How do I become a ‘Learner?
By NINA CHATRATH
1st October 2019
- How can I continually stay grounded, despite my success? Are there any critical feedback givers, who provide me with where I am going wrong, what can I do differently, even unsolicited. Is it possible to get valuable raters who can reach me? More importantly, do I constantly ask myself where can I better myself, do I have the humility to learn life lessons, lessons that I am not taught anywhere but lessons I learn from the environment, and lessons that can make all the difference to my life!
- Leaders too need a reality check. They can begin externally by observing others’ reactions and subtle cues that shed light on their own strengths and weaknesses. Or they can reflect on internal thought patterns or beliefs, which might illuminate opportunities to change old behaviors. Ideally, a blend of outside input, inside reflection, and a chance to test discoveries will create a cycle of ever-deepening self-awareness.
- Institutionalizing feedback as a key component of the supervisor-employee relationship sets the expectation that employees and their managers will regularly ask for and receive candid feedback. This should all be done with a positive intention: to guide and support people toward job success. Leaders who carefully assess situations and their own ability to deliver, balance self-confidence and humility, which is a huge critical differentiator in today’s dynamic times. They are more likely to put themselves in a position where they will be successful and less likely to set themselves up to fail inadvertently.
- Having said all of the above, there are also blocked personal learners who are unable to learn from experiences – both good and bad. Their coaching is unlikely to yield results. Here a calamity of sorts can teach you a lesson, and hopefully gaining meaningful employment after a hiatus of 8 month can be just the lesson he needed, or indeed drawing a parallel between personal and professional life, to establish a need for change and visit some of their behaviors!
Finally if you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you got, and worse! Continual self-rejuvenation is called for as they say ‘What got you to here, won’t get you there’!
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