78. New Learning Curve

Key Definitions

An ability is the potential to act competently – a skill to do something well. Some abilities take place in people’s heads, such as thinking and feeling, but many more express themselves in behaviors, such as speaking, writing, listening, standing, moving and looking.

Learning is the process of improving one’s knowledge and/or abilities. Some learning can take place quickly, but learning abilities usually requires practice, as uncomfortable new behaviors need to become comfortable routines. This is particularly true if the new ability clashes with ingrained habits and/or deeply held beliefs, or if someone has limited innate talent in that area.

Conceptual Model

The New Learning Curve model presents an overview of how people acquire a new ability. It suggests they typically go through five phases, from not knowing they don’t have an ability (phase 1) to mastery (phase 5), requiring four different types of learning to move from each phase to the next. It is important to note that the horizontal axis doesn’t depict regular time, but rather the moment at which the learning takes place. It runs from learning by reflecting on the results after trying, to recognizing what works while doing, to gaining insight even before acting. In this sense, the time axis is reversed. The model’s message is not only that mastery takes time, but that people need to change their type of learning along the way. The model’s name is a nod to the “old” learning curve, that posits that ability simply increases with experience.

Key Elements

The four sequential types of learning needed to master a new ability are the following:

1. From Phase 1 to Phase 2: Reflective Learning. Most people know they can’t fly a plane, but few people realize they lack competence in giving feedback or chairing meetings. Many abilities seem common sense, such as speaking or listening, so people aren’t conscious of how limited their abilities are. Therefore, the first step in learning is to become aware of what ‘good’ looks like and then to reflect on one’s own shortcomings. By recognizing the gap between what could be and how they just acted, people become cognitively and emotionally ready to change. They aren’t more able yet, but the learning has started.
2. From Phase 2 to Phase 3: Interactive Learning. The second type of learning is where people experiment with new behaviors. Interactive learning is simply learning-by-doing, improving one’s ability by practice. The challenge in moving to phase 3 is that people must recognize the situation while it is happening and adapt their behavior on the fly. It is so easy to fall back on old routines and afterwards have to conclude that you fell into the same old traps. Therefore, it helps to practice new abilities off the field first (training), preferably with a coach who can give pointers along the way. And then it’s practice, practice, practice.
3. From Phase 3 to Phase 4: Predictive Learning. The third type of learning needed on the road to mastery is where people start to anticipate what will happen in a certain situation and then adapt their behavior ahead of time. Predictive learning is about foreseeing what is required before moving into action. The challenge of reaching phase four is that people must recognize a situation upfront, while their mental map has been shaped to interpret the circumstances in the old way. Therefore, it helps to consciously assess the situation and review various angles, before deciding what to do.
4. From Phase 4 to Phase 5: Assimilative Learning. The fourth type of learning is where an ability becomes a new routine. Assimilative learning is the process of automating a particular skill to such an extent that it can be performed without conscious effort or even thought. True mastery of an ability makes it look easy, leading some to believe that a person must have an innate talent, while in reality every ability must be learned through hard work. Moving to phase five doesn’t necessarily make a person more competent, but it does require less effort, freeing up mental space to develop other abilities as well.

Key Insights

• Learning is the only way to develop abilities. No one is born with an ability, only with talents. A talent is a predisposition to learn something more quickly and/or reach a higher level of competence, but it can only become an ability by going through a learning process.
• Learning is frustrated by routines and beliefs. Developing an ability requires learning ‘how to do’ (skills/routines) often rooted in an understanding of ‘what to do’ (assumptions/ beliefs). But existing routines and beliefs are often deeply ingrained in a person’s system, making it difficult to learn new ones, especially where they are conflicting.
• Learning moves through five phases. When people learn a new ability, they typically go through five phases. They start not aware they are unable (phase 1), then become aware of this (phase 2), followed by being aware they are learning (phase 3), after which they are aware they are able (phase 4), and finally taking their ability for granted (phase 5).
• Learning comes in four types. Each phase transition on the learning curve requires a different type of learning. First comes reflective learning (“where am I unable?”), then interactive learning (“practice, practice, practice”), then predictive learning (“knowing when to do what”) and finally assimilative learning (“internalizing it as standard repertoire”).
• Learning can be facilitated and sped up. People learn all the time, but not always consciously. The new learning curve model helps people – and their coaches – to realize where they are on the learning curve for each ability, so they can more deliberately determine which type of learning they require to move to the next level of ability.