As we start up another year, I have a question for you: What did you learn last year?

I tend to get some common responses to that question. Most often it’s a tilt of the head and a thoughtful, “Hmm…..” The second reaction is a vague response along the lines of, “Um, well, I learned a lot!” or they re-hash some general lesson like, “the importance of communication.”

But I’d like you to get more specific. What’s something specific you’ve learned in the last 12 months that you either didn’t know before then or you had to re-learn it?

Prepared For A World That No Longer Exists

After coaching over 250 executives, occasionally I’ll come across someone who says they have something like 20 years of experience. But the more we talk, it becomes apparent they have more like one year of experience repeated 20 times!

Liz Wiseman warned against this back in Episode 125 of our People and Projects Podcast regarding her book Rookie Smarts. She challenges us to constantly be putting ourselves in rookie roles so we can't just be living off what we’ve already learned.

Back in episode 126, I shared one of my favorite quotes related to this, from Eric Hoffer. He reportedly said, “In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

That’s an inspiring quote, for sure, but one that should also scare us some as well. I only know of one way to keep ourselves from being beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists: to have an insatiable hunger to learn.

Lessons from Leaders

So, what did you learn last year? I decided to ask that question to some people I admire as committed learners—actively making sure they’re not simply equipped for a world that no longer exists.

Each person shares a 3-minute lesson from this last year. I trust you’ll get value from their insights. But even more importantly, I want to spur you on to reflect how you would answer the question.

You'll hear from:

• Peter Taylor, The Lazy Project Manager
• Elizabeth Harrin, from A Girl's Guide to Project Management
• Johanna Rothman, management and project management author and consultant
• Andy Crowe, project management speaker, author, and founder of Velociteach
• Glen Alleman, host of the Herding Cats blog
• Susanne Madsen, project manager coach and author
• Mark Swiderski, project manager speaker and consultant
• Nick Morgan, author and speaker coach
• Peter Martin, CEO, TeenPact Leadership Schools
• Dave Stachowiak, host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast

Let’s see what these leaders have learned in the last year! 

Click here to listen to episode 159.

And please leave your lessons in the comments below. Enjoy! Here's to a great 2017 for you and your team!

Andy Kaufman, PMP helps organizations around the world improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams. Learn more about his project management and leadership keynote presentations for your upcoming company or chapter meeting at http://www.i-leadonline.com/keynotes.

(Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

NBC News anchor Brian Williams has been recognized as one of “the most trusted journalists of our time.” His viewing audience knows “his values, his continuing recognition of everyday heroes, and they trust him to help them make sense of the world.”

It’s not been a good week for the number one news anchor on network television. It’s understandable to misremember what he ordered at a restaurant last month. It’s more difficult to imagine the fog of time clouding whether he was in a helicopter hit by rocket fire.

Should Williams be fired for this violation of trust? That’s up to NBC News management. There are consequences for making mistakes in any job. Get a little angry at work and yell at some folks? Let work fall through the cracks often enough to develop a reputation? Get caught playing online during the workday? These are just a few examples of mistakes that can get you fired.

Trust is crucial for any leader, not just news anchors. It’s not clear how Williams recovers from this, especially with allegations of other fabrications.

But let’s bring this from the television screen to you and me. Science finds plenty of evidenceto suggest that we humans misremember more than we’d like to admit. And it’s not just an immoral few. This is not at all to suggest we give Williams a pass on his conflating of facts. But knowing that we have a tendency to explain things in ways that make us feel good about ourselves can at least keep us a bit more humble as the accusations fly.

When We’re in the Hot Seat

In business as well as in life, it’s not just what we do—it’s also how we react to what we do.

A friend was slapped with a frivolous lawsuit years ago. His lawyer warned him, “You’re innocent right now. But if you’re not careful, you can easily respond in a way that gets you in trouble.”

That’s good advice for when (not if) you and I screw up. Chances are we won’t be caught exaggerating about escaping death in a helicopter, but our next mistake is nonetheless around the corner. The way we respond can make all the difference.

Here are five ideas to keep in mind:

Call for help. Too often we try to fix things ourselves. The idea is that if we hide the bodies long enough, so to speak, the problem will go unnoticed. One of the first steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is to call for help, and that’s good advice when we’ve made a big enough mistake. Don’t try to tackle the problem on your own. Keep your management in the loop.

Get low. When we’re in the wrong, it’s tempting to come up with excuses in an attempt to explain why you’re not to blame. One of my favorite senior leaders suggests a different approach: “get low”. That phrase is his way of suggesting that humility goes a long way in starting to fill in the hole instead of digging it deeper. Parents understand this. We typically change our approach when it’s clear a child shows they understand what they did wrong (as opposed to just getting caught). Though there may be some cultural exceptions to this advice, sincere humility is almost always the right place to start.

Don’t blame others. Part of getting low is taking responsibility. In my post on Pete Carroll’s fateful play call that lost the Super Bowl for his team, I pointed out how he took responsibility for the decision. He didn’t throw his offensive coordinator under the proverbial bus. He didn’t complain about his receiver’s lack of aggressiveness or how his quarterback should have thrown lower. When you take responsibility, people see that you get it, which is an important step toward getting beyond the mistake.

Don’t make it worse. Brian Williams eventually gave an on-air apology. Some of the people involved in his Iraq incident were satisfied with it. Yet it seemed to create even more questionsbecause he didn’t exactly set the record straight. When you get low and accept responsibility, it’s still possible to try to put yourself in the best light. Attribution theory says we try to explain the world in ways that make us look or feel good. Watch out for that temptation. Acknowledge what you did wrong, clear the record if necessary, and apologize. It’s completely possible to make it worse by appearing insincere or giving an incomplete version of the story.

Be part of the solution. Mistakes provide many opportunities for lessons learned. How can you and others avoid this misstep in the future? Offer to make amends and be part of the solution in some way. This moves the conversation from excuses to what should we do about it.

Not Just a Brian Williams Issue

Years ago, I was hired as an executive coach to help a senior leader not get fired. John* made a questionable decision that exposed his organization to financial and legal liability. It was not a characteristic mistake for him and he was a valued leader. Yet the mistake was big enough that it could not be ignored.

In the initial days after the mistake, John tried to fix it himself. That may sound like being part of the solution, but in doing so, he didn’t keep his senior leadership in the loop so they were blindsided. This made the initial violation even worse.

When his senior leadership got involved, John didn’t get low. He was defensive—even accusatory. He was convinced that he was being unfairly targeted. His version of the story dripped with attribution theory.

I wish the story had a happy ending. After weeks of effort, I recommended that John be released from his job. As a leader once told me, “A person has to see it. If they can’t see it, they have to hear it.” John clearly didn’t see it and he wasn’t hearing it.

We’ll find out in the days ahead how NBC News handles Brian Williams. But I’m more concerned about you and me. When we inevitably make mistakes in the days ahead, start by getting low. Don't hide the bodies--give the mistake visibility. Take responsibility. Be sincere. And help make the next steps easier by being part of the solution.

What lessons have you learned about how to react to a mistake? What do you agree with in this article? Disagree with? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

*Name changed

“I can’t believe they think that’s a good decision.”

Have you been in that position—when your senior management makes a decision that, from your perspective, makes no sense?

One situation, in particular, turned out to be a significant teachable moment for me.

I was leading a team of truly talented software developers. We were good and we knew it. There were some organizational changes decreed from on high that didn't make sense to us. In my youthful ignorance, I set up a meeting with a leader about three levels above me. He accepted the invitation.

In the discussion, I boldly explained how his recent announcements were upsetting people in the department. I went so far as to say, “Bob, you’re not making the ‘What’s in it for me’” clear.

Bob was quiet at first. Then he responded with a statement I’ll never forget. “Andy, sometimes it’s not about you. It’s about ‘what’s in it for us.’”

Check. Mate.

Explaining the Why

I walked out of his office—humbled—learning a critical lesson.

Yes, explaining the The What’s In It for Me (WIIFM) is important when we communicate our plans. When we make project decisions or deliver announcements, our team members arelikely filtering our messages through self-interested lenses. They want to know what this means to them. To their promotional opportunities. To their mortgage payment.

In Robert Cialdini’s classic Influence: The Power of Persuasion, he explains how the word ‘because’ is critical when trying to influence someone. Too often, we as leaders wrestle with options to solve a problem and then render a decision. But when we communicate it to our teams, we fail to get their buy-in because we neglect to explain the reasons behind the decision.

Sometimes we fail because we spend too much time talking about the How: the process we followed to come to our conclusion. That's not the same as the Why. As Scott Elbin explains in The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success, focusing too much on how you came to your conclusion risks "getting labeled as someone who, when asked for the time, explains how to build a watch."

Cialdini asserts “because” is the most influential word in the English language. Further, the “because” doesn’t even have to be that persuasive!

But the magic isn’t in the word. It’s in the explaining. Cialdini states, “A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”

Make the WIIFM clear when you can.

When The Personal Benefit Is Not as Clear

But sometimes it’s not about what’s in it for one particular person or team. An announcement about layoffs? The outsourcing of work to service providers? A reorganization that leaves people with yet another new boss?

As the executive rightly explained to me, some decisions are more about the What’s In It for Us. Maybe it’s the value to our organization as a whole. Or our customers. Or another part of our company.

One leader told me “this is the first company I've worked at where one department would be willing to give up a dollar of budget if another would benefit by more than that.” You may not work at such a company, but if that’s the reason behind a decision, explain it.

Asking About the Why

Perhaps you’re not the person communicating the Why. Rather, you’re on the receiving end, as I was years ago. You’re scratching your head in disbelief. What’s the lesson for us?

You could schedule a meeting with the leader three levels up. A large helping of humility might be a good breakfast choice, if you do. Even if you just ask your boss or project sponsor, it’s worth seeking out the Why behind their decision.

As an example, I later had a boss who previewed an upcoming reorganization with his direct reports. I asked him, “What are the primary benefits of this reorg, from your perspective?” Interestingly, he struggled with the answer. It illuminated the fact that before announcing the restructuring, we had better sharpen up the message or reconsider the wisdom of the change.

It started with a Why question.

If the Why isn’t clear, seek it out. There’s probably a reason. Remember that it may not satisfy your need to know What’s In It for You, so be prepared to accept What’s In It for Us.

Practicing What We Preach

As I look back on that humbling discussion with the executive years ago, there’s one last lesson I’d like to share. I left his office that day benefiting from a teachable moment.

But I wonder if he did.

My point? It’s easy (now) to argue that he had made a good decision. There was a reasonably compelling What’s In It For Us as an organization.

But he didn’t follow his own wisdom.

For all my complaining about the lack of WIIFM and his wisdom about WIIFU, his earlier announcements didn't live up to his advice. He had not even come close to communicating the Why behind his decisions.

We need to remember:

• It’s not just what we decide. Success also depends on how we roll it out. It’s completely possible to ruin a good decision.
• When we find ourselves thinking we've dispersed highly valuable wisdom to someone on our team, let’s make sure we don’t miss any leftover lessons for ourselves.

Don’t screw up a perfectly good decision. Learn from my teachable moment—and his.

What mistakes have you seen when it comes to communicating decisions? What have you learned about getting buy-in? Please share your perspectives in the comment. Thank you!

I recently sat with a CEO who just lost an administrative assistant. The assistant had aced an arduous interview process. She was hired with great anticipation.

Then quit after only two days on the job.

The CEO didn’t blame the newly departed hire. His assessment: “We didn’t onboard her. We waterboarded her!”

Though it’s a stretch to compare an enhanced interrogation technique to bringing a new employee into a company, management consultant Liz Kislik suggests that onboarding, from a new employee’s perspective, can feel like torture.

The CEO told me they had accelerated the normal onboarding process with this hire. They skipped some steps because of deadlines and someone else’s transition. It’s a fast-moving place and he certainly sets the pace. It wouldn't be an easy job for most and being thrown into the water without swimming lessons for this culture would be a challenge for the strongest of hires.

Which is why she quit. And why it stands as a good lesson for us all.

The Challenge of Perspective

Dan Pink told me in an interview about his book To Sell is Human there’s an inverse relationship between power and perspective. The more responsibility you get, the more challenging it is to remember what it’s like to be the rookie.

The longer a politician is in office, the more they forget what it’s like to be an ordinary citizen. The higher you get in an organization, the easier it is to forget the struggle to make a rent payment.

(Early in my career an executive was answering questions during a town hall meeting. An employee was complaining about all the deductions in their paycheck, such as FICA--the social security deduction in the United States. The executive replied, "Um, isn't that the deduction that's only there for, like, one or two pay periods?" Perhaps that's true when your salary is the GDP of a small country! He had clearly lost the perspective of the rank and file!)

More to the point of this discussion, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be the new person. Whether it’s a new hire to your company this year or just someone new to your team, don’t under-estimate the effort required to learn your team culture.

Diving into a New Culture

Dr. Ed Schein is the esteemed MIT Sloan School of Management Professor Emeritus. Ed is widely regarded as the guy who coined the term corporate culture. He told me in an interview that culture is much more complex than most people appreciate. In short, it’s how things get done. It’s what has always worked. And much of what makes up culture is unstated, what Ed calls tacit assumptions.

Do you think your onboarding process has all of these assumptions covered? Ed might suggest you think again.

• Don’t minimize the time and effort to get the new team member up-to-speed.
• Assume there are acronyms and terms that are unclear to the new person.
• Make it safe to ask questions.
• Help them understand both the written and unwritten rules of the team.
• Don’t baby them, for sure, but also don’t expect they’ll be at full stride on day 2 (or it might be their last)!

How The New Hire Can Help You

Here’s one last idea: their new eyes on your team might just be a gift. Often they will see things that have become invisible to you and the team.

Andy Stanley suggests in his leadership podcast that you intentionally ask people for their feedback. Andy suggests a formal feedback process at three months and twelve months after joining the team.

Ask them questions, such as:

• What has surprised you the most about being on our team?
• What is your biggest frustration?
• What do we do that doesn't make sense or seems to be off-purpose?
• Do you have the tools you need to do your job?

Gary Klein, author of Seeing What Others Don’t, reinforces this notion that tapping into these fresh perspectives can draw attention to our blindspots.

Turning a Loss into a Win

We could argue that losing someone after two days on the job is better than losing them at two months. However, in both cases, it’s a sign of a problem. Here’s to better onboarding and less waterboarding for you and your team this year.

Please add your voice to this discussion. What mistakes have you seen when it comes to integrating someone new into a team or organization? How do you try to help new team members? I look forward to hearing from you!

What did you learn last year?

It’s a simple enough question, and it would be easy to answer it with, “Well, I learned a lot!”

But I’d like you to get more specific. What’s something specific you learned in the last 12 months that either you didn’t know before or you had to re-learn?

What comes to mind?

The Value of Experience

After working with over 200 executive coaching clients, I’ve noticed experience can sometimes lead to complacency. Someone with 20 years of experience may actually only have one year of experience repeated 20 times. They’re living off what they learned years ago.

Certainly, experience has great advantages. When I step onto a plane, I often look into the cockpit and hope to see gray hair or no hair! I’ll gladly take the pilot who has flown for 25 years over a 25 year old.

Why? They’ve been there before. They’ve flown through that situation countless times. They recognize situations more quickly and know instinctively how to react. Experience brings a level of competence and confidence that is difficult to learn from a book or simulator.

And the Curse

Yet could it be that experience is also a curse? For example, is it possible we might too quickly assume that past patterns apply to a current situation? Could it be that we discount signals indicating something is different and thus miss a better solution?

Could it be that, with experience, our motivation wanes because the challenges just aren’t there anymore? Could it be that we are tempted to increasingly defend our territory instead of seek out new lands?

The Rookie Mindset

Liz Wiseman suggests in her latest book that learning beats knowing in the new game of work. In Rookie Smarts, she presses the notion that we best serve our careers and organizations when we commit to being perpetual rookies.

How? One idea is to disqualify yourself. This means you should seek out a role that you aren’t completely qualified to do. This could be a new domain, a broader role, or a stretch project. But the point is to force yourself into a zone where you only have a 50%-70% likelihood of success. Harvard researcher David McClelland suggests your motivation is highest in that range.

Of course that advice sounds wonderful, in theory, but mortgage companies like to receive checks each month. Disqualifying ourselves feels risky. I asked Liz about that in a recent discussion. Her response was intriguing.

Could it be that by stretching ourselves into these rookie situations, we actually set ourselves up for future mortgage payments? Sure, there’s some risk today, which is why our motivation peaks. But her point is that by continually learning, we better enable ourselves to be relevant and valuable in the future (as opposed to slowly atrophying in our aging knowledge base).

Since learning about McClelland's research on motivation a couple years ago, I've taken on some engagements that I might normally have declined. In nearly every situation, the results far exceeded my initial expectations and many of those led to new offerings and opportunities. For the record, I'm still more comfortable with a 70% likelihood of success than 50%! But by demonstrating a willingness to stretch, we force ourselves to learn and innovate. And the result can be opportunity.

Eric Hoffer observed that “in times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

Are You The Learner or the Learned?

So, let’s bring this back to the original question: What did you learn last year?

I asked that question to a range of leadership and project management thought leaders to see how they would answer. I encourage you to ask it not only of yourself but also of those around you.

How about this? Please leave a comment below with a specific lesson you learned in the last year. Your response will inspire me and others here to keep learning.

If you struggle to come up with a specific answer for yourself, use the question as a catalyst to make this a year where you’re back in the rookie seat.