What I Learned When … Climbing Higher Meant Circling Back

One of the most pivotal moments in my life was the day I arrived in San Francisco to begin my journey in the Organization and Leadership Master's Program at the University of San Francisco, focusing on Higher Education and Student Affairs. It was 2011, and I had landed in the city just the night before my first class. Sleep-deprived but exhilarated, I found myself rushing to a make-up orientation with the Dean of the School of Education. Time was tight, and I had to sprint to my first class session located on Lone Mountain, one of the steepest hills I’ve ever had to climb.

As I ascended, panting and anxious, I realized I knew nothing about the course I was about to attend: Hermeneutics. With every step, I furiously googled the term, skimming through articles to grasp the basics. Little did I know, this frantic uphill journey was a metaphor for the transformative learning spiral I was about to embark upon. By the time I reached the classroom, not only had I conquered the hill, but I had also taken the first steps into a field that would profoundly shape my understanding of the world.

Falling in Love with Hermeneutics

Hermeneutics, the art and science of interpretation, opened my eyes to new ways of viewing the world. It taught me how to delve deep into understanding not just what is said, but the underlying meanings, contexts, and implications. This discipline sharpened my skills in critical thinking and enabled me to make deep sense of complex situations, a skill set I discovered invaluable in my personal life and professional endeavors.

That course marked a turning point in how I perceive and process the world around me. The hermeneutic spiral, a key concept in the discipline, showed me that understanding is never static. It grows and evolves through iterative cycles of interpretation, moving between the whole and its parts, each time with deeper insight.?

The Spiral Comes Full Circle

Fast forward to today, in 2024, thirteen years later. I came across a thought-provoking post by Elatia Abate , a futurist and expert in innovative workforce strategies. She introduced the concept of the "employee life evolution" as an upward spiral, a dynamic, continuous journey of growth and development. This instantly connected the dots back to the hermeneutic spiral I had studied years ago. It was a full-circle moment that reaffirmed the profound impact of that initial steep climb up Lone Mountain.

In today’s rapidly changing work environment, where upskilling and reskilling are not just buzzwords but necessities, this spiral model becomes incredibly relevant. Organizations are shifting toward skills-based structures, focusing on the capabilities and potential of their employees rather than just their current roles or titles.

The Hermeneutic Spiral in the Employee Lifecycle

The hermeneutic spiral is all about iterative understanding; it is about moving from a preliminary grasp of the whole to an examination of the parts, and back again, each time with deeper insight. Similarly, the employee lifecycle is not a linear path but an upward spiral where employees continually learn, unlearn, and relearn, adapting to new roles, technologies, and organizational needs.

Here’s how the steps of the hermeneutic spiral can be applied to the employee lifecycle:

1. Initial Understanding of the Whole

Employees begin their journey with a basic understanding of the organization's mission and their role within it.

Practical Steps for Organizations:

• Provide comprehensive onboarding that connects individual roles to the company’s mission.
• Create a sense of belonging by showing employees how their contributions matter.

2. Engaging with the Parts

Employees immerse themselves in their specific tasks and responsibilities, gaining detailed knowledge and honing skills.

Practical Steps for Organizations:

• Offer role-specific training and development opportunities.
• Encourage employees to explore how their work impacts broader outcomes.

3. Iterating Between Whole and Parts

As employees grow, they reflect on how their expertise shapes their role and the organization, gaining deeper insight with each iteration.

Practical Steps for Organizations:

• Facilitate regular feedback loops and growth-oriented performance reviews.
• Encourage employees to apply their new skills in innovative ways.

4. Deep Integration

Employees reach mastery in their roles, enabling them to make meaningful contributions that influence the organization’s direction.

Practical Steps for Organizations:

• Recognize and reward expertise by offering leadership or cross-functional opportunities.
• Support innovation by creating spaces for collaboration and creative problem-solving.

5. Revisiting the Whole with New Insights

Employees transitioning into new roles or challenges bring a rich background of experiences, renewing their journey and informing their future contributions.

Practical Steps for Organizations:

• Foster career mobility by providing clear pathways for advancement or lateral moves.
• Invest in lifelong learning opportunities to sustain employee growth.

Connecting the Dots with Skills-Based Organizations

This approach aligns with the insights of leaders like Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM, who championed hiring for propensity to learn rather than fixed skillsets. In a world where the nature of work is constantly evolving, organizations must prioritize creating environments where employees can grow continuously.

Skills-based organizations recognize that the future of work requires agility. By adopting the hermeneutic spiral framework, they can:

• Promote Continuous Learning: Foster a culture of curiosity and adaptability.
• Enhance Employee Engagement: Connect individual contributions to the bigger picture.
• Drive Organizational Resilience: Empower employees to navigate and thrive amid change.

The hermeneutic spiral has significantly influenced my journey, and its relevance is clearer than ever in today’s rapidly evolving work environment. Whether you're an employee seeking growth or an organization aiming to promote innovation, this framework provides a practical roadmap for progress.

For Individuals:

• Reflect on your career path. Where have you moved between understanding the bigger picture and focusing on specific skills?
• Set intentional learning goals that align with your long-term aspirations.
• Seek mentors who can guide you through the "whole" and the "parts" of your journey.

For Organizations:

• Reimagine onboarding and training as the first turns of an upward spiral.
• Provide continuous learning opportunities and feedback loops to keep employees engaged.
• Support career mobility and lifelong learning to sustain the cycle of growth.

Final Thoughts

Understanding and applying the hermeneutic spiral can transform the way we approach learning and development, both individually and organizationally. It’s a reminder that growth is not linear but cyclical, with each iteration bringing us to new heights of understanding and capability.

Have you noticed the spiral in your professional journey? How do you foster continuous learning and growth in your organization or personal life? Share your thoughts and let’s learn from each other’s climbs so we can keep this spiral of growth moving upward.