“Life is a learning experience, only if you learn.” ~Yogi Berra
I love this quote. Somehow, Yogi Berra’s words always seem to have a
precious nugget of truth and insight embedded in them. What I take away
from this quote is that of course, we all learn things every day –
that’s part of being human. However, what we learn, how much we learn,
and when we learn, matters. And, if we are not intentional about our
learning, then we just might not learn what we need, when we need it, or
how to use what we’ve learned.
Over the last few years, the topic of “learning” has become woven into
the natural discourse in philanthropic organizations. One can hardly
have a conversation with foundation staff without someone uttering the
word “learning.” While this warms my heart, as someone who has studied,
taught, written about, and tried to live a life dedicated to learning, I
am concerned. I am concerned because while I hear a lot of talk about
the value of learning, I do not see much evidence that organizations
truly understand what it means to engage in and support intentional,
planned, and mindful learning.