When I reflect on what energizes and motivates me …. Learning is always part of the equation. Can be my learning, can be someone else’s learning (which is another way of saying that I enjoy helping others develop and grow, too).
Learning matters.
Recently, we initiated an Ops Review with our management team. The goal was to update management and staff on certain topics, and also to acknowledge the significant team accomplishments. It was great. Well received. And impactful. We will carry this forward. During the meeting our VP asked each team to additionally share their learnings so that she could understand what the stumbling blocks were and how were planning to overcome in the future.
Learning matters.
As an agile program manager, one of the tools of the trade is the Retrospective. The team members (in small groups of 5 to 8) reflect on the past iteration. Asking questions like: How satisfied are we? What were the +/-‘s? Who do we want to appreciate? What do we want to remember? See the book Agile Retrospectives and a previous post (Retrospectives that work) for many more ideas! Without retrospectives, agile teams will languish.
Learning matters.
On a personal level, I learn best through action and reflection. In other words, I make mistakes and then try to learn from them! A mistake without learning is one that I will soon be repeating…. I love the agile “failure bow”…. Take responsibility; say it to your stakeholders and your teams. I made a mistake, I did xyz. Take responsibility, own it, learn, and then move on!
Learning matters.
Daily learning. Even in a corporate setting. Especially in a corporate setting!
What motivates you?
What are you learning?
Tags: courage; coaching; inspiring, learning; agile; failure
Agile Dreamer 
May 23, 2013 at 8:38 pm |
I so agree. I keep referring to Carol Dweck’s book Mindset that expands on the differences between having a fixed mindset and a learning (or growth) mindset.
You can hear it embedded in c&c corporate language: “We only employ the best!” Well if they’re the best, how can they learn any more? “I haven’t read a book since I finished my Master!” Poor soul is confronted by the possibility that to learn more might imply they weren’t qualified, weren’t good enough. Fixed mindset.
But then there’s “Well, I don’t know how to do it today, but I can work it out. Maybe there’s someone on the team who can help me” or “What’s working? What’s not working? What’s missing that could make a difference?” Growth mindset.
So important. If your organization isn’t learning, and someone else’s is, then who’s going to be getting ahead in the game?