Unlearn with Priyanka

Why is learning to unlearn so important?

Ever since the publication of Peter Senge’s “The Fifth Discipline,” 25 years ago, companies desired to become “learning organizations” - organizations that continually transform themselves.

In our era of digital disruption, this goal is more important than ever, but even the best companies still struggle to make real progress in this area.

One issue commonly faced is that companies are focused on the wrong thing. The problem isn’t learning: it’s unlearning. We need to unlearn the mental models that have become outdated. If COVID has taught us anything, it's that we all need to pivot. What got you here won’t get you there.

We must unlearn to truly learn.

Here’s the deal - you can’t become whom you want to be by staying who you are. Unlearning is just as important as learning.

First, we need to understand what the role of social conditioning is. Simply put, social conditioning is the training of people to think and act in a way that is positively or negatively reinforced by society.

We have all been socially conditioned to various degrees. It begins when we are young and transition into adulthood. Society shapes how we think, act, feel, spend, and everything in between, through societal forces like families, schooling, professional experience, media, and even ourselves.

I was born and raised in India. When I came to Canada, I brought the same value systems and social conditioning I grew up with. However, to fit into the so-called "Canadian system," I went back to university and took all the fancy courses I could take, thinking I could get ahead, but none of that helped me accelerate my career.

To put things in perspective, I was socially conditioned to be silent. I was constantly told, “Priyanka be good and don’t speak up”. However, speaking up doesn’t make me bad, does it?

I had to unlearn this behaviour because my silence often led to misunderstandings and lost opportunities.

I found success in places that I never thought I would, hence why "Unlearning" has become the core philosophy of my company Unmute.

Still not convinced?

What is the cost of failing to unlearn?

• Sears would still be around if they had unlearned that shoppers would prefer in-person shopping over online shopping.
• Blockbuster would still be around if they had unlearned their short-term rental model.
• Toys R Us would still be a behemoth if they had unlearned that only in-store experience matters vs. the online one.

Looking at these companies who were once business giants, failing to unlearn puts you at risk of being outdated and obsolete.

Unlearning is like stripping old paint. It lays the foundation for the new layer of fresh learning to be acquired and stick., but as any painter will tell you, stripping the paint is 70% of the work, while repainting is only 30%.

So, to translate - the key to unlearning and relearning doesn’t lie with the teacher, it’s on the student. It requires the student to have openness to challenging their stories, questioning their assumptions, and letting go of old mindsets (which time and events have rendered obsolete). Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

In this time of transformative change, we need to be conscious of our mental models and flexible in our thinking. The place to start is by unlearning how we think about learning.

Unlearning is a lifelong habit we must actively practice. I firmly believe that no matter where you are in your professional life, it is never too late to start unlearning so you can truly learn. Everyone has so much potential that has yet to be tapped into. That idea inspired my next upcoming community event called, "Unmute Circles."

With Unmute Circles, we want to encourage the idea of "unlearning".

We'll be unmuting a new topic every month to gain a new perspective on topics we were taught to shrug off or ignore. We want everyone to unmute and share their insights. The goal is to create an environment for others to connect, grow, and succeed. When one succeeds, we all succeed!

If you want to join in on the next Unmute Circles event, subscribe to our newsletter to be invited! Newsletter — Unmute

I hope to see you there!

Priyanka Mehandiratta

Founder and CEO, Unmute

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