Developing people through conversations is the art of exploring the territory between where they are right now and the knowledge and capability you want them to build.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Article Author: <\/div>\n

Jessica G. Hartung, Founder and CEO, Integrated Work<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThe truth is that you can’t learn for someone else. You can set the conditions; you can spark their interest; and you can support, encourage, and train them, but the experience of learning happens within someone else’s inner landscape. We can, however, set ourselves up to have the best chance of positive influencing.<\/p>\n

\n\tDeveloping people through conversations is the art of exploring the territory between where they are right now and the knowledge and capability you want them to build. This space between is not formulaic, and most people don’t have much self-awareness about their development patterns, so the territory is generally not well known.<\/p>\n

\n\tTo help navigate the frontier, first get your bearings. Ask yourself these three questions. <\/p>\n

\n\t\tAre they aware? <\/li>\n
\n\t\tAre they willing?<\/li>\n
\n\t\tAre they building skills through practice? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\tIf you customize your development-oriented conversations based on where the other person is in their cycle of development, you will set them up for better results.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Awareness-Willingness-Skill cycle is a simple and effective model for finding the development edge for team members while supporting them to grow through their experiences. Within the system of organizational life, we are all connected. Getting good at supporting and challenging one another’s growth is, in fact, supportive and challenging to our own<\/em>. <\/p>\n
\n\t $\"\"$ <\/p>\n
\n\tAwareness<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tThink back to a time when you had a professional growth spurt—when you were really learning a lot about your field, profession, or role. How did you first become aware of the areas in which you needed to “grow up”? Did someone help you see the gap?<\/p>\n
\n\tBecoming aware of the gaps between what we bring to the situation—our current capability—and what is required to succeed is the realization that kicks off deliberate growth. <\/p>\n
\n\tBefore we are aware of our gaps, our developmental edge is in a blind spot—we don’t know what we don’t know. We are not choosing what to do about it, because we have no idea there is something that needs doing. Trying to help someone build skills before they are aware of the need to do so tends to be a waste of time. They just don’t see the relevance and may fight to maintain the status quo. <\/p>\n
\n\tIf you need to help someone build awareness, you may want to:<\/p>\n