How Can Managers Encourage Employees to Learn New
Skills?
At the start of each New Year we move through a series of steps, from reflection
of the past to creation of the future. Our ideas range from the
conservative—“let’s continue doing what we have always done,” to the outrageous-
“let’s try something we’ve never done!”
Some
of us jump full swing into the New Year, while others use this time to lay
fallow, or even hibernate. The New Year denotes a time of choices.
I
decided to take an abstract painting class for two reasons: I always wanted to
paint and I wanted to work creatively in a new medium. However, my judgments
about my painting skills are almost as loud as my desire to paint.
When
I walked into the art studio I brought both my enthusiasm and my fear. I was
hoping that the art teacher would coddle me, so that I could maintain a balance
between these two loud voices; instead, she was busy preparing the group to
begin painting. Not only did I walk in empty- handed, I was immediately thrown
into a panic, as I wanted to spend time talking about painting not simply
painting. I could feel myself disconnecting my head from my body. My fear and
shame grew. In this state, I had no chance to be open to learning.
Although I tried vainly to keep up with other students, anxiety guided my brush
strokes. The more I tried to relax, the more controlled my painting became. Even
when the art teacher walked by my easel to comment, I maintained tight control
of my brush. “Wanting to do it right” and “wanting to look good” was very
important to me that first weekend. The art teacher kept reminding me to let go.
As my frustration level increased, I tried harder to do it right. Does
any of this sound familiar?
My abstract painting class is a metaphor for how I approach things I don’t know.
I am reminded that my feelings not knowing how to paint are similar to my
coaching clients’ fears and frustrations not knowing how to engage in a new
practice. It has taken me a few weeks of practice to relinquish the hold I
maintain on myself. I still think about my competence but I am open to being a
beginner artist. As the teacher keeps pointing out, “skill comes with practice.”
With
my coaching background, I am aware of how my emotional and intellectual
conditioned tendencies shape my results. It is not a question of being a
difficult student or a slow learner; rather, I grapple with how to intervene in
my own negative self- talk that impedes my ability to “do the work”.
Each time I give myself permission to not know how to paint, and to not see what
makes my paintings good or bad, I relinquish the need to control what happens on
the canvas. This is exciting news!
When
I want to throw in the towel, I find ways to affirm my choice. Different from an
art coach, my teacher has no real commitment to the outcomes I want to have
happen. Because I am an unknown to her, she can only suggest general techniques
or ideas and hope that something takes root in the student. This is a hit or
miss approach since each person learns differently; not all students respond to
the same instructions the same way. The less my teacher knows about what
triggers me-- the less effective her interventions will be when I hit an
obstacle. What she is doing that is helpful is keeping the process simple,
providing lots of encouragement, and giving us permission to succeed and fail.
There are no repercussions if our work is less than what she wanted. We simply
tear up the paper and start over again.
What
is happening to me in this class also happens for employees in the workplace. A
manager, who means well, shares some general tips, techniques or the solution--
hoping that the employee will resolve the situation and get back to work.
Sometimes the employee can integrate the learning, oftentimes, the employee
returns a week, two weeks or a month later with the same problem. No learning
has occurred. The manager scratches his head, recites the same steps and hopes
that this time the employee will get “it”. What actually happens?
Two
things are happening simultaneously. First, the employee may be able to follow
the solution path but have no idea what skill or knowledge was needed to
complete the task. Instead of developing the employee’s weak muscle to perform,
we are simply providing the solution and hoping that the employee learns
something. Second, if we are incorporating a new way of working or a new
project, our employee will probably approach the project the same way I
approached painting. His fear and enthusiasm will shape his actions and his
outcomes when he stands in the ring as a beginner.
What
is second nature to us may be completely foreign to the employee. Therefore, as
managers/coaches it is helpful if we create the steppingstones or practices our
employee can implement that will support him/her to learn a new way of
performing the activities. Why bother investing the time and energy required to
develop our people? The better we develop our employees, the more effectively
they work for the organization.
Asking
the employee a few simple questions will insure he/she can follow through with a
new practice:
1.
What specific results are you looking
for by taking on this practice?
2.
What kind of support do you need to
fulfill the practice?
3.
What could get in the way of you
regularly doing the practice?
4.
What needs to change in how you
currently work so that you can take on the practice?
There is a difference between teaching and coaching employees. We can support
our people by slowing ourselves down to meet the employee where he/she is,
rather than sandblasting the employee and hoping something changes. By
remembering that we all meet our personal demons when we take on a new project
or practice, we can empathize with our employees and help them overcome the
obstacles they confront when they take on something new. Our coaching will be
more effective when we remember that before we became experts at our jobs, we
were beginners!
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