The attitude of learning

In my prior article, I wrote about the importance of consistently practicing good habits and high standards. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a Team Leader a few times and continue to mentor and coach individuals on a regular basis. As a follow on, I wanted to write with a focus on understanding the ‘developing individual’ and things the coach may want to be mindful of in their practice.

I want to discuss the attitudes behind how individuals learn and develop because we are living in a fast moving and ever changing world. For example, the World Economic Forum estimates that employees will need an extra 101 days of retraining and upskilling by 2022.

Continuous development and being a lifelong learner will be ever more important going forward. Most individuals have a desire to achieve and a desire to prove themselves. This may be to themselves and for some, to prove themselves to others.

In order to motivate these individuals towards success; the coach needs to take into consideration the following factors for an individual’s development:

-?Is the individual actually interested?

The person who is not interested automatically has a mind that is more closed off to learning and development. If this cannot be changed, little of what is disseminated and communicated will be effective. Individuals must show hunger and desire to improve themselves. For some this is self-evident. Some need the push of an external motivator. Some prefer to digest this via “infotainment”. Unfortunately, there are those that are yet to be ready for development. i.e. They say they want to develop and are unwilling to take actions to actually develop. The saying is true: when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. If they want to develop, they’ll find a way even without you. A coach accelerates the developmental process. A coach cannot do the coachee's press ups for them. They can help them with mentality, process and technique. The final act of doing remains with the individual.

- Do they want to participate?

They should have enthusiasm and a desire to be involved and to participate in their learning and development experience. i.e. If you set them a task – they will go do it to the best of their ability. A coach should be observant of individuals who lack enthusiasm. It is worth remembering that people who are enthusiastic will do more and not merely pass through the motions. Active participation in exercises will see their development increase at an astounding rate. An enthusiastic individual will be energised by their learning and development in a given field. If they are not, perhaps they are focusing their energies on the wrong topic.

- Is excellence within sight?

If and where possible, developing individuals should see good examples of the skills and behaviours that they wish take on and be set good standards to follow. The opportunity to observe excellence at work - live or in realistic simulations and examples is important. By allowing observation of what is excellence by skilled individuals, standards are set. It must also be clear that this is beyond mere performance and also includes that of attitudes, behaviours and beliefs. By allowing observation of what others do well, in applied practice - attitudes and habits are formed. By proxy, this does place responsibility on leaders and coaches alike in setting and establishing standards for those looking to develop themselves. Through harnessing this means of learning, coaches can bring about a persistent change for the better in both attitudes and habits. For many, this also reduces the psychological barrier to achievement too. It makes it easier for them to visualise future success and understand that it is within realistic grasps. i.e. If that person can do it, so can you.

- Do they have the platform to develop?

Individuals learn via correct practice and through the frequency of that exercise. i.e. make them do the right things, the right way and as often as possible. It must also be said that the quality of practice is more important than the frequency. Successful completion of good practice a few times still lays out a roadmap in the developing individuals mind better than a thousand times of poor quality practices. Of course, given the quality is sufficient - the greater the time devoted to practicing the right things - the better will be the end results. Individuals must be given arenas and opportunities to go out and develop their skills. Eventually we all have to take the tracksuit off. Empower the individual.

- Are they receiving measurable feedback?

Individuals should be able to see results. The more progress an individual can objectively see, the more the individual can be encouraged to continue pursuing that “winning” strategy. Individuals may not always like the tasks put upon them; though if there is clear evidence that is doing them good, it is easier to get them to continue doing it. Correct practice involves setting the developing individual performance targets so that progress can be measured. The task of setting the performance target belongs to the coach. After all, coaches are there to raise performance.

- Are they being given the right level of stress and challenge?

Individuals need to learn how to respond to challenges first. If you set a task, due to lack of confidence and conditioning, they may not do it right first time. At first in the coaching process, the individual may go through a general; stage of alarm and resistance before they begin to persist and see results. Progress involves a continuous process reaching beyond one’s grasp. Progress is achieved by constantly looking to push one’s limit in a controlled fashion. Mountains are climbed by looking up, not down. Individuals improve by being set more challenging tasks and by being put in scenarios equal to or slightly better than their existing skillset. Of course, the task should be difficult enough and not confidence shattering. Ironically, the most progress is made not at the point of failure (i.e. beyond one’s maximum skill) – though it is made at the point just before one hits this pinnacle. Yet, you can often only find out where is “too much” by going too far. If the individual can cope with that, they will make the fastest progress. Most lack the mental resources to cope with such stress and need less risky approaches to coaching. Coaches must carefully set challenges - whilst calculating on the probability of success. You want the individual to feel a sense of accomplishment and fire the dopamine in their systems.

- Do they trust you as a coach?

Individuals learn by putting their belief in you, that you can get them to the next level. At the end of the day an individual will achieve as much as they believe is possible. So what is possible? There are genuine limitations, especially in the physical and perhaps resources realm. Yet, from a mind-set perspective, many individuals underestimate what can be achieved. At the same time most of us are inspired by hope; and many hopes are unrealistic or at least not pragmatic. Coaches should inspire and encourage individuals to strive hard to establish and improve hopes and ambitions which are attainable. Listen and observe carefully and identify limiting beliefs – and think of ways to shatter those beliefs. The best way to shatter those limiting beliefs is to give them a personal experience that contradicts their limiting belief. Then that individual's mind cannot tell itself a story that it already knows is not true.

- Is it their experience?

Make sure you’re giving the developing individual the freedom to input into their own development too. As a coach, you want to provide a degree of freedom for the individual to express themselves. In fact this is from where their innovation and new ideas come. If everyone that is coached ends up a replica of the coach, the process has been ineffective. The objectives of the individual guide the coaching exercises they will need to go through. The coach of course can advise, though it is the individuals energy that should be channelled to the maximum.

- Is it fun?

Make the experience as fun as it can be without detriment to the individual. This needs no further explanation!

Let me know your thoughts on what I have shared here today. I would be most appreciative.