One becomes two
“When one teaches, two learn” – Robert Heinlein
It has been said, that to really understand a topic you must try to teach it. Much of our experience, knowledge, and learning is amassed informally over time. By that, I mean much of what we learn is outside of a classroom or a formal learning process. In order to solidify our knowledge we need to take it from being implicit to explicit. Teaching helps this process.
There is no-one who has your exact experience so they can’t really understand all of your perspectives and insights without exploring the topic together. When becoming a mentor or teaching others, you need to remember that it is always a two-way process. Both people get value by listening to each other and sharing insights.
In today’s fast-moving, customer-centric, digital world, learning fast is a competitive advantage to be able to adapt and respond to change. A learning culture is one that can be cultivated and encouraged. Remember, if no-one has your exact experience, it means you don’t have theirs either. Be open, be kind and listen to each other – we can all learn.
Consider
Find a colleague that you can teach or learn from and explore a topic together.
Additional Insights
Developing leadership skills at all levels is a must
Learng and development (L&D) and the power of change
L&D + product = meaningful change
