seamlessly integrate work and learning, and they set that example
for everyone else. Build time into every meeting, every project, and
every day to reflect on what you’ve learned and how you can use
that learning to do better next time.
Have Learning Objectives for Every Meeting
Start every meeting by agreeing on the major learning for that
meeting. It’s Stephen Covey’s idea of “beginning with the end in
mind.” Take time at the end of every meeting to check whether all
participants have accomplished their learning purposes.
Practice the “Five-Minute Rule”
For every hour of a meeting, take five minutes to debrief what you
learned that can help you be more effective in the next meeting.
Focus first on learning about the process—for instance, how you
work together, how the meeting was structured, and how you used
(or misused) various tools. Then explore what you learned about
the content. The military uses this method to keep everyone
focused on becoming consistently more effective as both techni-
cians and leaders.
Use the “Hallway Challenge” to
Keep the Learning Fire Blazing
Make it a practice to stop folks in the hallways and ask, “What
did you learn this week, and how are you going to apply it?”
Not only will this keep you up to date, but it will also keep
everyone else on their learning toes. I recall a lunch with Stephen
Covey when he asked his nearest tablemate, “What was the most
surprising thing you learned this year?” The answer led to a very
stimulating and educational conversation involving the whole
table.
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