Explorers Mindset

Did you ever have an experience at school that stoked your desire to learn or try something new?  I had many. Unfortunately, I also experienced the opposite. 

I struggled with Physics. We shared the class with a genius. Not ‘my child is a genius’ type genius, either.  A ‘fair dinkum’ genius offered university places at 15 and went on to run a proton accelerator  type genius. 

We’ll call him Bill.

One day, I and several other ‘lower third’ class mates were struggling with a new concept. The teacher had repeated himself a number of times. It just wasn’t making sense and we were all getting frustrated. Eventually the teacher snapped, “If Bill can do it, you should be able to get this into your thick skulls.” It was the moment my physics effort and desire tanked. If Bill was the benchmark, I had no hope. 

Learning something new can be a risky business. It takes a combination of confidence to ‘have a crack’,  a supportive environment, and a willing teacher. Those elements are part of psychological safety. That moment removed all three.

Over summer, I've been reading Peter Fitzsimons fantastic account of little known Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins (1888 - 1958).

Wilkins sets out to learn how to build an Iglu from the Eskimos he is travelling with. Expedition leader Stephanson is delighted.

“It delighted Steph, who for decades has rolled his eyes at the notion, long expounded by previous explorers, that building an Iglu is ‘a mysterious racial quality belonging exclusively to the Eskimo’. No, it is a skill that can be learnt by men who, firstly are humble and smart enough to ask the Eskimos how to do it, and secondly diligent enough to knuckle down and try.”

All the Psychologically Safe elements needed for effective learning are here:

• Supportive environment - Steph is actively encouraging Wilkin’s desire to learn. Including making and encouraging time to be spent on the work. He’s delighted, and the two men are reported to spend significant time enthusing about what they are learning and putting the knowledge to use in their expedition.

• Supportive teacher - The indigenous experts in the technology are reported as enthusiastic and patient teachers.

• Active student - Smart, humble and diligent. Listens and actively learns.

How does your workplace stack up as a psychologically safe place to learn? Which elements could be strengthened?

If you’d like some assistance with that, let me know.