A great learning experience is one that is holistic: one that is both understood intellectually, as well as practiced experientially. It is one that engages in whole-brain thinking to strengthen existing effective neural pathways, and to build new alternate ones. It is an experience that is also somatic, where new knowledge and processes are fully, kinesthetically embodied to bring about definitive, durable behavioural change. And in order to do this, a learner needs to not merely step, but leap outside one’s comfort zone. They need to embrace truly doing things differently, whilst being brave and creative.
Given then that a great learning experience is one that is holistic, why is it that the corporate sector still asks us to define ourselves as one thing or another? And I’m not talking about gender politics. I’m talking about having to choose between leading with your head or, in opposition, with your heart. To have to be defined as a people-person or a task-oriented one. To be labelled as being good at numbers and processes or, conversely, having an aptitude for the arts and humanities.
Let us remember that Former US President Barrack Obama did study law, but he also studied the arts.
Software engineer Margaret Hamilton, who was instrumental in developing the flight software for NASA’s Apollo space program, also spent time studying philosophy.
If we want to be fully successful in learning something new, we need to stop dividing, categorising and negating parts of ourselves. We need to abandon self-perceptions where we are good at one thing at the expense of the other. Instead, we need to embrace learning experiences that collectively engage all of ourselves. Or better yet, we need to develop our own intellectual-physical connection when there isn’t a particular learning goal looming; we need to foster our mathematical-scientific-artistic holistic self in general and as often as we can. If we can invest in ourselves on an ongoing basis in this way, the next time we are faced with having to learn something new, we will be more ready, practiced and adept at tackling it with our whole brain and body. We will be better placed to learn it with our complete, connected, creative and data-driven self.
In ‘The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us’, Daniel Pink, speechwriter for Al Gore and author, summarised it well:
“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind – computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers…the future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathisers, pattern recognisers and meaning makers. These people - artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.”
If you’re an Apple fan, then perhaps the words of Steve Jobs will particularly resonate:
“It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough – it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.”
This concept of the connected human being and holistic learning is certainly not new. The great scientist Albert Einstein summed it up perfectly in what has become well-known adage:
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
How much more time can businesses really afford to waste before they holistically learn the value of holistic learning?
Hesitant about what your organisation can do to start creating a culture of holistic learning? Here are a few ideas:
Champion holistic learning by raising awareness of the benefits
Reward those who work using a holistic approach
Ensure reward systems include compensation (and the KPIs to measure holistic progress)
Acquire new talent who have a range of eclectic work, experience, and training backgrounds
Teach creativity, lateral and design thinking to all staff
Experiment with experiential learning methodologies as part of the teaching process.
