Eat Your Veggies! Tracking Growth as Vital to Learning and Leading

Each time our kids go to the doctor, we leave with little post-it notes of data...none more important than their height. They love to track their growth. So much so we have a dedicated wall in the kitchen with pencil markings and dates for just this purpose.

Heels against the baseboard and backs flush, they stand tall as we draw lines just above their heads. No tip-toes allowed. Face forward.

Tracking growth is a vital practice in childhood development. More than a competition among siblings, these measurements inform intentional adjustments necessary to improve their health and ensure their bodies are getting what they need (like more fruit and vegetables and less candy and chicken nuggets).

It is also vital in leadership and learning to track growth. When we carve out and hold space for various assessments of our practices, we are able to discern necessary adjustments to make when we know we are not quite where we want to be. We can then celebrate with integrity when we see our efforts are bearing the fruit we desire.

Planned assessment is a form of learning that moves us into more alignment with our values and the fulfillment of intentions we set in the beginning. We track growth to measure health, reflect on impact, and build a generative memory for when we are stressed or stuck. It is a fallacy to assume our hopes and dreams, even well-nuanced organizational plans and vision statements, will simply work and lead to success on their own. Sometimes we need to make difficult changes and relevant iterations in light of wisdom gained and insights learned. We cannot skip this part of nurture and development.

We must eat our fruits and veggies if we want to grow.

Join us on Tuesday, November 14 at 1:00 pm Eastern for a Learning Live where we will walk through LF’s "Planting Your Intentions" model, which includes the vital practice of planned tracking of growth. We believe this component is not only the most essential step but also the one most frequently skipped. We are looking forward to sharing more with you!

written by Greg Klimovitz