Experts in many professional fields are struggling and collaborating to solve the vexing problems of our time, related to issues such as geopolitical and climate change, or the adoption of new technologies in a sustainable way (Barnett & Maxwell, 2008).  When seeking solutions to the problems of our time, professionals must act ethically and imagine the consequences of their actions to find good solutions. Therefore, they need skills that combine a quality that can be called wisdom (Sternberg & Gluck, 2019; Kristjánsson, 2022; Dong et al. 2023). Although several models have been presented in research on the nature of wisdom, empirical research on possibilities of education to nurture the development of wisdom has not been conducted to this extent (Bynner & Terje, 2021; Conroy et al. 2021; Jakubik, 2024; Swartwood, 2013). This presentation addresses the development of wisdom from the perspective of experts who have been involved in international collaboration to seek better solutions to acute problems their employer organisation has been dealing with.

The study is based on the recently developed and published Holistic Wisdom Model (HWM ). The  model is based on a critical analysis of previous models of wisdom, both 15 single models and four meta-models combining features of them (Kallio et al.,  2025, in press). According to the Holistic Wisdom Model, wisdom is multidimensional, contextualised and dynamic.  It encompasses four interrelated dimensions: 1) cognitive (deep understanding and integration of multiple perspectives), 2) ethical-existential (philosophy of life and self-transcendence), and 3) socio-affective dimension (emotional regulation and positive connectedness), and 4) action dimension, which is always related to the other three dimensions. Thus, wise practice and wise activities manifest themselves as cognitive, socio-affective or ethical action or their combination.Personal agency is the basis of wise action.

 The research question is the following: From the perspective of the Holistic Wisdom Model   (Kallio & Tynjälä, 2025, in press), what kinds of experiences were relevant to experts' learning to become wiser actors?

 The HWM model has been developed by the members of the Wisdom and Learning Research Group and the Wisdom in Practice research project of the University of Jyväskylä, funded by the Academy of Finland, building on previous research (Kallio & Tynjälä, 2025, in press).

The empirical material consists of structured thematic interviews conducted in Switzerland and Finland (n=19). The data were collected by applying snowball sampling (Parkers, Scott & Geddes 2019), starting with a small number of initial contacts (‘seeds’) who meet the study criteria. Suitable participants were then invited to recommend other contacts, who in turn recommended other participants, and so on. The snowball sampling was triggered by a question: "Based on your work contacts, can you recommend someone you think is wise to be interviewed?” When choosing people to recommend, the informants were also asked to recommend colleagues who are considered to be pleasant to work with. The informants represent different nationalities, fields of expertise and worldviews, although the interviews were conducted in only two countries. This presentation is based on an analysis of interviews with a total of twelve experts. They have worked in international contexts and collaborated with experts from different fields to solve challenging problems. They are experienced professionals, either active or recently retired. The structured interviews focused firstly on topics such as the informant's profession, tasks and skills needed to be successful in their professional position, problems addressed in the profession and reflections on them. Secondly, interviewees reflected their learning experiences that have been fruitful for becoming wiser, collaborations with other professionals to find better solutions to problems at hand, personal values and wise actions, intentional actions for wiser solutions, and personal contacts that have given support to reflect on one's values. The interviews lasted from one hour to one and a half hours, were recorded, transcribed and anonymised for any sensitive information prior to analysis. The data were analysed qualitatively using abductive content analysis based on the HWM model using Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software. The abductive approach combines features of both deductive, theory-driven and inductive approaches and pays attention to features that do not emerge directly from the original theoretical model (Vila-Henninger et al., 2024). The analysis grouped the experts' experiences into four categories based on the Holistic Wisdom Model and what previous research had shown about the experiences related to each dimension, thus highlighting the composition of these dimensions from the perspective of the experts' experiences. The findings present the informants' learning experiences related to wisdom as structured from the perspective of the four main categories presented in the HWM model.

The findings picture experts’ experiences related to learning wisdom in practice. The informants brought up learning experiences related to each of the four dimensions of the HWM wisdom model. The emphasis of the different dimensions varied according to the informants' experience, task area, personal interests and the nature of the tasks addressed. For example, from the perspective of the cognitive dimension, the following themes were important: the importance of domain and task-specific knowledge and experience in problem solving, reflection on experience, personal commitment and understanding of the importance of developing expertise, and perseverance. Taken together, the findings valorise, as a preliminary answer to the research question, how experiences of becoming wiser include working with more senior experts, listening to and considering the views of experts from other professions, and the desire to continually learn from others by reflecting on different activities and their outcomes. Due to the lack of emphasis on management in initial training, any leadership training was also seen as helpful by the professionals who had progressed to management positions. The findings also show how the informants stress the importance of seeking second opinions for problem solving, as well as mentors, advisors and networks to help reflect on experiences. In addition to the competences highlighted by the HWM model, the experts found skills such as language and communication important in an international context. Discussions and inter-subjective relations with senior mentors had been crucial for their learning to become wiser. The findings highlight how the different dimensions of wisdom are interdependent and dynamic in expert practice. The findings will help to better identify what kinds of experiences have been found helpful in developing teaching and training that promotes the conditions for wiser practice (see also, Tynjälä et al., 2025, in press).

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