Continuous renewal and the obstacles of learning
2017-09-15 Pentti Sydänmaanlakka
Continuous renewal and fast learning are the critical success factors for everyone of us. However, learning and self renewal are not always happening very easily. There seem to be many learning obstacles which prevent an effective learning process.
The obstacles of learning are related to the different phases of the learning process. Obviously, by eliminating these obstacles we can intensify and improve our learning considerably. Bert Juch identified the following key obstacles to learning:
- small window that restricts the amount of observations
- thick skin that restricts the reception of observations
- narrow gate that prevents the implementation of plans
- wide river that prevents the completion of plans
We might look at things from too small a window. Our viewpoint is too limited and we are really interested in a few things only. We do not actively collect data nor observe our environment in a wider sense. Neither do we pay attention to the feelings of other people.
Too thick a skin is about being impermeable. New thoughts cannot come through. We do not want to listen to the opinions of others, particularly if we disagree with them. Nor do we approve or want to listen to criticism directed to us. We are overspecialized and it is difficult for us to accept new points of view.
Narrow gate means that it is difficult to start new things. We hesitate and hang back when we should start something new. We want to be sure that we succeed before we try new things. We are preoccupied with the fear of failure. There is a long list of “should do” –things but we will never implement those.
Wide river means that things are often left unfinished. Difficulties and problems tend to discourage us. When we try to cross the stream we often notice that it is too wide and we turn back.
These obstacles all disturb the learning process. So we should identify our own obstacles to learning and try to look at the world outside through a somewhat bigger window, be more sensitive in adopting new things, set our gate wide open and try new working methods, even allowing for some risks. We should also be able to cross the wide river and finish the things we have started. When running into difficulties and problems we should try even harder.
We should always be able to challenge assumptions and see things from a different viewpoint. To quote the French novelist Marcel Proust : “The real wonder of finding new things is not in looking for new views, but in looking at things with new eyes.” We set our own limits and that means the limits of what we can learn.
Have you reflected your own and your teams learning obstacles? Maybe we could offer you good tools to abolish or deminish those. Pertec wants to be the Accelerator of Continuous Renewal for individuals, teams and organizations.
Continuous renewal and fast learning are the critical success factors for everyone of us. However, learning and self renewal are not always happening very easily. There seem to be many learning obstacles which prevent an effective learning process.
The obstacles of learning are related to the different phases of the learning process. Obviously, by eliminating these obstacles we can intensify and improve our learning considerably. Bert Juch identified the following key obstacles to learning:
- small window that restricts the amount of observations
- thick skin that restricts the reception of observations
- narrow gate that prevents the implementation of plans
- wide river that prevents the completion of plans
We might look at things from too small a window. Our viewpoint is too limited and we are really interested in a few things only. We do not actively collect data nor observe our environment in a wider sense. Neither do we pay attention to the feelings of other people.
Too thick a skin is about being impermeable. New thoughts cannot come through. We do not want to listen to the opinions of others, particularly if we disagree with them. Nor do we approve or want to listen to criticism directed to us. We are overspecialized and it is difficult for us to accept new points of view.
Narrow gate means that it is difficult to start new things. We hesitate and hang back when we should start something new. We want to be sure that we succeed before we try new things. We are preoccupied with the fear of failure. There is a long list of “should do” –things but we will never implement those.
Wide river means that things are often left unfinished. Difficulties and problems tend to discourage us. When we try to cross the stream we often notice that it is too wide and we turn back.
These obstacles all disturb the learning process. So we should identify our own obstacles to learning and try to look at the world outside through a somewhat bigger window, be more sensitive in adopting new things, set our gate wide open and try new working methods, even allowing for some risks. We should also be able to cross the wide river and finish the things we have started. When running into difficulties and problems we should try even harder.
We should always be able to challenge assumptions and see things from a different viewpoint. To quote the French novelist Marcel Proust : “The real wonder of finding new things is not in looking for new views, but in looking at things with new eyes.” We set our own limits and that means the limits of what we can learn.
Have you reflected your own and your teams learning obstacles? Maybe we could offer you good tools to abolish or deminish those. Pertec wants to be the Accelerator of Continuous Renewal for individuals, teams and organizations.
