What They Don’t Teach us at School
There is a problem with the education system. It teaches knowledge, not skills. It does not prepare for real life. It favors classroom exercises, curriculum-based study, rigid systems, read — memorize — recall the type of work, rather than real learning and problem-solving. As David Brooks puts it in his book “The Second Mountain”: “Universities are information-rich and meaning-poor.”
For the longest time, as long as the schools and universities were churning out people who were perfect employees for the industrial economy, it kind of worked. Schools encouraged the traits that were in demand at the time. Those who followed instructions, who were disciplined, and worked hard were rewarded while traits like curiosity, questioning authority, and creative thought, were rooted out.
In the last two to three decades, particularly with the explosion of the knowledge economy, it has become very obvious that the schools are struggling to keep up. Every year, the young people entering the workforce realize that the memorized knowledge they bring to the table is as useful as a vestigial auriculomotor activity — in plain English: the ability to wiggle ears. In this day and age when you can google any information in a manner of seconds, having the right attitude, wanting to learn, to grow, to adapt, to figure things out, to problem solve, are way more important than holding a bunch of facts in your head.
What are the skills that are very much in need today, skills that are valued in a variety of contexts, yet are rare in young people fresh out of school? What are the things that may help you be successful regardless of whether you choose to work for a company, build your own business, be an artist, an athlete, or a computer engineer?
Communication Skills. This is the single most important bundle of skills you will ever need in life, it includes listening skills, writing skills, public speaking, and reading. You will need these not only at your workplace but in your relationships too. Listening skill includes listening for a range of objectives — listening to learn, or to give comfort, to empathize. Are you able to listen to an opposing side’s argument without interrupting? How is your writing? Can you articulate your thoughts with good structure, clearly and convincingly? Do you freeze when you speak publicly? Can you stand in front of an audience and express yourself confidently and eloquently without preparation, even on the topic of your expertise? Do you communicate effectively in meetings? How are your negotiation skills? Do you read quickly and effectively? Can you adjust your reading style and speed to the material and your objectives?
Getting Things Done. Can you take a project from start to finish? Meet the deadlines? Handle the unexpected along the way and still bring the project to the end? Do you have personal systems and protocols to handle large volumes of information? Can you switch projects on a dime? How do you prioritize what to spend time on at any given moment? Can you concentrate on a task and avoid distractions? How about grinding through the kind of work that you don’t enjoy (every project has those)?
Physical Effort. Can you actually put in the work without complaining? And no, it won’t always be the kind of work that is your passion. It could be fixing something, lifting and carrying things, cleaning, building something, not just at work, but at home too. Can you do the laundry? Wash the dishes? Plant a tree? Make sure your room is not a complete mess? Are you comfortable with such work or do you run away from it? You don’t have to enjoy it, but you still need to be able to get it done. I find that simple physical tasks are what build discipline. You cannot magically become disciplined to do major projects, you train the skill of discipline through multiple small activities that may not be the most enjoyable things in the world, yet need to be done.
Financial Skills. This one is a serious gap. It is rare to meet people in their 30s and 40s, let alone young people fresh out of university, who understand how finances work, who understand the dangers of credit debts, know how to control their budget or how to invest.
Problem Solving. This one is tough to pin down since it has a lot to do with having the right attitude. You need to develop expertise, but then to make sure not only to rely on said expertise. Can you analyze the problem? Do the research? Ask for help when you need to? Try things and work to figure out a solution? Seek creative solutions and not just repeat what has been done before?
Meta-Learning. This includes knowing how you prefer to learn (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic), using different learning methodologies for different situations and objectives, exploring new methods, using tools, platforms, and devices to learn. Most importantly, the ability to learn quickly, to absorb information and knowledge effectively is essential if you want to be able to adapt to changing circumstances, switch careers, change direction.
Numbers and Statistics. Are you horrified by tables and graphs? Can you look at the data, analyze and interpret it? Can you spot the errors or misrepresentation in someone else’s analysis? Can you support your communication and decisions with well-presented evidence?
Character. Grit. Fortitude. Resilience. There are a lot of words that are thrown around concerning character, but my favorite one is the concept Nassim Nicholas Taleb dedicated a whole book to — Anti-Fragility. While resilience and robustness are the ability to withstand a shock, a failure, a calamity, anti-fragility means you improve because of it. You learn and grow from the experience. So, how do you deal with failure? Do you fold? Or do you bounce back stronger?
Being part of a Community. This is often neglected in today’s culture of individuality, but do you contribute to the world around you? Do you help move your community forward? It could be your neighborhood, your workplace, your charity, your army unit, a group of like-minded people. Are you loyal? Can you serve? Sacrifice? Are you a good citizen? Do you question what needs to be questioned?
The list goes on.
You would want people around you to have these skills. You would want your friends and employees who have these skills. You want your children to have these skills. You would follow leaders who have these skills. So, improve these skills in yourself first and go on to encourage those around you to improve them too. If the school where your children study is not imparting these skills to your children, make sure you take care of that.
Most importantly, do you see things on this list that you need to get better at? Yes? Well, get on it then. Do your part. Be an example.
