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So, whats new

This is a question I often ask in my interviews and expect to be asked whenever either I go for an interview (or equally first time meeting with a potential client). What I answer you will know when we meet, but on the other side, very often there is no answer to this question - what's new in the OD space or tell me something new.

For me this question is important because it means you as a practitioner are thinking about new things. Second, it means, you are not content with status quo and you are trying to push the envelope. The trick here is to not fall into the usual trap of 'what is supposed to be cool'. So, pushing jargons here is a sure disaster - like digital detox, micro learning or the so called problem of millennials and attention span (guess why this is wrong).

One of the issues with 'new' is also that the learning and OD space still has a lot of old research - most of which is quite relevant and pertinent and that has become a comfort zone of sorts for people.

And if your answer to the whats new is a lame old answer, I see it as an sign of complacency and disinterest in learning. And even if that is not necessarily new in the world, but new for you, that is sufficient enough. But I would be wary of someone who doesnt have an answer to this one...

PS: Millenials also binge watch - so what is it about the movies that their attention spans are held but not by your learning experiences? And if so, who is to blame for it? Equally there are other things that hold their attention - it is not just binge watching.

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