adapting is easy when learning is fun!
What was the last skill that you learnt where you were having FUN? Perhaps a new sport or a hobby? Was it scary at first? Did it challenge you?
For me it was kiteboarding. It was scary at first! I clearly remember the anxiety I felt when my instructor hooked the kite up to my harness for the first time. I had no control! I was at the mercy of the wind and hoping my instructor knew what he was doing. He was, luckily!
Instruction began with the initial safety training, “the lecture”, to make sure I didn’t hurt myself or others. My instructor was knowledgeable, and patient, and the safety training was immensely valuable. But it wasn’t during “the lecture” where the learning happened. The learning happened when I built up the confidence to try stuff myself, when I was making mistakes, when I was falling, faceplanting and trying again.
Those initial attempts of trying something new can be terrifying, embarrassing and painful. But in order for me to persist and overcome the frustration of falling again and again, learning had to be fun! And it was!
It was fun because it challenged me.
It was fun because I had an instructor that made me feel safe and
it was fun because I could share the experience with an awesome crew of fellow newbies and great coaches.
To be able to adapt to new environments in a rapidly changing business world, we need a similar approach to learning. The operating environment for business will change significantly over the next couple of years and our ability to remain relevant will be dependent on our ability to learn and adapt.
I love this quote from Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, on being able to adapt to a changing environment:
“What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you - what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind - you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn't a strategy”
‘Leaning in and figuring out what to do’ is like learning a new skill. It requires us to get out of our comfort zone and into a place that can feel scary at first. But when we create the right environment, learning and adapting can be a lot of fun! And when learning is fun, adapting is easy.
How does your last learning experience compare? What made it fun? Did you find it challenging? Did you feel safe to make mistakes and try over and over again?
About the Author
Michael is an experienced facilitator, speaker and coach – he is passionate about gamification of learning – ensuring we have a safe place to try new things and challenge ourselves to continually learn and grow.