Last month I had an opportunity to give a talk on the topic "Learn, Unlearn, Relearn: Driving to Leverage Human Capital". I was delighted to be invited to speak in a room full of participants who were more than ready to learn about this topic, yet I was taken aback to find out that most of them were there to learn something new, not to unlearn as I had expected — and as the topic had suggested.
I also knew that part of the reason for this is that our education system has always taught us to learn and learn, not to constantly unlearn and relearn. Schools and universities play a vital role in teaching us but they tend to force students to learn more and more information, without mastering the fundamentals of knowledge.
However, as Alvin Toffler, the renowned American writer, futurist and businessman, once said: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”
What do you think is the reason underlying this famous quotation? Before delving into understanding what it is exactly to learn, unlearn and relearn, I urge everyone to comprehend “why” we need to learn, unlearn and relearn.
Although the answers to the above question could vary, the most obvious one, at least to me, is that we are living in an evolving world. There is never a day that the world doesn’t change. In fact, to say that we live in a changing world understates the speed of both the pace and the scope of ongoing change.
It’s not just technology that’s changing the world. We can also see profound changes in demography, the talent landscape and so on. Indeed, the top 10 most in-demand jobs today didn’t even exist 10 years ago. So, how can it be possible for us to sit idly, do nothing and still expect to stay relevant and get ahead?
Kodak is one of the most cited examples of company that failed to unlearn as it didn’t know how and why it needed to do so. It milked its cash cow of photographic film — a product that at its peak in 1996 earned the company $16 billion — as long as it could, but failed to take the opportunity to change and adjust to the reality of new market conditions and rival technologies, specifically digital photography and smartphone cameras.
The fall of the Kodak empire is especially ironic since it once introduced the world to the first-ever digital camera. But somewhere along the way, it forgot to unlearn the traditional pathways to success, clinging to an outdated legacy until it was too late.
As for the reason why we need to unlearn, I’d say that in the world we’re living in now, people who find opportunities in a changing environment are those who are actively looking for them. The only choice we have is simple: to act or be acted on. Since change is the only constant you can truly rely upon, learning to navigate and adapt to it is not just important to your survival, but it’s vital if you intend to thrive. The bottom line is that we can only learn new things if we empty the full cup that has been shaped by our experiences and habits.
It must be clearly understood that learning, unlearning and relearning are very closely interlinked. Learning is not just about adding information and knowledge to our repertoire; it is also about unlearning the habits and beliefs that hold us back, and replacing them with habits and beliefs that help us to achieve the success we desire. Unlearning and relearning are tightly coupled and usually happen together.
The secret to learning new things is to be willing to unlearn — even if your behaviours previously brought success. Unlearning can be a one-shot deal or a daily practice. It can help you become open to new skills, experiences, behaviours and knowledge. Although you can’t physiologically unlearn anything — literally erase existing neural pathways — you can create the equivalent of a mental attic and put a sign on the door that reads, “Things I know are no longer so”.
I know that unlearning can be hard but I believe that human beings are born with the capabilities to learn as well as to learn how to unlearn. As Charles Darwin said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
Arinya Talerngsri is Chief Capability Officer and Managing Director at SEAC (formerly APMGroup) Southeast Asia's leading executive, leadership and innovation capability development centre. She can be reached by email at arinya_t@seasiacenter.com or www.linkedin.com/in/arinya-talerngsri-53b81aa
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