Ask the learner what they saw

Growth · Little Light original

A colleague shadows you through a negotiation, review or difficult decision. When it ends, you begin explaining your method while the details are fresh. You want to make the hidden judgment visible, but your answer arrives before you know what they noticed for themselves. Begin with their account. Which moment changed the direction? What did they find surprising? Where would they have chosen differently? Their answer will show whether they saw the same risk you were managing or something your experience has made easy to overlook. Then explain your reasoning, including the uncertainty and the choice you would improve next time. Development is not the transfer of a polished script from an expert to a beginner. It is a conversation in which observation becomes judgment. The person learning needs room to form a view before borrowing yours, and you need the humility to discover that expertise does not notice everything. Share the craft generously, but leave enough space for another mind to become active inside it.

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