In this episode of Space to Think I chat with Jennifer Abrams about how we stretch our learning edges at work. Interestingly, Jennifer says this should have been her first book but it’s actually her fifth. She uncovered the need for more foundational work and learning while writing and sharing her previous work.
The context for Jennifer's work is education and schools but the ideas and the insights she shares are about how we as human beings learn and grow in the workplace, in work-based relationships and interactions. I find the idea of ‘stretching your learning edges quite engaging, perhaps it’s the yogi in me that feels at home with that physical and cognitive stretch.
Learning and growing is an ongoing process. Jennifer makes the point that she always uses the term stretch-ing not stretched. While we might talk about ‘lifelong learning’ to what extent do we understand what that means beyond ‘content’ - the knowledge and information we need to do what we do? And to what extent do we truly engage in lifelong learning?
Growing up at work is all about the inner work, something that can feel hard to organise and package by its very nature. To help us, Jennifer has identified 5 facets which capture what that inner work might involve:
knowing your identities,
suspending certainty,
taking responsibility,
engaging in reciprocity and
building resiliency.
Each one and the connections between them invite us to reflect, question and learn about how we are showing up at work, how we can be better and add value.
Someone is learning to be a person by watching you.
~ Mrs Kalman
Jennifer shares this quote in her book, it’s a powerful reminder that others are learning from us. This could be children and young people, yours or those around you. It’s also your colleagues, your team members, those who notice you and watch you from a slight distance. Whether you intend to or not, you have an impact on others.
I hope you enjoy the conversation and that there’s something here that sparks your curiosity to stretch your learning edges.
Connect with Jennifer on Twitter and Instagram or visit her website.
Next episode: Cultivating Presence in Leadership with Maggie Farrar
Thanks for listening to Space to Think, a podcast where I create space to think through conversations with guests exploring their knowledge, insights and stories.
Each conversation holds the potential for ideas to grow wild.
E5. Stretching Your Learning Edges with Jennifer Abrams