Coaching for Master Learners in Academia

by Julie Binter, juliebinter@yahoo.com

We spend a lot of our waking hours at work.  In an ideal world, our workplaces are healthy, productive, focused, and inspiring.  We are excited to go to work every day, collaborate with colleagues and leaders, and look at each and every challenge with a sense of optimism and enthusiasm.  Although this type of environment may not be possible 100% of the time, it can become part of your reality when you and others in your organization become master learners. 

Master learners have a high level of self-awareness.  They approach work with limitless curiosity and a focus on continuous improvement.  When setbacks occur, a master learner can bounce back quickly and incorporate what was learned in the process. 

The concept of a master learner is not new.  Higher education institutions put a lot of effort into developing this type of mindset in students while they are earning their degrees.  Once someone leaves academia however, the support and development of master learners is noticeably reduced. 

So how can you bridge this gap and redirect attention within a team, organization, or even a single individual?  The most powerful and impactful way is through coaching.  Start small by improving the coaching skills of supervisors or go big and create a coaching culture.  When you invest in coaching, the return on your investment will be a staff full of master learners who can change the culture of your organization.

Read the Coaching for Master Learners in Academia chapter in Coaching Perspectives V for more.