There are times when we don’t need to be “trained.” We just need someone to provide us with space to slow down and connect with our peers to reflect on what has been working, what hasn’t been working and what we want to do next.
Here are a few hints on how to design change and learning initiatives in ways that help real people come together to take ownership of their own transformational learning journeys:
1. Start each initiative or event with time to chat to establish or re-establish a solid foundation of memory of what has come before and a sense of empathy and connection with other participants.
2. Help participants validate their personal experiences by making time for them to compare what they have experienced to relevant research.
3. Compile a list of possible development themes and involve the participants in selecting the most meaningful ones for experimental action.
4. Frame desired behaviors as “rare” (similar to something they have done at some point in the past) rather than “new” (outside the realm of their experience up to that point).
5. Create space for participants to access the treasure trove of their colleagues’ memories.
6. Ask them to keep action commitments simple and concrete AND to remember that genuine commitment is more important than the format of the commitment.
7. Extend connections into the workplace by encouraging them to reach out to check in with each other on what they’ve been doing, how things have been going, what they have learned, what results they are seeing and what if any support they might need to maintain or regain momentum.
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Explore・Define・Iterate・Transform
Context ・ Intention ・ Action ・ Outcome
Agency (主体性) + Purpose (志) + Growth (成長) + Connection (繋がり) + Contribution (貢献) = Meaning (意義)
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In the space between you and me awaits all that will ever be.
人と人の間に全てのもと
© Dana Cogan, 2026, all rights reserved.