Learning Agility
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Abhijit Bhaduri
How do companies identify high potential employees? Different organizations use different approaches. There are a host of assessments that can provide data on various competencies that makes leaders successful. There are competencies that leaders need to translate their vision of the future into a strategy. They need to have the competencies to communicate and inspire the stakeholders to buy into that vision. They also need to be able to cobble together a team that will execute that plan. To continue to be successful repeatedly requires leaders to be agile learners. To learn from heir own experience of success and failure. they also need to learn from others success and failure. They are risk takers. Leadership success goes to those who are learning agile. I had attended a workshop by Bob Eichinger where he had outlined the four factors that make up Learning Agility.
MENTALLY AGILE:
These are people who can see patterns in data and enjoy solving complex problems. They are comfortable playing with complex ideas and can explain complex thoughts to others in a simple manner that helps others to understand the vision in clear terms.
Describes people who think quickly, can link diverse ideas and thoughts.
AGILITY WITH PEOPLE:
The temple of Apollo at Delphi has the words Know Thyself inscribed. In the recent times management thinkers from Peter Drucker to Daniel Goleman (author of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence) have written about the importance of self awareness. Why does that matter? Because once you know yourself, you are better able to understand others and can manage better in situations that cause interpersonal stress or conflicts.
AGILITY IN DEALING WITH CHANGE
If you are curious and enjoying following new ideas, new technology and are not daunted by it, then this very well describes you as a person with change agility. When a new method is suggested, you roll up your sleeves and test out the idea instead of moaning and groaning about how tough it is to deal with constant change. In fact many of these people actively embrace an opportunity to change te status quo. Combined with mental agility and people agility it is possible for such leaders to also smoothen the way for their teams to embrace change without hiccups.
AGILITY WITH RESULTS
If you can get results regardless of the team you are given or the task and know just what trade-offs you have to balance then you have results agility. Agility with results comes when the leader can deliver a successful outcome regardless of the circumstances. they are able to navigate their way successfully in good times and bad. Their teams lean on them because they know success is assured. Such leaders build teams that help them deliver results even in situations they have never experienced before.
How Do You Spot Learning Agile People?
Learning Agile people excel at leading teams even when they do not have direct line authority over them. Look for people who are eager to go beyond their zone of comfort and try out assignments that most others would shudder to take on. They embrace change and will try their hand at cross functional moves and opportunities to explore new markets, new technology and new geographies – anything that takes them out of their comfort zone. Very often in an interview when asked if they have done such an assignment before, they would answer, “I haven’t but I will learn it quickly.” and proceed to give examples from their career. How do they adjust their course while steering through unknown territory? They are gluttons for feedback. They are constantly looking for feedback that helps the make course corrections constantly.
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Read some more on Learning Agility
Businessweek article by John Ryan
Learning agility as an indicator of high potential
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9:09 am
Very interesting. Would also like to know about your take on managing fragmented teams indulging in undercutting. How does one create an environment of trust and mutual well-being?
10:27 pm
Lovely insight. What would also be fascinating would be to study where Learning Agility dove tails into “Business” or “Enterprise” agility.
A few months ago, I had mused about Enterprise Agility being the outcome of three well developed capabilities: Sensing, Decisioning and Executing. Do we see a corresponding fit with the people in the enterprise having well developed strengths in specific “Learning agility” factors? I believe there is, and I believe that the correlation is worth digging into.
10:13 am
Precise..convincing piece…worth a read!!
11:54 am
Very interesting and timely one too!
)……………..
) sone exceptions are indeed there- just to prove the law.
1) usually the easier one to achieve with the typical ‘Indian’ achievers…they are smart, can think quick, only problematic area probably is the extreme lack of conviction to follow what they believe is right and thus taking their ideas to it’s execution- once again- Rancho can show the way
2)Regding the 2nd point, one prof of IIMC was once conducting a workshop with senior executives on EI. He gave them a simple exercise, that was- in stead of having the typical ‘networking dinner’ in the evening, each leader was expected to spend the evening all alone in their individual rooms, without the TV or any other ‘people entertainment’ provisions. Next day the participants gave a pathetic feedback on that, saying most of them felt so uncomfortable to be alone…etc. etc…. the prof rightly said- if you don’t like to spend time with yourself, imagine what your subordinates, bosses, spouses, kids n friends go through….ha ha ha……
3) THE MOST DIFFICULT ONE- probably simply because we are intrinsically so competitive(have been conditioned that way from childhood- no focus towards perfection but ‘be the first’- wrong priorities) and thereby so insecure and unsure of ourselves, mostly we feel that there is always someone who can use this new thing better so better not learn and use the new one and stick to the old…. getting oneself out of the comfort zone is probaly THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE. i face it day-in-and-day-out in my current role, as we deal with these middle/senior-level executives in all our currently-running programs (not the fresh 2-year MBA thing that’s much easier to handle)…My formula is: y(mindblock-against-change: reverse of change-agility) = E-power-x(age)
4th one is a natural consequence of 1,2 & 3 i think.
7:32 am
we’ve been using this concept for the last year or so, among other things, to help us spot ‘top talent’. Useful, as long as it is in conjunction with actual output.
As an aside, suggest u use a mobile friendly theme, which wordpress can help u with. I came to ure site thru a twitter link on my fone, and u will find many others who may well be doing that. My web is now mostly thru my fone
8:54 pm
Spot On. But surprising how so many organisations and CEOs forget these basic concepts OR think of excelling in just 1-2 of these key traits. Its interesting to see that the organisations that had well developed Leadership development programs and those best poised to grow and excel post the economic downturn in 2009.