Hot Topic Friday: Feb. 7

Happy Friday! Here are my Feb. 7 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

Hot Topic 1: Are You Really Learning at Work?

What It’s About?: Have you learned anything you have applied to your work in the last six months? Three months? Three weeks? Three days? The article suggests that the amount organizations invest in training (approx. $359 billion globally in 2016), is NOT a good ROI when you consider the following: “75 percent of 1,500 managers surveyed from across 50 organizations were dissatisfied with their company’s Learning & Development (L&D) function; 70 percent of employees report that they don’t have mastery of the skills needed to do their jobs... Only 12 percent of employees apply new skills learned in L&D programs to their jobs; and only 25 percent of respondents to a recent McKinsey survey believe that training measurably improved performance. Not only is the majority of training in today’s companies ineffective, but the purpose, timing, and content of training is flawed.”

Why It’s Important: Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, says, “The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.” When one steps back to really think about it, that’s what having a very adaptive culture is about; how fast every employee/team in the organization both learns and unlearns, and then executes accordingly. It’s fast learning and executing that gives organizations a competitive advantage in today’s market. The author suggests much more agile or lean learning by following these principles:

1. Learning the core of what you need to learn.

2. Applying it to real-world situations immediately.

3. Receiving immediate feedback and refining your understanding.

4. Repeating the cycle.

Leaders, when you examine your calendar, how much time are you invested in coaching/teaching? Your answer will tell you how much of a learning, growing/improving organization you have.

One Millennial Response: Ideally, we should be teaching ourselves, and learning to implement new techniques on a regular basis. If we’re lucky enough for leaders to teach us (and then monitor our immediate application of the lesson), then even better. But, think of a new editing technique, new proposal format, new sales script addition, new meeting formulas, new anything. The secret of implementing and experimenting with improved and different learning is that it makes any profession more interesting and fun. Less stale, more sales?

Hot Topic 2: How ‘Slow Looking’ Can Help Faster Learning.

Source: Usable Knowledge.

What It’s About: There’s plenty of data out there on how hard it is to focus and keep attention. This article suggests we get about eight seconds before we start to wander. “As an antidote, Project Zero researcher Shari Tishman offers ‘slow looking’ — the practice of observing detail over time to move beyond a first impression and create a more immersive experience with a text, an idea, a piece of art, or any other kind of object. It’s a practice that clears a space for learners to hold and appreciate the richness of the world.” Let me share some cool exercises to make the point.

Activity: Have your teams look at an object or image. Go around and have each participant say one thing they notice about that object. They can’t repeat, but they can add on to what other teammates have said. Reflect on what learners have picked up on: What’s the same or different? What questions do they have to navigate complex systems and build connections? Take something apart, whether it’s a physical object or an idea like “family.” What are the different components and how do they function together?

Why It’s Important: Current effective learning methodology needs to be applied in all business settings. Leaders need to think of themselves as teachers more than managers. Leaders, it’s our job to teach. Employees, it’s our job to learn. Sometimes learning methodologies may involve the paradox of going slower to learn faster. Think about translating the examples above into the business environment. How might we do it? I know for sure that standard PowerPoint slides don’t cut it anymore. To do nothing different is not a winning formula. Might want to have a “slow look” at that.

One Millennial Response: As the Navy SEALS famously say, “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” Actually, a little Google search suggests this concept even derives from the Latin phrase, “festina lente,” or “hurry slowly.” I'd rather learn by having a concept interestingly ingrained in me so that it sticks. This way I can move on effectively without wasting time referring back to those old, boring PowerPoint slides I most definitely day dreamed through.

My Weekly Wine Recommendation.

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Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon N.V.

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

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“Never underestimate the power of underestimating.” - Jesse Thistle.

Bye for now!

— Lorne Rubis

Incase you Missed It:

My latest Lead In podcast.

My latest blog.

Season 3 of Culture Cast.

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Happy Friday! Here are my Feb. 7 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

Hot Topic 1: Are You Really Learning at Work?

Hot Topic 2: How ‘Slow Looking’ Can Help Faster Learning.

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