Learn Like You’re Going to Teach
Speaking makes me nervous. Yeah, I know it’s an incredibly rare phobia, but I get antsy speaking in front of people. Repetition absolutely eases the comfort level, but I’ve found that the majority of my nerves come from a feeling of inadequacy.
Who am I to be teaching these people?
This isn’t some sort of false humility so that you’ll reaffirm me. I often feel inadequate but give it my best regardless. Now think about how much more inadequate I’d feel if I didn’t know the content. I get up there rambling about inappropriate illustrations and uncomfortable jokes without knowing the content front and back from which the audience may actually glean a nugget or two. With this added motivation to teach, you better believe I’m a diligent learner. When I know I’m going to have to communicate to others, especially verbally, I learn in a completely different and more productive way. I have a feeling that’s not just me.
We learn to ace a test. We learn to get a promotion. Our intrinsic motivation is weak when this is the end game. Sure, it feels good to ace the test or get the promotion because you were the only person in your company who took the time to learn social media, but our drive to not only memorize, but comprehend, increases exponentially when we know we’re going to have to apply it in the context of one of our biggest insecurities.
So, is it possible to discipline ourselves to learn everything as though we’re going to have to teach it, whether we’re actually going to teach it or not? If we can, we’ll skim a lot less, re-read a lot more, take a lot more notes and spend a lot more time in reflection, rather than hurriedly turning the page. That I’m sure of.
Note: Credit Daniel Pink for the reference to intrinsic motivation. If you get a chance, pick up and read Drive (and A Whole New Mind for that matter). His arguments and philosophies have changed the way I approach learning, management and parenting.
