To learn lists, blogs and reflective practice

Returning to a thought provoked by Tony Karrer's Big Question last month on to learn lists, there is a huge distance between understanding and action. A point which Marshall Goldsmith (see earlier posts) addressed in his book and I didn't make the connection.

A list only works for certain people because you can excuse your commitment to a list. Making a commitment in a blog is one step up from this because you are publishing the list. But this depends on whether anyone is reading.

Marshall suggests that you get a personal coach to ring you up at the end of each day and ask you a list of pre-agreed questions. His examples are, "Are you Happy?", "How many push ups and sits ups did you do today?", "Did you eat any high fat foods?" etc etc.

The simple fact of having a person remind you of your commitment significantly increases your likelihood of change.

In the meantime I have managed to cross one more off my list for the year, having passed my motorbike test on Thursday. One thing is clear, once you get out of the habit of taking tests your ability goes down hill fast. I havent been that nervous in years!

To learn lists - the thought is father to the deed

In response to Tony Karrer's "Big Question" this month:

"Jim Collins, in an essay in Learning Journeys, wrote, “A true learning person also has a “to-learn” list, and the items on that list carry at least as much weight in how one organizes his or her time as the to-do list.”...

...Are to-learn lists really important to have? Are they as important as Jim Collins tells us?"

I don't think a "To learn" list is important in and of itself, other than as an indication that its author places sufficient importance on self-development to actually have one. It would be very easy to formulate a list but it is worthless without action. Most organisations could argue that a reasonable personal development plan (PDP) is a "To learn list". Yet every year when appraisals come round how much of the list from the previous year has actually been addressed?

Equally PDPs are generally created in consultation with a line manager or a mentor. A "To learn" list, however, sounds like a more solitary pursuit and risks failure for the same reasons that personal "to do lists" slip soundlessly into oblivion.

Unless it is published and, by this, I mean beyond the employee and his/her manager being able to see it on an LMS. If a "To learn list" is published in a blog it advertises the behaviour that its author seeks to have and by its nature invites support and advice. It takes unstructured, accidental learning and gives it a degree of intent or at the least opens the door for measurement. How many people lie about whether they have kept their new year's resolutions or even made them when they already lie broken and crumpled in the waste bin.

Much earlier in my blogging life (about eight weeks ago) I committed to change certain aspects of my working behaviour (What to stop). I would call this a "To learn" list and would reflect that I am making some progress particularly on points 1,2 & 6. Potentially this is because I drew attention to it. It may be the case that publishing a "To learn list" in a blog might help individuals get over the initial motivational hump of actually doing something. (see also "Who will drive us "and "A journey of a thousand miles")

At the beginning of the year I wrote my new year's resolutions against which I have had much poorer progress quite possibly because I didn't advertise them. The ones I am prepared to share here are:

1. Get my Day Skipper's ticket so I can take the family sailing in the Med
2. Pass my part 2 motorcycle test
3. Improve my Serbian (my wife is Serb and it is my weakest language)
4. Put together a more structured plan for retirement (PPP's and property are probably not enough)
5. Take all my holiday
6. Complete the outline of my book
7. Work on my work/wife balance

Let's see if I make any better progress now I have shared them. Anyone else prepared to share?