Learner Safety in Practice

24 snips

Sep 18, 2023

In this episode, Tim and Junior discuss learner safety in organizations and the importance of creating a safe environment for innovation. They explore the error-driven nature of learning and the two domains of learning: formal and informal. They also highlight the behavior of sharing what you're learning as a key action to foster learner safety. The podcast touches on the role of behavior in generating sustainable change, the impact of learner safety on learning and personal growth, the benefits of note-taking, and the concept of unlearning and wisdom. Overall, the episode provides practical insights and encourages listeners to embrace a learning mindset.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 2min

The Role of Behavior in Personal and Organizational Change

01:49 • 4min

The Importance of Learner Safety in Promoting Learning and Growth

05:52 • 25min

The Importance of Note Taking in Learning

31:04 • 8min

Unlearning and Wisdom

38:46 • 6min

Accelerating Learning and Creating Learner Safety

45:08 • 4min

Today's episode is part two of our four-part series on the Change Management Principle, Behave Until You Believe. These episodes are focused on the practical application of each of the four stages of psychological safety and focus on the key principles and behaviors that will help you foster an environment of high psychological safety. This week, Tim and Junior talk about what learner safety is, the two domains of learning, why learning is error-driven, and their top 3 picks from the 4 Stages Behavioral Guide as actions we can take to “Behave Until we Believe” in Stage 2 Learner Safety.

What is learner safety? (03:26) As the second stage of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, learner safety is crucial to ensuring that innovation can flourish in an organization. In this stage, fear is detached from mistakes, and mistakes are rewarded as part of the learning process.

Learning is error-driven (04:29) In order to learn, we can’t always be right. If our environment only rewards correct answers, the expectation will always be perfection, and learning will never be prioritized.

The two domains of learning (12:27) Learner safety encompasses creating a culture of rewarded vulnerability across 2 domains: Formal and informal. As we get older, we lose opportunities for formal learning and rely on creating our own informal learning experiences. The goal in these experiences? Create learning agility.

Behavior 1: Share What You’re Learning (21:47) If nobody knows that learning consistently is encouraged and accepted, they won't want to appear ignorant. Model learning behavior as the first-mover. By acknowledging your ignorance you’re making it safe for them to acknowledge theirs.

Behavior 2: Take Notes (31:48) Your mind is not a steel trap. Taking notes is a physical manifestation of your intent to learn, retain, and improve.

Behavior 3: Identify and Share What You Unlearn (38:57) If knowledge is learning things, wisdom is unlearning things. People and organizations have to let go of what worked before but doesn’t work now, and of what we thought was true, but isn’t.

Important Links
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety Behavioral Guide