"Aha!" Signals A Beginning

How many times have you studied, thought, worked, conversed, or meditated in order to reach an "Aha!" moment?

It seems to me that we have a tendency to treat "Ahas!" as if they are a result.  Yet when you look at them carefully, they signal a beginning; a sign that there may be a new path to pursue, something new to learn, or a situation to re-visit in a different way.

Some Aha! Questions to Ponder

1. When was your last "Aha!"?

2. Did it lead somewhere?

3. If  so, where?

4. If not, why not?

5. Is it time to re-visit it to see what you might have missed?

(Almost) Everything I Know About "Ahas" I Learned From Fourth-Graders

When I got out of the Army, I went back to college to complete the last few requirements for my degree.  I also went back to being a working--and paid--musician.  Life was good. Except for the next "Aha!."

You see, at that time in the history of the universe, there was a strange, quaint phenomenon known as dating.("Dating" was a very common ancient ritual that involved asking a young woman to go out with you alone to a movie, or a restaurant, or an event. The idea was that if you could get to know each other better, you might want to continue and develop an even deeper relationship. If this sounds strange and you want to learn more about it, go to a garage sale, buy a 45 RPM record (they look like oversized CD's with a big hole in the center), and listen to the lyrics. Hint: you will notice that the lyrics rhyme. Oh, and you'll need to buy a 45 RPM record player,too.)

Sorry.

Back to the related "Aha!" which was known as:

"Come in and meet my father"

Me with mandatory strong handshake: "Hello, Mr. ____, nice to meet you. "

Father: "Hello, young man (fathers do not utter the actual name of the perceived weasel-disguised-as-a person. Now that I am the father of a daughter, I understand the dynamic. But I can't reveal it, otherwise I would betray the other fathers-of-daughters-about-to-be-dated-by-the-weasel).

"Tell me, young man, what do you do for a living?" (This is a man-question to determine the extent of your slackerness).

Me: (proudly): Mr. _____, I'm a professional musician and I play at ______and ________.

Father: (Silence)

Father again: (Continued silence, furrowed brow, followed by look of disdain).

Father, turning to wife while walking out of the room: "Ethel, tell him to have her home by midnight."

Aha!

I learned that:

a. "I am a musician" was not a good thing to say, no matter how much money I made.

b. I would have to do something that appeared to erase my perceived weaselness and make me respectable.

Aha!

I will be a teacher.

So I did a little stint at a Junior High School.

Aha! Working with 13 and 14 year-olds clearly wasn't going to do it for me. I concluded, rather hastily, that every existing 13 and 14 year-old should be universally housed in their own country or state--say, North Dakota--until they are 20.

Obviously, High School would work out better for me.

Aha! I apparently had a very short memory and forgot that, between the ages of 15-18, Homer and Hemingway were completely overshadowed by Heaving Hormones. That leaves:

Elementary School. Yes, but what grade?

Third graders still had "accidents."

Fifth graders were reaching puberty.

And if I were to be somehow elected President, they would soon be sent to North Dakota anyway.

Aha! Fourth grade.

. . .and Here Are The 5 Things I Learned About Business from Fourth Graders

The kids--and all of us at work-- show up each day hoping that we'll have an Aha! experience. That it will lead to something new, engaging, and satisfying. As a teacher, it was my responsibility to attempt to create the conditions for that in the context of what was to be learned. So I had to do five things:

1. Be crystal clear about the learning goal.

If I wasn't clear, the day didn't go well. Minds and bodies gravitated toward something that did seem clear. The world--even the world of fourth graders--abhors a vacuum.

2. Show them the connection between what they would learn and how it works in life.

If they couldn't see how "it" was real, eyes glazed over.

3. Understand each of the kids and how they learn.

Hands-on doers, Readers, Questioners, 10-year-old Cynics. They were all represented.

4. Create an experience that would allow #3 to be satisfied.

I always thought that this was the toughest part. How do you achieve the learning goal in the designated amount of time with so many different kinds of learners?

5. Manage the experience and follow up with each of the kids.

Once I put the activity in motion, I had to touch base with each of the students, check out how they were doing, tell them how they were doing, and then formally evaluate how they did.

Applied Management That Creates "Aha!"?

1. Managing starts with clarity. The time a manager spends getting clear about what needs to be done will pay off in focused effort from increased understanding.

2. The Manager is the Mediator of Meaning. Clarity is the first part of  the issue. The other part is taking the time to show exactly how "what" you are proposing to do is directly connected to the success of over-arching goals.

3. Managers Understand How People Learn and Work. Intellectually, we all acknowledge that people learn differently and work differently. Really successful managers take time to pinpoint what those styles are and genuinely acknowledge their inherent value.

4. Managing Means Knowing How to Orchestrate the Experience. When to have a meeting or not have a meeting; who needs one-on-one attention? What isn't negotiable and what will work best with a full discussion? Is the objective really achievable--at the level of quality desired--in the originally designated timetable? Managers, go ahead and add your favorites to this list.

5. Managers Lead from Every Proximity. You'll spot a good manager out in front of the group; alongside of a direct report who is struggling; or standing in the back of the room listening to a discussion and only joining in when re-direction or a fact is needed. And everyone knows how they're doing in relation to what's expected.

I hope this has sparked an "Aha" for you. If it did, by all means weigh in in the comment box below.

Graphic Source: A Perfect World www.aperfectworld.org

Comments

[Valeria Maltoni]

That was such a good conversation, Steve! Your post reminded me of Robert Fulghum's book "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."

http://robertfulghum.com/index.php/fulghumweb/books/

[Lance]

Aha's as a beginning instead of a result. This is an "aha" - I tend to look at them as results, when you're right on about them being a beginning. Well written and well-explained. This also gets me thinking about an important three day meeting I have coming up this week at work. As the facilitator for this meeting, how can I "orchestrate the meeting" to make it the most productive for everyone. That's my job for today...figure that out. Thanks.

[Steve Roesler]

Valeria,

Your inspiration just keeps on giving. . .

[Steve Roesler]

Lance,

Hey, I'm glad to know this is timely, given your upcoming assignment.

Valerie Maltoni, the always-informative Conversation Agent (www.conversationagent.com), got me thinking about this during a luncheon conversation a while back.

One way that I've used the "Aha" thing as a jumping off point with management groups is:

a. Simply record the "Ahas!" on a flipchart.

b. Come back to them at designated times and ask, "What can happen next as a result of this?"

That's one simple method; you've probably got a shopping list already. If you find some that work especially well, give us a shout out here and we'll be sure to post them with attribution.

[Wally Bock]

Great post, Steve. Based on some research, I'd nominate the "Aha" moment for the time when the real work begins. Following Graham Wallis' Innovation Cycle there has been "preparation" and now we have "illumination." The hard part is next. Wallas called it "verification." That's the part where you see what you have to do to run the "Aha" into something that works.

[Steve Roesler]

Hey, Wally,

Glad it has the ring of truth.

Given your expansion of the issue vis a vis the Innovation Cycle, maybe there's another post in this. Actually, it would be necessary if one were to follow the advice that "Aha" signals a beginning. The notion that "verification" (the hard part) comes next certainly sounds right to me. Yet the "Aha" is often where we stop, become self-congratulatory, and declare conceptual victory before digging into the "Will it work?" part.

You've given me an "Aha!" Now I'm feeling compelled to run with it while simultaneously getting a client project completed:-)

[Kris]

Great article. This brought back memories of when my 3 kids were much younger (all grown up now). I read a super book, title was "How to Talk so Kids Can Listen, and Listen so Kids Can Talk" (can't remember the authors right now - sorry). I used what I learned in those readings and applied it to my work/business: How to Talk So People/Customers/Employees/Co-workers (etc) will listen; and Listen so They will Talk. It is amazing what we can learn from our experiences with kids - the trick is in applying our learning. I'll work on applying your 5 AHA moments in my business! Thanks.

[Steve Roesler]

Kris, glad it hit home and brought back good memories as well.

Let's face it: we're just big kids who happen to be "grown up." If that book title pops back into mind I'd be interested in having a look.