Learning by doing: I get what I wished for!
When I decided to become an independent consultant a few months ago, my first wish was to teach Lean to young people. During many years of Lean implementations, I collected a lot of knowledge and experience and I want to transfer this to the next generation. Also, I have an ambition to get better at Lean/Continuous Improvement and I learn most by explaining it to others!
Through my network I landed at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences where I now support the development and execution of a minor in Lean for students in their 3rd and 4th year. With two experienced teachers I am developing the curriculum, executing student-workshops, connecting to different industries and coaching students in their learning process.
Little did I know when I voiced my ambition to learn while teaching: I am learning so much more than I expected!
Indeed I am learning more about Lean
especially about tools that I once have been educated in but hardly ever applied even though they add value! For example, I recently explained the students about Process Cycle Efficiency, which enables us to identify fact-based how much improvement potential is present in a process. This concept has been unfarily collecting dust in me memory… So where I used to apply only a few favourite tools and techniques, my Lean toolkit is getting bigger!
I learn about education and learning environments
in which a transition is taking place towards demand-driven education in which students are stimulated and challenged to become curious, ask questions an go out to find the answer. An environment where we want to guarantee a certain quality without strict exams and with continuous feedback. A very relevant transition, since knowledge expires so it is key to learn how to learn. I am happy and grateful to contribute to this transition.
On top of that I find it interesting because Continuous Improvement has a strong Continuous Learning element in it. And I believe that many organisations can give more and better attention to the development of their employees by challenging them in a safe environment to experiment and by giving continuous feedback, so I am curious to learn more on how this works.
And my favourite: I learn about myself!
In a technical/industrial environment I am usually the person promoting topics like involvement, connection and vulnerability, while I now notice that in an education environment I am the one driving for structure, planning and results.
It is beautiful to rediscover this side of myself! I now see that by working for many years in technical environments I started to believe that I am good at the people-side and not so much the data/result-side because that was the feedback I received for years… While I have always known I had both sides in me, it is good to now see evidence of that again. Apparently I unconsciously choose to display that side of myself that gets insufficient attention in the environment I am in…!
This is what I do, this is who I am: I build bridges between ratio and emotion, between head and heart. It is my strength, my talent! And at the same time, I continue to learn from the challenges in building these bridges.
My current challenge is to learn to deal with an environment in which feelings are addressed much more frequently and openly than I have ever experienced, as well as to reduce the intensity of the driving energy that my result-orientation brings inside myself and towards others.
My rational/result-focused side and my emotional/people-focused side co-exist. These two often “compete”💥 inside of me, but they are more powerful when they “connect”🔗 and “collaborate”. My ambition and desire is to bring both sides of me closer to each other and unite them to make them one integrated whole, so I don’t have to choose sides anymore! This will make me more balanced, a better professional/leader and ‘bridge-builder’ which will enable me to add even more value to your organisation.
A beautiful process in which I am grateful to receive regular feedback from my colleague-teachers from the HvA and be accompanied by my ILS trainers and fellow students.
I will continue to learn while doing! Interested to be part of my journey?
I am available to work with you as an interim or project manager in continuous improvement, or as a sparring partner and coach. I am open to challenges in all sectors and geographies, for just a few days or for several months.
I would love to hear from you! Let’s connect! Let’s build together, inspire each other and surprise each other. You never know what it will lead to!
Benefit from Insight Out Advice!
Kind regards and take good care,
Dimphy Beaujean
www.insight-out-advice.com
Aligning energy and processes, realising ambitions