Learning to unlearn and relearn as an entrepreneur
It was still when we were working on our first start-up we came across the concept of “learn, unlearn and relearn”. We always knew that learning never stops but experienced the nuances of it only when we began our own journey. It applies to every professional, looking for a fruitful career. As individuals, we realised it is a continuous process any entrepreneur must inculcate but is also applicable to organisations that are trying to innovate in a lean manner. It is a golden rule for success to be favourable, striking a balance between upskilling and re-skilling in the chosen area of expertise. It has more to do with how one is expected to be abreast of the latest developments and use them at the earliest possible moment to stay relevant in the domain. Especially when it comes to the team, start-ups tend to possess less capital and operate on the back of a pinched team size.
But how does one unlearn exactly?
Unlearning, contrary to popular belief, is not forgetting what you have learned, but altering it with increased awareness. It is about having the ability to modify your habits and techniques to better fit the requirements of the task at hand in real-time, personally as well as professionally. It concerns breaking the acceptable patterns and keeping an open mind that will allow you to renew yourself and your company. It is to detach oneself from the conditioning one has undergone throughout their lives and move towards new methods. Unlearning is where new ideas are born.
With this approach, entrepreneurs set themselves apart and equip themselves with knowledge as and when required, becoming malleable. The dynamics of the workplace are changing on a daily basis as well, especially during the global health crisis of the past year when new trends have facilitated cross-functionality between teams. It has become a non-negotiable quality that the foundation of a start-up is built upon. Entrepreneurship now is an agile revolution.
How to go about it?
The first step is to identify the aspects that could impede your capacity to change such as lifelong beliefs and opinions about social and economic concerns. Carrying out an internal diagnosis is a crucial step to finding the root of your existing weaknesses. The next step is categorising what is to be left behind and what are the need gaps that will eventually lead you to better results.
This brings us to relearning which takes up the largest chunk of the process, needing a humongous amount of willingness and persistence. Overcoming any challenge requires incentivising and self-motivation even when the results are not immediately apparent.
Relearning to thrive
Considering today’s dynamics, assimilating new competencies to your portfolio involves rapid transfer of knowledge while maintaining curiosity which can be a tough balance to find. To stay afloat in the sea of disruptions, replacing the old with new may prove to be an intuitive action.
Following this strategy, start-ups can regularly leverage extra skills to optimise the efficiency of their employees with newer points of action, accelerating the turnaround time. The quality of the service you provide is directly proportional to how satisfied your employees are with their own growth in the company. Productivity ultimately drives a better customer experience, and this cyclical maxim helps you in creating a niche that didn’t exist before.
