What is culture? 5 ways people from different countries learn differently (& 5 ways we all learn the same)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture, Travel
There will always misinterpretations of culture (like the photo above). I’ve done training & development work in Canada, the U.S., India, the Philippines, the Arctic, Japan, Mexico, Kenya, Saskatchewan, Uganda, Tanzania, Brazil, Spain, France, China and soon, Egypt with workshop participants from more than 80 countries. Currently I’m living & working in Kenya. As a [...]
Tags: authority, cross culture communication, culture, environment, gender, informal learning, power, transfer of learning
Learning curve: how do you know when you’ve ‘got it’? When your participants have got it?
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under change management & wellness, training & development, Travel
Lessons in learning curves from Kenyan soap. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that I’ve recently moved from Vancouver to Nairobi, Kenya. The learning curve is sometimes fun and fluid, and sometimes crazy and chaotic. It’s got me thinking about how we, as trainers, know when we’ve ‘got it’? When our participants have ‘got [...]
Tags: indicator, learning curve
Perspective on public peeing – are public toilets a gift? (& other issues of access & inclusion)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Social Responsibility, training & development, Travel
Skip to the loo – why public toilets matter is a fascinating article by Michael Harris in the Walrus magazine. Have you ever been caught needing to use a public toilet and yet not being able to find one? Ever talked your way into a restaurant bathroom, in a restaurant that you weren’t eating in, [...]
Tags: access and inclusion
My Kenyan deep dive into delight- part 3 of 3 Learning Kenyan style
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture, training & development, Travel
I wholeheartedly identify with the little goldfish above. It was time for adventure, for embracing something bigger. So what did I do? I moved to Kenya naturally, to continue and expand on my training and development work. This is the third in series of posts, with four more things I’ve been learning since I touched [...]
Tags: international development, kenya, learning, literacy
I’ve unlocked a universal truth … shoes take up as much space as you allow them (4 more learnings about life in Kenya)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture, training & development, Travel
At home in Canada, what with our narrow entrance way, I was always after my kids and their friends to keep their shoes to the sides. But no, inevitably the shoes would end up smack in the middle of the entrance way. I lost count of how many times I tripped over them. Now in [...]
Tags: aiesec, difference, transfer of learning, universal
There’s a 6 foot long green snake living in my banana tree
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture, training & development, Travel
There’s a 6 foot long green snake living in the banana tree in my yard. So said my ‘friend’ Roman the other day while we were out walking the dogs. Trying not to faint, with eyebrows askance, I said ‘Really?’ ‘Sure,’ he says, ‘but don’t worry it’s utterly harmless.’ I was pretty sure he was [...]
Tags: humour, international development, kenya, privilege, self-awareness, united nations, wes darou
And my big announcement is ….
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture, Travel
I’ve packed my bags. I’ve changed my postal code. I’ve rerouted my mail. I’ve relocated. I’m in for a massive adventure. Join me? I’ve moved to Kenya for a year. Yup, Kenya. The home of the Masai people (pictured above) is my new home. There will be lots of new learning adventures and more training [...]
Tags: kenya, learning and development
What does a hand dryer look like? Depends on your perspective
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under communication, Travel
I love things and people that make me shift or readjust my perspective. Like crossing the street and the hand dryer. What does a hand dryer look like to you? Like this? Or like this and this? Both of them get the job done, just differently. How does your perspective frame how you see the [...]
Tags: perspective
Where’s your off switch?
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under change management & wellness, training & development, Travel
When I was doing some training for the United Nations in East Africa a while back, some friends and I got together one night at a house to watch a movie and make cookies. The cookie dough never made it to the oven (a destination few cookie dough batches in my world meet) and the [...]
Tags: 24/7, health, off switch, united nations, Wellness
Seeing clearly through the eyes of Lydia Nakayenze
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under communication, Diversity & culture, Travel
Lydia Nakayenze is as colourful in character as the outfit she’s wearing below. Originally from Uganda, she’s living and studying in Germany at the moment. I met her at the Women’s International Networking conference in Paris, where she spoke to me about her ideas on seeing clearly. It’s easy for our vision to be cloudy. [...]
Tags: Lydia Nakayenze, perspective, seeing clearly, self-assessment, WIN conference