This is the 5th installment of Pamela’s Summer of Learning Series.
Embarking on any new endeavor can feel risky and scary. Fear of failure, looking stupid, not fitting in, and more keep many people from venturing out of their comfort zones.Over the years of facilitating agile leadership events around the globe, one thing stands out:
Meaningful and transformative learning is relational, not transactional.
This is especially true when we are stretching to be more agile.
Whether responding to the unexpected and unplanned or tackling a new opportunity, we are entering new territory.
To be effective when we experience uncertainty and its companion, anxiety, we must challenge ourselves to become more comfortable being uncomfortable.
Research and your own experience show that one of the best ways to accomplish this is by venturing into new territory with a trusted friend or colleague.
If you have ever been lost traveling far from home, you know a fellow traveler can make the difference between an incredibly stressful experience and a delightful adventure. The same is true when we navigate the uncertainty of new territory in our work: Find a fellow traveler or learning buddy to reduce uncertainty, share your discoveries, and grow your confidence and engagement.
The Superpower of a Learning Buddy
After years of helping others take such learning risks, I wrote about the power of finding and participating in Community, in Staying in the Game.
The people in such communities can be your learning Superpower.
Find the Right Fellow Traveler for Each Trip
As I embarked on my Summer of Learning, I’ve paired up with my longtime friend and colleague, communication coach, Mari Pat Varga.With her ever-evolving work in business and social impact, she is the perfect learning buddy for the journey into the world of AI.
Once again, I’ve found the value of not going into uncharted territory alone.
With my fellow traveler, getting lost is simply part of the adventure. We each have someone to ask “dumb” questions, share the results of our latest experiments, and attend workshops, and debrief.
Four Learning Success Strategies
Whether or not you have joined me on the #summeroflearning or simply want to renew your commitment to being learning agile, here are four reminders to support your success:
1. Find a fellow traveler who can be your learning buddy.
2. Commit to regular check-ins to swap discoveries and stay accountable to making progress.
3. Review the competence statement you drafted at the start of your journey (here is the template if you missed it).
4. Use the Embodied Reflection and Action framework to help you translate your insights into action (complimentary with your copy of Staying in the Game).
Bonus Resources
Here are a few more resources to help you build your learning agility:
- My piece on the value of Tapping Your Relational Web to reduce uncertainty and boost your agility capability.
- Interesting research showing how interpersonal relationships can affect perception (for example of how steep a slope is), with insights into how fellow travelers can help you be more effective in stressful situations.
- Restoration and Inspiration. I’m a huge fan of sculpture parks to spark awe and wonder and renew my faith in humanity. My favorites so far are on the grounds of the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands and Kistefos outside of Oslo, Norway. Here is a list of 10 More to Add to Your Bucket List.
- If your colleagues and team members could use a boost of inspiration, please share the #SummerOfLearning “Learning Letter” sign-up link: Share SOL Newsletter!
What are your sources of inspiration and restoration?