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This is the second part of a series examining the application of Peter Hawkins 5 Components of Teams. In each of the articles, I will look at each of the following.
• Commission: Why are we here and who cares?
• Clarifying: So what exactly is this team? …
• Co-creation: How are we going to work together to make this happen?
• Connecting: Spreading enthusiasm and message beyond the island of the team.
• Core Learning: How doe we grow and learn collectively?
Part 5: Core Learning – How Do We Grow and Learn Collectively?
In Peter Hawkins’ systemic team coaching model, Core Learning emphasizes continuous growth—how teams evolve and learn collectively over time. A team’s ability to learn from experience, adapt to new challenges, and integrate feedback is crucial for long-term success. Core learning is about fostering a culture where development is ongoing, and all members feel empowered to contribute to the team’s shared knowledge.
Understanding Core Learning
Core learning goes beyond individual development and focuses on collective learning—how the entire team learns from its successes, failures, and experiences. It requires teams to be open to feedback, willing to experiment, and committed to reflecting on their processes. By prioritizing continuous improvement, teams can become more agile, resilient, and innovative.
Tools & Reflections for Effective Core Learning
1. Deep Democracy
Deep Democracy is a powerful tool that encourages every voice to be heard, especially minority or dissenting opinions. In teams, diverse perspectives are often the source of innovative solutions. By fostering an environment where all members feel safe to express their views, Deep Democracy helps teams expand their thinking and address blind spots. It encourages inclusive decision-making, which is critical for learning and growth.
2. Project Initiation Documents
Regularly revisiting a team’s Project Initiation Documents (PIDs) is a practical way to ensure that learning is built into the team’s operations. PIDs outline the goals, roles, and deliverables of a project, but they can also be used as living documents that evolve as the team learns and adapts. By revisiting these documents, teams can reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change. This continuous reflection promotes learning and improvement.
3. Feedback Mechanisms
Effective learning relies on strong feedback mechanisms. Tools like 360-degree reviews, individual development plans, and strengths-based feedback help teams and individuals understand their performance and areas for growth. Regular feedback sessions encourage reflection and allow teams to address issues before they become major problems. Feedback loops also help create a growth mindset within the team, where learning from mistakes is embraced.
Challenges in Core Learning
While core learning is essential for team growth, there are several challenges that teams need to navigate:
1. Conflict Resolution
Learning often comes from conflict, but teams must know how to navigate these challenges constructively. Conflict can either be a source of innovation or a destructive force, depending on how it is managed. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Resolution Model is a valuable tool that helps teams understand different conflict-handling styles (e.g., competing, collaborating, avoiding) and find the best approach for resolving disagreements. A team that learns how to handle conflict effectively can turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
2. Sustainability
One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that learning is sustained over time. Teams may initially embrace learning, but without consistent effort, it can fade. Continuous learning requires structure—regular reflections, dedicated learning time, and ongoing feedback mechanisms. It’s essential to build learning into the team’s routines so that it becomes a natural part of how the team operates, rather than something that only happens after major events or setbacks.
Suggested Approach: Teams can use tools like Action Learning, where they work on real problems and reflect on the outcomes, ensuring that learning is always linked to action and results.
3. Toxic Leadership
Leaders who don’t embrace a learning mindset can severely hinder a team’s growth. If leaders are unwilling to reflect on their own performance, admit mistakes, or listen to feedback, they create an environment where team members are less likely to engage in learning. Toxic leadership stifles innovation, trust, and collaboration, all of which are critical for core learning.
Suggested Approach: To counter this, teams can implement leadership development programs or even bring in external coaches to work with leaders on embracing a growth-oriented approach. Encouraging leaders to model learning behaviors, such as being open to feedback, can create a culture where learning is embraced throughout the team.
Suggested Approaches to Enhance Core Learning
Learning Journals: Encourage team members to keep learning journals where they reflect on what they’ve learned from recent projects, meetings, or challenges. This can be shared during team retrospectives or learning sessions to build collective wisdom.
Team Retrospectives: Regular retrospectives are essential for capturing learnings from both successes and failures. These sessions should be structured around key questions: What went well? What could be improved? What will we do differently next time? These reflections ensure that learning is embedded into future projects.
Peer Learning: Foster a culture of peer learning, where team members regularly share their insights, skills, and experiences with each other. This can take the form of mentoring, skill-sharing sessions, or informal learning circles, which build team cohesion while enhancing knowledge-sharing.
Final Thoughts
Core learning is the glue that binds a team’s experience into actionable knowledge. By using tools like Deep Democracy, feedback mechanisms, and continuous reflection, teams can ensure that they are not just performing well but also learning how to perform better over time. However, challenges like conflict resolution, sustaining learning, and toxic leadership must be addressed to create an environment where learning flourishes.
Teams that embrace learning at their core will not only grow but also adapt to new challenges, innovate, and drive long-term success. As Peter Hawkins’ model shows, core learning is the key to unlocking a team’s full potential.
This concludes our series on Peter Hawkins’ 5 Components of Teams. By focusing on commissioning, clarifying, co-creating, connecting, and core learning, teams can build a foundation for sustained success and collaboration.
#leadership #teamwork #teamcoaching #peterhawkins #organizationaldevelopment #learningculture #systemicteamcoaching #feedback
