Roffey Park faces the future determined to interpret its original ethos in a modern context as it aims to work with organisations and their people to create a more enlightened way of working
For sixty years, Roffey Park has been at the forefront of organisational and personal development. In that time, Roffey Park – and, more broadly, the workplace – has seen many changes. Despite these changes, there are some constant themes that have informed the Roffey ethos from its inception – as visitors to the 60th birthday celebrations in June learned.
The key theme of the 60th birthday was enlightenment: demonstrating how Roffey Park’s enlightened approach has enabled it to pioneer ground-breaking methods of helping people deal with the stresses of the workplace and develop their skills. Over the course of a stimulating and informal day, guests were invited to participate in creative sessions, such as drumming workshops, laughter gyms and story telling sessions, as well as listen to Roffey Park directors and futurologist Hardin Tibbs. The day also provided a rich overview of Roffey Park’s distinguished history and an intriguing glimpse into the future.
Staff and members of the local community also had the opportunity to enjoy the anniversary with a ‘Lark in the Park’ on the following day.
Roffey Park Institute was established in 1946 as a training and research facility for the existing rehabilitation centre. The Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre had been founded in 1944 to treat workers suffering from low level psychological disorders brought on by the stresses of the war effort in congenial surroundings, away from the restrictions of the workplace. The end goal was to return them to productive roles in industry.
This was an enlightened approach designed to help both the ‘patients’, their organisations and society in general, funded initially by British industry. Its success was such that, in order to share its new expertise with the rest of the world, the Institute was created to disseminate information about the new treatments that were being developed.
From the outset, Roffey Park took a holistic approach - taking sociological, psychological and physiological factors into account and encouraging a collaborative rather than prescriptive process. Much of what characterises Roffey Park's distinctive style and philosophy was evident in those early days. For example, the inaugural programme at the Institute included group discussions in which the participants were encouraged to talk about their own experiences and share their learning. The tutors also provided a high level of individual attention to address the needs of each participant.
The conducive environment of Roffey Park was evident in this observation made by one of the tutors. 'The efficiency of the learning depends as much on the atmosphere, the surroundings and the personal relations involved as the actual material presented.'
This remains as true in 2006 as it did back then.Today, Roffey Park hosts a range of different development programmes, most of which benefit from the unique setting and atmosphere deep in the English countryside. And Roffey Park’s role remains as critical in the modern business environment as it did in post-war Britain.
With increasing levels of workplace stress, more emphasis being placed on personal development and an ongoing national debate about work-life balance, Roffey Park fulfils a vital role in helping people achieve peak performance at work. It is this ‘golden thread’ of enlightened thinking that has remained relevant over the years and which formed a central theme for the 60th celebrations.
This was also reflected in the speech given by futurologist Hardin Tibbs which showed how Roffey Park has been ahead of the curve in terms of its psychological and humanistic approach to personal and organisational development. Indeed, he argued that shifting social values have vindicated the Roffey Park approach as the emphasis on personal development is now common among enlightened companies.
Hardin discussed the subtle and complex changes being wrought in our society by the decline in religious certainty combined with a rebellion against a coldly linear and mechanistic approach to life. He identified a new demographic that has been shaped in reaction to these developments which has been named the ‘cultural creative’.
The increasing influence of the cultural creative mindset, he argued, presents Roffey Park and similar institutes with an ideal opportunity to address some of the challenges affecting British business.
Roffey Park faces the future determined to interpret its original ethos in a modern context as it aims to work with organisations and their people to create a more enlightened way of working. Becoming an enlightened organisation will also be a very personal journey for the whole Roffey Park community.
As guests discovered on a glorious day in June, Roffey Park remains at the forefront of personal and organisational development and is committed to finding new ways in which this can be shared with organisations of all sizes and people of all types.