Here are 4 good learning habits
I have found
invaluable over
the years
- Reflection — internal
- Self-inquiry — internal
- Feedback — external
- Surfacing — external
Reflection is when I spend quiet time mulling things over, trying to understand spheres of influence and other reasons why things turned out the way they did.
Self-inquiry is when I try to understand my motivation in a particular situation, making a mental note of how my motivation influenced the outcome.
Feedback is when I seek opinions from others, learning from people's colourful narratives and perspectives, upgrading my mental models and adjusting my approach.
Surfacing is when I use facilitation skills to learn more and go deeper than the symptoms of problems, usually with a group of people who experience similar issues.
I have found by using this combination of techniques I can make more impartial and better informed decisions or choices.
Sometimes it's hard to find time in IT with back-to-back meetings, operational issues and impending deadlines—but trust me the small investment pays off.
I explore these and other learning techniques in my eBook Sea of Systems, download it at my blog https://systemsthinkingit.blogspot.com.au
About — "gems from the deep" takes a quick dive into the more detailed and involved concepts explored in the eBooks Sea of Systems and Transparent Delivery (forthcoming).
