Learning in uncertainty

One year on from our learning through lockdown series, participants from the Evaluation Roundtable share reflections of how they learn and evaluate in continued uncertainty.

Tanya Beer, IVAR associate, kicks off the series by sharing five learning habits that can help learning organisations embed learning into their routines.

Learning needs to help us create just enough solid footing to take the next wise action, detect and sense what’s happening as a result, and inform a course correction fairly quickly.
Tanya Beer, IVAR associate

Learning habits

1. Making our thinking visible

We need to make our hypotheses and assumptions visible so that others can push, test, disagree, deepen, and offer alternatives.

2. Asking powerful questions

Powerful questions get to the heart of strategy dilemmas and help us focus on translating insight and past wisdom into energising ideas for moving forward.

3. Combating our biases

Combating biases means bringing data and multiple perspectives to the table to help prevent our brains from getting trapped in old and easy thinking, which is even more likely when we are stressed.

4. Exploring the cause/effect relationship

Many spend all their energy capturing data to describe what has happened (results) without understanding why. Only with an understanding of “why” can we generate insights about how to make change going forward.

5. Answering the “now what” question

We often stop at generating lessons learned without application to what’s next, repeating past mistakes. Always asking and answering the “now what” question helps propel insights into action.

Learning habits

Learning through lockdown

Learning and Evaluation

Learning habits

1. Making our thinking visible

2. Asking powerful questions

3. Combating our biases

4. Exploring the cause/effect relationship

5. Answering the “now what” question

You may also be interested in

Learning in uncertainty

Learning habits

Learning through lockdown

Learning and Evaluation

Learning habits

1. Making our thinking visible

2. Asking powerful questions

3. Combating our biases

4. Exploring the cause/effect relationship

5. Answering the “now what” question

You may also be interested in

‘Perfection was never achievable’ – Two Charity CEOs on leading in uncertainty

Bringing learning agendas to life: What Oak Foundation has learned so far

Planning in uncertainty