Basic Skills / Fast Company / Journal Project, Will R. Yliniemi  September 30, 1999

Fast Company # 12, 8 Principles for Learning, by Cristina Novicki, October 1996 Issue Fast Company, Page 116

Summary

This article summarizes a 14 month assessment of a company called XBS, by Senior Research Scientist Brigitte Jordan and a team of researchers from Xerox PARC and the Institute for Research on Learning (IRL). The goal was to observe not just what people at XBS do, but also how they do it - and to align the reality of work in the field with the overall change strategy. The primary objective of the study was to delineate principles for learning. Brigitte Jordan identified the following eight learning principles:

1. Learning is fundamentally social. "Many of the greatest benefits of training are unintentional. When you come out of a training program, you often perform better. But is it the training that's critical or the interaction during the training? You may be able to perform better simply because you have better relationships with people who you can now call."

2. Cracking the whip stifles learning. "If you are a supervisor and you see two people talking in the hallway, don't say, `Get back to work.' Recognize that this interaction creates a community of practice that stimulates learning - and it may be precisely what they need."

3. Learning needs an environment that supports it. "XBS used to think of space in terms of cost-per-square-foot. When you look at a cubicle and you see that it's so small that another person can't get in there, you know something's wrong. For learning to flourish, you need to restructure the physical design of the office to encourage interaction, social learning, and peer learning where and when it happens most effectively - informally."

4. Learning crosses hierarchical bounds. "Camp Lurn'ing included all levels of the company. Supervisors, fifth-line managers, and all kinds of operators train together. Inclusiveness inspires cross-functional learning - it's a powerful motivating factor."

5. Self-directed learning fuels the fire. "Who knows better what needs to be learned than the people doing the learning? XBS has thrown out the model of HR-driven training. People have a say in structuring their own training, and that means they're more eager to learn."

6. Learning by doing is more powerful than memorizing. "At Camp Lurn'ing, participants used team simulation exercises in which they assessed customers and devised strategies. They recreated the work environment and learned by doing. This is much more effective than sitting at a desk and listening to a lecture."

7. Failure to learn is often the fault of the system, not the people. "Rather than blaming people for lack of motivation, examine how the situation is either motivating or debilitating. Look for patterns of participation and exclusion."

8. Sometimes the best learning is unlearning. "For a long time people have learned that it's best to keep their mouths shut and do what they're told, even if it's not consistent over time. The key is to break those habits and make engagement something that's not only encouraged but also rewarded."

Reflection

Although I do not totally agree with all of Brigitte Jordans principles of learning, most of them are transferable to almost all learning situations or opportunities.

Human beings are social animals and education has historically been a social event. As a result, we shouldn't ignore the role of interaction in learning. According to Stephen Brookfield, we need interaction to challenge our beliefs and understandings. "Challenge is the prelude to, and necessary accompaniment of, significant learning." Without it, we don't go far.

Learning requires us to move beyond where we are now. We must move into unfamiliar, often uncomfortable domains. While we're learning we may even feel uneasy. In hindsight we may see the experience as productive. During the uncomfortable part, we may choose to retreat and decide learning may not be worth the risk. Our fear outweighs our incentive for learning something.

The big issues are relevancy and immediacy. Information has to be relevant to our current wants and needs, and it must feel useful to us. Most people don't have time to waste. We want to spend time learning what will make a difference now.

In the book Experiential Learning, David Kolb describes learning as a four-step process. He identifies the steps as (1) watching and (2) thinking (mind), (3) feeling (emotion), and (4) doing (muscle). To be effective learners we must perceive information, reflect on how it will impact some aspect of our life, compare how it fits into our own experiences, and think about how this information offers new ways for us to act. We must realize that learning requires more than seeing, hearing, moving, or touching alone. We must begin integrating our senses and thoughts with our feelings and actions.

I disagree with Brigitte Jordans last principle of Sometimes the best learning is unlearning, because I dont believe anything can be unlearned. New insights or reflection may change or alter it, but it will always be part of your mental data bank.

Discussion

I have on multiple occasions discussed this topic with colleagues, especially since being enrolled in the Cohort Masters program. The transformational Learning class, which was thought by Sue Damme, has really stimulated a quest into finding out more about learning theory and application. Please note that since I have expressed frustration with current Fast Company articles, that I went into the archives to find this article. I found it interesting that articles from past years issues of Fast Company seem to have more relevance to my life.

-- Anonymous, October 06, 1999

Answers

Will, It's always nice to read through someone else's thinking processes, especially when they are aligned with mine! Your reflection on this piece really shows the importance of being open to new thinking and how deep learning happens when we are forced to look at our own assumptions and beliefs. I agree, during the uncomfortable part, we may decide the learning isn't worth the risk--or the necessary vulnerability that comes with it. That's why it's so important to listen to ourselves instead of doing what we think others want us to do (and learn).

--Susan J.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 1999