How to Unlearn that we Learned?

Unlearning is the process of discarding something from your memory. When you unlearn something you forget it, put it aside, and you lose knowledge of it.

But - why exactly would you want to unlearn something? In many cases when you unlearn something you can get rid of a bad habit, preconceptions or something that is false. Alvin Toffler, futurist and philosopher said:

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

1. FOSTER A SENSE OF WILLINGNESS

Long-term employees often have a hard time unlearning especially if they’ve been doing something the same way for a long time. It’s not impossible to promote unlearning as long as there is an openness towards it. Instead of demanding compliance, a manager should foster a sense of willingness to unlearn and learn something new. Ease into the idea during a transitional period. Gradually assist employees by letting them unlearn and relearn slowly and over a specified time period.

People are more co-operative in the unlearning process if they are willing participants. To make it easier, you can role model the new behaviour.

Think of something like energy saving behaviours - you may need to first raise awareness of the bad habits to be unlearned e.g. switching off your PC if you leave your office for say more than an hour. But you could make this easier to do by buying new PCs or laptops with energy savings settings. Furthermore, you can involve people by asking them for ideas on how they save on energy bills at home.

"Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.” Bruce Lee

2. PURSUE THE UNFAMILIAR

Consider the employee who shows resistance in using a new agile way of doing presentations. They’re severely limited in their ability to work offsite and make presentations on-the-go. When confronted with new technology or a new idea, many people look backwards for something familiar. They want to view the new with an eye for the old. The problem is that this is self-limiting.

In order to grasp new ideas and let them take hold, you need to pursue the things that are unfamiliar and get to know them. Consider the new release of Windows 10. How many people jumped on this right away? How many decided to wait until it felt comfortable? Unfortunately, they may never feel comfortable switching. When unlearning, you have to let go of the familiar so you open your mind to the unfamiliar. This book on leadership - yes to the mess, talks about handling complexity and the importance of being agile. Read our blog discussing messy learning here.

3. CHANGE THE LOCATION

One of the easiest ways to unlearn something is to move away from the location where you learned it. New surroundings can help you notice new things. This is a bit of psychological manipulation. You’re basically tricking your brain into unlearning by engaging in a new surrounding so you can unlearn one idea and learn another. It is another subtle way of

4. LEARN FROM YOUR OPPOSITE

This isn’t exactly an “opposites attract” scenario, but it’s similar. When employees are surrounded by like-mind people, their ability to unlearn is hampered. When teamed with a business professional from a different background, employees are better able to look at things from a fresh viewpoint. Diversity in teams and organisations in general is good for everyone.

By exposing themselves to something new, employees begin the unlearning process and open themselves up to learning something new.

5. FOSTER CURIOSITY

Consider a child’s capacity for learning. Help your employees see the unlearning from a child’s view. A child is usually open to discover new approaches and new techniques without much hesitation at all. They don't have the same 'adult baggage' of fear or looking stupid. Ask yourself:

What would you do today if you weren't afraid?

A child learns by engaging the five senses and investigating new situations through trial and error. The same methodology translates to the process of unlearning and then learning something new. What this really means is encouraging employees to find their inner child – their sense of curiosity that leads to increased creativity. To encourage employees to be open to new ideas and unlearn past knowledge, they can imagine learning as a child would from a place of curiosity. Read our blog on treating adults like adults when learning.