Dr. Ellen Weber's post on Traits of a Brain Based Change Agent sites 10 characteristics of a leader one of which is to never stop learning. This makes sense and i am sure that anyone reading this would agree. Yet I have noticed in day to day interactions with people that there is an alarming lack of curiousity. Relationships appear to be based more on what can you do for me, rather than how i can serve you despite all the training in networking people have received over time. This results in a rather superficial transactional relationship which really can't be counted on when the going gets rough.
In strategic alliance and partnering work, cooperatively managing anything depends on the capacity to learn together, put the tough stuff on the table and see what can be learned. The capacity to do so without making anyone wrong creates powerful solutions that all gain from in the end. Yet overwhelmingly there is predisposition to avoid learning from the tricky situations, gloss over them and find someone or something to blame for the situation.
There is a wonderful children's song and animation called the Cat Came Back which applies to the scenario where, if you avoid the deeper dynamic and causal elements, the issues you seek to resolve resurface as if you were riding a merry go round.
Learning is powered by curiosity. What happened to it?
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