Creating a Culture of Learning

I found myself feeling stagnant recently and couldn’t put a finger on it. Why was I walking in cement? Then it dawned on me that it had been a while since I’d set any personal goals. I’m usually working toward something; whether it’s a race like the Ironman 70.3 or a certification like the Certified Flight Instructor credential. I’d gotten burned out after earning my commercial pilot rating in February and hadn’t picked up anything new since. Stagnation had clearly set in.

Inertia is a powerful force. After all, a body at rest tends to stay at rest. I’m exceedingly good at resting. We humans are wildly comfortable with the status quo and loath to change. At the same time, we all crave novelty…to a point. If that novelty requires a lot of energy to achieve (climbing Mount Everest), inertia is right there to stop us cold. If the novelty is low effort (mindlessly scrolling social media), we’ll pick it every time, even though we know it’s not the right choice long term.

Why are we such lazy beasts? Biology deserves much of the blame. It’s in our nature to conserve energy and stick with the familiar. The antidote to this intellectual stagnation is to “kedge” a bit. In his book Younger Next Year, Chris Crowley describes the act of intentional goal setting as a means of always having something to look forward to in life. That could be a trip, a race — really anything, as long as it’s on the schedule and far enough out to generate feelings of anticipation.

Different personalities approach kedging very differently. Type A business owners might consciously choose to kedge because it’s a little more hardwired in their psyches. However, one size most certainly does not fit all. Consider the benefits of a company where kedging with learning is the norm. Leaders talk about what they’re working on and celebrate the wins of others at all-hands meetings or using employee engagement platforms like Lattice or TINYpulse.

Also by Henry Clifford: Breaking Down Your Sales Process

I shared my kedging idea with our leadership team and admonished myself. “I’ve gotten off track,” I said. “Time has slipped by, and I let it happen. What if we all picked something to work on and modeled that for the rest of the company?”

I stressed that our kedges needn’t all be about custom installation, but they should be about learning. Whether someone wants to become a lighting designer, dog catcher, or lifeguard, we’re going to start making a big deal out of these accomplishments.

Companies like Audible do a great job of nudging us along and giving some guidance around how we might launch a “kedging through learning” program. I feel guilty when I see a new Audible credit show up in my inbox and I haven’t listened to a book recently. Nobody likes feeling behind the 8-ball, and their credit system leverages those emotions wonderfully.

Here are some implementation solutions to consider:

1. Make It Fun — Consider launching your “love of learning” journey at an upcoming all-hands meeting with stories shared from leadership team members who’ve recently accomplished some micro goals. Keeping the initiative as close to a game as possible will ensure you get off to a great start!
2. Let Them Choose — Stress that their learning kedge should be something they’re excited about. I’m always amazed at the direction our initiatives take when we put decision-making in the hands of our employees. This is no different. You’ll be amazed at the wide range of interests within your organization and the opportunities to learn from one another. Consider showcasing some wild certification examples like these (all real):

• • Professional Mermaid
  • Laughter Yoga
  • Chocolate Taster
  • Ham Radio

Of course, there are other practical examples that are inexpensive and well within reach:

• • CPR
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Notary
  • CTS (AVIXA)
  • CIT (CEDIA)

3. Stick With It — It’s easy to start something, but much harder to sustain it. Stress to your team that treating learning as a journey and not a destination is the ultimate goal. Draw a line between certain learning and professional growth (CEDIA or AVIXA certifications) or share stories around how getting a certification in a completely unrelated field can make them a better professional, significant other, or parent. Consider linking compensation rewards with certain certifications, and publish those opportunities publicly.
4. Keep It Simple — This effort should be about priming the pump and getting the team in the habit of chasing down learning goals. The fewer regulations and constraints you wrap around the initial launch, the more likely the routines will form.
5. Praise, Praise, Praise — Make a big deal out of small accomplishments, especially in the early days. Employees love recognition, and heaping on the praise in an all-hands meeting or a 1-to-1 check-in can go a long way toward driving employee engagement in the right direction.
6. Don’t Boil the Ocean — Company initiatives are sometimes cursed with trying to do too much all at once. If you can end up with an environment where you can ask any of your employees, “What are you working on next?” that’s a home run.

Imagine implementing a “kedging through learning” program inside your company and praising your employees on their accomplishments each month from here on out. What changes do you anticipate seeing? How much happier and fulfilled will you and your employees be?

Good luck, stay frosty, and see you in the field.