|
Feature Article | |
| ||
|
|
Learning to Play To those of you who are going back to school in the next few months (and to those who've already begun), I have a word of advice: play! I don't mean play as in "goofing off" – as adult students, we're much too practical for that – but play in the sense of giving yourself room to experiment, to be creative, and to explore. Going to school is not just about learning new skills; it's about discovery and experimentation in a safe environment. What a luxury! We seldom have this opportunity at work, where time is usually critical and mistakes are rarely tolerated. When was the last time you had a chance to really consider many alternatives before making a decision at work? Or had the benefit of multiple perspectives? The classroom provides a laboratory for exploring ideas. And learning the habit of experimentation in school will be invaluable on the job. When you bring a baffling work problem to your classmates, you gain in two ways. First, you are able to probe the issue more deeply as you try to define and describe it to outsiders. Second, you will see the problem in a new light as your classmates consider it from an outsider's point of view. While I was in school, I remember having a recurrent problem at work with a domineering colleague. This person had alienated everyone in the company but was privileged and protected by position. All discussions among my work group about how to deal with this problem turned into complaining sessions. None of us could see how we all contributed to supporting our colleague's behavior. When I raised the issue in my classroom, I began to see how insular my work group had been and was able to gain valuable insight into possible solutions. I must admit it has taken me a long time to see college as a laboratory in which to experiment with work issues. If I had seen it earlier, perhaps I would have anticipated school more eagerly and with less fear about "performance." Anyway, I'm glad I now understand learning as play. Have fun! 1/05 TOP |
|
|||||||
Home About NDG Contact Us Privacy
| ||||||||||
