More On Learner Safety
How to many with the fear of failure by using learner safety, ie it encourages you to engage in all aspects of the learning process without fear of being rejected or neglected.
"... Learner safety satisfies the basic need to learn and grow. It allows us to feel safe when we engage all aspects of the learning process - asking questions, giving and receiving feedback, experimenting, and even making mistakes..."
Jillian Peterson, 2023a
As failure is an important part of learning, it should not be punished. We all need to learn from failures, mistakes, etc.
In fact, you can learn more from your failures than successes:
"...the examination of failure is often more valuable than the examination of success. We should reward failure because it is not failure; it's progress. If you're really trying there should be no stigma, no shame, and no embarrassment associated with failure. Simply a stepping stone..."
Timothy Clark as quoted by Jillian Peterson, 2023a
Jillian Peterson, 2023
Conditions that apply when failure is part of learning and when it is not
| Part of the learning process | Not part of the learning process |
| When you are transparent and share your mistakes, failures, challenges, etc | When you stay silent instead of revealing mistake, failures, etc |
| When you are supported by management in your learning initiatives, goals, etc | When you feel as though your job is constantly 'on the line' |
| When you are allowed to say 'I don't know' | When learning is viewed as a waste of time |
| When everybody is learning together | When people only interact within their roles, never outside |
(source: Jillian Peterson, 2023a)
As learning involves risks, you need to create a culture within which you can detach fear from mistakes; permission to overcome setbacks and find solutions without fear of failure is provided..
"...learner safety is an enabling precondition that creates a curiosity and willingness to partake in personal learning...... granting learner safety is not a passive act. We make a commitment to create an encouraging environment. We commit to be patient with learners. We commit to model effective learning and we commit to share power, credit sources to enable all to learn..."
Timothy Clark as quoted by Jillian Peterson, 2023a
Ways to introduce learner safety (8)
i) share what you're learning (allow people the permission to learn and a reason to start by modelling passionate learning yourself)
ii) offer one-on-one learning in their space (some people prefer to learn privately, not publicly)
iii) identify each person's learning style (some people are visual learners, while others are auditory or kinetec; some are self-directed; some learn better on-the-job than in the classroom)
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)
iv) assign learning projects (give real-world problems; provide clear objectives, a timeline, and resources of problem-solving; recognise those who participate in the process)
v) dedicate adequate resources (this includes budgeting for allocating time, money, expertise, etc)
vi) share past mistakes (share the learnings from past mistakes; don't hide them)
vii) reinforce everyone's learning potential (encourage learning, ie
"...to earn their living is to learn their living..."
Jillian Peterson, 2023a
viii) be willing to seek help from anywhere (model humility and be willing to seek help from any source)
NB Learner safety is one of the 4 stages of psychological safety; the other 3 are
"...- inclusive safety: Can you be your authentic self?
- contributor safety: Can you create value?
- challenger safety: Can you be candid about change?..."
Jillian Peterson, 2023a