Learnability 23 September

Are you settled in after the summer?

Is the new academic year going well?

Lets get on to those Learnability tips...

Learning Tip 1: Create your own mini-course

If you’re struggling to find a personal development course aimed at your own specific needs, why not try creating your own?

It's easy if you follow a few simple steps.

First, pick the one thing you want to improve.

Then identify 3 sub-skills you can develop. Once you’ve got those, you can then plan how, when and where to try them out.

So for example, if you wanted to improve your networking, you might choose your sub-skills as to be 'Researching Events', honing your 'Elevator Pitch', and getting better at 'Following Up'.

You then set yourself goals such as attending one networking event per week.

Do this for each sub-skill and once you've set a time limit (2 months?) you’ve got your own personalised Networking course tailored to your own needs.

Not sure where to start?

Try asking ChatGPT or join a Learning Club?

Learning Tip 2: A Safe Space to Learn

You learn by making mistakes and reflecting on what went wrong.

But what if you are so uncomfortable when you make a mistake that you cover it up, pretend it never happened and ignore it?

What if you were so worried about making a mistake that you always played it safe and never tried to do anything new?

Would that restrain your learning?

Would that restrain your innovation?

Of course it would?

If you’re in a place where you get singled out, belittled or ridiculed for making a mistake, you’re not going to take risks and you’re unlikely to learn any new skill in a hurry - unless it’s how to get through the day without drawing attention to yourself.

But if you’re somewhere where people accept your mistakes as part of your development, support you and help you deal with it, you will learn more and more quickly.

Google's Aristotle project found that companies with high psychological safety were found to be more successful. In such companies, employees felt comfortable speaking up, sharing diverse viewpoints, and taking calculated risks. This environment of trust and openness led to better problem-solving, innovation, and overall team performance.

Whatever you’re trying to improve, finding somewhere where you can discuss your mistakes freely is a good way to improve your Learnability.

So, on a scale of 0 (terrible) to 10 (excellent) how would you rate your learning environment as a safe space to learn?

If it’s good, congratulations, you’re one of the lucky ones! And if it’s bad, what are you going to do about it?

Featured Video: The Mozart Myth

The 'Mozart Effect' was coined in 1991, and a subsequent study describing how listening to classical music somehow improves the brain sparked real media and public interest.

But is it correct, and what has research discovered since?

Watch the 4 minute video on BBC Reel here

Featured Article: Bloom's Curve

One of the most interesting questions in grading philosophy is whether grades are meant to identify talent or to develop it.?

This article from Notes From The North Country dives into this basic but important distinction that the writer has encountered over and over again in his research into the work of Thomas Guskey - a profound distinction that all teachers are advised to consider.

Read the article here

Featured Podcast: Desperately Seeking Wisdom

We learn through experience and that's exactly what this podcast is about.

Craig Oliver's high-powered job at the heart of British government came to an abrupt end with Brexit.

In the aftermath of a bruising battle, he despaired at how divided society had become, but also came to realise something fundamental was missing from his own life. Outwardly he was still achieving, with an impressive career; but he realised he'd never felt comfortable in his own skin.

Life had always felt more of a grind than a gift – he'd always believed that if he only worked harder, he'd find fulfilment. Now he realised that wasn't the case.

He wondered what wise people had to say about how we can live better. Craig decided to try a different path to the one he'd travelled before, reading and listening to many people. Some things they claimed were obviously snake oil, some were revelatory.

Throughout this podcast series, Craig talks to some extraordinary people who have faced extremely difficult - often traumatic experiences - and finds out what they learned and what they believe will help others gain peace of mind and heart.

Listen to Desperately Seeking Wisdom here

What I'm doing at the moment

September is always a busy month for me.

In addition to starting the 23-24 season at my educational theatre company, IPA Productions, I join the team of trainers who give the intensive Communications course on the MBA programme at IESE Business School.

Thank you to those people who attended my Learning Club webinar last week, I'm flattered by the feedback and pleased it was useful.

And I'm always pleased to start a new Learning Club with new people setting out on the new journeys of discovery and personal development and all being well, I have two new clubs starting in October.

Next month I'll also be flying to the U.K. for the Bristol Technology Festival as part of a discussion panel on psychological safety where I'll be contributing my tuppence-ha'penny's-worth about how learning is greatly supported by being in a safe space.

I'll also be giving one of my workshops 'Learning Clubs: What, Why and How' in Vilassar de Mar run by Mumabroad.

If you'd like to know more about Learning Clubs or my Learnability talks, please feel free to get in touch. I'd love to learn more about the challenges you're facing and how I can help.

In the meantime, all the best and keep learning!