Learning Strategies for Successful Change

In bot stories, the bee and Danny were trapped by using a strategy that just wouldn’t work for them. An alternative strategy would have worked for the bee, and did work for Danny. Too often, from school (and parenting) onwards, we are set goals – even SMART goals, and then encouraged to work out an action plan to achieve those goals. But strategy is often neglected – and can be the missing link. Too often motivation and discipline are the key focus, but if, as in these two cases, the strategy is wrong, then all the motivation and discipline in the world won’t be enough.

We are often encouraged, even required, to ‘stick at it’, to persist. And there’s no doubt that sustained effort can pay off – under certain circumstances. But as the bee found when flying against a window pane, no amount of persistence, determination or effort will make the slightest difference – other than reinforce a sense of failure. Danny also attributed lack of success to personal failure: because he was prepared to put in the effort, to work hard, and yet was unable to succeed – then it must be about him, and his personal inability to succeed. How many people ‘fail’ despite their full on efforts and determination – and as a result, regard themselves as a failure, when perhaps a change of strategy was all that was required?

Do you know how you learn – and how you learn best? Have you ever considered, or tried, different ways of learning? Too often we are ‘taught’ how to learn, without any concern or consideration as to whether that way is the best for you or not. At school I took notes as I’d been taught – writing on paper from the top left to the bottom right, in narrative form – becoming dictation notes from the teacher. Then my history teacher, Mr Selina – took me to one side and showed me how to put my notes under headings, which would act as a sort for revision and essay writing. This totally transformed how I took notes, how I learned, and was I think a major contributor to my educational success.

There’s a common view that creating effective change – particularly if it involves changing a habit – is going to be slow and hard work. And if that is a general assumption about a particular change, it may be (perhaps unconsciously) one of the reasons not to invest in the change. (This is, incidentally, one of the contributions to the fixed mindset: any change will be too difficult – whereas staying with things as they are are at least easy and comfortable). Yet as Danny’s experience shows, the change was not only successful, but almost immediate. In fact it demonstrates the reverse of the standard assumption. In his case, it was the continuing approach that was difficult and uncomfortable, whereas the change, as soon as it was introduced, was appealing and quick – very quick. And because of this, because the benefits were so clear, then there was every reason to continue with that approach to make it embedded and sustained, as his triumph over his mum 30 years later shows.