Maybe It’s Time to Unlearn What You Have Learned

“In performance cultures, people are determined to prove themselves. But in learning cultures, people are more interested in improving themselves — and the organization around them.”

Adam Grant - Think Again, The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

As Dr. Grant proposes, “If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”

The secret to actively living and celebrating our future is found in our willingness to unlearn what we have learned in the past.  This new-found path is about resilience, experimentation, curiosity, originality, and feedback that flows between all stakeholders and creates trusting relationships.  We refer to this state of mind as a culture of learning or growth mindset.  Where our goal is to improve…to be better…more thoughtful and open to new ideas and fresh perspectives.  This means letting go of our assumptions, our egos and our fear of vulnerability – the fear that we might not always be right.

Within our teams, this means leaders need to create cultures that…

• Set clear and measurable goals that use knowledge to improve outcomes.

• Create incentives for individuals and teams to learn and develop expertise from renewed perceptions.

• Ensure dynamic communication models that capture and share best practices, measurable impact and proven metrics.

• And build the capacity and will to manage knowledge.

So where do you begin? 

• Asses your current culture and the realities everyone works from.  Know your current baseline and acknowledge the emotion that goes with owning your ideas.  It takes courage to let go.

• Take a design thinking approach and explore your alternatives. Design, test and start the process over and over again until you get it right. Embrace your new insights and expand your mind and the opportunities.

• And then tap into the energy that excites, empowers and engages the whole team. Embrace what’s next and have fun with on the journey.