Glossary

ardor - A feeling of ardent passion or desire, fierce or burning heat; fire, a radiant spirit.


Last Friday, 14 June 2002, we surveyed seven Members at our Centre to determine the human resources they hold that can contribute to developing our exhibitions.

Our Centre holds many of the world's rare art treasures, such as, calligraphy by Japanese calligraphy Master Shonan and other Buddhist Masters, a 6th century Bangladeshi Buddha image and other rare images and rare thankas, medallions and texts.

Persons who can coordinate real or on line exhibitions such as public display programs require many skills and knowledges.
We are considering hosting a series of exhibitions, to display our treasures to selected audiences. To do this, we need a comprehensive set of underpinning knowledges and skills.

Such a set of competencies is found in the Museum & Library/Information Services Industry Training Package on Coordinating exhibitions and/or public programs, found in Qualifications, National Competency Standards and Assessment Guidelines, produced by the Australian National Training Authority, CUL99.

We used their commendations as a basis for a survey questionnaire.

Seven Members were surveyed and requested to tick the various skills areas they thought they were competent in and cross the skill areas in which they were not.

Here we give you the results of the survey starting with the highest number of positive responses.

Working collaboratively in a team - seven Members

Reading detailed planning documents - six Members

Customer service - six Members

Team leadership - five Members

Managing functions or others - five Members

Project management - five Members

Speaking clearly, concisely and in a friendly manner - five Members

Listening, questioning and clarification - five Members

Lateral thinking skills, solving difficult or unusual problems - four Members

Safe work and manual handling procedures - four Members

Sources of expert advice - four Members

Planning marketing - four Members

Evaluation techniques - four Members

Writing business letters, proposals, project plans, reports - four Members

Proposal development - four Members

Planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluating projects - four Members

Community networking - four Members

Project planning, funding and management - three Members

Program development and delivery - three Members

Managing human, financial and technical resources - three Members

Preparing budgets and resource estimates - three Members

Audience development - three Members

The institution’s policies and priorities for exhibitions and public programs - three Members.

Intellectual and copyright issues - two Members

A wide range of highly specialised technical, creative or conceptual skills - two Members.

The institution’s users and their needs - two Members

Security and protection of the collection - two Members

Exhibition presentation techniques - two Members

Legal, ethical and financial requirements for exhibitions and public programs - one Member.

Conservation methods and principles - one Member

Insurance and indemnity requirements - one Member

Cultural protocols and applying cross cultural sensitivity and effective communication techniques to all communications - one Member

Indigenous culture and issues - one Member

An understanding of specialised knowledge with depth in some areas - one Member.

We need to work in teams, to ensure continuity of work, and to cultivate our five styles of Friendliness, Practicality, Professionalism, Cultural Adaptability and Scholarship.

Before we commence the planning of a project, we must train Members in those areas in which we have few skilled persons, or find new helpers. This makes our current highest priority areas for skill building:

An understanding of specialised knowledge with depth in some areas

A wide range of highly specialised technical, creative or conceptual skills

Legal, ethical and financial requirements for exhibitions and public programs

Insurance and indemnity requirements

Cultural protocols and applying cross cultural sensitivity and effective communication techniques to all communications

Indigenous culture and issues

Intellectual and copyright issues

The institution's users and their needs

Security and protection of the collection

Conservation methods and principles

Preparing budgets and resource estimates, and

Exhibition presentation techniques.

This small survey gives us indicators of the fitness for use for the project of our key human resource.

This action research process is the path to development: We call this action research process Human Resource Development (HRD).

Human Resource Development is a general term which incorporates training, education and development. Nadler and Nadler (1992) define it as "organised learning experiences provided by employers within a specific period of time to bring about the possibility of performance improvement and or personal growth".

The term 'development' when considered in relation to training implies a longer term and broader effect of the learning experience, for example, personal development or career development.

It emphasises 'growth' of Members and improvement of their 'potential', for example to move toward promotions and preparation for management positions.

Therefore, it concentrates upon general rather than specific skills to suit a wider range of positions.

Examples of such skills could include leadership, self awareness, confidence and writing.

It may also include more advanced exposure to techniques of goal setting, policy and procedure development strategic planning and principles and techniques of communication and motivation.

What stops us from adapting to change? Our views and opinions.

Though honest self-assessment is one of the most vital steps in Human Resource Development and Buddha Dhamma Practice, it is also one of the most difficult.

When workers go on strike or slow down, it means Human Resource Development processes have failed.

To enter this domain of inquiry goes against our very sense of personal identity, and thus to have to pierce the thick screens of delusions and blind emotivity which keep that sense of identity intact.

At present, in Australia, there is strike action in the steel industry. It is effecting deliveries to the local car manufacturers.

Saturday 15 June 2002 the Australian Newspaper reports on page one: ‘Steel prices are at 20 year lows, blighted by over supply and weak demand. BHP Steel whose customers, particularly vehicle manufacturers, are able to source steel from anywhere in the world very quickly, needs to be fleet footed to compete.

Ford boss Geoff Polites put it more brutally than most, saying on Thursday: “we could go overseas right now - permanently”.

Normally, in subservience to our need to confirm to ourselves our uniqueness and irreplaceable importance, we proceed to construct mental pictures - indeed, a picture gallery - of what we imagine ourselves to be.


These projects born of the quest to substantiate our sense of identity only increase our suffering. The more we lock ourselves into the images we form of ourselves, the more we alienate ourselves from others and close off our access to liberating truth. Thence, release from suffering requires that we gradually discard our delusive self-images through rigorous examinations of our minds.

The Saturday Australian Newspaper Page 1 also reported that: ‘BHP Steel’s building manufacturing markets president, Noel Cornish, has been with BHP since 1969, steeped in its culture. But when he worked for two years at the company’s non-unionised North Star steel mill in Delta, Ohio, he saw his vision of the perfect work arrangements.

“It was very motivated, capable work force at Ohio, very impressive,” Cornish told The Weekend Australian. The workforce knew what the company’s needs were, and were prepared to work for them “from the office secretaries to the crane drivers”.

What is the most useful canonical reference for our purpose to advise unions?

The Venerable Sariputta in the Discourse on No Blemishes (Majjima Nikaya), stresses the role of honest self-assessment as a prerequisite of spiritual growth. He points out that just as a dirty bronze bowl, deposited in a dusty place and utterly neglected, only becomes dirtier and dustier, so if we fail to recognise the blemishes of our minds we will not make any effort to eliminate them, but will continue to harbour greed, hate and delusion and will die with a corrupted mind.

And just as a dirty bronze bowl which is cleaned and polished will in time become bright and radiant, so if we recognise the blemishes of our minds we will arouse our energy to purify them, and having purged ourselves of blemishes we will die with an undefiled mind.

The task of self-knowledge is always a difficult one, but it is only by knowing our minds that we will be able to shape them, and it is only by shaping our minds that we can liberate them.

In our Human Resource Development, we introduce the method of satipatana taught by the Buddha and apply it to our organisation to achieve our Human Resource Development objectives of how we want do things around here.

The Buddha Dhamma teaching of satipatana details the correct order of mental operations for successful results. This is a five-stage sequential process:

Generate the Intention
Make the Effort
Arouse the Energy
Apply the Mind
Put Ardor on Top

There are 125 different permutations and combinations of these five steps; however, only one sequence will achieve the objective at hand. Only one sequence is Buddhist practice.

For example:

We considered the notion of weekly broadcast for ten years, before we started four years ago (generated the intention).

During that time we made the effort to develop wordsmiths who could meet deadlines.

Then we aroused the energy to start and fund the project and select a suitable broadcaster.

Then we applied the mind to the sustainability of words, scripts and presenters for a long term project.

Then we put ardor on top to keep it running.

Buddhist Hour Broadcast Multi Skilling of Team Members has been applied to minute taking at International Conferences at the World Fellowship of Buddhists Conferences.

For four years or more we produced a manual landlord’s report for the Essential Services provision.

Development and implementation of computerised Essential Services Inspection System and documentation Manuals has been practiced this year by several Members.

Human Resource Development can be a process oriented both to the individual (personal development) or to groups of Members for the purpose of training people to work effectively in teams.

For example, activity areas dealing with the present future for our Human Resource Development are: training (learning related to present task); education (learning related to future task). Development (not specifically task focused) is also achieved.

Our role of Human Resource Development includes designing, developing and facilitating learning (learning specialists), supervising programs, facilities, resources and linkages (Manager of Human Resource), and being a change agent, advocate, expert, stimulator, etc (Human Resource Development Consultant).

The Stace Report entitled 'The Value Added Organisation, A Submission to the Working Party on Trainer Training 1996' suggested the several core competencies as essential to training or Human Resource Development Skills:


We are focused on three questions at present:

Question 1:
Why is knowledge of the organisational mission, its business strategy and the ability to translate this into training and development a core competency?

Our mission is to last at least 500 years. One example of our business strategy is we promise to get the radio broadcast text onto our website at www.bdcublessings.net.au by Saturday evening, so it can be read by listeners as it is broadcast.

If we fail (even once) to meet this sold expectancy, we lose credibility that would be difficult to rebuild. We would lose present goodwill and future patrons.

All Team members must strive to meet these timelines a part of the big picture.

Question 2:
Why is the ability to relate training and development to general Human Resource Management Practices necessary?

Secrecy about skills is to cease. Skills must be written down and shared. The conglomerate of many competencies and skills taught and practiced at the same time, is branded Human Resource Management or HRM.

To keep Members aware and motivated for the common good and the good of others (our clients) means they do not de-skill themselves and are prepared to hand over good information to our local area network (LAN) for others to find and use.

Question 3:
How is knowledge of, and skills in, adult learning in a Buddhist organisation different to the sort of training given to school children in Australia?

We make no distinction between children and adults. Both are expected to maintain morality comprising five precepts as taught at our Centre. At all times : no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying and no use of intoxicants, is maintained.

Members are expected to meet regularly in harmony and depart in harmony.

Our leaders are shown respect.

Old Members are cherished.

Mothers are helped with their children.

The premises are well maintained by the Members. All clean.

Buddhist organisations globally are realising the benefits of making better use of Human resource Management knowledge, with the field of Knowledge Management developing as a way of managing knowledge resources and processes to help achieve organisational objectives. They are well globalised and not parochial.

We invite interested persons to come to help us in Human Resource Development. Please look at our websites for more information at www.bdcu.org.au

May you be well and happy.

This script was written and edited by John D. Hughes, Dip. App. Chem. T.T.T.C GDAIE, Julian Bamford B.A. App. Rec., Leanne Eames, B.A., M.A., Evelin Halls Dip. Foreign Language Correspondence, Pennie White B.A. Dip.Ed. and Lainie Smallwood B.A. (Business & Communication).


References

Our eight websites are:
www.bdcu.org.au
www.bdcublessings.net.au
www.bddronline.net.au
www.bsbonline.com.au
www.buyresolved.com.au
www.companyontheweb.com/buddhamap
www.companyontheweb.com/buddhatext
www.skybusiness.com/j.d.hughes


References

1. Australian National Training Authority (1999) Museum & Library/Information Services Industry Training Package, CULMS603A: Coordinate exhibitions and/or public programs, pp. 234 -235.

2. Kannegieter, Tim. 'New Framework for the Knowledge Era'
Association Management. Official Magazine of the Australian Society of Association Executives and New Zealand Association of Executives. Vol.3 Number 3. June 2002.

3. Nadler and Nadler (1992) 'Establishing a Training Function', Australia
& New Zealand Training and Development Management Manual,
CCH Australia Limited.

4, Reddy, Anjaneya (2002) 'In the cause of Dhamma', Suhrullekha,
Quarterly, April-June 2002, p. 8.


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Document Statistics

Counts
Words: 2172
Sentences: 97
Paragraphs: 133
Syllables: 3118

Averages
Words per sentence: 22.4
Sentences per paragraph: 0.7

Percentages
Passive Sentences: 21%

Readability Statistics
Flesch Grade Level: 13.9
Coleman-Liau Grade Level: 21.3
Bormuth Grade Level: 11.5
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 43.9
Flesch Kincaid Score: 11.4

Total editing time: 30 hours
Version number: 1
Revisions of this document : 67


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This Radio Script is for Free Distribution. It contains Buddha Dhamma material and is provided for the purpose of research and study.

Permission is given to make printouts of this publication for FREE DISTRIBUTION ONLY. Please keep it in a clean place.

"The gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts".

© 2002. Copyright. The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

For more information, contact the Centre or better still, come and visit us.

May You Be Well And Happy

© 2002. Copyright. The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

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