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Essay written by Heather Kenyon for the Tampa Bay Times, 2.13.13, on the shortage of people with the desired IT skills. Found this via the Encore LinkedIn group. What I find particularly interesting is the employers' desire for critical thinking, communication skills, and "professional curiosity" mentioned below. Nowhere here does it mention the middle aged or older worker; I guess they might have the critical thinking, communication, and curiosity, but not be able to master the IT skills through PD and DIY learning? Excerpt "Topping IT employers' wish lists were candidates who have at least 3-5 years of relevant work experience, bachelor's degrees and capabilities that go beyond the latest technical competencies to show an aptitude for continuous learning and multiple skill acquisition. These include critical thinking and communication skills as well as professional curiosity, which employers seem to find in short supply in the available talent pool. "

Really a wonderful summation of how curiosity leads to creativity--interview with Elizabeth Gilbert by Melissa Dahl, September 23, 2015

Blog by Susan Freeman, StepUpLeader, June 2014 Talks about leaders and learning and honesty. "Upon deeper reflection, there is something they absolutely must possess in order for us to work well together; That is being a LEARNER. By this I mean the willingness to admit that they don't know what they don't know. They will approach the learning process with an attitude of curiosity, appreciating each new discovery with gusto. They don't resist it; they EMBRACE it. I call it leadership resilience. Leadership resilience is crucial for leaders. When a leader can't be honest about what he doesn't know, it shuts down the ability for others to learn and innovate within the organization. In order to move from where we are now to a future desired result, we must let go of our need to know. When a leader can embrace curiosity, wonder and being comfortable with uncertainty, it makes it acceptable for others to do so."

A blog post by Jessica Leber published by Fastcoexist.com about Angeline Gragasin, a documentary producer and her Women of the Future, a monthly series of webisodes on inspiring renaissance women. Love the quote below attributed to the first interviewee Eva Franch, a Catalan architect who directs Storefront for Art and Architecture, in NYC SoHo neighborhood. Excerpt In a 30-second preview clip you can watch above, Franch shares with Gragasin her inspiring thoughts on creativity: "Culture is about expanding your horizon of expectations in relationship to what is possible. Curiosity is actually the only thing that allows you to go further, right? To find new horizons."

Interview with Kat Cole on leadership and becoming a leader, July 19, 2014. Like her emphasis on coachability and feedback and unrelenting curiosity to learn. Supports learning, leading, connecting online. Also like her other leadership insights and how she hires new people. Excerpt "What advice do you give your employees who are ambitious and want to move up? First, I talk about being incredibly coachable, because we all give each other feedback. If you want to move up, you've got to get as many inputs as possible to continue to develop. Second, take your development into your own hands and be curious about the entire company. If there's something you want to learn, go learn it. The structure here is like a start-up. "

Ron Barnett asserts that higher education has three goals to achieve with students: to create epistemological and ontological disturbance in the minds of the students; (curiosity), enable students to live at ease with this perplexing and unsettling environment; and enable them to make their own positive contributions to this super complex world.

Ron Barnett asserts that higher education has three goals to achieve with students: to create epistemological and ontological disturbance in the minds of the students; (curiosity), enable students to live at ease with this perplexing and unsettling environment; and enable them to make their own positive contributions to this super complex world. 

from Inc.com by Minda Zetlin. Here tips: figure out who matters most - id a critical few; pick your next tier of 50 - 100 contacts; find easy ways to engage everyone else; if you want to connect - find a way to help that person; be intriguing by arousing that person's curiosity with something unexpected; think people, not positions; give before you ask; be generous.

Absolutely fabulous video (6 minutes) on Connected Learning and how we must change the outcomes based focus of education to awaken the curiosity of each learner and engage with them in learning how to learn given the distribution of resources, ideas, experts, etc. while preserving the learners' autonomy, access to diversity, openness to others for learning, interactivity with similar and diverse co-learners, etc. Film by Nic Askew at Soulbiographies.com interviewing McArthur Foundation person and two professors of education

Interesting org that strives to foster a deeper understanding of gender and its intersections with race, culture, class, sexuality and other aspects of social identity. This program provides opportunities for women to explore career and life choices in multiple disciplines that enable them to excel and realize their full potential. Connects students with each other and to a strong supportive network of critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, problem-solving and leadership skills.

Although mostly for high school and college students, WILL has an international program and offers some wonderful learning opportunities.

Bob Marshall on what an effective group workshop looks like--September 30, 2014, quite demanding yet doable. he above story illustrates a range of features of an effective workshop: Certain shared proficiencies in e.g. Skilled Dialogue, Lean Coffee, etc.. Pre-reading (shared), including "standard" texts - here including Nancy Kline and Chris Argyris. Clarity of purpose "just why are we here?". Shared purpose "we're all here for the same things". Folks tweeting and googling continuously during the workshop. Amanuensis / cybrarian to facilitate shared learning in the workshops. Democratic agenda-setting. Mutual exploration of topics. Active curiosity. "Essentiality" - avoidance of rabbit-holes and extraneous discussion of details. Focus on impacts (as compared to busyness, or outputs, or even outcomes). Post-reading - following up new references. Follow-up conversations, actions. Feedback. - Bob Afterword In writing this story, it seemed to me that a video of a workshop in action would be a great addition to the resources available to BaCo staff to help them appreciate the nature of an effective workshop. Maybe one day I'll have the opportunity to write and/or direct such a video. Further Reading What is Dialogue? ~ Susan Taylor (pdf) Share this: inShare10 Email Print More

Maria Popova's blog, brainpickings, on Carol Dweck's work on mindset. Even in children, open or growth mindset is a key factor in learning, while fixed mindset is too focused on being perfect or the best or knowing all the answers. Growth mindset leads to curiosity, learning, exploration, and creativity. Fixed mindsets lead to the status quo and adhering to what exists. Growth mindset sees problems and challenges as growth and learning opportunities, fixed mindset views challenges as failure and underperforming. Great graphic of the 2 mindsets from Dweck's book.

great blog post by Chelsea Dinsmore on 3 things to do to overcome challenge

good essay by Sallie Krawcheck on changing careers, leadership traits, getting in the traffic to understand the industry you are moving into, etc.

Love these descriptions of creative traits and people in Tom Barrett's blog post from Feburary 2015

another great post by Tom Barrett on how to say "I don't know" to fuel exploration by children learning, June 8, 2014

great HBR article by Gino and Staat on what organizational leaders need to do to learn and help their employees learn with reflection after doing among other actions. November 2015