Little silk-covered notebooks fit into my purse nicely – but they’re not so good for sketching out plans to change the world.
I found this out at lunch the other day with Maureen. She’s a super woman: super mom, super smart, super cool, super edgy (she facilitates conflict resolution at an executive level – in circles – how risqué is that!). We were plotting how to teach the world to think critically to get rid of all the stupidness out there – but we just couldn’t fit our scheme onto those tiny lined pages.
It’s probably just as well. Really – who has time to change the world?
For now, I’ll start with changing my business focus. If you’re here, you’ve noticed that I’ve shifted the essence of my practice – again. Don’t worry – I’m still all over storysharing and appreciative inquiry. However, though discussions with super-smart colleagues like Maureen, I’ve realized that, although these are fantastic tools and techniques, story and AI aren’t what make me go – wow.
The thing that does that for me is – and has always been – learning.
I’ve spent the last few years walking around this notion, chewing on what learning really means to me and how I might build my practice on it. This month, I’ve finally settled on what I’ve known forever – I am a natural coach and facilitator of learning. Helping others build new knowledge and skills is the biggest buzz I can get – and I’m good at it.
That said, I’m not a huge fan of education, having come to see that it still is, largely, something done to you by those who want you to practice what they preach. I’m also not keen on working with kids – other people are better at it than me, bless them.
What I love – and what I’m good at – is what I call “interpretive learning”: helping others process complex information, experiences and ideas to make meaning and build knowledge. That interpretation piece is the key to satisfaction for me – the real challenge – and the real opportunity for creativity. It’s what I’ve done for decades in television and print work; it’s what I’m doing now through storysharing and facilitation.
Naturally, a practice that emphasizes “interpretive learning” is going to be a tough sell. I say naturally because I never seem to take the easy path. If I did, I’d be getting set to retire from a nice little career at Canada Post in a couple of years.
The main reason this won’t be easy is that this kind of natural, applied, interpretive learning falls into that nebulous category of “informal learning”: knowledge-building activities that are immensely valuable but largely ignored by organizations because they’re impossible to measure.
Right.
Despite these and other barriers, I’m going to go for it and focus my practice on designing and facilitating activities and content to support learning and development outside the classroom. Why? Because I believe in the power of learning “in the wild” to change the world – to help us develop into a society that’s informed, empowered, innovative and creative.
So have a look around the new site to see what’s up. And if you’re ready to change the world (or just the way your team’s functioning this month) give me a call.
I’ve got a fresh notebook – and I’m not afraid to use it.
