Susan Mills

If learning is about exploring and and should be a life long thing, you need to have fun with it. Let's play again, let's invite colleagues out to play. Let's enjoy sharing knowledge and let's share from a place of discussion, not the assumption that we know everything.

You learn more from failures and mistakes than successes right? another great saying, but what is great about it is it can be true if you go into it accepting that you will make mistakes. Its like play when we were kids, we learnt so much then because we just jumped in and tried things, learnt then adjusted. Collaboration on projects with others, gives you a chance to play and learn together. Let learning be fun again, collaborate on things you might never have tried on your own, you will learn a lot.

Ever heard the term those that can't do teach? Well you can probably find examples of that being the case, but I don't think that is really the point of it. The point is that you don't have to be perfect to share knowledge. You can still learn from those you are sharing it with. In fact the fact that you accept that you do not know everything and are open to learning as much as you share, can make you a better mentor and a lifelong learner.

Feedback needs to come from a place of trust. Before you give feedback, build trust with the person, give it from a place of real caring. Before you receive feedback, ensure you seek it from those you trust to be honest and have your best interests. If you seek the wrong kind of feedback it can kill your confidence but you also need to be in a place to accept feedback. When you want to learn, and you trust the source, the feedback becomes a two way street and it builds a relationship. It can be amazing when done right.

If you need to change culture, then you have to accept that there is a reason it is not how you wanted it in the first place, that means your team will have baggage to address. Don't forget to build the trust up right from the beginning. Include them in the creating the plan for change, implementing it, assessing and adjusting, but accept that real change is hard and not everyone wants the change, but don't just throw them away, help them find a new way or a new place that fits them too and recognize all they have done, even if they no longer want to continue to do it in the new culture.

This goes to the point that I raised in the first item. You have to involve the teams, not just by telling them, but actually allowing them to contribute and potentially even change your plans. no one wants to feel they have no control over their lives, and that is why they fear change in the first place. Accept that what you want to do, needs to be shaped by those you want to help change. Influence, don't force the change.