. The significance of thinking preferences was discussed in a previous post, Become a Whole-Brain Parent. In addition to that, you will also discover that thinking preferences influence the manner in which your child constructs their learning environment. I provide a few examples of the analyst's learning style, as follows:

Analyst Learning Styles

As a parent, it's important to understand your children's learning styles and how they process new information.
As I explained in my previous blog, Become a Whole-Brain Parent, if a child has a dominance for analytical thinking, he or she prefers facts and seeks explanations. They are realistic or rational, but let’s discuss the analytical function of the brain first, I will explain the realistic function of the brain in my next blog.
Analytical learning involves the use of logical analysis to process and understand new information. Analytical thinkers would want to know how things work, to understand the subject. This means that they would gather information by listening to the facts of the subject or conversation and recall the whole conversation by just remembering the facts.
To be a successful parent of an analytical-thinking child, we need to lay the foundation for our teaching, parenting, learning styles and other aspects of life. All the training role-players need to understand the meaning, impact and benefits of teaching and learning based on the learner’s thinking preference, which in this case is the analytical thinker.
Analytical thinking learners structure their learning experience as follows:
  • They like to do research when studying,
  • They prefer to deal with facts, figures and concrete issues are your favourite subjects,
  • They are constantly jotting down notes as they dig deeper into information.
  • They are always analysing the content,
  • They do not accept all information at face value and can be critical of the plausibility of the learning content provided to them.
Children with analytical thinking dominancy may use the mind mapping learning method to study, by using facts as the keywords in their drawings.

Subject and Career Choices for Analytical Children

  • Accounting where children have to deal with business matters understanding supply and demand,
  • Economics like working with financial ratios to make decisions about the organisations' financial performance,
  • Sciences create or synthesize new substances like chemists or medical researchers to improve health,
  • Technology like programming, and troubleshooting. Computer scientists use technology to solve problems and prepare for the future like writing programs and creating applications,
  • Business Analyst define needs or gaps and recommend solutions to improve and organisation,
  • Medical courses like general practitioners, surgeons,
  • Market research blends buyer behaviour and economic trends to confirm and improve an organisation’s ideas,
  • Wildlife science is the study of living organisms at all levels like animal physiology and biometrics
Children with analytical abilities have a natural tendency to excel in acquiring the most needed skills as defined by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Encourage Curiosity

Analytical children have a habit of asking the what questions to almost anything they see, hear or learn. This practice can be irritating to parents that do not have the same way of thinking. The interest children show by asking ‘what’ questions should be encouraged. Encourage them to ask questions and explore new topics. This will help them build confidence in their skill to figure things out on their own and be more self-determining learners.

Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Children who are analytical thinkers need opportunities to learn through self-reliant actions to develop problem-solving skills and foster independence. It's important to set realistic expectations for them but also give them independence as much as possible so that they can work through challenges and solve problems on their own. For example, give them the freedom to organise their room or figure out how to clean their room without giving them clues or details on how to do it. The more independence they have over their decisions, the more creative they will become, even as an analytical thinker.

Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Just like any other skill, analytical thinking needs practice for it to become a routine. Activities that need analytical thinking such as puzzles or riddles are great ways to develop these skills further while playing and having fun. Reading books with them about themes related to science or math as this will encourage their critical thinking skills.

Conclusion

Analytical thinking is a valuable skill that assists children to succeed both academically and socially throughout life. As parents of analytical children, we must allow for curiosity while developing independence and helping our children to study according to their thinking preferences. With the correct knowledge, support and guidance, our children will have successful lives full of achievements.
Marlé Roestroff
Nomix™ Collaborateur. NBI® Whole Brain Practitioner.
]]>Mon, 27 Feb 2023 06:20:19 +0200<![CDATA[Change a Constant]]>https://nomix.co.za/blogs/post/change-a-constantThe disruptive influence of change (Kaluzny & O'Brien, 2015), political instability,  deregulation of political power and opposing current rea ]]>

Introduction

The disruptive influence of change (Kaluzny & O'Brien, 2015), political instability, deregulation of political power and opposing current realities (Gergen, 1997; Mosala, Venter & Bain, 2017) are increasingly intensifying.  Growing electronic connectivity amid wide-ranging markets (Castells, 2010; Kevin, 1999), the emergence of e-business (Du Toit, 2010), the repositioning of leading current economies, and the emerging new economies (Kevin, 1999), are all rapidly increasing the tempo of change around the globe (Burke & Trahant, 2000).
Metaphorically, the above phenomenon manifests as continuously onward spiralling kinesis, mimicking an undirected, sporadic and erratic movement of a cell, an organism, or part thereof, in response to an external stimulus (Ansoff & McDonnell, 1990). However, the inverse of the onward spiralling movement is the constant regulation of an organism’s internal conditions ‒ a process described as homeostasis (Cannon, 1929).  Homeostasis is an evolution of response mechanisms that balance the wellbeing and functioning of the organism or the cell, irrespective of what the external changing conditions are (Rogers, 2020).  Rogers (2020) further describes homeostasis as the organism’s constant self-regulation towards a relatively stable equilibrium that is best for survival. In an instance where the homeostasis is successful, existence continues as normal, however, should the homeostasis be ineffective, existence terminates.  Effective homeostasis is thus sustaining a dynamic equilibrium, wherein change is continuously occurring, though comparatively constant conditions prevail (Rogers, 2020). 

Change is Constant, or Change is a Constant

The interpretation of the above raises the question of whether Change is constant, or change is a constant. Change described as constant (noun), indicates a quantity that does not vary (Manser, Feinstein, Grandison, Fergusson, McIntosh & Wren, 2001). Change described as a constant (adjective) is an indication that change is unvarying; persistent in purpose, dedication, or affection; uninterrupted in time and indefinitely ongoing (Manser et al., 2001). The choice between the two terms then depends on where the emphasis should be in the context of the application. In layman’s terms, this means that change is continuously happening, and in response to the continuous change an entity has to be mobile to adapt to the change, which brings about a different perspective within the entity; and this occurrence is ongoing (Kanter, 2011). In correspondence, Will Rogers, a well-known stage and motion picture actor of the previous century, remarked; “It isn’t enough to be on the right track; you're liable to get run over if you stay there” (Esar, 1995:423). 
While change is depicted as a constant in societies, and more particularly, in business endurance, it would appear that the rate of change is accelerating (Wals & Corcoran, 2012). In the same way, it seems apparent that change creates discomfort for some and is sometimes difficult for others. Beaman (2012) notes that only some people in the workplace embrace change. However, if change is a constant, and inevitable, the question is whether people can experience change as an ongoing affair, as if it were the norm, almost as an evolution of some sorts, and thus can experience change as positive. These questions are amongst a few that will be answered in the course of the subsequent Blogs.  Nonetheless, before answering these questions, certain elements require clarification, such as the distinction between change and change management, the linearity of change and change and transformation.

Change and Change Management

Change definitions have many variations.  The literature indicates that definitions of change depend on the context in which change is explained (Hodgson, 2006).
Hodgson (2006) makes a distinction between changes as institutional, organisational, team and individual phenomena. Change then modifies an entity’s or an individual’s environmental, situational, physical or mental condition, which results in circumstances that challenge existing paradigms (Quattrone & Hopper, 2001), transforming the entity or individual within (Manu, 2017). Given this distinction, and because of change being a reciprocal continuous occurrence, two further questions become apparent: is change both a cognitive phenomenon and a universal occurrence, and is change a linear progression, or a systemic evolution (Quattrone & Hopper, 2001)? Additionally, Quattrone and Hopper (2005), reason that change is not a linear process and that it calls for a renewed definition to describe change.  Yet, most change management processes transpire along a linear path (Better Business Learning Pty Ltd, 2017). Quattrone and Hopper (2005) argue that an enriched perspective on change would revitalise change efforts and that effective change efforts depend on well-executed change management practices (Kotter & Cohen, 2002).
Some define change management, in contrast to change, as the systematic approach to dealing with change both from the point of view of an individual and an organisation (Javidi, 2003). Javidi (2003), indicates that deliberating on change management can be a bewildering semantic excursion, since change management can be thought of as a process (Kotter, 1995), a system (Senge & Sterman, 1990), a business speciality (Thomas, 2010), and a body of knowledge (Smith, King, Sidhu & Skelsey, 2014) that transform the current condition of an entity or an individual entirely (Manu, 2017).

Linear Change versus Change as a Systemic Evolution

Figure 11 and Figure 12 are suitable for illustrative purposes only, of how the author interprets the difference between change as a linear progression, opposed to change being a systemic evolution, based on the four elements described by Quattrone and Hopper (2001) above. Figure 11 provides an illustration of the author’s interpretation of the linear transformation process, depicting Quattrone and Hopper’s (2001) four elements.
Figure 11: Linear Transformation (Primary Source)
Figure 12 acts as an illustration of the author’s interpretation of the reciprocal transformation process, depicting the four elements described by Quattrone and Hopper (2001). Quattrone and Hopper (2001), indicate that the four elements that result in circumstances that challenge existing paradigms are because of the cognitive ability and the universal assimilation of the individual.
Figure 12: Reciprocal Transformation (Primary Source)
Furthermore, change management in organisational development and business management arenas has been a perpetual and fashionable topic over the last three decades (Nadler & Tushman, 1997), which is continuing (Kotter, 2011). The organisation’s need for sustainability repeatedly focused on continuous performance or quality improvement and organisational learning, implicating change as constant and necessary for organisational success, which brings about change that progresses through defined occurrences (Sushil, 2013).
The organisation’s need for continuous improvement and sustainability is in constant conflict with the individual’s conduct in answering to these needs (Hodgson, 2006). Although continuous improvement occurs gradually and aims to make small incremental changes over time (Savolainen & Haikonen, 2007), change itself is not necessarily an improvement, however, to improve requires a change (Yudkowsky, 2015), and in some instances transformation (Du Toit, 2020).

Change and Transformation

Differentiating between the concepts of change and transformation is also important. Manu (2017) suggests that during change new probable outcomes come about, whilst engaging in transformation, new possibilities materialise as a result, which is significant as some of these are unintended outcomes to both the entity and the individual. In contrast, Gottfried (2004) indicates that change to the alter ego is not possible; however, when transformation occurs, the viewpoint of the individual changes dramatically.  In this instance, transformation is an observable new reality, whereas change is the motion of getting there.  The individual thus experiences change as a personal endeavour (Kanter, 2011). The author theorises that when change is constant and evolutionary, the individual transforms because the change is internal to the individual.
Therefore, transformation is about modifying understandings so that an individual’s everyday behaviours accomplish the anticipated results (Kenworthey & Nadler, 2014). Kenworthey and Nadler (2014) indicate that change happens in individuals first, and only then in organisations. 
In the event where change is viewed as responsive and a constant, the change obligation is driven externally from the individual, and the individual adjusts as long as the perceived pressure to change is upheld (Burke & Litwin, 1992).  In this instance, change is about using external influences to modify behaviour, to achieve anticipated results.  Although neither concept appears to be more appropriate than the other, the peculiarity is important in the context of this discussion and in this regard, the author proposes the following point of departure as an initial assumption of these concepts: 
Change is evolutionary, ongoing, personal and transformational. 

Conclusion

The concept that change is evolutionary, ongoing, personal and transformational, acts as clarification of the relevance of the terms transformatology and continuous change that will be the focus of future Blogs. 
In this context then, change and change management are approached as an integrated and reciprocal occurrence (Wiens & Moss, 2005), being the inclination of people in response to a changing environment vis-à-vis changing people to adapt to a change in the environment.
This dilemma provides the foundation for the background to the Insights to follow. 

Conclusion

Ansoff, I. H. & McDonnell, E., 1990. Implanting Strategic Management. 2nd ed. Cambridge UK: Prentice Hall. 

Better Business Learning Pty Ltd, 2017. Change Activation. [Online] ​Available at: https://changeactivation.com/change-management-models/​ [Accessed 25 11 2017].

Burke, W. W. & Litwin, G. H., 1992. A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, 18(3), pp. 523-545. 

Burke, W. W. & Trahant, W., 2000. Business Climate Shifts: Profiles of Change Makers. Boston, MA: Butterworth Heinemann. 

Cannon, W. B., 1929. Organization for Physiological Homeostasis. Psychological Reviews, 9(3), pp. 399-431. 

Du Toit, P. J., 2010. An Alternative Approach to “Best Fit” Integrated e-Business Management Facilities and –Solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). 3rd ed. MBL. Midrand: UNISA. 

Du Toit, P. J., 2020. Transformatology: The Art and Science of Enhancing Continuous Change. 1st ed. Doctor in the Management of Technology and Innovation. Modderfontein: The Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management. 

Hodgson, G. M., 2006. What Are Institutions?. Journal of Economic Issues, 40(1), pp. 1-25. Javidi, M., 2003. Collaborative Change Management. Intercultural Communication Studies, XII(2), pp. 1-12. 

Kaluzny, A. D. & O'Brien, D. M., 2015. Managing Disruptive Change in Healthcare: Lessons from a Public-Private Partnership to Advance Cancer Care and Research. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Kanter, R. M., 2011. The Change Wheel: Elements of Systemic Change and How to Get Change Rolling. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. 

Kenworthey, B. & Nadler, J., 2014. Law, Moral Attitudes and Behavioral Change. In: E. Zamir & D. Teichman, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Behavioral Economics and the Law. Oxford: Oxford Academic Publishers, pp. 241-267. 

Kevin, K., 1999. New Rules for the New Economy: 10 Radical Strategies for a Connected World. New York: Penguin Books. 

Kotter, J. P., 1995. Leading Change: Why Transformational Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review, 73(2), pp. 59-67. 

Kotter, J. P., 2011. Forbes. [Online] ​Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2011/07/12/change-management-vs-change-leadership-whats-the-difference/#2d59ddf64cc6​ [Accessed 28 08 2020]. 

Kotter, J. P. & Cohen, D. S., 2002. The Heart of Change: Real-life Stories of how People Change Their Organizations. 1st ed. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press. 

Manu, A., 2017. Transforming Organisations for the Subscription Economy: Starting from scratch. 1st ed. New York: Routledge. 

Nadler, D. A. & Tushman, M. L., 1997. Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press. 

Quattrone, P. & Hopper, T., 2001. What does Organizational Change Mean? Speculations on a Taken for Granted Category. Management Accounting Research, Volume 12, p. 403–435. 

Rogers, K., 2020. Homeostasis. In: Encyclopaedia Britannica. ‎Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 

Savolainen, T. & Haikonen, A., 2007. Dynamics of organizational learning and continuous improvement in six sigma implementation. The TQM Magazine, 19(1), pp. 6-17. 

Senge, P. M. & Sterman, J. D., 1990. Systems Thinking and Organizational Learning: Acting Locally and Thinking Globally in the Organization of the Future. Cambridge, Sloan School of Management: MIT. 

Sushil, 2013. Does Continuous Change Imply Continuity. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 14(3), pp. 123-124. 

Thomas, J. C., 2010. Speciality Competencies in Organizational and Business Consulting Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Wals, A. E. J. & Corcoran, P. B., 2012. Learning for Sustainability in Times of Accelerating Change. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers. 

Wiens, J. A. & Moss, M. R., 2005. Issues and Perspectives in Landscape Ecology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Yudkowsky, E., 2015. Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. California: hpmor.com & fanfiction.net. 
Dr Pieter du Toit
Specialisation: Change Management, Aviation Management, Business Management, Human Resources, Coaching and Business Leadership
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