The Lesson Needs to Leave the Learning

The Lesson Needs to Leave the Learning

We all know that in order to improve, we need to review our performance to identify where we could improve and what we need to do differently. In the military we all this process the After Action Review - the AAR. As part of our training and on operations, whenever we conducted an activity we would sit down and conduct an AAR. It was often a simple process of asking a few pointed questions such as:

• Did we achieve our mission?
• What did we do well that we need to maintain?
• What did we do poorly that we needed to change?

While the discipline of conducting AARs was something that was fostered in the military environment, as I look back, we very rarely leveraged this practice to its full potential. I recall one AAR early on in my training after conducting pairs fire and movement. Best described by the phrase cover and move, this is where a pair of soldiers practice a coordinated movement towards the enemy, each alternating between providing covering fire and bounding forward. This AAR identified the importance of clear, direct communication. From that point on, we were intentional with our communication during this type of activity and our fire and movement greatly improved as a result.

Fast forward several months towards the end of this particular training cycle and we had just completed a live-fire defensive activity, where as a section of 10 men we had simulated defending a 'dug-in' position consisting of several pits that had been dug and reinforced. During the AAR for this activity, the same principles of clear, direct communication were discussed.

They were two different activities, simulating very different scenarios. Yet many of the principles for success in each were the same. We had learned the lesson when it came to fire and movement. However we had to learn the same lesson again, because we failed to transfer that lesson and apply it to the defensive scenario. We failed to leverage what we learned in one scenario to improve our performance in another. As I reflect on my military career, and in my civilian experience since, this is a pattern I have seen repeated time and again.

The lesson needs to leave the learning to be leveraged by the leader.

We review performance, whether it is individual, team or organisational level performance, to learn. Often the review process focuses on and stops at, how to improve the activity being reviewed. This is good, but identifying how learning to improve one activity can improve multiple activities is even better. In order to do this effectively and turn your review process into a force multiplier within your leadership arsenal, you have to seperate the lesson from the learning scenario. A lesson needs to be identified and articulated as a stand alone performance principle, before you can explore how it might apply in other scenarios.

Said another way, you need to partition the principle to perceive how it pertains to your broader practice. Failure to do so too often results in the principle remaining attached to the scenario in which it was learned. It is not until we seperate the principle from the situation that we can consider how that principle might apply to other situations you will face in your leadership practice.

You might review how you handled a conflict between two individuals within your team. You may have learnt from this experience that you need to take the time to listen to both sides, making sure they felt heard and validated and lowered their psychological defences, before seeking out a solution. The principle here could be articulated as:

When people have spoken about the past, and feel heard in the moment, they are most able to focus on the future.

Beyond interpersonal conflict, where else could that principle apply?

• Conflict between teams
• Holding individuals/teams accountable for underperformance
• Strategy development
• Team development
• Performance reviews (including AARs)

These are just a few. John Maxwell says that it is reflection that turns experience into insight. Insight, according to author George Christopher Scruggs, in-sight - "the capacity to see into a person or situation." It is only when we isolate the insight from the past, it can inform your initiative in the present, allowing us to 'see into' the situation at hand. The result is an increased understanding of the situation, influencing your implementation moving forward.

It's a bit like learning to read music whilst playing the piano. Then picking up another instrument, say the trumpet or trombone, and wondering how you will know what notes to play? Once you realise the lessons you learnt (reading music) playing the piano, apply to playing other instruments, learning to play something new becomes much easier.

So let's get practical. How do we do it?

Reflect on the past.

• Conduct your AAR, review your performance. Ask the following questions:
• What happened?
• What was it that contributed to your success?
• What was undermined performance?
• What could have been done better?

Articulate the lesson, principle or insight.

• What was the lesson learned in the scenario?
• What is the principle or insight that lies beneath that lesson?
• I encourage you to write this down to aid in clarifying the principle.

Identify future opportunities for application.

What other situations do you, might you, or will you face where this principle applies?

How could this principle improve outcomes in other areas of our work/leadership?

Plan for specific scenarios.

• When will you apply this principle in the future?
• What 3-5 specific actions will you take to apply this principle?
• Get specific, don't wait until the situation arises to consider what you will do and how you might draw from your past to navigate the future. Have a plan. Again write these down for future reference.

Being disciplined about applying this process and making it a habitual part of your practice will help you level up your leadership. Not only will you learn faster, so will those around you. Not only will you increase your performance, so will your team. It will allow you to improve outcomes in familiar situations, and step forward more confidently in novel scenarios.

Identifying and isolating insights, partitioning principles and leveraging lessons is the process of turning knowledge into wisdom. A wise leader is one we all look up to, someone who stands out as brilliant in their organisation and field. They are worthy of the title, Luminary Leader.

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Clifford Morgan is the owner and Principal at Lumian Consulting. Purposeful about empowering leaders to fulfil their potential, he draws on over 15 years experience with the Royal Australian Air Force to bring discipline, training and focus to leadership development. As a registered psychologist he applies the psychology of leadership in a way that challenges mindsets, influences culture and empowers people. Clifford works with the business leaders and managers to unlock their potential and build high performance teams and cultures. If you are interested in executive coaching or leadership solutions please reach out to connect or email [email protected].