一家電信公司的CEO坐在我對面，向我訴說他和他們公司其它高管是如何被一項顛覆行業(yè)的新技術(shù)殺得措手不及。“我們沒有看到WhatsApp的崛起?！彼贿厯u頭一邊說道。

The CEO sitting across from me is explaining how he and the other executives of a telecommunications firm were caught off guard by a new technology that disrupted the firm’s business. “We did not see WhatsApp coming,” he says, shaking his head.

他想要增強自己的學(xué)習(xí)能力，能夠洞察并理解公司內(nèi)外的發(fā)展?fàn)顩r。他認(rèn)為這不僅對于現(xiàn)在的工作業(yè)績很重要，對于自己職業(yè)生涯未來的成功也有很大影響?！拔椰F(xiàn)在剛過50歲，恐怕下一次我想要換一份工作的時候，人們會覺得我跟不上世界發(fā)展的節(jié)奏。這已經(jīng)發(fā)生在很多其他人身上。如何才能讓我保持競爭力，讓別人相信我依舊能貢獻很多？”

He wants to increase his capacity to learn, to spot and understand developments inside and outside of the firm. He believes this is vital not only for better performance now, but also for the continued success of his career. “I’m in my early 50s, and I’m afraid that the next time I want to change jobs, people will see me as irrelevant. I’ve seen it happen to plenty of others. How do I stay fresh and convince people that I still have a lot to contribute?”

他的預(yù)感正中靶心。研究表明，一直遵循自己固有思維和行為習(xí)慣的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，更容易停滯不前、表現(xiàn)不盡如人意，甚至與公司發(fā)展脫節(jié)。正如谷歌高管領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力培訓(xùn)總監(jiān)David Peterson所說，“呆在自己的舒適區(qū)，對于準(zhǔn)備好當(dāng)前的事務(wù)是一種不錯的方法，但對于明天來說，卻是非常糟糕?！毕胍掷m(xù)成功，你必須建立起學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力。

His hunch is right on target. Research shows that leaders who think and act from the same assumptions and behavioral repertoires they’ve used for years are prone to stagnate, underperform, or?derail. As David Peterson, director of executive coaching and leadership at Google puts it, “Staying within your comfort zone is a good way to prepare for today, but it’s a terrible way to prepare for tomorrow.” To sustain success, you must develop learning agility.

“學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力”是什么？

What is Learning Agility?

學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力，是一種能夠從過往經(jīng)驗中快速持續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)的能力。敏捷的學(xué)習(xí)者善于把過往經(jīng)驗相互聯(lián)系起來，并且他們能夠放棄那些已經(jīng)沒用的觀點或方法。換言之，在需要新的解決方法時，他們能夠拋棄舊東西。這樣的人傾向于以學(xué)習(xí)目標(biāo)為導(dǎo)向，并且愿意嘗試新的體驗。他們做實驗、尋求反饋并且系統(tǒng)性地復(fù)盤。

Learning agility?is the capacity for rapid, continuous learning from experience. Agile learners are good at making connections across experiences, and they’re able to let go of perspectives or approaches that are no longer useful — in other words, they can unlearn things when novel solutions are required. People with this mindset tend to be oriented toward learning goals and open to new experiences. They experiment, seek feedback, and reflect systematically.

學(xué)習(xí)新技術(shù)、掌握新方法而獲得成長的意愿，是學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力的基本元素。敏捷的學(xué)習(xí)者珍視學(xué)習(xí)過程本身，能從中獲得滿足，并且激發(fā)自己的動力和能力，從具有挑戰(zhàn)的發(fā)展經(jīng)驗中學(xué)習(xí)。

A desire to develop by acquiring new skills and mastering new situations is a fundamental element of learning agility. Agile learners value and derive satisfaction from the process of learning itself, which boosts their motivation as well as their capacity to learn from?challenging developmental experiences.

他們往往不會固步自封，而是愿意承擔(dān)風(fēng)險。文章開頭出現(xiàn)的那位CEO就是不固步自封的代表。2014年10月，在哈佛醫(yī)學(xué)院培訓(xùn)中心IESE商學(xué)院舉辦的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力論壇上，我們進行了交談。他向4位剛遇見的高級教練敞開心扉，談?wù)撟约河龅降奶魬?zhàn)及擔(dān)心，詢問反饋。不幸的是，許多領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者錯失了關(guān)鍵的學(xué)習(xí)機會，因為他們不愿意質(zhì)疑自己，也不愿意主動跳出舒適區(qū)。

As a result, they don’t get defensive and they’re?willing to take?risks, such as making a mistake or appearing non-expert in public. The CEO in the opening paragraph epitomizes non-defensiveness. Our conversation took place at the Institute of Coaching (a Harvard Medical School affiliate) Leadership Forum, held in October at IESE Business School. He talked openly about his challenges and fears, inviting feedback from four executive coaches whom he’d just met. Unfortunately, many leaders miss out on key learning opportunities because they avoid questioning themselves or intentionally moving outside of their comfort zone.

學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力也包括對新體驗、陌生人和新信息保持開放的心態(tài)。這些年來，我在學(xué)術(shù)會議上遇到過兩位高級管理學(xué)教授，分別是兩個極端。

Learning agility also involves being open to new experiences, people, and information. Two senior management professors I’ve encountered at academic conferences over the years exemplify opposite ends of the spectrum.

A教授對于新創(chuàng)意總是如饑似渴。盡管已經(jīng)擁有很崇高的學(xué)術(shù)地位，但他卻極有熱情。不僅和學(xué)術(shù)專家，也和研究生、不知名大學(xué)的初級研究員交談，他與各種各樣的學(xué)者都合作過。他現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)年過70，但依然元氣十足、活力滿滿，并被認(rèn)為是所在研究領(lǐng)域中非常活躍的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。

Professor A has a voracious appetite for new ideas. Despite his lofty academic stature, he converses just as enthusiastically with graduate students and junior faculty from little-known universities as he does with fellow academic stars, and he collaborates with a wide variety of scholars. Well into his 70s, he’s vibrant, energetic, and recognized as an active leader in his research domain.

相反，B教授對于自己熟悉圈子之外的學(xué)者不怎么感興趣。他的演講通常總是重復(fù)舊觀點，已經(jīng)很久沒有新東西產(chǎn)出了。雖然他學(xué)術(shù)生涯早年做出了許多重要成就，但他的學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力低下，已經(jīng)導(dǎo)致他的名聲正在逐漸衰微。他正是陷入了那位CEO想要盡力避免的職業(yè)陷阱。

Professor B, by contrast, shows little interest in scholars outside of his familiar circle of followers. His presentations generally rehash old ideas; it’s been a long time since he produced anything new. Although he made many important contributions earlier in his career, the low level of learning agility he exhibits now accompanies his fading reputation. He’s fallen into the exact career trap the CEO is seeking to avoid.

如何發(fā)展“學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力”？

How Do You Develop Learning Agility?

發(fā)展學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力，需要識別和改變無意識的日常，如能獲得一位教練的幫助則事半功倍。Peterson把職場教練稱為“終極定制學(xué)習(xí)解決方案”，他們可以幫助學(xué)生理解自己的思維是如何工作的，如何才能改進。但即便你沒有職場教練，也不必灰心。按照以下步驟自己練習(xí)也能增強你的學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力。

Since developing learning agility involves learning to recognize and change automatic routines, the aid of a coach can be invaluable. Coaching, which Peterson calls “the ultimate customized learning solution,” helps clients understand how their minds work and how to make them work better. But even if you’re not working with a coach, there are steps you can take on your own to enhance your learning agility.

1.詢問反饋

找一位或者幾位和你一起工作的人，只要是能在某個特定任務(wù)中觀察你的人。告訴他們你期待并珍視他們的反饋，請他們評價一下你的表現(xiàn)如何，下一次該如何提高。要將他們的評價最大化地學(xué)習(xí)利用，必須注意抑制任何為自己辯解的沖動，這一點很重要。感謝他們的評價，然后自己好好想想能從中學(xué)到什么。

Ask for feedback.?Think of one or more people who interacted with you or observed your performance on a given task. Tell them you’d value their perspective on how you did, and ask what you could do differently the next time. To maximize learning from their feedback?— and?this is vital —?restrain any urge to defend yourself. Thank them for their input, and then ask yourself what you can learn.

想要降低自己的防御心理，建立一個學(xué)習(xí)的心態(tài)，不妨考慮選一個座右銘。比如Peterson的這一句：“一定會有更好的方法，只是我還沒發(fā)現(xiàn)?！边@句話的力量主要體現(xiàn)在“還沒”一詞上。

To reduce your defensiveness and develop a learning mindset, consider adopting a motto like Peterson’s: “There has to be a better way, and I don’t know it yet.” The power of the motto lies in the word “yet.”

心理學(xué)家Carol Dweck關(guān)于成長型心態(tài)的一個研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果你總是抱有還有很多東西需要學(xué)習(xí)的想法，并且敢于涉足陌生的領(lǐng)域，你就能解放自己的思維，化解對于失敗的恐懼，助力成功。

As research on?growth mindset?by psychologist Carol Dweck has found, if you hold the view that there is always more to learn and embrace the process of wading into unfamiliar waters, you can free your thinking, dissolve your fear of failure, and power your success.

2.嘗試新方法

為試煉找到新方法，Peterson建議回顧你曾經(jīng)遇到的一個挑戰(zhàn)，然后問自己這些問題，“我能做一件什么事來改變當(dāng)時的結(jié)果？”或“下一次我會做的有何不同？”

Experiment with new approaches or behaviors.?To identify new behaviors for testing, Peterson recommends reflecting on a challenge you’re facing and asking yourself questions such as “What’s one thing I could do to change the outcome of the situation?” and “What will I do differently in the future?”

你也可以進行思維試驗，從不同的角度去發(fā)現(xiàn)多種可能性。例如，我的一位學(xué)生要帶領(lǐng)新團隊外出團建。她的新團隊中匯聚了來自全國的才華橫溢的管理者。通過回想分析，她意識到自己困在了一個思維困局中，覺得要想被新團隊認(rèn)可，就必須比他們知道的多。但她是新人，比他們知道的得更多是不可能的。這樣的想法只能帶給她壓力，讓她低估自己的可信度。

You can also conduct thought experiments, unearthing possibilities from trying out a different point of view. For example, one of my clients was concerned about leading the first team development offsite with her new team of highly talented country managers. With some reflection, she realized that she had gotten stuck in the perspective that in order to be seen as credible, she had to know more than they did. Since she was new, this was impossible. Holding on to that perspective would have caused her stress and undermined her credibility.

她果斷放棄了自己必須是這一領(lǐng)域?qū)＜业募僭O(shè)，換了個角度把自己打造成為有價值的協(xié)調(diào)人員。于是，她得以設(shè)計并完成了一次會議。在會上這些有才華的高管們交流順暢，智慧火花自由碰撞。此前，這個團隊因缺乏協(xié)作而受苦。而這一次活動讓他們建立起更好的合作關(guān)系。

By letting go of the assumption that she had to be the subject-matter expert and adopting the perspective that she could add greater value as a facilitator, she was able to design and carry out a meeting at which creative ideas flowed freely. The team, which had previously suffered from poor coordination, developed more collaborative relationships.

3.尋找連接點

舉例來說，Peterson就將自己學(xué)習(xí)到的紅酒知識系統(tǒng)性應(yīng)用到發(fā)展領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力中來。釀造師們通過品嘗不同的葡萄酒，對比其不同，并與同行討論來獲得專業(yè)品位。借用這些原則，Peterson意識到自己可以通過尋找到各種類型的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者去培訓(xùn)、比較這些領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者在各個方面的不同，然后和其他專家研討來延伸自己在領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力發(fā)展方面的知識。

Look for connections across seemingly unrelated areas.?For example, Peterson has systematically applied principles he’s used to learn about wine to the domain of leadership development. Oenologists develop expertise by trying many different wines, comparing them, and discussing them with fellow experts. Borrowing these principles, Peterson realized that he could extend his mastery of leadership development by seeking out a wide variety of leaders to coach, comparing leaders to each other on various qualities, and discussing leaders with other experts.

自己嘗試這種方法，可以找到一個你擅長但是和工作無關(guān)的領(lǐng)域，然后問問自己該如何將你所擅長領(lǐng)域的經(jīng)驗應(yīng)用到目前的挑戰(zhàn)當(dāng)中。

To try this technique yourself, choose a domain you have expertise in but that’s unrelated to your work and ask yourself how you might apply that knowledge to your current challenge.

4.進行復(fù)盤

越來越多的研究表明，對工作經(jīng)驗的系統(tǒng)性復(fù)盤，可以顯著提高學(xué)習(xí)能力。為了確保持續(xù)進步，養(yǎng)成問自己這些問題的習(xí)慣：“我從這一次的經(jīng)驗中學(xué)到了什么？”“最終結(jié)果跟我預(yù)想的有何不同？”那些自己應(yīng)用并鼓勵復(fù)盤的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，不僅自己獲益良多，也鼓勵其他人意識到復(fù)盤在實際情況中的作用。這為整個團隊的學(xué)習(xí)敏捷力打下了基礎(chǔ)。

Make time for reflection.?A growing body of research shows that systematically?reflecting?on work experiences boosts learning significantly. To ensure continuous progress, get into the habit of asking yourself questions like “What have I learned from this experience?” and “What turned out differently than I expected?” Leaders who demonstrate and encourage reflection not only learn more themselves, they also spur increased contextual awareness and reflective practice in others, thereby laying a foundation for higher levels of learning agility in their teams and organizations.

練習(xí)這些策略，可以幫助你最大化從經(jīng)驗中學(xué)習(xí)到的價值。我們文章中的那位CEO學(xué)到了什么？撇開別的不說，他意識到了自己總是就當(dāng)前的挑戰(zhàn)詢問那些在自己社交圈內(nèi)的人，他們傾向于和自己持有相似的觀點。因此，他堅持向兩位來自其他行業(yè)的人士學(xué)習(xí)，想清楚自己希望從與他們的交談中學(xué)到什么，并且第二天早上就打電話聯(lián)絡(luò)他們。

Practicing these strategies will help you extract the maximum learning from experience. What did our CEO learn? Among other things, he realized that he’s been seeking advice on a current challenge from people in his network who are likely to have similar perspectives, and that he stands to learn a great deal from two individuals in different industries. He articulated what he hoped to learn from talking with them and scheduled a time to pick up the phone the next morning.

齊菁|譯? ? ? 蔣薈蓉|校

Monique Valcour是高管教練、演講者和ThirdPath Institute成員。她研究、培訓(xùn)、提供咨詢，以幫助企業(yè)和個人實現(xiàn)職業(yè)發(fā)展。