Aug 2

Aug 2 Conceptually speaking...

Learning a new thing is always a process. We begin by learning rote skills, the mechanical movements necessary to reproduce a specific result. Then we progress to application of those mechanical skills, and eventually end up learning underlying concepts in whatever it is we are doing. Take writing for example, we first learn how to physically hold a pen or to use a keyboard, then we learn how to make letters appear (so much tracing!), then onto making words appear, then sentences and finally paragraphs. Once we have mastered those basic mechanical skills, we move on towards applying them to novel situations - writing new things.

This general progression appears everywhere. In the martial arts we begin learning how to stand, or how to breathe, or how to focus where we’re looking. These are then built into more complex moves, how to punch or kick, and then strung together into sequences of movements called forms. Once we understand those basic building blocks we can compose any series of movements we like.

Professional skills are the same - we learn what the various buttons do on a machine we operate, then we learn how the machine works, and eventually we’re making widgets. We learn how to perform basic tasks, we teach others those tasks, then we get to define what those tasks are.

Where I find it becoming interesting is after we’ve learned those mechanical skills and what we get to do next. Must we ALWAYS have at least 3 sentences in a paragraph?

Must we ALWAYS turn to the left after a specific kick in a form? What happens if we turn right… or don’t turn at all?

I find myself wondering what is beyond the rote mechanical skill. It’s important to know the basic standard skills (they’re called standards for a reason - having a shared lexicon is incredibly important), but after you know them how important is it to follow them explicitly, and what happens if you don’t?

So far I’ve found it easiest to identify in martial arts movements. It doesn’t REALLY matter if you right, then left, or left, then right. The underlying concept behind the movement is to teach you how to move. I’m seeing similar patterns in my work - learning how an Excel function works is great, but the concept of an “if” statement can be applied across every system we work in. Zooming out a bit further, the concepts behind many soft skills generally don’t have a specific application, but rather require you to understand them conceptually.

This is certainly a reflection of where I happen to be at in my own growth. Beginners, for example, should be given clear, repeatable directions to follow; before we can play with concepts, we have to understand the mechanics. This also leads to some amusing situations when I’ve taught, and forgotten the “correct” way a movement goes. Inevitably I’ll get the question “But Rob, don’t we turn right after that move?”. After a few seconds of remembering the “correct” way I’ll respond with “Yes, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. The intent is to teach you how to move, not how to turn right”.

This approach to looking at the importance of underlying concepts, and not just the mechanical skill is one that shouldn’t be applied at all levels of learning. Beginners especially need the mechanical approach as it reinforces learning and ensures they share a common baseline. For example it’d be incredibly hard to talk about writing if everyone didn’t know what a period was, or if some of us used vowels differently. Similarly it’d be challenging to train up new team members at work if everyone on the team taught them different ways to do the same task.

Once someone is comfortable with those basic thoughts, begin to shift the focus to what’s behind them. Why we choose to take a certain action is more important than the action itself ... knowing the difference is even more important.