Phil Charles - Transport Futures Institute

What are some of the challenges in evaluating public transport?

The difficulty in the appraisal of public transport projects is well understood.

The main issue relates to accurately identifying and describing the costs and benefits.

Any initiative that improves public transport could be expected to increase public transport use.

Costs are short term (capital infrastructure and vehicles) and long term (operations and maintenance), and low or high cost.

Benefits can be short or longer term, quantifiable in monetary terms or described in qualitative terms and difficult to isolate from a whole range of other factors.

Are you a rational or biased professional?

by Phil Charles

We like to think we are rational decision-making professionals. But the research shows we all have a vast number of biases. Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of behaviour, which means we deviate from making rational judgments. Many of these biases are mental shortcuts, called heuristics, that our brain uses to help us make decisions. Wikipedia … Read more

How to find time for your professional development

by Phil Charles

You need to make building capability a priority in your life

Do you want to become more marketable and be able to win that promotion or new job or get selected for the best projects? Then you have to regularly take time to learn a new skill and develop your knowledge.

But do you struggle to make the time for personal development, even though it’s on your ‘to do’ list?

The urgent or important tasks that need to be done crowd out your work day, and beyond! And you want to spend time with your family and friends and have some time for yourself.

A Whole New Mind – a whole new world

by Phil Charles

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink describes the dawning of the ‘Conceptual Age’. Just as information workers surpassed physical laborers in economic importance, Pink claims, the workplace terrain is changing yet again, and power will inevitably shift to people who possess strong right brain qualities – inventiveness, empathy, … Read more

Is Micro-learning the answer?

by Phil Charles

Micro-learning is the process of learning complex skills in short, focused segments less than 10 minutes.

Providing training by video, short articles and reflection exercises, on multiple devices through various web technologies.

Micro-learning can be undertaken in short bites, so there is less cognitive load on learners and information is easier to absorb, retain, and recall. This matches the human brain processing capabilities and makes it a fit for today’s fast-paced and busy professional life.

Four principles of problem solving

by Phil Charles

George Pólya in his 1957 book How to Solve It suggests the following steps when solving a problem:

First, you have to understand the problem
After understanding, then make a plan.
Carry out the plan.
Look back on your work. How could it be better?

If this technique fails, Pólya advises: “If you can’t solve a problem, then there is an easier problem you can solve: find it.” (1957:114)

Why you should be a life-long learner

by Phil Charles

You finish high school, go on to university, and maybe pursue graduate education – all with the plan of preparing yourself for a career.

When you are in your early 20’s, school feels like a means to an end – you have been at school for 16 years or more.

Once you have a few years in the ‘real world’ you look back and think those days weren’t so bad?

It’s hard to find time now to acquire new knowledge and skills to further your career.

Are you challenging yourself to continue learning in some way that will further your professional development?

How many productive hours a day do you work?

by Phil Charles

So what is productive time? Before I answer the question, how about an exercise.

Get a timer (can be on your watch or your computer or a kitchen timer) and set it for 60 minutes and then just work on a priority task during those 60 minutes – nothing else.

Let me tell you, at first it isn’t easy – you get thirsty and want to get some water, you have the urge to check your emails, you have to go to the toilet, the phone rings, someone comes up and asks you a question – all these little interruptions.

And that my friend is what productive time is all about, focus on the productive tasks.

Continuing your education?

by Phil Charles

The academic curriculum cannot keep pace with the demands of industry, nor the demands of working professionals.

The content of undergraduate education has diminished over the course of the past few decades – primarily in an effort to reduce the cost burden (to government and students), produce more graduates, and maintain the financial outcomes for universities.

As a result of the explosion of knowledge, the rapid rise in information technology and the growing complexity of industry, the job performed by professionals will continue to be increasingly demanding.

The Two-Step Process for Getting Smarter

by Phil Charles

Oh no, I could never do that… I’m not smart enough.

So you think you need a high IQ?

All too frequently, this is the kind of thing you hear from people who have big dreams… but who think they don’t have what it takes to make those dreams come true.

They not only think that you need to be smart to become successful…
They also believe that being smart is not something you can learn (at least not without devoting years to higher education).