I’ve been back in Sydney for three weeks and with the benefit of distance and an English summer, I’ve been reflecting on how important it is that we learn how to innovate and make step changes in how we do things. Like most people on InSITE I think it’s been a challenge from day one, but a challenge that most of the time we are up for. For me, when I have colleagues with whom I can be completely authentic and with whom I can problem solve and celebrate successes, then I find courage and a willingness to persist. That’s what I hear pretty much every InSITE check in!!
Meanwhile, you’ll probably be all delighted to know that I’ve been pushed way beyond my comfort zone this week.
I went up to Hunter Water in Newcastle and met with their MD and Senior Executive Team to talk about Learning Journeys and learning power and learning on the job – in short, all the stuff we’re doing in InSITE but tuned to water infrastructure people. I was pretty much out on a limb but I trusted the MD, with whom I made a good connection around shared purpose. It went really well- and the Magic Moment was when the MD stood up and said we must watch this YouTube video on Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose as motivators.
This is pretty much what we’re about in professional learning at InSITE…
The other thing that blew me away was the conversation about the regulatory frameworks – aka teaching standards – that define what is possible and not possible in the water industry. Guess what…Externally Imposed Regulatory Frameworks generally reduce innovation, collaboration and evolution. They’re not designed for learning, they’re designed for control. S0 it was an amazing experience to hear the same old same old themes emerging from colleagues in a completely different world. And to listen to them talking about designing learning journeys into the ‘job to be done’ or ‘business as usual’.