Learning happens in the most unexpected places – if you give it space!
So, here’s the bad news: Some of the most fertile ground for learning happens when we are pushed to our limits. (And there’s been a lot of that lately!) What have you learned about yourself in the past few months?
There are opportunities to learn everywhere; but quality self-learning does not always come from the standard places: i.e. self-development books, self-awareness courses, motivational podcasts, autobiographies of successful people, the list goes on. When we think of the term ‘learning’ we often cast our minds to classroom settings, textbooks and generic practises designed to suit the masses.
Step 1: Feeling frustrated
In our experience at Chameleon Works, a sign we are learning something about ourselves at work often starts from a situation of conflict or frustration with someone or thing. Try to notice how your body feels with this frustration. Are you overly critical of someone or thing?
Step 2: Stop and reflect – deeper!
The second component of learning is our ability to reflect…and reflect deeply…on our actions, words and behaviour. (Some Introversion personality types find this easier than others). It is important to analyse why we are in conflict with someone or why we are frustrated about something.
Being curious about these situations and reflecting on them, often brings us some insight and learning about one-self. For example: firing off a speedy email to someone to let them know you are angry about something can often be more about what is (unconsciously) going on for the sender than the receiver. It can be a sign of anxiety, stress, loneliness, distress which we can project onto others when we are at our most vulnerable.
Reflection takes quality time…time we are finding challenging right now.
There is a link between our ability to reflect on our experiences and the amount of personal insight we gain. Reflecting on why we are angry or frustrated BEFORE sending emails like the one mentioned above, can save us some embarrassment later.
Step 3: Your learning environment.
We need to create a safe environment where we can learn. As a result, here at Chameleon Works, we focus on learning safety. Our interactive team and individual development sessions are space-givers, opportunities to reflect and learn that are friendly to both Extroverts and Introverts’ learning styles. We encourage people to slow down a bit, build their resilience and learn with colleagues in a safe and inspiring environment.
“ Our busy schedules do not often allow for us to be curious, reflect and learn. We can end up stuck in the same patterns – they are safe and can be less tiring than changing our behaviour or making time to slow down to become more productive rather than speed up and go faster at doing the things we have always been doing”.
― Deborah Fleming MSc and Founder, Chameleon Works
“Introverts learn by receiving information in advance or have time to read material that requires a debate or discussion. They dislike distractions when learning and want time to adjust to a new situation calmly. Extroverts want to discuss and act on new information they learn. They learn best when they can ask questions and seek support from their network”
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