Learning and Personal Growth:
The Crucial Link
Learning and personal growth go hand in hand.
Why?
Because the ability to learn is the core skill necessary to grow and develop.
If you can learn how to learn, your ability to grow and develop will accelerate rapidly. I like the way the book The Leadership Machine sums it up in a chapter called "The Silver Bullet" (1):
"Everyone wants to know the secret of success, and there is one. . .
. . .Continuously learning to do what you don't know how to do."
That is to say, while cognitive, emotional, social, creative, and all the other types of intelligence are important, it's your ability to learn that sets you apart and speeds you along the path of growth and development.
In this discussion of learning and personal growth, we'll discuss the characteristics of learners and the two major types of learning - skills based learning and transformational learning.
Characteristics of Learners
Learners, or people with high "learning agility" have several notable qualities. Here are a few of them:
- Willing to Make and Learn From Mistakes: Learners take risks and are willing to make mistakes, look stupid, and fail. They don't like to fail, or course, but when they do they view mistakes as prime learning opportunities.
- Curious: Learners are tinkerers who engage the world with a curious perspective. They will try anything and often refine approaches until they get it right. Learners also read and study broadly and look for new ideas, trends, and useful tips wherever they can find them.
- Great at "Noticing": Learners can step back and observe themselves, others, and situations. This ability to notice brings self-awareness and an ability to read others and new situations.
- Can Distill Experiences Into Lessons: Learners know how to digest their experiences and turn them into lessons for the future. For them, simply having the experience is not enough. They'll mine and debrief experiences for what worked, what didn't, what they could do differently, and most importantly - what they learned and want to take away from it to use next time. Frequently, they'll crystallize this learning into a rule of thumb or kernel of knowledge to use later.
Types of Learning
For the purposes of this site, we'll think of two main types of learning - skills based learning and transformational learning.
Both of these types of learning and personal growth are important. Skills based learning will help you perform more effectively; transformational learning will literally transform the way you understand yourself and the world.
Here's an overview of these types of learning and personal growth and some tips for each.
Learning New Skills
Skills based learning is an important part of our growth and development. Skills, such as public speaking, communication, writing, computer skills, creative skills, and any number of others improve your ability to act skillfully.
The skills adults obtain come from sources different than you might initially expect. Frequently, we associate "learning" with formal education, books, and training.
Actually, learning researchers believe that of the skills adults have acquired, (1)
- 70% comes from Experience
- 20% comes from Exposure to those they can learn from
- 10% comes from Education (books, training)
 So, to develop your skills, focus on getting experience and then practice, practice, practice. Supplement this with Exposure to mentors and coaches, and also spend some time grounding yourself in Education (books, lectures, training.)
Another key component of learning new skills involves understanding your learning style. Understanding and harnessing your learning style can help you master new skills and concepts quickly and easily.
Many models of learning styles exist, although when you put these models together there are several basic categories:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Kinesthetic
- Experiential
- Reflective
Which are you? Think about the material you retain most easily. Books? Discussion? Tinkering?
Identify your learning style and make it work for you.
In addition, you'll want to blend learning styles for greater reinforcement and integration. There's a great expression from New Guinea:
"You haven't learned it until it's in the muscle."
Reinforce your learning multiple ways and seek to integrate it fully.
Transformational Learning
Transformational learning, on the other hand, results in a shift in perspective, world view, and meaning-making capacity. This is the type of learning and personal growth most associated with the stages of Adult Development.
In short, transformational learning literally transforms the way you see yourself, the world, and everything in it. You develop new awareness, new ways of seeing and believing, and new ways of being in the world.
While transformational learning is accelerated by having new experiences, meeting new people, and exposing oneself to new ideas, the core process of transformational learning occurs through reflective practice.
What is reflective practice?
Reflective practice is the process of looking curiously and critically at your life. This builds self-awareness and understanding, as well as shifts in meaning making and perspective.
Often, this results in someone re-writing their life story.
Building reflective practices into your life is easier than you might think. Here's a few ideas:
- Keep an insight journal. Use the question, "What did I notice today - about myself, others, experiences?" Keep it simple and record just a few thoughts each day. On some days, you may feel like elaborating on your insights and writing more.
- Work with a personal coach to hone your ability to reflect and take action
- Undergo a personality assessment and debrief the results
- Write an autobiography in which you step back and tell the story of your life
- Make a timeline of your life and
- Learn to debrief all of your experiences. After each ask:
- What happened? (Positive and Negative)
- Why did it happen?
- What did I learn? What lesson can I take from this?
- What will I do next time?
In addition to reflective practice, transformational learning can occur other ways as well. In particular, mind-body practices such as meditation, yoga, and aikido can literally transform you from the inside out.
Remember the quote above, "You haven't learned it until it's in the muscle?"
These mind-body practices build presence, authenticity, and spiritual insights into your muscle, so to speak. They awaken new capacities, new perspectives, and new ways of being in the world.
Combining these body-mind practices with reflective practice will rapidly accelerate your personal and professional growth.
Click here to visit my page on types of meditation as a tool for learning and personal growth.
As we have discussed above, learning and personal growth are closely linked. Quite simply, learning is the core ingredient in personal growth.
Skills based learning is important and helpful, yet for learning and personal growth that will transform the way you operate in the world, focus on reflective practice and body-mind disciplines.
There are many other resources on this site for your learning and personal growth, and I hope you'll stay a while and check them out.
Good luck and enjoy.
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REFERENCES:
(1) Lombardo, Michael and Eichinger, Robert (2004). The Leadership Machine. Lominger Press.
(2) Knowles, M. Holton, E.F. & Swanson, R.A. (1998) The Adult Learner. (5th Ed.) Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company
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