In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. – Eric Hoffer

Do you know what research shows is the number one shame trigger for people at work?

It’s the fear of irrelevance. It’s the fear that “the skills I have and the knowledge I bring isn’t as valuable as it once was.” This is particularly heightened when we’re in the midst of organisational change. Hello restructures, hello AI, hello budget cuts.

Do you know that the number one response to the fear of irrelevance is?

Amour. Which can look like disengaging, shutting down, secret-keeping or people-pleasing, criticism, cynicism or passive aggression.

And you know what? We’ve probably all engaged in some of those behaviours at some point. When our worthiness feels threatened, our instinct is to armour up to self-protect.

And the consequence of these behaviours?

A culture of gossiping, blaming and finger-pointing, back-channelling, cover-ups, favouritism, perfectionism, nostalgia and even bullying.

What’s the alternative? How do we keep from armouring up?

The Most Fundamental Skill: Intentional Learning

Supporting ourselves and others through change means we prioritise intentional learning and upskilling. We make it safe to ask questions, ‘not know’, be curious, take risks and try new things. We value rumbling through difficult topics while keeping our humanity intact. We help each other in the difficult work of expanding our self-awareness and growing our skill sets. We learn to identify and respond to uncomfortable emotions with empathy and boundaries.

We stay open to learning more about ourselves, each other and the world around us.

From Being a Knower to Being a Learner

Moving from armour to being an intentional learner is a conscious choice. It is also a career advantage. And the most courageous cultures and psychologically safe workplaces are those where it’s safe to learn.

On the scale below, where would you, or your team rate on learner behaviours?

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VUCA Times Call For Intentional Learners

Living in times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) calls for us to ‘keep the channel open‘. The most impactful learning we can invest in is our self-awareness. Without self-awareness, we’re doomed to be at the mercy of our armour and hemmed in at our competency edges.

To support you and your colleagues in growing your self-awareness through intentional learning, I invite you to attend the Dare to Lead™ online program. Details here.