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Graduated
Ph.D. in chemistry in 1971.
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Shell
Oil, Chemical Sales then HO Training and Recruitment
1971-76. In his capacity as Training and Recruitment
Officer with Shell Oil (1974-76), Dr Little was sent
to Melbourne by Shell for a total period of eight weeks,
there to review training methods and philosophies, and
to bring back those applicable to New Zealand. He studied
in detail the corporate training systems and approach
of Shell in Australasia and had regular contact with
Senior Shell Trainers in the extensive establishments
overseas. During this time he began his research into
human behaviour change and models of psychology and
aetiology of human mood and conduct, and it was about
1974 he resolved to develop more comprehensive and more
general and more thorough understanding of human mood
and conduct. He says that had he known then it would
take twenty years, he may not have begun.
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Fisher
International, Commercial Director 1976-78. Responsible
to owner, Mr L.J. Fisher for the commercial operations
of the company, left upon Mr Fisher’s death.
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Own
business in human development and behaviour change1978
to present.
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During
1978/79 Dr Little was counsellor and assistant director
of pre-employment program for disadvantaged youth on
the North Shore where he was involved in assisting these
young people to build better lives, challenges included
poor educational history, substance abuse, family dysfunction,
and sexual abuse.
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From
1979 through 1981 Dr Little begun his own business initially
training and offering coaching to business on the North
Shore, with an emphasis on principles of behaviour change
typical of psychology and then emerging in the academic
literature.
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Began
the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Social Sciences
Ltd (ITASS) in 1981. As founder and CEO Dr Little was
involved in a range of human behaviour change, guided
at peak ten psychologists with clients largely from
doctors referral, involved in designing and supporting
implementation of public programs from assertiveness,
to male and female sexuality, weight and smoking control,
and substance abuse programs. Invited to the Auckland
Medical School, since to review and discuss Doctor professional
development, since by then ITASS had over 90% of Auckland
doctors through evening seminars, conducted by Dr Little,
whereas they could never get more than 50-60% to their
professional development seminars. Business was very
successful and if put back together now, the units would
be a very large social sciences institute, what was
less successful was the four-way shareholding with three
psychologists, which is why the business split with
each party taking own pieces. In the end Dr Little was
offered the majority share, and asked to run it as a
business. He says: “in hindsight, this is the
only business decision I have ever regretted, for I
should have taken this offer”.
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The
entrepreneur and Managing Director of The New Zealand
Business School initially as a subsidiary of ITASS.
NZBS grew rapidly to thirty staff and 12 000 enrolments
annually from managers, team leaders and salespeople.
It suffered heavily in the 1987 crash and recession
following. It was put into liquidation in 1993. Dr.
Little was bankrupt 1993-96. During this period Dr Little
refined and developed the principles of human development
and behaviour change in formal authority systems, and
today this understanding remains a corner stone of his
work, though now the understanding extended by his in
depth analysis of the aetiology of human mood and conduct
and the application of behaviour change principles to
open and general social systems (communities for example).
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Business
Development Associates 1994 to present, the consulting
business owned and operated by Dr. Little, focused on
enhancing management leadership in small to medium businesses.
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Dr Little
very much sees his activities currently focused on behaviour
change in formal authority systems, in short, businesses,
but with the core of the principles applicable to broader
questions of facilitation of change in open social systems
such as communities. This understanding is deepened
but his now thorough analysis of aetiology of mood and
conduct in people. This understanding published at his
web site www.grlphilosophy.co.nz.
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Five
years of a monthly column in NZ Management Magazine.
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Four
years with a weekly talk back spot on Radio 1ZB business
hour.
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Four
books published: 101 Ways to be a Better Manager, then
101 Ways to be a Better Sales, Production and Retail
Manager. These sold over 20 000 copies in the NZ, with
additional sales in Singapore and Thailand.
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Over
one hundred articles on management and human development
in NZ and overseas magazines and journals.
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Articles
on philosophy in impact of science on society and World
Future Society Bulletin.
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Regular
commentator on social and political issues through newspaper
articles and letters to editor.
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Monthly
column in NZ Manufacturer Magazine, for two years.
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Five
books published on leadership in London, these are Management
Team Leadership; Five Steps to Successful Business Leadership;
Retail Store Leadership; Operations Team Leadership;
and Sales Team Leadership.
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Dr Little
is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors, Associate
Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, and
Member of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.
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Since
1974, Dr. Little has had over 15 000 hours face-to-face
training and facilitation experience with individuals
and small groups.
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It is
this work that has provided the empirical basis of the
philosophy and theories on why people do what they do.
For the past seventeen years Dr. Little has also been
thinking about, working, and writing on the solution
to crucial issues in psychology and philosophy. He currently
has a personal philosophy web site, www.grlphilosophy.co.nz
on the philosophy he has developed, and his resolution
of the problem of cause, a general theory of knowledge,
and general theory of psychology.
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It is
this combination of practical experience, writing and
reflection on that experience and related philosophical
issues that has given rise to the sharp, practical insights
Dr Little uses in his work and seeks to bring to a broader
international market.
