A Learning Professional’s Cat

This is our family cat, Chicago. We rescued him years ago as a sickly kitten and he’s grown into a big ‘ol feline with “cat – onality to spare. As he watches me clean his litter, fetch his toys and pick up his random “Good morning!” hairballs, I’m sure he has no idea how much he contributes to a successful professional development career. I submit the following learning and development nuggets of wisdom gleaned from owning a cat.

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Learning Actually

Do you remember how you felt the last time you demonstrated you knew how to do something and showed it to someone you cared about? You might have become an expert with new software at work and had to show your peers. Maybe you aced a test in a difficult class. Heck, even if you can now set the microwave clock in front of your spouse with having to google it first, didn’t it feel good? That’s the love of learning.

What We’ve Got Here is a Failure to Communicate

Someone stands in front of the only working exit on a crowded city bus. They then start a chainsaw. Three thoughts quickly rush through the mind. 1) Oh, look, a chainsaw. 2) Wait, a chainsaw? 3) Um, this is my stop.

The person with the chainsaw could read the entire 8th season of Game of Thrones aloud and odds are no one would pay attention to what they were saying. On the off-chance

Inconcievable!

There are children, all over the United States, who have an unshakeable belief that every December 24th, a rotund, bearded man will enter their homes through a chimney and leave gifts. Later, after seeing overwhelming evidence to the contrary, (including the fact they live in an apartment and have no chimney), they will accept that Santa lives only in our imaginations and will happily go on with their lives. How might we respond to an adult co-worker who continues to hold that unwavering, core belief that Santa is real? Imagine walking into a directors meeting or client pitch with someone who is openly thinking, no, believing, “Well, we could just ask Santa for more revenue.” We could call it Miracle on Fremont Street.