# And What Did We Learn from This? By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-01-27 Experience can be an exacting teacher. Some people go through life with many experiences but very little learning. Learning from experience requires reflection. People refrain from doing this for any number of reasons. One might think one is too busy or want to avoid taking responsibility. Reflecting on an experience reveals a mix of individual, organizational/contextual, and random aspects. Individually, one might need to do more to prepare. One might have assigned too low of a priority to the task, which turned out to be more important than initially envisioned. Organizationally, the team might have needed to be more committed to the effort, or management might not have provided guidance and support. Lastly, a confluence of improbable events could have conspired to limit success. There is a benefit to examining each source. There is also a benefit to examining the aggregate outcome. Did life go on? Is one still working? Maybe all one suffered was a momentary embarrassment. To learn from experience, one must reflect upon it. Through that reflection, one better understands what one needs to do individually and collectively to influence success. One also appreciates that chance plays a role, too. If organizations are committed to being a learning organization, this does not primarily mean that individuals are engaged in corporate training. It means they are engaged in relentless, critical reflection. The insights are not always flattering; they are almost always useful. #### Related Items [[Learning]] [[Individuals]] [[Organization]] [[Experience]] [[Reflection]] [[Questions]] [[Thinking]]