Learning Agility—Have you got what it takes?

    When it was announced in March 2020 that the world was in the throes of a global pandemic, thousands of Yale staff members and their leaders had to move quickly, adjust, and sometimes enter unchartered waters to accomplish things differently. Why was Yale successful? “Learning Agility.”

    Leadership expert Orrin Woodard defined learning agility as “…the ability and willingness to learn from experience, and subsequently apply that experience to perform successfully under new or first-time conditions.”  (Kenneth P. DeMeuse, What’s Smarter than IQ? (Korn/Ferry Institute, October 2011)

    While the pandemic forced us to move quickly, Yale rose to the occasion, and adapted to a new conferencing and meeting platform, Zoom, and found other innovative platforms and ways to keep our institution running. You were a part of that. But how can you continue to use Learning Agility to succeed and lead?

    The Korn/Ferry Institute supports Five Factors in Learning Agility

    Mental agility is being able to think on your feet and be creative in the moment when problem solving. You can do this by learning or engaging in something new, something out of your comfort zone. Engage in new activities that may be unfamiliar or scary like leading a team or giving a speech. Research your field of business and attend a webinar on new innovative ideas out on the web. Don’t allow self-consciousness to squash your creativity for fear of being judged. All of these things are like calisthenics for your brain and will keep it agile.

    People agility is being a skilled communicator with the ability to work with diverse types of people. This means improving your emotional intelligence, learning conflict resolution techniques, and practicing communication skills like active listening and asking effective questions. When this is done well, you will be able to interact effectively with others who may have differing views or opinions than you. It also facilitates sharing your knowledge and learning from others.

    Change agility requires the ability to experiment with change and to be comfortable with it. Yale strives to be a leader in change and so can you. Seize opportunities for continuous improvements in your department and in your personal development. Be the first to learn and adapt to a newly introduced application or software. Let go of the “this is how we always did it” mindset and consider the possibilities of doing things differently.

    Results agility is the ability to deliver results in challenging first-time situations. Korn Ferry defines it as “a leader’s propensity to deliver outstanding results in new and ambiguous situations. It is also the experience of being energized by different, tough assignments and overcoming obstacles to achieve stretch work objectives.” You can do this by remaining calm, setting goals, and maintaining focus. Build upon your previous experiences but don’t be afraid to try something different to arrive at the same result that is more efficient and expeditious.

    Self-Awareness means knowing your true strengths and development opportunities. It means assessing your skills and creating a learning plan to acquire or improve skills that will move your career forward, parallel or in a new direction. When you are self-aware, you often examine your performance and seek advice on areas of improvement. What you have experienced in the past will be used to further develop. Cultivate a drive to do something different and to do it better than anyone else. Never be satisfied with the status quo of what you know, how well you know it, or the command level of the skills you have. 

    The Center for Creative Leadership states that individuals tend to gain 70% of their knowledge from challenging experiences and assignments. One way to gain various experiences is to look for an Experiential Learning Opportunity (ELO). These can include:

    • Enrichment Outside Your Role at Yale, which may be finding a job-shadowing opportunity or a rotation program for your department. You could also create a cross functional team to work on an organizational problem. 
    • Enrichment Outside of Yale may include taking a course on a subject of interest or joining a new initiative in the community or at another professional organization.

    These experiences lead to agility in your learning and your ability to apply the skills you learn in other aspects of your work or life quickly and seamlessly. The Experiential Learning Opportunity resource guide provides examples of experiential learning opportunities for managers to work with their staff and for staff to develop their careers.

    Now is the time to build on improving your Learning Agility. Be curious and open to our ever-changing world and how you can quickly adapt and lead in an era of innovation and the unknown. Gain experience in subjects inside and outside of your field and reflect on your past experiences; then apply those experiences to the here and now with successful outcomes.

    “It is clear that learning agility is part of any successful leader’s repertoire. The willingness and ability to learn from experience not only influences the extent to which we grow as individuals but also how we are perceived by others. Ultimately, our ability to continuously learn and adapt will determine the extent to which we thrive in today’s turbulent times.”  (Mitchinson., A. & Morris. R. Ph.D. (2012) Center for Creative Leadership.)

    Let’s all continue to Learn and Grow! Watch the video The Importance of Learning Agility.