Do They Really “Know Nothing”?
We have a nasty propensity of identifying a prominent symptom as though it were the root condition itself.
In my last blog post, I talked about entering two separate industries. In each case, I started “knowing nothing” about that industry.
But “knowing nothing” was a symptom and not a root condition.
While I had no tenure or experience in the industries I was entering, did I really “know nothing”?
That depended, in part, on my teachers.
A few of my teachers made sure I was reminded each day how stupid I was and that I would never be as good as they were. At that time, their tirades were intimidating and really did inhibit my ability to learn. Looking back, I now can see that their tirades expressed their insecurities as they tried to hide their own fears of “being stupid” and their own struggles to teach what they had never been taught.
I also remember other teachers; the true renaissance people who mentored me. Like the renaissance people of old, these mentors understood many principles of life. They understood how those principles applied across different industries, technologies, and disciplines.
These people were amazing teachers.
They could reach into my world and my experiences to use the things I already knew to teach me how those same principles applied to the industry I was entering. They taught me about the industry’s structure, its technology, and its processes. More importantly, they tied everything I learned to things I already knew – the knowledge and experience I had brought with me to the table. I learned so much from them!
They not only taught me “stuff”; they taught me how to learn.
In learning to learn, I found a secret for teaching anyone. My passion is teaching and mentoring, so, in my career, I chose to become a renaissance person instead of a specialist.
A specialist is someone who focuses on one specific topic of a discipline or an industry. They can “go deep” into their specialization and accomplish amazing things. They are excellent at using their knowledge. They are critically important to the progress of any discipline or industry. I have many close friends who are accomplished specialists. I have unlimited respect for specialists.
However, for me, being renaissance person made me a better teacher. A renaissance person has interests across multiple disciplines and finds commonalities between those disciplines. This person can reach into the library of their students’ lives and experiences. There, they selectively draw out analogous and parallel knowledge from the student’s library that bridges to the new information being learned.
As I grew in my knowledge and experience in my industry, I also took on the role of teacher / mentor. Over time, I learned to listen to life experiences of my students. The better I could learn their life experiences and knowledge, the more effectively I could teach them the knowledge from my industry. My students began to learn more effectively, and their careers began to blossom. And me? I was becoming even more of a renaissance person – learning so many things from my students. The more I learned, the better I taught.
Here is one of the biggest lessons I have learned from my many students over the years:
Nobody “knows nothing”
Teaching has as much to do with linking as it has to do with learning. The more I can link new knowledge to existing knowledge, the faster a student can learn and apply that new knowledge. My students who could see their new role and industry as an extension of all their life experiences and knowledge brought an increased depth of knowledge and wisdom to their new roles. For most of them, this foundation launched their careers in the new industry. Promotions and expanded roles came quickly for them.
Can Anyone Learn?
There are some people who cannot learn. However, in my experience, attitude and not aptitude is the primary thing that kills the ability to learn.
Here are the critical components I have found that unlock learning:
In the student:
The ability to learn (attitude first and aptitude far behind),
The desire to know how things work (curiosity fuels motivation),
A heart for partnerships (willingness to learn from anyone), and
Life experiences they can articulate.
In the teacher:
An understanding of the principles they are teaching (not just the tactical steps),
The ability to learn (attitude first and aptitude far behind),
The desire to know how things work (curiosity fuels motivation), and
A heart for partnerships (willingness to learn from anyone).