We talk about learning as something that we choose to do consciously, as if on all other occasions we’re simply maintaining a benign state of readiness for when we can move forward again. But the rather inconvenient truth is that we are always learning. Our brains, our neurons, are constantly and incessantly firing and wiring. We are either learning ‘negatively’ through our increasingly conditioned responses to threat, or we are learning ‘positively’ through conscious consideration, deliberate action and immediate feedback in the form of consequences. Of course learning through conditioned responses is very valuable for our survival, but frankly once we’ve gone beyond the point where we are so young, naïve and unaware as to be a danger to ourselves and others if we are let out on our own, it should pretty much all be about the positives. What stage of development in our lives can we be reasonably certain of not requiring further conditioned learning? Probably just beyond adolescence which means that by the time we arrive in the workplace, we should be predominantly fed positive learning experiences. Wow, all those skills we can develop as we insatiably consume knowledge and learn through constant experimentation, rehearsal and performance on the job. And with all the amazing feedback we get, both immediately in terms of ‘natural’ consequences when things we try just don’t work, and from our colleagues and especially our manager, we’re surely on the path to growth, uncovering and unleashing our massive potential in service of this wonderful enterprise we’ve joined.

This is not mere idealistic fantasy on my part. This is completely within our dominion if only we had the sense to organise our workplaces accordingly. After all it happens gloriously in sport and the arts, so as humans we are most definitely capable. And I urge you to be very watchful of any scepticism that might wash over you at this point, since positive learning is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is a complete essential. If we do not create the environment and the cultural conditions for positive learning, it’s not just that we’ll suffer the frustrations of unrealised potential, it’s that we’ll actively do harm. There is no neutral state - you are either actively fostering a positive learning environment or you are a steward of negative learning.

Human beings look solid, secure and reliable with any change happening quite gradually, almost imperceptibly. At least they look like this at work, since they’ve learned so to appear. In our natural state, free of threat, nothing could be further from the truth. Human beings are organisms in constant change, a mass of vibrating molecules in a dynamic state of flux. We can learn to appear solid and unchanging, but give us the freedom to be ourselves, and we are dynamic, active, clumsy, messy and completely beautiful. I use a descriptor in my training courses – we are all beautiful, flawed geniuses. Unfortunately at work we’ve become so petrified of the flaws and the messiness, that we’ve crushed the human spirit in so many of our organisations, trading it for conformity, compliance and ‘just enough’ growth. Whereas we should be giving positive learning total priority in our working environments, in my experience corporatism is appalling at this, focussing as it does almost all learning energy on controlling or even seeking to eradicatethe inconvenience of human beings.

The learnings that are critical for our creative growth and development in the corporate world are things like:

· Be better prepared

· Talk to people in advance

· Prioritise differently

· Be more courageous

· Find new ways

· Rehearse

· Experiment

· Be more creative

· Involve others

· Give ideas away

· Be open and transparent

· Consider potential alternative outcomes and have contingency plans

· Trust your colleagues

· Be tolerant of human failings

· Be aware of possible unintended consequences

· Celebrate difference

· Take calculated risks

· Hold clear boundaries

· Give honest feedback

These all sound so sensible that it’s easy for any of us to argue, even believe, that we foster and encourage these things. We may even be able to point to the evidence of how we have communicated that these are the things that we want and expect from people. But it’s not our words that people follow, it’s our actions, our behaviours, our responses. Our fine and noble words are found out in how we behave under pressure.

And so often the reality is that our behaviours teach people the following:

· Don’t make me cross

· Don’t let people down

· Don’t miss deadlines

· Don’t say ‘no’

· Over commit

· Have an excuse ready in case anything goes wrong

· Don’t take risks

· Give sugar coated feedback (don’t hurt people’s feelings)

· Don’t express emotions

· Work long hours

· Give instant responses

· Don’t say what you really think

· Play safe

· Hide your beliefs

· Agree with those who have power over you, better still do things to please them

Leaders are often exasperated that they’ve exhorted people to do the right things, and yet those people still appear to be afraid to do so. Or worse, those people use their initiative and patently do silly things. Infuriating! But at least if all the employees have signed the Health and Safety policy, then clearly it cannot be the fault of management when one of them gets their arm caught in the machine. And so the bottom line is revealed for many hard pressed managers – in the absence of the elusive and probably mythical profit / ethics / sustainability Trinity, I can live with average or even mediocre results as long as I can survive by blaming others. Surely all we have to do is employ the right people and be relatively decent to them and they’ll do the rest won’t they? If we provide good salaries (well, market rate anyway), good benefits (well, in line with other employers in our industry), free tea and coffee etc; if we tell them that we want them to use their initiative and that’s it’s ok for them to make mistakes (especially if our Values say this); and if we’re reasonably good at moving bullies out of management roles, then surely people have everything they need to flourish, don’t they? It’s this underlying belief, borne out of some frustration, that leads to the oft quoted ‘if only we had the right people…………..’. Whenever I hear that (or a more sanitised management speak version which sounds less inhumane) I simply retort ‘you’ve got the right people, they are in fact amazing, but they’re just waiting to be led’.

It’s not that ‘positive’ learnings are by their very nature more elusive, it’s more that the ‘negative’ learnings are so dominant. Remember how we are wired - our brains are 5 times more sensitive to negative feedback than positive, so we have to work 5 times harder on nurturing the positive learning. And this is exhausting for leaders, mainly because they have ‘day jobs’ themselves – they simply don’t feel they have the time to be constantly walking the floor encouraging everyone. They are leaders, not pastors. So being pragmatic, the question becomes how leaders can genuinely ‘walk the talk’, ensuring that fine words are completely matched by their responses and subsequent behaviours under pressure.

Article excerpted from “Corporate Emotional Intelligence” - by Gareth Chick

About the Author:

Gareth Chick is a 40 year corporate veteran with a global profile. His career has included hugely successful spells as CFO, CEO and Chairman in both public and private sectors, including private equity. What makes Gareth's experience unique is that he combined those executive roles with a part time career as a leadership trainer, researching psychology, neuroscience and psychotherapy to create leadership development programmes used now by many major global corporations. In the last 15 years Gareth has trained over 5000 managers and served as Executive Coach to over 200 senior execs including FTSE100 CEOs and Fortune 500 VPs. As Founder of Collaborative Equity LLP, “promoting corporate cultures and sustainable business models of shared ownership, shared responsibility and shared rewards", Gareth acts as consultant to many global leaders, specialising in first time CEOs and Start Up founders. ↠ find out more at ceq.com

We're Always Learning

We’re Always Learning