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5-Steps to Continue Learning for Corporate, Education, Training, Civic, or Association
Who is engaged now? Several recent studies conducted at different times for different reasons all determined within an eerily close degree of results that about one-third of the population will become engaged on their own when put in a group with a common purpose. I believe this is a self-taught skill which cannot be managed but which one can lead individuals in by using activities for them to practice getting feedback from their own daily activities.
How does it work? What's missing is simply re-asking (mostly non-verbally) the critical questions for "what" needs to be done from administrators but in a context of "how" to get desired results through daily activities. Align the overall mission with frontline objectives through challenging everyone to achieve them. Demonstrate intentions, reflection, enjoyment, appreciation, and commitments.
Everyone must also be challenged to participate through asking the critical questions for "How are we doing?" Only then will they continue to use their skills to lead attention, reflection, and involvement. Leading focus, learning, and engagement respectively.
When you ask the question you then own the answer! Asking is more actions than words--inquiry more than questions--reflection more than expression. The reason it is so important in leadership is that "asking/inquiry/reflection" in human nature is fundamental to the learning process. In fact, learning is initiated from asking and then re-enforced with feedback. So, in other words, *while feedback supports learning, it is really the process of asking/inquiry which not only initiates learning but also continues learning. It is common for institutions to share instruction/feedback with those on the frontlines and even the questions, the missing link is the actual participation in the process (set of actions) of asking the critical questions for "How are we doing?". Instructors or teachers in all group learning situations will get far greater results if they can maintain the hearts and minds of everyone. Where everyone includes the group's learners, beneficiaries (in some cases may be the learners themselves), and contributors alike. All are stakeholders and should have expectations for results. Any learning situation will have a greater sustainability if it addresses the emotions and feelings of everyone involved as these "people" skills will affect informal learning. Most studies agree the informal learning and communications is especially significant over a period of time.
The missing-link There is a missing link in frontline daily activities for initiating and continuing learning (workplace, classroom, electronic, or workshop). Critical for maintaining creativity as well as engagement for any learning group with common goals or objectives. This missing link is 'asking' or more correctly 're-asking'. Not really asking questions as much as leading activities to involve everyone in re-asking the critical questions for "How are we doing?" Demonstrating reflection, challenge, and learning for a group towards those that benefit daily from the groups experiences, efforts and skills.
Plato knew that we all learn from experiences and asking, especially the unconscious and non-verbal through emotions and thought. A big idea from business enterprises, but not a new one, to continue learning is to lead a "secondary asking process." A unique practice of five steps for demonstrating focus, learning, and commitments to maintain "engagement.". It works in education by fostering continuous dialogue and keeping the voice of the "customer/beneficiary" on the frontlines of daily activities. Anyone may freely access the process for frontline daily activities through our "Educational Program" Choose either email or Acrobat Reader (.pdf) formats. The program leads a group leader through the five-steps to build a cycle of engagement among associates, customers, and partners alike. I refer to this frontline career skill as the "entrepreneurial ethic," which has been used for over a half-century to make the connection between learners and the customers/beneficiaries of their learning (skills). Even if those beneficiaries are, at least in part, the learners themselves. Whether the setting is a classroom, electronic, coaching, or workplace--in group oriented learning--it is no longer enough to only deliver instruction/answers/feedback. With the likelihood of overload from multiple learning situations, instructors/leaders must actively engage learners. Attention is an increasingly scarce resource.
Leading a preferable feedback Over the long haul, 'soft' people skills will be key in complementing and continuing the execution of 'hard' skills. Activities for leading emotions, feelings, pride, intentions, and enjoyment of people while managing the structure and discipline through programs. For example, the learning processes should include leading groups in asking (mostly non-verbally) customers/beneficiaries the critical questions for "How are we doing?" to involve members directly in feedback from their own daily activities. Illustrated by Dr. Csikszentmihalyi's quote below, although targeted towards the workplace, as a psychologist he pinpoints the human element for any learner to remain actively engaged. Engagement demonstrates intentions, reflection, and attention to sustain commitments, learning, and focus respectively.
© George Reavis 2005 - george@thankingcustomers.com |
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