In the recent MAHRP Learning & Development Conference, the Chief Guest Dr. Mahmood Shougee offered us a reminder that felt both timeless and urgent: transformation is not an abstract idea; it is lived.
He spoke of the “waves” around us: waves of technology that keep reshaping how we work and connect, waves of demographic shifts that change our societies, waves of economic and environmental pressures that test our resilience. These waves, he said, will not pause and wait for us. They will either overwhelm us, or they will carry us forward if we learn how to ride them.
Safe Harbours for Growth
For transformation to take root, organisations must provide what he called safe harbours: cultures where mistakes are not punished, but reframed as opportunities. Environments where people feel free to bring their full selves to work, to experiment, to fail, and to try again.
He reminded us that dialogue is at the heart of learning. But not just any dialogue. It must be open, rational, and constructive. Such conversations require trust. They require leaders who are willing to listen more than they speak, and teams who are willing to explore conflict without fear.
Culture is the Real Curriculum
The Chief Guest was clear: culture is shaped by leaders. If leaders build cultures that are rigid and fearful, growth is stifled. But if leaders cultivate cultures that are supportive and trusting, transformation can flourish.
This is why he challenged us to rethink the language of “human resources.” People are not resources to be consumed. Rather, organisations themselves should become resources for people: places that nourish growth, expand capacity, and multiply human dignity.
Becoming Better Humans
At the heart of transformative learning is something much deeper than skills or knowledge. It is about becoming better human beings. Better workers, yes. Better professionals, yes. But also better neighbours, better citizens, better members of our communities.
That kind of transformation takes humility. It takes courage. It requires us to embrace discomfort as the birthplace of growth.
Dr. Shougee called it the “disorienting dilemma” – those moments when our assumptions no longer serve us, and we must learn anew. If we are brave enough to lean into that disorientation, it can open us to dialogue, renewal, and new possibilities.
Riding Together
As he closed, he reminded us that we can already feel these waves of transformation. They are powerful and real. They can drown us if we resist them. But if we are wise, they can carry us to new horizons.
The question is not whether change will come. The question is whether we will face it with fear, or with readiness. Whether we will treat people as expendable, or invest in them as the true wealth of our organisations.
We must ride these waves wisely. We must build safe harbours for each other. We must make our organisations become places of learning that shape not only better work, but better humans.
Smile and Let Smile.
Smile and Let Smile 