What stops you from learning new stuff?

As I started this post I was wanting to research, to quote great educators, to refer to theories of pedagogy, but all that has been done before. Instead I will offer what I have learned from my observation as a trainer.

In the past 5 years I have trained over 1000 people aged from 17 to 65, normally spending between 2 to 3 weeks with them. My training has usually been at the point where they are starting a new job and sometimes a new career. And I've observed trainees struggle and sometimes even quit when they have to learn new things.

Let me tell you about the characteristics of a struggling or failing trainee;

1. They believe the rules. The rules say that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". Sometimes the rules even say "I never did well at school" and "I'm just not good at this sort of thing."
   
2. They don't understand themselves. People learn in different ways, but instead of identifying and capitalising on their strengths (like being able to remember conversations word for word), they focus on their weaknesses (like reading something 4 times and still not understanding it), and therefore their failures.
3. They look around them for the reasons they are struggling. There is always a problem - the person sitting next to them is distracting, the lines in the workbook are too close, the questions aren't clear and the whiteboard is hard to see.
4. They are always looking for better options. They have prepared an exit plan. There are many self-help books that talk about "being present" and these people never seem to "be present".
5. They are scared. What happens if they say something that is wrong? What if they let someone down?
   

You might recognise some of these traits from the last time you had to learn something new, and it doesn't have to be classroom learning! When they changed Facebook, when you got that new set-top box, when your kids needed help with their homework. In a training room your trainer might be able to help you, but in the real world, only you can change the voice that says "I've never been good at this sort of thing. There's too much reading. Someone else can do it better. I'll never get it..."

Once that voice stops it's amazing how quickly you can pick up new things!

My next post will talk about some of the characteristics of some great learners I have trained and met.