What is Learning Mindset?

Learning Mindset

The Power to Learn and Lead at the Speed of Business

“May you live in interes0ng 0mes.”

寧為太平⽝犬，不做亂世⼈人

~ Ancient Chinese curse ~

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Interes.ng Times = Leadership Challenges

• VUCA – Vola5lity, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity

• Adap5ve challenges, complex problems, and vola5le business environments place unprecedented demands on leaders’ capabili5es to be effec5ve.

• Speed of Change

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John KoHer

What Do Leaders Need to Survive and Thrive?

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•  Adaptable, fast, focused, & flexible

•  Learn from experience,

•  Apply and use their learning in challenging new experiences and situa.ons,

•  From which they learn even more.

Leaders need a Learning Mindset!

Learning Mindset

An aLtude that predisposes you to be open to new experiences, to believe that you can and will learn, and to inten.onally grow and develop from your experience.

Leaders who have a Learning Mindset learn significantly more, faster, and as a result perform at a higher level and create greater value for their company and for themselves.

Ac.ons

Learning Mindset

Two Major Components

A posi.on or stance with which you approach work and life experiences that predisposes you to be open to new experiences.

Ac.ons you take to transform experience into new learning, growth, and development, in the course of fulfilling your work role.

ALtude

Learning Mindset

The assump.ons, beliefs, and feelings that govern how you think about and approach learning, learning situa.ons, and new experiences. Your ALtude about learning, especially learning from experience, dictates whether you approach it favorably disposed to learn, grow, and develop.

Ac.ons you take both during and a8er experiences to create new learning. During: Inten.onally and mindfully engaging in the experience with the purpose of crea.ng new learning, growth, and development, in the course of fulfilling your work role. A8er: Reflec.ng on experiences to further transform experiences into meaning, insight, growth, and development.

Terrell, S. (2011) How Global Leaders Develop. UMI.

ALtude Ac.ons

•  Leaders whose aLtude or stance toward learning and new experiences embodies… –  A belief in their own learning and growth poten5al –  Openness to experience –  Mo5va5on, willingness, and desire to learn –  Curious about others and how they do what they do –  ALtude of discovery and explora5on –  Inten5on and willingness to gain something posi5ve from experience

•  …see opportuni5es to learn in all aspects of their work life, and experience more growth and development than leaders who do not have this aLtude toward learning.

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Terrell, S. (2011) How Global Leaders Develop. UMI. Dweck, C. (2006) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books

Learning Mindset: A<tude

•  Leaders who consistently and rigorously take specific ac5ons during experiences and a8er experiences gain more new learning, growth, and development through experience –  Take responsibility for your own learning and development –  Approach new assignments/opportuni5es with openness to experience and

posi5ve inten5on to learn –  Seek and use feedback –  Develop a clear understanding of your strengths and areas of development –  Ask great ques5ons and demonstrate curiosity –  Listen transforma5vely – Intently, deeply, empathically –  Respond to experience with adaptability and flexibility –  Ac5vely reflect and demonstrate mindfulness –  Ac5vely experiment with new approaches –  Observe and learn from others

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Terrell, S. (2011) How Global Leaders Develop. UMI.

Learning Mindset: Ac0ons

Implica.ons

Leaders who have a Learning Mindset learn significantly more, faster, and as a result perform at a higher level and create greater value for their company

and for themselves.

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“Exper0se at learning has become the key capability necessary for survival,

success and fulfillment.”

David A. Kolb & Bauback Yeganeh

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Kolb & Yeganeh (2011). Deliberate Experien5al Learning: Mastering the Art of Learning From Experience. ORBH Working Paper, Case Western University.

Applica.ons: How Learning Mindset Can Help

•  High Poten.al Leaders: –  Developmental assignments are ohen the development method of choice for

High Poten5al leaders, but not enough is done to ensure leaders are ready and able to learn what they need to learn.

–  Inadequate prepara5on / support for the high poten5al leader, and development is leh to chance.

–  Leaders don’t recognize developmental opportuni5es in the experience. –  Leaders focus on the business aspects of the assignment, and ignore or

minimize the value of the developmental aspects. –  Leaders are unsure of the expected outcome, deliverables, or learning. –  As a result, leaders may not perform as expected, may not develop as desired

or as quickly as needed, and the company’s investment is lost, sub-‐op5mized, or brought into ques5on by execu5ve management

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•  New Leaders: –  The transi5on from individual contributor to supervisor forces the new leader to come

to grips with a new role, new responsibili5es, new tasks, and new rela5onships. –  This transi5on is arguably the most difficult and stressful role transi5on a leader has to

make, but liHle is done to ensure they are ready and able to learn what they need to learn.

–  Inadequate prepara5on / support for the new leader, and development is leh to chance. –  Leaders don’t recognize developmental opportuni5es in the experience. –  New leaders don’t know where to focus, and become overly focused on the business

aspects of the assignment, and ignore or minimize the value of the developmental aspects.

–  Leaders are unsure of the expected outcome, deliverables, or learning. –  As a result, new leaders may not perform as expected, may not develop as desired or as

quickly as needed, and the company’s investment is lost, sub-‐op5mized, or brought into ques5on by execu5ve management.

–  A successful transi5on into a leadership role is vital but may be jeopardized.

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•  All Leaders: –  Leaders are increasingly faced with adap5ve challenges, complex problems, and vola5le

business environments that place unprecedented demands on their capabili5es to be effec5ve.

–  They must be able to quickly size up people and situa5ons, make tough decisions and take appropriate ac5on without complete informa5on, and flexibly change on the fly in order to produce results in new, demanding, first-‐5me situa5ons.

–  When organiza5ons encounter Vola5lity, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA) in their environment, and then undertake significant, major change to the organiza5on, leaders may encounter major challenges they have never dealt with before.

–  In such challenging condi5ons there are many 5mes when it's extremely difficult to know how to react, what decision is best, which direc5on is true.

–  As a result, leaders may not respond as adap5vely and flexibly as is required, may not be able to perform as needed, and the company and leader may fail to achieve their goals.

–  Leaders may fail to survive in the new organiza5onal condi5ons, and the organiza5on may sub-‐op5mize achievement of change goals.

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•  Ac.on Learning Programs: –  Ac5on Learning Programs put leaders in small teams to work on significant business

challenges for which the organiza5on and sponsor expect strong recommenda5ons of realis5c solu5ons

–  Programs are used to both achieve business goals and to develop increased leadership capabili5es through having par5cipants work on challenging, real-‐life business issues

–  However, par5cipants typically are seduced by the business challenge and spend far less 5me and energy on the learning and leader development aspects of the experience. Even with team coaches and structured reflec5ons built into the process, par5cipants fail to pay aHen5on to the learning opportuni5es that happen throughout all aspects and in all phases of the Ac5on Learning Program.

–  Preparing par5cipants with knowledge and skills in Learning Mindset promises to enable them to approach all elements of the program with increased openness to new experiences, to be more curious, and to engage in the program with an inten5on and willingness to gain something posi5ve from the experience.

–  In addi5on, by familiarizing them with the Learning Prac5ces and having them prac5ce using those prac5ces before par5cipa5ng in the program, par5cipants will be equipped with prac5cal tools and skills to transform their experience into new insight and learning.

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Can we talk?

•  We would love to explore how Learning Mindset could become an important part of how you grow and develop your leaders to have the power to learn and lead at the speed of business.

•  Please contact Steve Terrell to schedule a conversa5on about Learning Mindset in your organiza5on.

[email protected] 757-‐647-‐2571

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Contact Informa9on: Steve Terrell, ED.D.

Aspire Consul5ng, Inc.

1903 Lancing Crest Lane

Chesapeake, VA 23323

Office. 757-‐546-‐7347

Mobile. 757-‐647-‐2571

Email. [email protected]

a s p i r e c o n s u l 5 n g . n e t

Thank You!

ALtude Ac.ons A posi5on or stance toward learning and new experiences that embodies… •  A belief in your own learning and growth

poten5al •  Openness to experience •  Mo5va5on, willingness, and desire to learn •  Curious about others and how they do what

they do •  ALtude of discovery and explora5on •  Inten5on and willingness to gain something

posi5ve from experience

Leaders with a Learning Mindset see opportuni5es to learn in all aspects of their work life, and experience more growth and development than leaders who do not have this aLtude toward learning.

Ac5ons you take during and a8er experiences to gain, generate, or create new learning, growth, and development through experience •  Take responsibility for your own learning and development

•  Approach new assignments/opportuni5es with openness to experience and posi5ve inten5on to learn

•  Seek and use feedback •  Develop a clear understanding of your strengths and areas of development

•  Ask great ques5ons and demonstrate curiosity •  Listen transforma5vely – Intently, deeply, empathically

•  Respond to experience with adaptability and flexibility •  Ac5vely reflect and demonstrate mindfulness

•  Ac5vely experiment with new approaches •  Observe and learn from others

Learning Mindset

Terrell, S. (2011) How Global Leaders Develop. UMI. Dweck, C. (2006) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books

Documents

What is Learning Mindset?