Hans Georg-Gadamer writes,

The truth of experience always implies an orientation toward a new experience. That is why a person who is called experienced has become so not only through experiences but is also open to new experiences. The consummation of his experience, the perfection that we call “being experienced,” does not consist in the fact that someone already knows everything and knows better than anyone else. Rather, the experienced person proves to be, on the contrary, someone who is radically undogmatic; who, because of the many experiences he has had and the knowledge he has drawn from them, is particularly well equipped to have new experiences and to learn from them.

Hans Georg-Gadamer

There is a lot to ponder here so sit with it for a while. The assumption in the quote is experience is not narrowly defined as a set of skills but rather more broadly as all of life, including one’s own identity. The more secure we are in ourselves the greater chance of being undogmatic and being open to new experiences.

It reminds me of how change disturbs people and organisations creating a new ‘experience’ and how people react to it differently. Sometimes the reaction is driven by where the individuals are at; how secure they are in themselves. Realising this, how can we change how we communicate change in a way that meets people where they are at more?