On Growth: Stevie Gray

“Growth” – what an interesting word!

My immediate thoughts are of children who grow taller and heavier, with what seems to be every passing minute; until suddenly they are bigger and stronger than you are! The human baby takes nine months, generally, to grow before entering this world with the capability to survive. Animals vary, with elephants’ gestation period being the longest of all at 22 months and they arrive being able to stand up very quickly after birth!
As our bodies grow, so does our brain and our intellectual capacity, as it is stimulated by events that occur around us. Hopefully, as we grow and develop in our knowledge and physical capabilities, we also develop our understanding and our humility with regard to our fellow man.
But what about those who do not have an opportunity to grow intellectually? Or those who do not recognise that they have grown, other than in physical size? I find many who tell me that their job is boring and they do the same things all the time. I always try to encourage people to look for the best in their job and their personal life and I have never failed to find something that they have achieved or improved upon. Once this is recognised I find that they become a more positive person.
I have an employee, who had been with us for five years or more, when it became apparent to me that he had no literacy skills. Between us we rectified this over the next three or four years, until he reached level two standard. He won awards from the college he eventually attended and was so very proud of his achievements. The interesting thing with regard to this story is that not only did he achieve a skill, which many of us take for granted, but his whole body seemed to alter and ‘grow’ in the process – he stood tall. So he had grown physically as well, through a mental process.
I wonder if my first thought with regards to growth was of children, because I am a mother. Growth is in the papers all the time with regards to economic and capital growth. As always in economics we need to increase the quantity over a certain period of time, we must not stand still. Very much at the forefront of all of our minds at present, however I prefer to think of the human capacity for person growth.

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Stevie Gray is an HR Manager in a large hotel in Stratford upon Avon, where she has been employed for many years.  She completed an MA in HRD at Warwick University in the late 90s.  Her inspiration to study at this level came from her mentor Prof. Lynn Martin.  She loves the sea and the countryside and recently completed her Day Skipper Theory Shore based Course - which she said was more difficult than the MA!