One sit was pleasant And one was pure burning hell Same Zafu. What gives?
Have you ever had a few team-level problem-solving sessions or retrospectives with wildly different outcomes? Same people, similar agenda yet one flows beautifully (like a mountain stream) while the other feels like the team has been through root canal without novocaine. Completely different universes, so what makes the difference?
The Paradox of Team Learning
Just as meditation practice varies day to day, team learning isn’t linear. The conditions that spark brilliant collaboration one time might yield nothing but frustration the next. This isn’t a flaw in the system – it’s a feature of human groups that we need to understand rather than fight against.
Signals of Learning Flow
When team learning is working well, you’ll notice:
- Questions that build on each other – like jazz musicians riffing off one another (too many mixed metaphors, Andy…?)
- Mistakes treated as valuable data – team members lean in rather than pull back
- Natural knowledge sharing – expertise flows without prompting
- Collective problem-solving energy – the room has a palpable buzz
Signs of Learning Blockage
Watch for these indicators that the learning flow is blocked:
- Repeated conversations without progress (like a skipping record)
- Knowledge hoarding (information becomes currency)
- Risk aversion (safer to stay quiet)
- Defensive routines (the “yes, but…” syndrome)
Want to dive deeper? Check out A Field Guide to Team Dynamics and Conflict
Try This: “The Empty Cup” Practice
Just as a full cup can’t receive new tea, minds cluttered with to-do lists and unfinished conversations block fresh learning.
Here’s a ridiculously simple experiment (and I mean ridiculously simple):
- Start your next meeting by having everyone take three, synchronized, deep breaths together.
That’s it. (No, really – that’s all there is to it!)
Afterward, notice:
- Who speaks first?
- What shifts in the team’s energy?
- How does that one small change ripple through the team dynamics?
Share What You Discovered
Share what you discover in the comments – I’m genuinely curious about how this tiny ritual affects your team’s learning flow. After all, sometimes the smallest adjustments create the biggest shifts. (Ask any meditation practitioner!)
