A 6 year old boy learns that a school sweatshirt can’t fit over a cycling helmet by trying it, not because his mother tells him. A 9 year old girl learns that she will get hurt by her younger brother when she pushes him first. Not because her mother has told her (repeatedly) that it would happen but because it actually does happen.
As adults we are no different. If someone tells us to how do something we might not have the confidence to try it. But if we can experience it safely, without reprimands then we are more likely to build the skill and confidence to do it again when it matters. Training still often tells people what to do by an ‘expert’ at the front of the room but with the constant challenges of the speed of change in our world now, we cannot rely on this ‘expert’ and their own knowledge. We have to learn for ourselves how to do and how to adapt. This process of learning builds our intuition, our problem solving and the depth of our analysis. Without it, organisations rely on too few many people to shape their world. With it, every single member of staff can play a vital role in the development and success of the organisation.
So come on you managers, leaders and L&D professionals, release control and encourage every individual to learn for themselves. Help to create the right conditions to ensure your people thrive. Take a look at our L&D report on how our world is changing ‘Time for a change’
