I am compelled to respond to Walter's recent posting (Passion for learning
LO9098) in spite of the fact that I have not yet introduced myself. Maybe
the following will suffice as intro, in addition to response.
[Host's Note: Intros are welcome, but not required. ...Rick]
Walter asked about the possibility of creating passion for learning:
"What strategies can we use to create passions for learning ? How about
some form of mentorships or partnerships ? "
I feel that my experience over the past six months may provide an example
of how a passion for learning can be fostered and given a chance to
develop (I don't know if I could point to a generic structure for
"creating" the passion itself).
Over the last six months I have probably learned more than in all my years
doing anything else (I am young, but that only somewhat diminishes the
importance of the experience). For the last five years (since I finished
my undergraduate program), I have been working at a job that I knew was
going to give me a fair amount of experience with the financial aspects of
businesses across a wide variety of industries (my parents were happy with
the choice). Not very exciting, but I expected to develop a level of
maturity and experience that would help me then determine what it was that
I really wanted to do. It was valuable experience in a lot of ways, and I
don't regret having done it, but I certainly wasn't excited about it.
At the end of four and a half years, I still had no idea what I was going
to do, but knew it was soon going to be time for me to do something very
different. It was at this point that I was introduced to Peter Senge's
work, through a two-day workshop at my office introducing the concepts and
applying them to some of the internal issues we were facing. The
methodology, if I may call it that, clicked for me, but I wasn't sure what
to do next (as the methodology didn't catch on in a significant way in my
office).
My mentor, who has been my mentor since the day I started my job and to
whom I owe a great deal, gave me a copy of The Fifth Discipline. He
waited to see what I did with it (I read it cover to cover). Based on my
enthusiastic response, he helped me create opportunities to practice the
methodology where no readily apparent opportunities had existed. Three
things have happened in this period that I find particularly meaningful:
1. I have spent hundreds of hours of my own time reading learning
organization and system dynamics literature, as well as learning to build
simulation models (My goal is to develop the ability to build simulation
models and model-based learning environments, without focusing on that one
discipline exclusively to the detriment of the others). I spent no time
on self-development when I was working in my previous field (that's
correct, NONE).
2. The training I have gotten in this sixth-month period (all made
possible by special authorizations of my mentor) has been the most
relevant, timely and effective training I've had during my career. I
think this is a result of the fact that I have taken an active interest in
identifying training opportunities, rather than relying on someone else to
determine what training is "required" or "appropriate" for someone at my
"level". In addition, my mentor trusted my judgment and agreed to the
programs I had identified, which were somewhat outside of the typical
training in which someone in my organization might be expected to
participate. In these training periods I have learned and retained a
great deal more than I thought was possible for me (given what I took away
from professional education experiences I'd had up to that point).
3. My mentor assigned me as one of the primary model-builders on a very
important engagement he was in charge of. (Anyone reading this who has
model-building experience is cringing in fear for the perceived integrity
of his discipline.) He had absolute faith in me to figure out what I
needed to do to meet our objectives with respect to this project. A big
part of what I learned was that there was a level of expertise that I did
not have and would never be able to develop without some outside help. I
was able to identify someone from another office with significant
model-building experience, and he and I are now working together to build
the model (added bonus of having my own private tutor).
My point of the above is that several things happened that were the
catalyst for learning that has profoundly changed the direction of my
career and (yikes) my life. My mentor and I simultaneously recognized my
interest in LO, I showed that I was deeply motivated to learn about this
field, and he created opportunities for me that allowed me to develop my
skills and understanding. At many times over the last few months he has
exhibited a great deal more faith in my ability to do this work than I
have had in myself. My background is very non-technical as compared to
most "system dynamicists", and I have at many points questioned whether I
had the requisite "grey matter" to be successful at building simulation
models. My mentor never questioned that I could do it (or at least, he
didn't let on that he had anything but the utmost confidence in my
abilities).
How you get someone excited about something, I can't say. But if you
recognize that excitement, have faith, be supportive, and help that person
to ASPIRE. In the words of Michael Erickson (who is a braver man than
me),
> Vision and aspiration are woven together, while it is the
> responsibility of the individual to develop and hold their own
> aspiration, I think its a shared responsibility to give dreams life,
> encouragement and support.
>
> Beware the dream killer, don't become one yourself
[from LO9040?]
My guess is that my mentor takes pride in my development, and benefits
directly from it in the work we do together.
(This is really long. I hope all of you won't think I am hopelessly
self-absorbed!)
traci.l.hoard@ArthurAndersen.com
--"traci.l.hoard" <traci.l.hoard@ArthurAndersen.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>