I have been through business training and have a business degree. As much as I learned about the parts of a business, it is only through launching a business that business leaders learn how to lead businesses. What worked in business last year could very well be ineffective in the change of internet marketing, social media, data science, and artificial intelligence this year. Many business owners fail repeatedly before they figure out how to succeed. I have been through doctoral level work on educational leadership and I still fail at leadership in different areas. It is through doing and reflecting that we learn ourselves how we learn and refine on a practice that works for us.
Performance coaching of scripting and role-playing bite-sized parts to prepare for actual conversations and getting feedback to refine your approaches is valuable. Sales training does this where they role-play sales calls and go through the possible responses to try different tactics before making calls. Supportive schools do this with teachers to help them practice and prepare to succeed at lessons. That is actual practice at the actual work with a way to improve. I learned a lot by trying a coaching conversation using a sparse script, then doing it with a provided script and resources to point to for examples. That full preparation makes a world of difference. I learned that by trying it both ways.
In the animal kingdom animals learn from watching a hunter hunt, then they hunt. It could be that throwing students into a problem or a writing first could help them learn faster than teaching them your method first. They could be a good writer or problem-solver and you just have to refine their work in specific places. They could find a novel way to solve a problem or think or write you did not consider. Either way, the habit of not putting it off, the Do Now, and learning by doing gets reinforced. Then, they may pay more attention when they realize they need more information to be a better performer and pay attention to what you have to share.
There is a saying I heard in a Kung Fu movie growing up: When the student is ready, the master will appear. I thought that was some mystical wisdom. However, until you relaize you need help you aren't looking for a teacher. Creating a need for help through failure may be the best way to make a good student. Motivation is key for learning and preventing the uncomfortable feeling of failure works after you have experienced failure. Another reality is that each person will likely fail at something in their life if they are taking risks.Google admits they accept that many of their projects will fail, but the ones that succeed more than make up for the losses and the knowledge they get from the ones that fail are valuable. They also know they will get passed up standing still. Creating a healthy relationship with failure as an opportunity to learn by trying something boldly and courageously help people live fully as we talk about the reality of the concept of a growth mindset. To one who seeks to live and learn, encouragement of the experimental mindset is the best recommendation.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himeslf in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Teddy Roosevelt
