It’s September! How did that happen?
At this time of year, however long ago we were at school, we often have a ‘back to school’ feeling. Autumn brings the opportunity for a reset – almost like a mini-New Year.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons that the Festival of Learning has dubbed September ‘Have a Go Month’. This initiative encourages trying new things without the fear of failure.
For L&D professionals it is vital that we practice what we preach. That we are willing to open our minds to new possibilities and opportunities to learn.
What will you do to expand your understanding and experience?
Most of us are familiar with the work of Carol Dweck and the idea of cultivating a growth mindset. Since this phrase was coined, another has started to come into use – the idea of an expansive mindset.
This takes Dweck’s work to the next level. It emphasises not only the ability to grow and learn, but also the capacity to embrace curiosity, seek out diverse perspectives, and pursue continuous expansion of one’s understanding and experiences.
So… what will you choose to have a go at this month? How might you get curious? What can you do to seek out a different point of view? What will you do to expand your understanding and experience?
How about having a go at implementing one or more of these ideas?
Shift your perspective
This involves using a different lens to view everyday situations and challenges.
Ways in which this can be achieved include:
- Role Reversal: Consider a problem or situation from someone else’s perspective – this can be extremely powerful if you choose someone who has very different views, experiences and background to you.
- Assumption Busting: Identify the assumptions that you are making. Challenge the assumptions. Ask yourself ‘what if the opposite were true?’
- Random Input: Bring in unrelated ideas or concepts to spark new thinking. This could be through reading outside of your usual interests, or talking to colleagues from other disciplines who you would not normally interact with.
Ask different questions
We often find ourselves using the same questions which will then potentially lead to the same types of answer. Try using different questions to generate new thinking. For example:
What if…?
What if I could start from scratch—how would we do this?
What if there were no limitations—what would I aim to achieve?
What if I approached this challenge with a beginner’s mindset?
What if everything I believe about this situation is wrong?
What if the constraints I think exist are actually self-imposed?
What if the outcome were guaranteed—how would that change my approach?
What if I involved people outside the usual circle—how might that enrich my work?
What if I sought inspiration from nature, art, or other fields—what might I learn?
What if I let go of perfectionism—how would that change my work?
If… then…?
If I knew the outcome would be successful, then how would I proceed?
If I weren’t afraid of failure, then what risks would I take?
If I had twice the resources, then how would I expand this idea?
If I had no constraints, then what would I do?
If I let go of my current beliefs, then how would I see this situation?
If my initial assumption is wrong, then what else could be true?
If I focus on learning rather than perfection, then how would I approach this differently?
Read something different
Once a week, choose to read something completely unrelated to L&D or your industry. Maybe choose an article from a science journal or a piece of creative writing. This can spark new ideas by exposing you to different ways of thinking.
Whatever you try, it’s worth noting the results
Take a walk
Go for a short walk, somewhere new or using a different route, with the intention of noticing something new or different each time. This practice can help train your brain to stay curious and open to new ideas.
Get ‘appy’
Download an app such as Duolingo, Blinkist or Headspace, all of which encourage learning through daily practice. Many apps that encourage daily interaction involve elements of gamification such as ‘streaks’ and leaderboards. These can help you develop new habits and encourage you to keep going with your new challenge.
Create a Curiosity Jar
Fill a jar with random questions, challenges, or prompts written on slips of paper. Each day, pull one out and spend a few minutes exploring it. Questions could be as quirky as, “What would the world look like if gravity worked differently?” or “How would I solve this problem if I were a superhero?” The goal is to spark your creative thinking.
Draw your thoughts
Instead of writing your ideas – or even your to do list – represent them with doodles and drawings. You may believe that you cannot draw, but you’re not aiming to have your work displayed in a gallery. You are aiming to spark connections in different areas of your brain which may then lead to different thought patterns and help you look at your ideas / to do list differently.
What else? Come up with your own ideas!
Whatever you try, it’s worth noting the results in a learning journal or reflective log so that you can track your progress and the difference that having a go at something has made for you.
