Do you have a learning partner?

Selecting your learning partners is based more on intuition than analysis.

When you ask yourself, “Whom do I want as learning partners?” – notice the faces that flash instantly to

mind. You may have someone in your life with whom you already have an unstructured learning partnership, you support each other and talk about your hopes and dreams. Whomever you choose, the person should be someone that:

You trust

Your learning partner should be someone that you can open up to and feel comfortable talking with about your hopes, dreams, and doubts.. Do you feel that this person will both support and challenge you to work more fully and more creatively?

You believe in

You should sense great possibilities in your learning partner. You see that they have untapped possibilities and unexpressed gifts. You know they are great as they are and that that they have more to give, more to be.

You can communicate with regularly

You have to be able to meet, either in person or by phone at least once a month. Without regular communication, the process bogs down. It takes contact to keep the fire burning.

Is committed to the process

Your learning partner needs to understand what they are getting into. Talk about your individual goals. Make sure that you both want to do this with equal intensity. Uninterrupted time is essential for building the kind of focus, openness, and sensitivity that will yield the greatest learning and produce the most potent action.

Will preserve confidentiality

Confidentiality creates a safe place for exploring and learning. It creates a sacred container that protects the process.

When you are being a learning partner your core task is to support another person in their learning in whatever way you can without doing the learning for them.

There may be a strong temptation to give your partner answers, advice, to solve a problem for them, to spare them the struggle, sweat, and tears. Don’t.

If you feel the urge to demonstrate your insightfulness or creative problem-solving abilities – take a breath and refocus. Instead of fire-fighting problems with answers and reactive solutions, take time to listen deeply. Endure the discomfort of withholding advice or resolving the tension you feel.

Breathe. Reaffirm the belief that your learning partner has the capabilities to succeed, learn, and choose the next steps. As a listener all you have to do is help him or her hear the voice of their own deeper wisdom.

What kind of learning partnerships do you have?

What makes them work?