What are 6 Learning Labs?

6 Learning Labs are community-based experiences where together, learners practice, plan, apply, share, and/or reflect on new mindsets, skill sets, and toolsets. It is a space designed to accelerate and supercharge the building and application of new skills, toolsets, and mindsets in their world and situations.

📦Unpacking Lab

What is it? Short, typically virtual sessions after formal learning (remember OnLine/ InLine learning?) focused on helping learners make sense of or gain a deeper understanding of key content, frameworks, or models that will be critical to their success later. This is typically more complex concepts or frameworks (e.g., design thinking, strategy formulation, etc.) that need deeper understanding and contextualizing to the learners’ role, task, business field, etc.
Why is it important? Because not everything is equally important in smart learning. Knowing what IS most important and making sure they get it is most important to accelerate understanding, application, and impact.

⭐️STAR² Application & Reflection Lab

What is it? Learners plan and execute the application of new mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets by identifying real Situations they want to Try and change, Applying their new skills to get a positive Result in their lives and work. They do this frequently during a 456 learning experience and on increasingly complex situations.
Why is it important? Application and reflection are essential to mastering new mindsets, skillsets, and behaviors. Learners must quickly apply what they learned and, after, reflect on what went right or wrong to accelerate their growth. Failure IS an option and honored.

⚙️Skill Practice Lab

What is it? Learners bring in their faces (people) and places (situations) and practice applying specific skills/tools in real situations, preferably their own. The goal is to gain confidence and competence in those skills/tools to facilitate their use in their real places with their real places.
Why is it important? Because it helps learners identify the gaps and pain points. The more learners practice, the more confident they are in real work/life situations.

💁🏻‍♀️Coaching Lab

What is it? A coaching lab is when coaches provide consistent support to learners while they are executing their STAR application and projects. They provide expert advice, support, and tools for tackling obstacles and moving forward. Coaching labs can be for cohorts, STAR application project teams or individuals during a 456 journey.
Why is it important? Coaching labs help learners be focused on and accountable for applying their new skills on relevant goals, projects, or action learning projects. Remember when we build the pier and pushed them off to swim? Now we are rowing along side them supporting them in their application.

👐🏻Community of Practice Lab

What is it? Ongoing Sharing Sessions where a group of passionate learners share their lessons learned, good practices, or common issues/challenges on specific topics or areas of interest. It can be focused on sustaining change after learning or set up as a community of people passionate about a specific area of interest.
Why is it important? COP's connect people, sustain energy, and facilitate ongoing improvement and innovation. Both organizations and learners get different perspectives, methodologies, and good practices for particular situations or areas of the busines.

💫Impact Presentation Lab

What is it? An inspiring lab where learners present what they tried, tools they applied (typically their STAR applications and projects), and the positive impact they usebuilding new mindsets, skillsets, or toolsets.
Why is it important? Because it creates opportunities for learners to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned and reflect on real work/life projects.