That Learning Moment

Something said in the train I travelled on to Kraków last week. An American boss was having a pep talk with a Polish employee, in the course of that conversation, he spoke of 'that learning moment'.

Americans have that linguistic gift of putting across into a couple of snappy words what European academics would need to pen entire monographs to communicate.

Here was a concept I immediately recognised; that singularity in time when understanding, total awareness and appreciation occur. Eureka. Lightbulb. The Penny Drops. And what has thus been learnt stays with you a lifetime. A good 'learning moment' should cause you to question your old concepts and behaviours, and improve, and in doing so, you come closer to fulfilling your potential as a human being. Which is why we are all here.

Total continuous improvement. Lifelong learning. You gain awareness, you implement, you improve, you monitor progress and feed back. Unlike a spiral spring, which rises, steadily but slowly, there's no pattern here. Long complacent stretches, then PAFF! Enlightenment! And straight up to the next level.

When I look at myself, I see can see I often plod along year after year, with the same certain assumptions, doing things the same way, approaching work the same way, getting complacent about the need to improve constantly, indeed - not really caring too much. But then I meet people that inspire me - to go up a stage to see the bigger view, a wider perpective - to learn.

The key thing here is to be able to recognise That Learning Moment when it occurs. And be able to act on it.