Exploring experiences that matter – learning from Tumultuous Times
Tonight’s event aimed to give our members an opportunity to find out about learning through tumultuous times. What better way to learn than to share and reflect with other CWN members expertly facilitated by our terrific speaker Jeneva Patterson, EMEA Lead for organisational leadership at the Center for Creative Leadership. Jeneva created a warm, intimate and safe space for members to reflect and share on a few momentous occasions. We were invited to ponder our Wonder Woman moments. Members shared times where they had overcome adversity and proved to themselves they could do something they hadn’t realised they could. Jeneva explained the fusion between powerful emotion and long term memory and highlighted the value of on the job learning which accounts for 70% of all work learning. Apparently only 10% of work learning happens on a course. Emotion provokes learning and evokes memory.
We were next asked to consider an event which turned upside down our previous understanding of the world. Again we experienced the power of reflection and sharing for real learning as some people appreciated how a certain turn of events had indeed changed the course of their lives. Adversity brings with it opportunity.
We picked up a great question to pose to help foster team bonding. Ask them “What experience would you like to share with us that was integral to making you the leader you are today?”
Having come along to find out about agile learning, Jeneva reassured us we had just spent the evening doing exactly that. New people, new location, new ideas - precisely the components that stimulate new neural pathways. And she reminded us that learning can cause dis-comfort, dis-equilibrium even dis-ease as our brains strive to get back to equilibrium but this very up-set is the sign that we are both learning and unlearning. We are resetting our brains in an upward trajectory.
Aside from the great insights I gleaned from tonight’s event I felt I had actually “met” many more people as the whole experience was very interactive. Great combination of learning and networking. And the canapés were great especially the chocolate mousse.
Geraldine Gallacher