Fundamental changes started to develop in the 1960’s and accelerated as computing and technology grew exponentially in the second half of the 20^th Century. The growth and development of the internet has led to a much more diverse, complex, interconnected and uncertain world and, in many ways we are all playing a new game with only a partial awareness of the rules.

The predominant teaching model of education generally and in veterinary education specifically is that of a teacher(expert)-centred knowledge-based model as was developed in the Middle Ages by the church schools. Its function is to impart a body of knowledge and exert control over thinking and behaviours.

The increasing pace and complexity of business in the last thirty years of so has placed an increasing pressure this model of education and business now requires new models of learning that are work-based, self-directed and collaborative in ways never previously
thought of.

Success in the 21^st Century will go to those businesses and individuals that develop the capability to learn and change in the most efficient way possible. As it says at the beginning of the BEVME executive summary:

In times of rapid change the learner shall inherit the earth while the learned will be fully prepared for a world that no longer exists.

James Thurber (1894 – 1961)

A second challenge is that everyone is starting the learning journey from a different place and so we need the journey to be as understandable as possible for as many people as possible.

To try to help this, we would like your help.

Over the next few weeks we will be publishing the story of what BEVME is and why we believe it is needed. Please do post comments, ask questions, seek evidence, initiate discussion always including your name and role so that we know where your views are coming from.

Involvement with BEVME is voluntary and self-directed, people put in only the time and effort that they choose to and the major question was how could organisations work effectively without BEVME being lost within the myriad of important and urgent things that people have to do.

The answer arose out of the quote by Dr Peter Mumford (of learning styles fame) who said:

“The endpoint of Learning is action not knowledge”

Addressing this point makes the final important step to supporting action within the organisations and practices so that they see genuine benefits from their membership and using small group processes allows the organisation to interact flexibly and with support.

Action Learning(AL) and Action Research(AR) are the related concepts being used. I have used the concepts in the past both within academia and business and they can be
extremely effective.

• AL originated in the UK with the work of Reg
  Revans at Lancaster University – http://www.ifal.org.uk/brief.html
• AR originated in the US with the work of Kurt
  Lewin – http://www.infed.org/research/b-actres.htm
• www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/actionlearning.html
  gives fairly good background to AL from a business perspective.
• Details of one specific “Mastermind
  Group” concept is given at www.theinspiredgroup.com/business-development-programmes/inspired-mastermind-groups/

The concepts will be refined for BEVME and I will probably be offering a similar opportunity to the profession later in the year with Collaborative Practice Groups (CPG’s) that will work in a similar way.

Essentially:

• 4 – 8 representatives from organisation
  (depending on size, type etc)
• BEVME provides facilitator
• Initial meeting to establish goals, objectives
  and rules
• Subsequent contact via EMails, telecons or
  meetings(virtual ?)
• First goal to explore and answer the WIIFU
  (Whats in it for us) question
• Identify ROI of membership
• If engaged and committed, pursue goals

They are the first corporate that I met with whilst visiting the two Scottish Vet Schools.

Interestingly, whilst they seemed to see the business advantages of BEVME, their involvement seems to be prompted by a strong altruistic concern for the wellbeing of not just their own staff but also the wider profession.

Generally seemed to go well and he seemed to get where I was coming from. I had adjusted my approach in the light of the meeting yesterday with Edinburgh and am more comfortable with it.

He expressed an interest in interacting with BEVME with regard to EMS provision and this led to an interesting progression of thinking:

Edinburgh interesting in developing relationships with GP practices via BEVME >> enhancing the EMS experience by providing training to the practices >> Training in the development of coaching and mentoring support rather than clinical training in that these skills would be of direct use and benefit to the practices concerned.

This was the first meeting with a university and there was a lot to learn from it.

Though interested, there seemed to be a real difficulty making the jump to taking a systemic perspective and an expectation that I would lay out the benefits rather than co-creating them.

I need to look at what is communicated and how. It is said that you need to start the journey wherever the person is and I did not achieve this here.

The imminent appointment of a new head of school adds somewhat to the time stress for all involved and it was agreed to revisit the issues early in the New Year.

A generally positive meeting and a number of potential actions for the future emerged.

For me, The key philosophical difficulty remains in that, as things stand, practices are being expected to fulfill a function (Clinical Coaching) for which they are not being trained and we need to either adjust the job name/description or provide appropriate training.

Watch this space !

The reason for choosing this audience was that they are likely to have more
knowledge of the underpinning theory and therefore good to get a critique
from.

Generally, the presentation went well and usefully, they highlighted the
need to focus on the benefits and on encouraging wider engagement into the
process.

They also suggested a potential link at a regional conference that they are
going to hold in 2012, Watch this space.

We have now been invited to a meeting at RCVS to discuss the results and possible ways forward. Our objective for this meeting will be either the removal of the coaching requirement from the VN Scheme or ensuring that adequate effective clinical coach training is provided.

If you would like a copy of the of the surveys and are not yet a member of the BEVME community, please go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BEVME