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Once upon a time I was the center of the universe. It. Was. Awesome. In my high school social studies classroom, I was the sun, and all of my little planets circled around me. Where I drifted, they drifted, what I wondered, they wondered with me. I burned brightly as the uncontested middle of my own Milky Way, and I loved it. Lecture? Sure I lectured. But I was different - I was really GOOD at it. My supervisors lauded my engaging presence in the classroom. I did voices, I sang, my one-woman show in the front of the room had the audience (yes, read that again - audience) in the palm of my hand. Many students, even those who might not have listed social studies on their chart of personal passions, would comment, “This class is really interesting.” My desire to be a teacher started around 2nd grade, when I would give my preschool-aged sister coloring page “assignments,” and then brutally correct them with a fat, red crayon. I wanted to be a teacher because I thought correcting papers would be a good time, and that it would also be fun to write on the board. (Turned out I was half right - I do like to write on the board.) The excitement for becoming the next Mrs. Beadle (see also: big fan of Little House on the Prairie) waned as I learned of much more glamorous opportunities. What about being a politician? A lawyer? How about a ROCK STAR??? Note to self: Write thrilling autobio-blog about the harrowing tales of an 18-year-old me auditioning for bands around Philadelphia … but I digress. I ended up majoring in Political Science Pre-Law, but as life unfolded and I, now a young mother with law school not in the immediate realm of possibility, realized that I wasn’t seeing “Political Scientist Wanted” in the small town local paper, I realized I needed to go with plan B (Plan C? D? There were a lot of plans). What job can one do with a political science degree in a rural area with a small child? I can be a social studies teacher! It appealed to my need for a mom-friendly schedule, my inclination to work in public service, and, I reveal with a modicum of embarrassment, my true desire to be “on stage.” I am a person who can really tell a tale. I can lace up a story like nobody’s business, have the listeners enthralled, engaged and perhaps even in stitches. The power is DELICIOUS. It reminds me of my years as a cheerleader and later as a cheer coach. We talked frequently about getting the crowd “in your pocket.” Once they are in your metaphorical pocket, they will stand up, turn around, call back, stomp their feet. Go Back in Time With Me to a Classroom Far, Far Away - “One day the mighty Athena challenged Arachne to a weave-off!” I declared. (Get in my pocket.) “And that, my friends (*arms wide for dramatic effect), is why it is called ‘Rome’ and not ‘Reme!’” I announced. (I totally own this room.) “The legend says that as the carpet roll was laid at Antony’s feet, the rug was suddenly unfurled to reveal a very committed, though probably sweaty, Cleopatra. ‘Hello, Antony,’” ← Read husky voice there. (Class snorting with laughter - Oh man, I’m killin’ it here!)  Note: Artist rendering - not actual photo. And all of this is fine, perhaps even admirable. Students engaged in listening to riveting stories of historical heartbreak, fanatical fervor, and courageous capers, what else could one want? But who is missing from this story? THE STUDENTS!!! Now, I don’t want to say I never included the students in my lesson planning. There were lots of opportunities for collaboration and reflection on my lectures, chances for students to show what they learned from my lectures, and carefully created assessments to make sure they had gleaned the intended information from my lectures. But she who does the teaching does the learning. And after all that lecturing, I knew my stuff. My students were experts at receiving The Knowledge, and I was the Keeper of the Knowledge. The Sun in the Solar System of My Classroom. The Center of the Universe. And that wasn’t so great. Because while my Drunk History (Yes, I was once told the reason my class was engaging was because I taught like that TV show on Comedy Central - I swear it was a compliment) style of class instruction could reel them in, it wasn’t leaving my young consumers of The Knowledge enough space to become the creators of The Knowledge. It shouldn’t have been me spinning out of that imaginary Cleopatra carpet, it should have been them. The truest evidence of understanding is when we can teach the idea to someone else, and I missed an opportunity to let them discover, interpret, and share what they understood. So today I implore you - whether you are a teacher in a classroom or a leader of adults - to stop saving the best stories for yourself and let your team tell the tales. A true leader doesn’t have to have all the answers, they just need to facilitate the process of their team’s learning and understanding. A great leader points their team toward the carpet and lets them uncover what (or who) is inside. Gentle Breezes - Shannon PS: As I continue to reflect on my own growth, I invite you to join me in thinking about ways you have grown as a leader of humans - mistakes made, lessons learned, and aspirations developed. Me? I will be over here, thinking about the blessing of that time I learned what it means to truly be a facilitator of learning. (Ah, I sense another installment of Confessions From the Former Sun coming on - - -)
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When I want to know how to do something, I look it up on Youtube. I get to hear someone talk through the experience, demonstrate how to do it, address issues encountered, and see what the finished product looks like. When I don’t catch part of the instructions, I rewind the video until I have it down.
What I don’t do is read a manual that is 200 pages long and absent of graphics to display what I should do. Heck, if it is 20 pages long, I’m out. It just doesn’t work as well. I want to observe, practice, and then polish. This is actionable learning to me. When working to build a better professional development system, it’s good practice to make things actionable. Here are a few ways to incorporate this into your training.
Building learning experiences that involve each of these methods above are worth your time. They are the heart of behavior change performance training. The purpose of these articles is to offer support. Our goal is to serve those that are in the shoes we once were in. Reach out to us with any and all questions at info@agileideasleadership.com. No gimmicks. It’s free. Cheers! Ross Herdina, Co-Founder, Agile Ideas Leadership. www.agileideasleadership.com Step 4: Build An In-House PD Team
No one I have ever known has talked about how the keynote speaker changed their on-the-job practice. Did the keynote provide food for thought? Yes. Lasting change? No. A good keynote is fun. But it doesn’t lead to system-wide changes. A one-day workshop on assessment is cool, but it won’t provide the framework on how to make the necessary changes. Both of these don’t allow for real change to take place. So, then it needs to be asked, who pushes you to grow? Who is your tribe? Do those people talk about becoming more skilled? Do they speak of the desire to grow? Are they open to change? Do they hold you accountable? Do you hold them accountable? Lasting change is aided by those around you on a day-to-day basis. They are your anchor as well as your motivator. Foster this community. Water it like you water a plant. It’s where your desire for growth will be propelled. Stop bringing in outside presenters that won’t be around long enough to help make meaningful change….unless you plan on keeping them around to make meaningful change. In seventeen years of teaching, and countless observations from peers and leadership, I never received a critical comment related to my work. Not one. I had a problem with that. I wanted constructive criticism. I wanted to talk about what I could do better; to understand what my areas of improvement were because I knew I had some. So many people are interested in continual development. They desire growth and challenges. It is part of the inherent desire to feel like we have a purpose. Building a culture that supports this matters so much. So who will provide the feedback people desire? Who will be part of the tribe or community? One solution is to build the type of community in your place of work. To do this, people need to learn to facilitate reflective conversations for each other. Here are a few skills to develop in anyone that leads adults.
Building a team that can be an accountability buddy or a tribe of continual learners is hard. People come and go and this is going to be a constant. However, if the cultural foundations are laid, half of the work is already done. The purpose of these articles is to offer support. Our goal is to serve those that are in the shoes we once were in. Reach out to us with any and all questions at info@agileideasleadership.com. No gimmicks. It’s free. Cheers! Ross Herdina, Co-Founder, Agile Ideas Leadership. www.agileideasleadership.com Step 3: Facilitate Learning
“This is why, in a nutshell, advice is overrated. I can tell you something, and it’s got a limited chance of making its way into your brain’s hippocampus, the region that encodes memory. If I can ask you a question and you generate the answer yourself, the odds increase substantially.” ― Michael Bungay Stanier, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever Facilitating a conversation is a highly technical skill. For some reason, I thought I could “facilitate” learning with no advanced training in the field. I worked with an award-winning facilitator once I realized my shortcomings. She candidly told me that many people think they facilitate conversations or adult learning but that’s not what they actually do - they just give advice. Facilitation is the art of creating environments and processes that make learning accessible and personalized. There is no sage on the stage in the room or in the conversation. This isn’t to say there isn’t a place for knowledge transfer. It’s just going to look different as you facilitate the learning instead of deliver the learning. Facilitating is asking the right questions in a safe environment with the appropriate experiential methods so “ah-ha” moments happen naturally. If you manage to “say less and ask more,” as Michael Bungay Stanier suggests in his book The Coaching Habit, real change can happen. Facilitation involves asking questions that cause people to reflect on themselves or an experience. Giving them advice on what they should be doing in the workplace or classroom isn’t. Here are a few places to start your journey with facilitating learning. Invite them to design their learning: Use process tools such as Open Space Technology. Adults need a say in what they are learning and when they are learning it. This process tool allows for choice and empowers people to form groups by common interests. Be the Guardian–don’t let the gorilla in the room take over. A skilled facilitator knows how to invite all voices into a conversation. Whether it is a gorilla in the room that needs to be silenced or a pessimist that needs to be held accountable, a facilitator needs to guard the process, keep the environment safe, and be inclusive of all voices. Guard the process by setting clear intentions/goals and have a parking lot ready to place topics or conversations on hold that don’t align with the topic at hand. Invite their knowledge without judgment: Facilitating a learning experience means the space should be safe for the participants. The words a facilitator uses will set the culture for the group. Therefore, it is important to withhold judgmental language. There are multiple ways to do this, but if you are starting out, give the Clean Language approach a shot. You will be surprised how difficult it is to clean up your language. Practice this with friends and family to get more comfortable using it. Be intentional about each aspect of the learning experience. One method we really like is the HRDQ model for experiential design. It allows a facilitator to focus time and attention where the participants need it. If you are new to facilitating or design, it provides a framework for clarity. Once you become more skilled, it will seem more natural and you can modify it as needed. The purpose of these articles is to offer support. Our goal is to serve those that are in the shoes we once were. Reach out to us with any and all questions at info@agileideasleadership.com. No gimmicks. It’s free. Cheers! Ross Herdina, Co-Founder, Agile Ideas Leadership. www.agileideasleadership.com |