I hope most of you will have seen the New Year update email I sent round on the changes we're working on at the CIPD, and the new strategic direction we're charting.

Communication is always vital, particularly in times of change. But, as George Bernard Shaw commented, 'the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place'.

I see communicating a clear vision and direction for the CIPD as an essential part of my job. I've been using various channels to do the 'broadcast' part of that - telling you all what I've seen and heard, and what we're working on. The recent email was just one part of this.  But the easiest way to fall foul of the trap Shaw identifies is to believe that communication stops when you've finished talking. I'm absolutely determined to also keep listening, and adapting to what I hear. It has been interesting to read through the wide variety of responses to my email, both those sent directly to me, and those that have been appearing through posts on LinkedIn and other social media.

The replies emphasize how you can't communicate to everyone in the same way and expect everyone to hear the same thing. We all have our filters and our points of view that provide frames of reference to what we hear.

I'm heartened by the large number of positive and supportive responses - and by the number of people who freely volunteer to help in some way with our journey of change. I'm also pleased to receive so much constructive critique and a good many responses seeking further clarification, asking what I might have meant by certain things, or challenging on points that I haven't directly called out.

There are some strong common themes in the responses I've received: A definite sense that elements of the L&D community have felt under-served by the CIPD in recent years, and want reassurance that I really mean what I say about addressing this; similar feedback from independent consultants and people working in SMEs, who feel we could do more to support their specific needs; some particular concerns about the flexibility of our standards and membership structures, and about the effectiveness and rigour of our CPD arrangements; and a number of queries from people based outside of the UK about how we can bring to life our commitment to better serve the increasingly international nature of our profession.  These are just some of the most common themes, but I've also read many more helpful and thought-provoking comments on other issues.

I have a real passion and belief for what we can and need to do, both as the CIPD and as a profession. There is much we need to change or challenge, but also much we have achieved and can be proud of. I have been describing, at a high level, what some of the specific areas of change need to be for the CIPD, but we are on a journey and some things will take time. We won't get it all right, and I'm sure there will be many course corrections along the way. But I can assure you all that each of the issues I've listed above are on our agenda, and I am determined that we will meaningfully and tangibly address them.

I will be communicating on a regular basis on progress of ideas, strategic imperatives and change, so there will be more to come, and I want to encourage debate and dialogue.

However, mindful of Shaw's challenge I highlighted above, I'm also keen to find ways to explore some of the themes that I've heard in your feedback in greater depth with you. For those of you from the L&D community who are thinking of attending the exhibition at HRD, I've already scheduled an open access slot on the exhibition floor to hear your feedback on how we've done since the ITD and IPM came together nearly 20 years ago, and whether there is more that we can do. But I'll only reach those in the room with that.

I'm also looking at ways in which we can use social media to create some clearly signposted and focused opportunities to explore some of the strategic challenges we're wrestling with 'live' and in a truly inclusive way - and I'd be keen to hear suggestions on how best to do this, too.  In the meantime, I'll keep getting out and about as much as I can and being as visible as possible.  I talk regularly at branch events, on various conferences and platforms, with HR leadership teams, as well as sharing my thoughts through PM magazine and other trade or mainstream media interviews and articles.

I hope to see many of you on my travels. But if not, please keep your comments coming. Wherever I can, I'll respond directly. But I'll also continue to use this blog to share my thoughts on common themes that I see and hear.