Are you constantly hustling, moving from one task to the next without ever pausing to reflect? Do you find yourself feeling stuck despite all your hard work? If so, you're not alone. Many of us get caught in a cycle of relentless action, mistaking movement for progress. But what if I told you there's a simple, yet profound approach that can break this cycle and ignite real growth? Enter Action Learning—a transformative process that combines action with reflection to unlock your full leadership potential.
First, notice that being active has many benefits. You keep things moving, make things happen, and engage people. Energy flows. But if we're only taking action, it's like a rocking horse: you might be moving, but not forward. You could be spinning your wheels, feeling productive without making progress, or moving in the wrong direction. For instance, you might spend time on a project that's off track, or prepare a presentation without first collaborating on its content. You might follow steps in a manufacturing process without knowing a computer handles those steps, due to not listening to instructions.
If we're only taking action, it's like a rocking horse: you might be moving, but not forward.
You could also be repeating mistakes, having the same conflicts, or getting comfortable with the status quo. When something disruptive like the COVID-19 pandemic occurs, you might collapse because you can't adapt. Continually being active without stepping back means you can't adapt to changing market needs, causing your market share to shrink. As the saying goes, the only constant is change. Without adapting, we risk losing professional growth and revenue.
In these situations, recognize the negative consequences of taking action for actions’ sake. Instead, embrace learning, because it doesn't just keep things moving; it keeps things improving. Learning fosters growth, keeps energy moving, stimulates others around you, and inspires aha moments. It helps people adapt, try new things, and get comfortable with risk and change through daily learning.
However, learning without action leads to paralysis. You ask questions but don't do anything, leading to stagnation. Operations may stall if you're always stepping back without engaging. While this isn't usually the problem, too much learning without action also risks stagnating growth. Without taking steps to implement learning, you lack results to learn from and raw experience to draw on.
The risk of doing one—action or learning — without the other is stagnation and failure, but integrating both action and learning leads to better results every day.
The risk of doing one—action or learning — without the other is stagnation and failure, but integrating both action and learning leads to better results every day. So, how do we do Action Learning? Here are four simple steps you can use with coworkers, your boss, your team, or just one person in a dialogue. Focus on a specific situation or result that you want to improve, then focus your discussions on the following steps:
1. Desired Outcome: State what you wanted to happen. For example, faster production, more leads, on-time payments, or faster engineering design fulfillment. Clearly knowing what you want is crucial for directing your learning and growth.
2. Action: Identify the specific action you took. Perhaps you delegated a project to another department to focus on your specialty. Whatever the action was, define it clearly.
3. Learning: Reflect on what you learned from the action. Did it work? Why? Can you replicate those results? Did it not work? Why not? For example, you might learn that the department you delegated to needs training. Allow curiosity to guide you.
4. Next Action: Based on what you did and learned, determine the next action to move closer to your goal. For instance, schedule a training session with that department. Whatever it is, be sure that the next action is so specific that it can be scheduled in someone’s calendar.
By integrating action and learning, you can achieve remarkable results and break free from the cycle of endless activity without progress. Imagine consistently making improvements, feeling inspired, and truly loving what you do every day. Embrace the action learning process: identify what you want, take action, learn from it, and decide on your next steps. This dynamic approach not only gets you unstuck but also propels you towards continuous growth and success. So, are you ready to transform your work and life with Action Learning?
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I am certified as a Leadership Maturity Coach by Beena Sharma and Susanne Cooke-Greuter of the Vertical Development Academy and a Certified Unique Self Coach by Claire Molinard of the Unique Self Institute. If you're interested in learning how I can coach you through your vertical development, please reach out to me at David@evolutionaryemergencecoaching.com. You can also find more at www.verticaldevelopment.com.
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