Significance of Learning by Doing

With the explosion of technological possibilities, it appears that 21st century human beings are smarter than the earlier generations. It is not so. They (even the prehistoric tribes) were equally intelligent like us and have faced day today challenges as we do.  The only difference could be that the content of our issues/challenges are different.

We boast of knowledge accumulation in various fields. But, what is that hinders business growth when there is plenty of knowledge and information around? The converging answer is; rarely do people set out for executing an action or applying knowledge. The corollary of the statement is rarely we gather knowledge by doing.

In our business facilitation, we follow the principle of 'being aware before doing before knowing'. We propose to suspend knowledge until you do (while tackling wicked problems). We are struggling to cajole our clients to take action on the insights we generate during our workshops. Everybody agrees about the insights and the desired destiny, but no one takes initiatives, even the simple ones.    

The essence of learning is that those who are aware of the exact here-and-now issues and the farther impact of the action, are likely to take action. Raising such an awareness among the key members of the organisation is not easy. We need to design or perhaps invent methodologies to bring out a collective awareness about the common goal. In the end, we console ourselves that, we are getting better  and moving towards gaining shared understanding and execution among our client's team. Perfection is yet to be reached.  

We constantly take efforts to install a culture in the organization  for taking action on the insights developed, and  create opportunities to reflect  and review on their actions. Doing with awareness and reflecting on the actions, promises an ability to adapt, cope with, manage and prepare for uncertainties and change. Our focus on 'doing before knowing' also ensures that the organisational members complete learning cycles by doing, reflecting, re-framing and applying on the business issues. One of the pioneering practitioner once said " there is no learning without doing and no action without learning". How true it is?

contributed by Sasikanth R Prabhu

Awakening Trumpet

We are deeply moved by watching ordinary people doing extraordinarily in course of our Strategy development workshops. Little achievements of the key members (ordinary people) having profound effect on the business leaves us in disbelief. We are glad to watch the changes in their outlook about the business. But, we are regretting that only a small percentage of business owners / teams dare to leave their accustomed way of thinking and catch the growth mindset. One of the major mindset is to expand the production facility, or increase number of sales outlets, or increase man power, etc. 

Most  organisations operate on the assumption or formula that more resources / facility equals better business. They invest a large financial capital in upgrading, expanding and improving resources. Of course, resources matter to accomplish organisational feat. But the mindset for growth matters more than resources.  When you look around the companies that grow geometrically; in spite of meager resources, they thrive with their outlook. Often mindset trumps the resources bank; it sets businesses apart. It help

s the leaders to navigate the right path, irrespective of the circumstances the organisation is having. Mindset can be acquired with right kind of facilitation. A look back on the clients whom we have served indicate, it is sheer mindset that helped them to reach a growth path. The wake up call to every Small and Medium business is to see the market before they spend or acquire costly resources.  Resources may become obsolete faster than the returns it can provide. Many times simplest of the ideas lead to big breakthroughs, but the ideas stick only if there are right mindsets. 

contributed by Sasikanth R Prabhu