Tag: learning
Before Competence
I finally got around to reading Before Happiness by Shawn Achor over the holidays. It’s an insightful book that describes how we must learn to see the world through a more positive lens which allows us to summon the motivation, emotion, and intelligence necessary to achieve happiness and success. The reading prompted me to begin…
A Challenge to the Training Function: Is Learning a Two-Way Street?
Despite high levels of engagement, facilitative delivery styles, and even attempts at user-generated content, most training is still a fairly one-way communication vehicle; the trainer shares information, guides some discussion, and builds the group’s knowledge… all of which is important. But learning professionals are exposed to a lot of valuable data and input in the…
Transforming While Performing
I’m always surprised when leaders explain to me why it’s hard to make development a priority. They invariably say that it comes down to time. It’s not uncommon to hear some variation of: “My people are so maxed out, over-burdened, and under-resourced, that they don’t have a spare minute to dedicate to their development.” But…
Unconscious Competence or Catatonic Complacency?
If you’ve attended more than a workshop or two in your career, you’ve likely been introduced to the four stages of competence or the four stages of learning any new skill. Developed in the 1970’s by Noel Burch, this model describes the process by which new skills are acquired: Unconscious incompetence: You’re blissfully ignorant of…
Career Development Today: Is Your Head Screwed on Straight?
Surviving and thriving in today’s dynamic workplace demands one thing above all else: having your head screwed on straight about career development. The mixed messages and ever-changing expectations have left many employees genuinely befuddled. So, here’s a guide to the mindsets that will make sense out of the complex environment in which most of us…
Managers, Mentors, and a Lot More
Chip Bell and Marshall Goldsmith have just introduced another gem into the leadership development world. Managers as Mentors: Building Partnerships for Learning is now available everywhere books are sold. It’s a rich resource, filled with wisdom, perspective, and examples drawn from their impressive careers in the field. But while its focus is on mentoring, the…