PAPERmaking! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY Volume 7, Number 1, 2021
practice non-defensiveness, always try to thank the other person. Consider the feedback carefully so you can see patterns (and changes) over time. x Reflect, both alone and with others. Learning occurs when you take the time to reflect, to shift your thinking beyond merely what happened to ask why things happened the way they did. Reflection helps to surface the intuitive and lock it in for future reference. So step back from the busyness and figure out what you’re learning from a project, from an interaction, from a new experience. Talk about what’s currently working well and what isn’t — or debrief what’s already happened. Conduct after - action reviews where you, and relevant others, reflect by asking questions: What happened? Why did it happen that way? What should we stop/start/continue doing in order to ensure success in the future? What changes in knowledge, skill level, attitudes, behavior, or values resulted from the experience? 4. Adapt and Apply. Through your experiences, you’ve learned things. Over time, you get better at applying those learnings to navigate new and challenging situations. x Learn to rely on your intuition. Concentrate on principles and rules of thumb. People who rate high on learning agility tell us they operate largely on feel and flexibility. When faced with something new, look for similarities between the situation and things you’ve done in the past. Draw on these similarities to frame the new challenges. x Don’t overthink. Under pressure, you probably feel the urge to get things done quickly. Ironically, consciously searching your mind for ideas and solutions closes us off to both the wisdom of others and our own experience. Inspiration often comes from the unconscious; being open to this can spark new ideas and strengthen performance. Be a flexible leader and don’t shy away from experimentation as you venture into new territory. Our research has found that learning-agile superstars engage in these 4 behaviors at a significantly higher level of skill and commitment than everyone else — and get great results over and over again. (That’s why it’s often said that great leaders are great learners.) Ultimately, your ability to c ontinuously learn and adapt will determine the extent to which you thrive in today’s turbulent times — and succeed in the future. If you follow our tips to improve your learning agility, you’ll make the most of your experiences. By seeking, sense-making, internalizing, and applying, you’ll do more, learn more, and have a more satisfying career.
Article 10 – Leadership
Page 3 of 3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator