Nine Dangerous Things You Are Taught In School

Be careful of the crafty and unspoken lessons you have learned thus far.

To thrive in the world outside the classroom, you’re going to have to unlearn them.

by Jessica Hagy - Forbes.com

“The people in charge have all the answers.
That’s why they are so wealthy and happy and healthy and 
powerful—ask any teacher.”

For me, the best results come when athletes and colleagues are willing to add to a discussion, information is shared and each others inputs are respected.

Encourage people to think outside the box and be individuals.

Encourage creativity and problem solving.

“Learning ends when you leave the classroom.
Your fort building, trail making, frog catching, friend making,game playing, and drawing won’t earn you any extra credit. Just watch TV.”

Personally, the most valuable lessons and quickest I have ever absorbed information has come from things:

• I have done

• I have failed in, succeeded in, or

• Not made any progress with

Most importantly, it has allowed me to become a reasonably good analyst of character and personality, know who to trust and when, and also how minimise my exposure to unnecessary risks. Im most definitely an experiential learner as opposed to an academic learner. I am also firmly convinced in the power of principles (which can be applied across multiple scenarios).

“The best and brightest follow the rules.
You will be rewarded for your subordination, just not as much as 
your superiors, who, of course, have their own rules.”

Most leaders in life, industry and sport have the ability to think outside the box, make decisions on the fly and maximise the exploit factor in any situation.

This is directly linked to the “games” played and experiences gained in the point above.

The “theoretical brightest” usually become the policy makers and back-room brainiacs.

They struggle to make any real decisions on the ground as they lack an understanding of the practical aspects of implementing a policy.

Those rooted in the application of knowledge in the field, usually become the ones who push the boundaries, drive new initiatives and innovate.

“What the books say is always true.
Now go read your creationism chapter. There will be a test.”

Whenever I read, I always think about how this applies to the average person in real life.... seldom can I find a satisfying answer.

Mostly there is some abstract, high-powered, mathematical / statistical correlation, but seldom one that I thought was really practical 7 applicable. I think we’ve complicated modern day living to the extent that there is paralysis by analysis, with most of us not having a good “feel” for what is happening, which leads to better, more effective, quicker real-time decision making.....we are always looking for some theoretical model to support our decision.....is this a contributor to not taking responsibility for actions???

In my opinion, yes, and very much a trait of modern times, where society is so scared of failure.... How do we get more “feel”.....I believe it lies in the experiential learning again.

“There is a very clear, single path to success. It’s called University. 
Everyone can join the top 1% if they do well enough in school 
and ignore the basic math problem inherent in that idea.”

What defines success? Is it the material possessions or the richness of your life as a whole?

I feel its in being the most rounded and balanced individual. In modern workplaces, having the best university results does not mean you will contribute much to the success of the organisation.

More and more I feel all organisations are looking for people who show an aptitude for honest hard work, the ability to adapt and learn with minimal supervision, and are proactive at looking for opportunities and solutions or exploits.

Sometimes it means having to do the grunt work, well below your academic prowess or perceived stature in society, but trust me, it makes you one of the most valuable “team” members. Organisations reward members they feel adds value....regardless of qualification.

“Behaving yourself is as important as getting good marks.
Whistle-blowing, questioning the status quo, and thinking your 
own thoughts are not allowed. Be quiet and get back on the assembly line.”

I love it when I can see the transformation in my athletes or colleagues from just doing as told to having the confidence to share an opinion.

Of course, this has to be done at the right time, in the right place and in the right tone. When this happens, thats when the group / team / organisation dynamic really kicks into high gear and everyone feels as though they are a part of a meaningful process. Performance and output increases exponentially, as does work ethic.

This allows you to be an individual in the team environment rather than a clone. The power of PURPOSE.

“Standardized tests measure your value.
By value, I’m talking about future earning potential, not anything 
else that might have other kinds of value.”

Increasingly, with the global financial constraints, all organisations are now looking at new models of maximising earning potential....however, there is increased pressure to be sustainable over the long haul. In a lot of cases this is now not necessarily all about maximising profits, but holding sustained margins over a long period of time.

In sport, this is the same. Do we want to be the best right here, right now and ignore the development of talent and implementation of robust underpinning structures for the future and risk developing a platform to revolutionise the current local environment and succeed long term?

From an individual perspective....do you want to be the flash in the pan hot-shot right now, or be someone who performs at the highest level for a long period of time?

“Days off are always more fun than sitting in the classroom.
We are trained to base our life around dribbles of allocated vacation & be grateful for them.”

The modern day seems to be all about one-up-man-ship, work to the max.....live less.

Again, how do you define the wealth in your life? Materialistic or experiential? Of course you need cash, but you need to live as well, as opposed to simply existing.

Work to play and bring play to work as best possible to remain effective, sustainable and valuable. Has the Covid period opened your eyes to new possibilities? Can you create better balance whilst still producing what you need to flourish? How can technology help facilitate this?

Pre-Covid, I had the sense that the more connected we became (tech wise), the more disconnected we also became (community wise). A lot of what I bring into my coaching and daily environment now, is to bring back a stronger sense of community and connectivity……this makes me feel whole.