10 Nightly Nuggets: Unlocking Gratitude and Peace Before Sleep

by | Feb 9, 2024 | Lifestyle

Ever feel like your days just went by in a blur? Work, chores, social media, repeat?

Sometimes, it’s easy to miss the little joys hidden in the everyday. But what if I told you there’s a simple hack to shift your perspective and infuse your life with more positivity? 

It’s not magic, it’s just 10 minutes of your time, a paper and a pen before bed. Let’s dive into the power of 10 Nightly Nuggets!

Imagine this: you crawl into bed, snuggle under the covers, and instead of scrolling through endless feeds, you grab a notebook and jot down the 10 best things that happened during the day. This little ritual works wonders. Incorporating these practices can be a game-changer.

So, how do you do it? It’s all about gratitude and mindfulness. Find a quiet corner, grab a pen, and let your day replay like a movie. Here are what and why to get you started:

1.What made you smile today? 

Did a silly cat video brighten your day? Did your partner crack a joke that had you doubled over? Maybe your kid finally mastered that bike ride they’ve been practicing.

Why Remember the Smiles? It’s All About Cultivating Ananda (Joy)

Remember that feeling of your cheeks stretching wide, a genuine laugh bubbling up from your core? Those moments, no matter how seemingly insignificant, hold immense value. Why? Because they’re tiny sparks of ananda (joy), a fundamental aspect of a fulfilling life.

Remembering and cherishing your daily smiles aligns with this teaching. It trains your mind to find joy in the simple things, not just grand achievements. It cultivates inner peace and resilience, helping you navigate the ups and downs of life with equanimity. Think of it like building a happiness bank account. Every smile, every chuckle, every moment of lightness becomes a deposit. When faced with challenges, you can withdraw from this account, recalling those joyful memories to uplift your spirit and remind yourself of the good in your life. Positive psychology research shows that focusing on gratitude and positive experiences can increase happiness, reduce stress, and even boost your immune system. Remember the heartwarming movie “The Pursuit of Happyness”? Will Smith’s character, Chris Gardner, facing immense adversity, uses his son’s laughter as a source of strength and hope. It’s a powerful testament to the transformative power of joy. 

So, next time you catch yourself smiling, don’t just let it fade away. Jot it down! You’re not just recording a funny moment; you’re nurturing a wellspring of inner joy that will illuminate your life’s journey.

2.Did you witness any beauty? 

Nature is a masterpiece, so did you catch a breathtaking sunrise? Maybe a stunning flower caught your eye, or you admired a piece of art.

Finding Beauty is all about Cultivating Santosha (Contentment)

Remember that sense of awe when you witness a vibrant sunset, the delicate details of a flower, or the intricate design of a painting? Those moments awaken a feeling of santosha, another essential element for a happy life – contentment.

Appreciating beauty aligns perfectly with this teaching. It shifts our focus from external rewards to appreciating the inherent value and wonder in the present moment. It cultivates contentment, reducing the yearning for more and allowing us to find joy in what we already have. Think of it like nourishing your soul with beauty. Just like your body needs healthy food, your spirit thrives on moments of awe and appreciation. They remind you of the world’s richness and fill you with a sense of peace and gratitude. Spending time in nature, looking at art, or simply noticing the beauty around you can lower stress, boost creativity, and enhance overall well-being. Beauty is everywhere, waiting to be discovered by an open heart. 

So, open your eyes to the world around you. Savor the beauty in a sunrise, a flower, or a work of art. You’re not just appreciating aesthetics; you’re nurturing a deep sense of contentment that will enrich your life in countless ways.

3.Did you conquer a challenge? 

Did you crush that workout you were dreading? Maybe you finally tackled that work project that had been looming.

Celebrate Your Victories – Cultivating Swastha (Well-being)

Remember that satisfying feeling of finally completing a challenging task? The rush of endorphins, the sense of accomplishment? Those moments, often overlooked, are powerful tools for fostering well-being.

Celebrating your victories, irrespective of their size, aligns beautifully with this message. It reinforces a sense of self-worth and agency, reminding you that you are capable and deserving of success. This boosts your confidence and motivation, propelling you forward towards achieving your goals. Think of it like building a muscle of self-belief. Every challenge overcome, every goal achieved, adds strength and resilience to this muscle. When faced with future obstacles, this inner strength allows you to approach them with determination and optimism. Celebrating accomplishments, no matter how small, triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness and motivation. Additionally, taking the time to acknowledge your efforts reinforces positive behavior patterns, helping you stay on track towards your goals. 

So, don’t shy away from celebrating your achievements, big or small. Take a moment to acknowledge your effort, pat yourself on the back, and savor the feeling of success. You’re not just indulging in self-praise; you’re cultivating a foundation of well-being and setting yourself up for future triumphs.

4.Did you connect with loved ones? 

Did you have a heart-to-heart with a friend? Maybe you shared a warm hug with your family.

Cherish Connections leads to Cultivating Prem (Love)

Why treasuring connections with loved ones is key to unlocking prem (love), and a cornerstone of a fulfilling life? Remember the warmth of a heartfelt conversation with a friend, the comfort of a hug from a family member? These moments, however fleeting, hold immense power. They nourish our connection to others, fostering a sense of love and belonging, essential for our well-being.

Cherishing connections aligns perfectly with this teaching. It reminds us that we are not isolated islands but part of a larger tapestry woven with love. It cultivates a sense of belonging, reduces loneliness, and provides a support system that enriches our lives in countless ways. Think of it like tending to a garden of relationships. Just like plants need sunlight and water, connections thrive with time, attention, and nurturing. Taking the time to connect with loved ones, even in small ways, waters this garden, allowing love to blossom and flourish. Strong social connections can boost mental and physical health, reduce stress, and increase longevity. 

So, cherish your connections with loved ones. Make time for conversations, share hugs, and express your appreciation. You’re not just strengthening bonds; you’re cultivating a wellspring of love that will nourish your life and bring immense joy.

5.Did you try something new? 

Stepping outside your comfort zone is scary but rewarding! Did you finally try that new restaurant everyone’s been raving about? Maybe you learned a new dance move or tackled a DIY project.

Embrace Newness: Cultivating Saahas (Courage)

Remember the thrill of trying that new restaurant, the satisfaction of mastering a new dance move, or the accomplishment of completing a DIY project? Those moments, often filled with initial hesitancy, hold immense value. Why? Because they cultivate courage, a vital ingredient for growth and personal fulfillment.

Stepping outside your comfort zone requires you to face your fears, overcome self-doubt, and fight the inner battles that hold you back. This act of courage not only leads to concrete achievements but also builds inner strength and resilience. Think of it like expanding your world map. Every new experience, big or small, adds a new territory to your map, broadening your horizons and enriching your perspective. This courage to explore helps you discover hidden talents, overcome limitations, and live a life filled with vibrant experiences. Stepping outside your comfort zone boosts self-confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

So, don’t shy away from trying new things, even if they seem daunting. Celebrate your courage, big or small. You’re not just ticking items off a list; you’re building a life rich in experiences, courage, and the unwavering spirit to conquer any challenge.

6.Did you learn something interesting? 

Maybe you stumbled upon a fascinating article, or a conversation sparked your curiosity. Learning keeps our minds young and vibrant!

Embrace Curiosity: Cultivating Jigyasa (Curiosity)

Remember the spark of excitement when you stumbled upon a captivating article, or how a conversation unlocked a new realm of knowledge? Those moments, even seemingly insignificant, hold immense power. Why? Because they fuel your jigyasa, your innate desire to learn and grow, keeping your mind young and engaged.

Seeking knowledge aligns perfectly with this teaching. It keeps your mind active, expands your understanding of the world, and challenges you to see things from different perspectives. This continuous learning not only opens doors to new opportunities but also prevents stagnation and keeps your spirit youthful. Think of it like nourishing the soil of your mind. Just like fertile soil fosters the growth of vibrant plants, a curious mind readily absorbs new information and experiences, allowing you to blossom with creativity and intellectual growth. Lifelong learning improves memory, cognitive function, and even reduces the risk of dementia.

So, embrace your innate curiosity. Seek out new information, engage in thought-provoking conversations, and explore different fields of knowledge. You’re not just accumulating facts; you’re nurturing a vibrant mind, expanding your horizons, and keeping your spirit forever young.

7.Did you find inspiration? 

A motivational quote, a powerful book, even a wise word from a stranger can leave a lasting impact. Reflect on what inspired you!

Finding Inspiration: Cultivating Buddhi (Wisdom)

Remember the time a powerful quote ignited a spark within you, or how a book touched your soul and shifted your perspective? Maybe even a wise word from a stranger left a lasting impact. These moments, often fleeting, hold immense power. Why? Because they fuel our buddhi, allowing us to see the world with clarity, compassion, and understanding.

Finding inspiration aligns perfectly with this teaching. It exposes us to new ideas, challenges our assumptions, and broadens our understanding of the world. This journey of seeking wisdom not only leads to personal growth but also helps us navigate life’s challenges with greater maturity and compassion. Think of it like building a lighthouse within yourself. Each source of inspiration, big or small, adds a ray of light, illuminating your path and guiding you towards a brighter future. This inner light helps you make better decisions, navigate difficult situations, and live a life filled with purpose and meaning. Exposure to positive and inspiring messages can boost optimism, resilience, and overall well-being.

So, actively seek out inspiration. Read books, listen to podcasts, engage in thoughtful conversations. Be open to the wisdom shared by others, even in unexpected places. You’re not just collecting quotes; you’re building a foundation of wisdom that will guide you, illuminate your path, and help you live a life filled with meaning and purpose.

8.Did you connect with nature? 

Even a few minutes spent outdoors can do wonders. Did you soak up the sunshine, breathe in the fresh air, or listen to the birdsong? Nature is always there to recharge us!

Embrace Nature’s Embrace: Cultivating Santosh (Contentment) and Pran (Life Force)

Remember that feeling of calm washing over you as you soak up the sunshine, the invigorating breath of fresh air filling your lungs, or the soothing melody of birdsong? These seemingly simple moments in nature hold immense power. Why? Because they reconnect us to the source of life itself, replenishing our pran and promoting a deep sense of santosh.

Connecting with nature aligns perfectly with this teaching. It reminds us that we are not separate entities but integral parts of a vast, interconnected ecosystem. This sense of belonging fosters a deep sense of peace and contentment, reducing anxiety and promoting inner harmony. Think of it like stepping into a natural energy source. Just as nature constantly renews itself, spending time outdoors revitalizes our own life force, leaving us feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. This renewed energy allows us to approach life’s challenges with greater vitality and a renewed sense of perspective. Spending time in nature reduces stress, improves mood, and even boosts the immune system. 

So, make time for nature, even if it’s just a few minutes on your balcony or a walk in the park. Breathe in the fresh air, listen to the sounds, and simply be present. You’re not just escaping the indoors; you’re reconnecting with your source of energy, finding contentment in the present moment, and nurturing a spirit that thrives alongside nature’s wonders.

9.Did you express gratitude? 

Taking a moment to appreciate the good things, big or small, shifts your perspective. Did you thank your partner for dinner, tell your friend you appreciate them, or simply express gratitude for being alive? Gratitude is magic!

Finding Magic in Gratitude: Cultivating Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender and Gratitude)

Remember the warmth you felt when thanking your partner for dinner, the joy of expressing appreciation to a friend, or even the quiet moment of gratitude for simply being alive? These seemingly simple acts hold immense power. Why? Because they shift your focus from what you lack to the abundance already present, fostering a sense of contentment and joy.

Expressing gratitude aligns perfectly with this teaching. It reminds us that everything we have, big or small, is a gift, and acknowledging that fosters a sense of surrender and acceptance. This shift in perspective reduces resentment and negativity, making space for joy and appreciation to blossom. Think of it like cultivating a fertile ground of thankfulness. Every expression of gratitude, like a seed, takes root and nourishes your spirit. Over time, this garden of gratitude blooms with joy, contentment, and a deeper appreciation for the beauty and abundance in your life. Practicing gratitude reduces stress, improves sleep, and even boosts the immune system. 

So, don’t shy away from expressing gratitude. Thank your loved ones, appreciate the small things, and even express gratitude for facing challenges, as they teach you resilience. You’re not just saying “thank you”; you’re cultivating a magic wand that transforms your perspective, unlocks joy, and opens your heart to the true abundance in your life.

10.Did you forgive yourself? 

We all make mistakes, but dwelling on them doesn’t help. Did you let go of something you were holding onto, choose forgiveness, and move forward? Self-compassion is key!

Finding Freedom in Forgiveness: Cultivating Karuna (Compassion) and Maitri (Self-Love)

Remember the lightness you felt when you finally released a burden, forgave yourself for a past misstep, and chose to move forward? These moments, often challenging, hold immense power. Why? Because they cultivate karuna for yourself, allowing you to extend maitri, or self-love, and build a foundation for personal growth and well-being.

Forgiving yourself aligns perfectly with this teaching. It’s not about condoning mistakes, but acknowledging them, learning from them, and choosing to let go. This act of self-compassion frees you from the shackles of guilt and self-blame, allowing you to embrace your imperfections and move forward with renewed kindness towards yourself. Think of it like clearing a path towards self-love. Every act of forgiveness, like removing a stone from the path, creates a smoother journey towards genuine self-acceptance. This journey allows you to appreciate your strengths, celebrate your unique qualities, and build a foundation of self-love that empowers you to face life’s challenges with resilience and compassion. Self-forgiveness reduces stress, improves self-esteem, and even strengthens relationships. 

So, don’t be afraid to forgive yourself. Acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them, and choose to let go. You’re not erasing the past; you’re creating space for self-compassion, nurturing self-love, and setting yourself free to walk the path of personal growth with grace and understanding.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s about cultivating gratitude and reflecting on the positive aspects of your day. Do it for a week, a month, even a year, and see how your outlook transforms. You might be surprised at how much positive energy you tap into!

So, ditch the phone, grab the notebook and pen, and start writing your 10 Nightly Nuggets. You deserve a dose of positivity before drifting off to sleep. Sweet dreams, and remember, gratitude is the key to unlocking a happier, more peaceful you!

New Approach to Workplace Learning

by | Dec 7, 2022 | Learning, Workplace

Michelle Parry-Slater’s Learning and Development Handbook opens with an observation that’s unlikely to shock anyone. The workplace, she notes, is changing – fast. 

The skills needed in today’s business world aren’t the skills we needed in the past. Keeping up with change means the same thing for organizations as it does for individuals: upskilling and reskilling. So far, so uncontroversial. Everyone knows that, right? 

Well, knowing something and acting on that knowledge are two different things. Which brings us to a second – much more surprising – observation.

Despite the digital revolution, most companies still rely on classroom-based, face-to-face learning to train their employees. Studies show, however, that the typical employee forgets around three quarters of what they learn in such settings within just one day. Put differently, most companies are spending a lot of money and wasting a lot of time to achieve very little. 

Michelle Parry-Slater is convinced that there’s a better way of doing things – that’s why she wrote this Handbook. Let’s dig into her alternative approach to workplace learning. 

In this post –

•  Why training courses often aren’t about work at all

•  What the digital present and the analogue Stone Age past have in common.

•  Why it’s sometimes best to let people do their own learning.

Organizations can’t rely on old learning models in a changing world.

To start off, we’re going to be talking about learning in a particular context – organizations and companies. In other words, we’ll be looking at professional development. 

Our question, then, is how professionals master new skills and pick up the know-how they need in today’s fast-moving workplaces. But before we get to that, let’s take a step back and think about learning in general. How does any learning take place? 

From schools to universities, public talks, and office training programs, it often happens in a similar way. This learning model centers the sage on the stage. Let’s break that down. 

Although the specifics vary, the idea is usually the same. There’s an expert – an individual with special access to some kind of knowledge. Then there’s the audience – the people who turn up at a certain time and place to learn from that sage. This model is face-to-face: everyone is present in person. It’s also top-down. The teacher talks; the audience listens. 

There’s a reason this model is so common – it can be very effective. As we found out during the Covid-19 pandemic, something important gets lost when traditional learning environments like classrooms disappear. And there are things you really only can learn if you’re physically present. Online-only courses aren’t a great way of acquiring first-aid skills, for example. You need the real-world, face-to-plastic experience of breathing into a CPR doll. It’s the same with learning to drive – you have to sit in an actual car on a real road with a bonafide instructor. 

Thing is, though, face-to-face learning isn’t the only way people can learn. It’s a cliché, but, like so many clichés, it’s true: the digital revolution is a game-changer. The smartphones in our pockets give us unprecedented access to knowledge, bypassing that sage on the stage. The laptops in our bags meanwhile allow us to work remotely, eroding the old emphasis on physical presence. These are simple facts, Michelle Parry-Slater says, and neither organizations nor learning and development specialists can wish them away. The upshot? We need new approaches to professional development. 

That doesn’t mean abandoning tried-and true methods in favor of fashionable gimmicks. Immediately adopting the latest tech isn’t a cure-all. But we can’t just keep doing what we’ve always done because, well, that’s how things are done. What we need to do, she suggests, is spend more time thinking seriously about learning in this new environment. In some cases, face-to-face will still be the way to go; in others, it won’t. Oftentimes, the best approach will be to blend different models. 

Take just one example. When the author worked with the Girl Guides, she looked at their first-aid program. She realized that some 80 percent of the organization’s refresher courses could be taken online. You just don’t need people to be physically present to sit multiple-choice tests on basic medical knowledge. A skill like CPR is different – you need to practice it for real, with an expert. And that’s what the Girl Guides do. They keep the analogue stuff analogue and move the rest online. 

The point, here, is that face-to-face learning isn’t going away – it’s too important. But it’s not the be-all and end-all of learning. That, Parry-Slater thinks, is the key lesson for organizations and their learning and development teams. In practice, though, that’s often easier said than done. 

Face-to-face learning is popular, but not for the reasons people tend to give.

In 2020, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Britain’s leading association of HR professionals, published its annual “Learning and Skills at Work” report. Its conclusion: face-to-face learning was still the dominant approach to professional development in Britain. Evidence from other Western countries paints a similar picture. 

Organizations, it seems, are resisting change and sticking to old learning approaches even as technological change opens up alternatives. But where does this opposition to new ideas and models come from? One factor is simple inertia. Learning in professional contexts has mirrored classroom-based learning since the Industrial Revolution. The idea that learning happens when an expert takes to the stage and delivers their knowledge to a captive audience has deep cultural roots. That’s hardly surprising – it’s an idea that’s been around for a long time. 

That’s not the only factor, though. In fact, the most common argument in favor of face-to-face learning isn’t that it’s the only or best approach. The usefulness of remote and online learning models is well-documented, after all. The real obstacle to change is the stated preference of would-be learners. When asked, they typically say that they prefer classroom-based learning. 

The problem for learning and development professionals is that you can’t just tell people that their ideas are outdated and that you know better. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Forcing those would-be learners to adopt methods they’re not sold on is a recipe for resentment – and very little learning. So where does that leave you – how can you persuade people to try new and valuable approaches which they might distrust? There’s only one answer, really: you have to find out what they’re actually getting out of face-to-face learning. 

Start digging and you’ll often realize that there’s not necessarily a lot of overlap between people’s stated preferences and their real preferences. Teams might say that they love that three-day training course in a hotel on the other side of the country because it’s a great way to learn new skills. In reality, though, they might just appreciate the chance to spend more time with colleagues. Or that it buys them some time to think. Or, more simply, that it gets them away from the daily grind.  

These are all good reasons to like face-to-face learning. Like school classrooms, events which require physical presence aren’t just about absorbing knowledge and honing new skills – lots of other things happen there too. And those things matter. Well-rested teams that know each other socially as well as professionally tend to be more productive – and happier. You don’t want to cut those face-to-face events because learning isn’t front and center, but it’s important to call a spade a spade. 

If you find out that social bonds are important to a team, you’ve discovered another strategy you can use to foster professional development. That brings us to our next topic – social learning. 

Social learning is deeply rooted in the human psyche.

Let’s circle back to the question we posed earlier. How, we asked, does learning happen? As we saw, in formal contexts it’s usually top-down and expert-led. 

Lots of learning isn’t like this, however. It doesn’t involve experts; it takes place between peers. It’s horizontal, not hierarchical. Psychologists call it social learning. 

Humans are social animals. We constantly pick up information and ideas from other people. We chat on buses and tell stories around water coolers. We listen to podcasts, read books and blogs, and watch movies. We gossip, swap tips, recount experiences, and observe how our peers behave in different social situations. That’s how we learn about the world. That’s social learning.

Social learning goes all the way back to the origins of Homo sapiens. Our ancient ancestors shared stories around campfires and on the walls of caves – the canvases for some of humanity’s earliest visual storytelling. Survival depended on watching and copying others. That’s how you learned how to hunt, light fires, and distinguish between delicious berries and fatally poisonous doppelgangers. 

Of course, Stone Age humanity’s social world wasn’t very big – it usually extended no further than the territory of the tribe. Over time, the social world expanded. When the printing press came along, information began to circulate across continents. Nowadays, information circles the globe in seconds. Fundamentally, though, little has changed. When we watch amateur chefs cooking pad thai on YouTube or browse fitness forums, we’re doing something humans have always done: learning from our peers. Sure, it’s gotten a lot more technologically sophisticated, but it’s still social learning. 

The American educational psychologist and author Julian Stodd, who has written a lot about learning and development in the digital age. says that, Learning, is built on trust. If we trust someone, we will believe that they’re telling us something important and useful, rather than tricking us into accepting beliefs that benefit them. As social animals, though, we’re primed to trust knowledge we acquire through social learning much more than the knowledge we acquire formally. That’s why, for example, so many people are happier to accept ideas they encounter online, from peers, than ideas that come from on high, from experts. 

Stodd’s conclusion, like the author’s, isn’t that we need to reinforce the authority of experts. Instead, they argue that we should work with the grain of human psychology. If social learning plays such an outsized role in knowledge acquisition, we should find ways of incorporating it into learning strategies. So, to come back to professional development, here’s the question we need to ask: how can we facilitate people learning from each other for the benefit of work? 

Use internal experts to create equal access to social learning.

So let’s look at the workplace. Of course, there’s a ton of social learning already happening even if no one is deliberately orchestrating it. 

Say someone’s struggling with some software. They might go to HR to ask for formal training. But let’s also say there isn’t an old-fashioned, face-to-face course they could attend, or there is but it’s next month. Chances are, they’re not going to sit around twiddling their thumbs for a month. No, they’ll ask a colleague to show them how it’s done. Problem solved – right? 

Not quite. The issue, here, is that offices aren’t perfectly egalitarian places. There are cliques and in-crowds and shared experiences which bind some people while excluding others. If you’ve just joined a new team, for example, or you don’t happen to sit next to the right people, you’re going to struggle to access information you need. Put differently, leaving social learning to chance is unfair.

And that’s why learning and development specialists need to step in. Question is, how can you do that? One strategy is to build up ties between team members and internal experts.  

An internal expert is pretty much what it sounds like – someone who knows a lot about a certain area. For example, imagine a company has an accountant called Sarah. Her field of expertise is clear – she’s the go-to person for financial matters. But she might not know how to use the company’s holiday booking system. Abdul in IT, though, knows all about that. Luckily, the learning and development team has already drawn up a checklist of the company’s internal experts. When Sarah comes to HR with her problem, they can put her in contact with Abdul. Later on, when Abdul needs to do his expense processing, he knows whom to approach – Sarah from accounting. 

The relationship between Sarah and Abdul is informal and horizontal – it’s based on social learning. But that relationship has been facilitated. It’s a result of the learning and development team adopting a deliberate social learning strategy. It’s playing the role of a skills matchmaker. By compiling a list of internal experts, it’s cut out a lot of wasted time and annoyance, too – just think how frustrating it is when you don’t know how to do something at work or who can help you. Best of all, everyone from insiders to newbies has equal access to help and assistance. 

Another great way of nurturing social learning is to host lunch-and-learn sessions. The idea here is to get people who might not know each other all too well together at lunch to discuss a topic. Typically, an expert kicks the session off by sharing insights into their area of expertise and the conversation flows from there. Sharing ideas and stories over food connects to a very old and deeply rooted social convention, and it helps keep these sessions low-key and low-pressure. Although this is still work time, it’s ultimately just a group of people sitting around eating food and having a good conversation. And that really does connect the dots between human psychology, learning, and better workplaces.   

Tech is great for learning but the magic ingredient is motivation.

Let’s wrap things up by looking at the digital revolution. As we said, it’s a game-changer. But that doesn’t mean it’s a silver bullet. 

Thing is, we only learn when we want to learn. And technology is a means to an end – an awesomely efficient means to an end, but a means to an end all the same. Just think of all the great content that’s freely available online. There are entire libraries’ worth of brilliant ideas out there, just a few seconds away. But lots of people don’t use the internet to consume that content. Technology can give us access to learning, but it doesn’t drive learning. Not on its own. The missing key is motivation. 

Motivation often gets lost in all the talk about digitalization. Yes, new tech has made it easier and cheaper to put lots of people through training courses at record speed, but how much are unmotivated e-learners really going to take from those courses? Answer: next to nothing. Boring learning that’s only there to tick boxes and keep overheads down doesn’t motivate anyone. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, we need to think about another question: what does engaging, effective digital learning actually look like? 

First off, it has to be short, convenient, and relevant. That means high-impact interventions at the point of need. In practice, that’s an intuitive online help functionality for new software – not a one-off, hour-long online training course that interrupts people’s workflow. 

Second, it has to be made to the same standards as the digital media people regularly consume. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be as well made as the YouTube videos they watch. Learners are motivated by the prospect of a quick win, and clearing these bars shows them that you get that. 

Context also matters. Remember what we said earlier about people liking face-to-face learning because it gets them out of the office and gives them a chance to network? Well, people often dislike digital learning because it feels passive, lonely, and sedentary. We’re social animals; we enjoy learning with peers, not alone in front of a screen. E-learning, then, isn’t a stand-alone solution – it needs to be embedded in a wider culture of social learning. One way of fostering such a culture is to host regular drop-in sessions for people to chat about their challenges and experiences with tech. Sharing digital tips or links to digital tools as well as success stories of how people have used those tools via email is another option. Even better, you can challenge people to present ideas and tools they find effective. Anything that gets people talking and sharing is a winner here. 

How we learn is changing

How we learn is changing – both in and outside the workplace. Digital technology has made it faster, cheaper, and easier to learn than ever before, but it’s no perfect solution. If we’re not motivated to learn, we’re not going to learn anything – regardless how fast, cheap, and easy it might be. That means HR teams need to embed new digital tools in a wider culture of professional development which foregrounds social learning and solves people’s real problems at work.

Learning Agile

by | Oct 10, 2022 | Tech

Customers don’t always know what they want – or need. As Henry Ford once put it, if he’d asked people what they wanted, they would have said “faster horses.” 

Of course, Ford gave them cars. But imagine if he hadn’t. Years would have been wasted trying to satisfy that demand. Chances are, by the time Ford’s product hit the market, someone else would have already started selling cheap, reliable cars. His product would have been dead on arrival. 

We all have the same problem. That problem can be summed up in a single question: How do you deliver a valuable product to your customer, even if they can’t tell you what they really want or need? 

One answer is the bundle of practices and principles known as agile. If you’ve heard that word before, you’ve probably also come across some related concepts – like scrum, kanban, XP, and lean. Oftentimes, there’s a temptation to rush into discussing these methodologies right alongside agile. 

For Andrew Stellman and Jennifer Greene, the authors of Learning Agile, that risks putting the cart before the horse. There’s no point in getting into the nitty-gritty, after all, if we haven’t shown why you and your organization should even consider agile in the first place.

To do that, we’ll follow a project from start to finish. Along the way, we’ll see how agile principles can help a team of software developers work more efficiently and effectively – and deliver a better product. 

You can’t design good software in a vacuum

Take e-readers for instance, like Kindle, It’s easy to see why they’re so popular. The object itself is about the size of a regular paperback, but it holds thousands of books. Even better, every text is responsive to you, the reader. You can enlarge the words, change the font, or skip back and forth between the main text and references. With a single click, you can access libraries and catalogs; with another click, you can borrow or download new books onto your device. 

In short, this is great software. It’s well designed. Convenient. Intuitive. It satisfies every stakeholder. Readers find it easy to use, and it displays texts accurately, which is important to authors. It also helps booksellers and publishers sell and distribute books.

The first e-book readers didn’t do all these things, though. In fact, it took over a decade of development before the software got to where it is today. Back in the early 2000s, it wasn’t clear what would make an e-book reader valuable. We only know that today because hindsight is 20/20 – which brings us to our little thought experiment. 

Let’s go back in time. Imagine we’ve been tasked with developing the software to display electronic books on brand-new handheld devices. How will we approach our task? 

Well, we’re actually going to do it in the worst possible way because this isn’t the kind of company that’s exploring new ways of building software. This is an old-school operation, with leaders who lead and followers – that’s us, the developers – who follow. In short, this isn’t the kind of office where you’ll hear the word “agile.” So let’s see how things play out. 

The hardware team has already made a prototype. Picture a chunky black tablet with a USB port for loading books and a fiddly little keyboard for interacting with the reader. It’s up to us to build the software that will display e-books on this gadget. 

Our company applies what’s known as a waterfall process to its projects. What that means is that projects are front-loaded. All the product requirements are defined at the outset. As we said, leaders lead and followers follow. All the stakeholders – the senior managers, publishing representatives, online retailers, and so on – sit down and and hash out a plan. They outline requirements and come up with a specification that ticks all their respective boxes. Every other stage of the process, from design to development and testing, flows downstream from these decisions just as a body of water flows downstream from a waterfall. 

So what’s in the specification? In a word, everything. This e-book reader is going to be revolutionary. It’s going to have tons of features. It’ll capture market statistics for publishers. It’ll have an internet storefront for readers to buy books. Authors will be able to preview and edit their books as they write them. And it’s all going to be ready in 18 months.

Fast-forward a year and a half. Since this is a thought experiment, we don’t have to be realistic, so we’ll say the project is completed on time. And it’s all there – every requirement in the specification has been implemented, tested, and verified. Everyone’s happy. 

Can you guess what happens next? The reader hits the market . . . and it flops. Hard. No one buys it. 

What went wrong?

The thing is, people’s needs aren’t static – they change with the times. If your only choice is a horse, you want a faster horse. But a horse, no matter how fast, isn’t much use if everyone else is already driving cars. Similarly, the software that people needed 18 months ago isn’t the software they need today. Since our project began, a new industry standard for e-books has emerged. No retailer wants to publish our unstandardized format – it’s too much bother. And so none of our revolutionary features are supported, which means they’re no use to anybody. 

This also means we’ve wasted lots of time and money creating software that’s not very valuable. So what should we have done differently? 

Release imperfect software today, & you’ll end up with a better final product tomorrow

Here’s where we went wrong: we were unresponsive. We spent 18 months working in a bubble to implement a plan that was out-of-date before it even reached the market. There were no adjustments. We weren’t flexible. Our project, in short, wasn’t iterative. 

An iterative design process doesn’t take place in a vacuum. Instead, it rolls out products quickly, getting them to customers as soon as possible and gathering feedback. That feedback is the basis for improvements, which are then sent back to customers – again, as quickly as possible – so they can provide new feedback. At that point, the cycle restarts. To iterate, after all, means “to perform repeatedly.” 

This feedback loop is at the heart of agile processes. Think about the word “agility” as we use it in everyday language. It describes a way of moving quickly and nimbly – of being responsive to the environment and engaging with what’s in front of you. An agile climber, for example, responds to every hand- and foothold they encounter. They make rapid adjustments to prevent slips and fumbled grips. It’s the same with agile in software design. Agile teams use iterative processes to respond quickly and nimbly to bugs and mix-ups as they encounter them. They might not build the software they set out to build, but that’s a whole lot better than building something useless. 

So there’s the first principle of agile. We can phrase it like this: The highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. 

Now, let’s break that principle down even further. 

Software can only be built in the real world – the world of imperfect humans. Even the hardest working teams miss important details. The most talented developers fail to anticipate vital requirements. The only way we can correct mistakes is to put the software we’re building into the hands of customers – the people who’ll actually be using it. As developers, we’re entirely dependent on their feedback. That’s why we need to release software early. 

Releasing software early isn’t just an antidote to perfectionism – it delivers value for customers. If they have a single feature today, however buggy, they can do something they couldn’t yesterday. By actually using a product, they can clarify their needs. That means they’ll be able to give us a clearer idea of what they want a product to do. And once we’re locked into this feedback loop, we’re on the road to creating a final product that actually satisfies those needs.

Embracing change is all about adopting the right mindset

So there’s the answer to the question we asked earlier – what we should have done is put our software into the customers’ hands, so they could actually use it and give us feedback. If we’d done that, we would have realized there was a problem and changed course. That would have saved us the time, effort, and money we put into building an expensive dud.

Of course, changing course midway through a project is easier said than done. In practice, it’s usually a painful and unpleasant experience. You’ve made the difficult decisions. You know what you’re building. You know what your customers expect. Your workflow is established. It’s not plain sailing, exactly, but you’re making progress. And then someone from outside the project comes along and says that you’ve been on the wrong path the whole time. That all that planning and work was for nothing. That you have to circle back and start again. Worse, the person telling you to change course is the same person who put you on that path in the first place! They told you to build one thing, and now that you’ve built half of it, they’re telling you to do something else. It’s demoralizing – disrespectful, even. No wonder you get defensive and resist making changes. 

Understandable? Sure. Helpful? Not at all. The important question is though, how can you get past this feeling? 

Well, it’s a question of mindset, and it has two parts. The first is accepting that it’s really hard to build valuable software if you’re not constantly checking – and revising – your priors. Yes, changing course halfway through a project is frustrating, but it’s nowhere near as deflating as reaching the end of a project and realizing you’ve built a piece of junk.

The second part is about perspective, and it takes the form of an exercise. 

This isn’t always an easy exercise – it requires a cool head and more empathy than you might want to extend to the person who’s just ruined your day. But it can be illuminating. Start by asking yourself these two questions: First, did your customer deliberately send you down the wrong path? Probably not, right? And second, how did they feel when they realized they screwed up and cost you months of work? Chances are, they were pretty embarrassed. They probably didn’t want to come to you and admit their mistake. It’s a good thing that they did, though – they’ve just saved you even more wasted time! And it’s not just your deadline that’s been blown. Your client’s timeline is delayed now, too. Their company is spending good money to build software that meets its needs, and this mistake means the project isn’t delivering. In other words, this is frustrating for everyone. 

When you get down to it, you’re both in a difficult position. The only way you could theoretically avoid screwups would be to read your customer’s mind. Your customer, in turn, would have to be able to predict the future. In an ideal world, you’d both be able to do those things. But software isn’t built in an ideal world; you won’t be working with telepathic clairvoyants. Accept that, and mistakes – along with the changes they bring – will be much easier to deal with. 

Iterative processes keep you in touch with your customers

OK, let’s go back to where we started. How can the agile principles we’ve explored help our troubled e-book reader project? Let’s find out by running the project again. 

First, let’s remind ourselves why that reader flopped. It lacked some important features used by competing e-book readers, like supporting an industry standard format. Note, however, that this problem couldn’t have been predicted – or avoided. When our team went to work, there was no industry standard. Our emphasis, then, has to be on the team’s responsiveness to what it finds out once its work has already started. 

This time, the project is going to be agile. We’ll start with a big meeting where we’ll hash out the requirements and specifications, but we’re not going to stick to that plan for 18 months straight. Instead, we’ll divide that year and a half into one-month sprints – a single cycle of the feedback loop we discussed earlier. Put differently, we’re going to update our design in response to feedback every month.

There’s not going to be much to test at the beginning, of course, so we’ll fast-forward to the fourth sprint. When the project manager, team, and stakeholders meet, one of the developers reports that there’s a new industry standard for e-book formats. The team incorporates this new information into its next sprint and builds a library that supports the new format. By the sixth sprint, it’s ready to incorporate that format into the reader’s user interface.

As you can see, each sprint roughly maps onto each iteration or version of the software the team is building. So let’s skip to month eleven – the eleventh sprint and the eleventh iteration. We now have a working build, which can be loaded onto the prototypes the hardware team came up with. It’s buggy, but it’s good enough for real-world testing, which is exactly what the team wants. When the project manager talks to the software’s early users, she learns that they’d like to be able to email newspaper articles and PDFs to their devices. That’s the focus for the team’s next sprint. 

This approach isn’t just about testing and incorporating new features, however – some features can also be discarded. For example, maybe that internet storefront doesn’t make sense. There’s a standardized e-book format, after all, so we don’t have to create a unique platform of our own. That’s handy because it frees up time to work on other, more important features. 

This version of the project is much more likely to end well. We’ve been continuously releasing software for real-world testing and making timely changes in response to those tests. The big difference here is that we’re in touch with customers and users. When we used the waterfall process, we were completely sealed off from these groups once the project’s requirements had been approved. This time, though, we haven’t lost sight of our ultimate aim: building valuable, working software that satisfies real needs. And that’s the why of agile.

There are lots of ways of working agile, but every approach rests on the same core principals. The first is responsiveness. Agile processes are all about feedback. You don’t wait until the end of a project to test the software you’ve built – you get it out there as soon as possible. Real-world testing identifies problems early and helps your customer clarify what they need that software to do. The second principle? There’s no such thing as the perfect plan. Every project will require ad-hoc fixes, changes, and redesigns. But that’s a good thing – it’s how the best software gets built.