[A NOTE-worthy aside] The concept of 'mislearning' I learned at 50: The essence of management and parenting taught by disability support
Introduction: Life's turning point arrived suddenly
This year, at the age of 50, a major turning point arrived in my professional life.
I transferred from the general affairs and human resources department of a small-to-medium enterprise where I had worked for many years to a non-profit organization. The NPO operates a Type B employment support workshop. I had been involved with the employment of people with disabilities to some extent from the perspective of general affairs and HR. Handling interviews, dealing with post-hiring issues, adjusting job reassignments... I thought I had been interacting with people with disabilities from the company's perspective.
However, at 50, that 'thought' was fundamentally overturned.
The term I encountered: 'Mislearning'
Soon after transferring, I heard a certain term from the service management supervisor.
"Mislearning"
It was an unfamiliar term. At first, I thought it was technical jargon specific to disability support. However, after hearing the explanation, I was shocked.
Mislearning refers to a state where an inappropriate behavior is mistakenly understood as the correct behavior. It refers to the fixation of socially unacceptable behavior due to incorrect learning from past experiences.
For example, there are cases like these:
Learning that "if I throw a tantrum when I want something, I get my wish" because of an experience where I got what I wanted by crying and acting out
Learning that "violence is an effective means" because of an experience where my demands were met after hitting a friend
Learning that "it is okay to ignore rules if I am in a hurry" after seeing adults break rules when they are in a hurry
It is said that people with developmental disabilities are prone to such mislearning due to their characteristics. However, as I listened, I thought:
This is not just a problem for people with disabilities.
'Mislearning' that also exists in corporate management
'Success experiences' in a company. They sometimes become the greatest 'mislearning'.
A sales method that once succeeded no longer works due to changes in the market environment. Yet, one clings to the 'way that has succeeded until now.' A manager who achieved results by treating subordinates strictly fails to notice changes in the times, continues the same management style, and is pointed out for power harassment.
Aren't these exactly 'mislearning' in a company?
Past success turns into 'inappropriate behavior' due to changes in the environment and the times. However, the person themselves believes it is 'correct' and has no doubts. As a result, it hinders organizational growth, creates trouble in human relationships, and causes one to miss business opportunities.
A successful experience transforms into 'mislearning' the moment it stops being successful.
The Trap of 'Mislearning' Lurking in Parenting
The same applies to raising children.
Responding by 'picking them up immediately when they cry' can sometimes create the mislearning that 'if I cry, I get what I want.' If you break rules in front of your child by saying, 'I'm in a hurry, so it's a special case today,' the child might learn that 'rules can be ignored depending on the situation.'
Ad-hoc responses and stopgap words that parents use unconsciously can become established as 'rules' within the child, leading to problems later on.
Regardless of whether there is a disability or not, 'mislearning' can happen to anyone.
The Relationship Between Reskilling, Unlearning, and 'Mislearning'
Recently, the terms 'reskilling' and 'unlearning' have been attracting attention in the field of corporate training.
Reskilling is learning new skills.
Unlearning is intentionally letting go of past knowledge and values to accept new ways of thinking.
Acquiring new knowledge and skills through reskilling alone is not enough. Before that, one must let go of 'past successful experiences,' 'old values,' and 'methodologies that have become inappropriate' that no longer fit the times. In other words, 'resolving mislearning' is essential for growth.
What is Necessary to Resolve Mislearning
I felt that the support methods I learned from a service management supervisor could also be applied to corporate management.
1. Analyze behavior
Think by dividing it into three parts: 'trigger,' 'behavior,' and 'result.' Understand why that behavior became established and what kind of 'successful experience' is in the background.
2. Change the result
Let them experience that even if they take the mislearned action, they will not get the expected result.
3. Change the behavior
Present appropriate alternative behaviors and let them learn that the same result can be obtained through them.
4. Consistent response
Avoid ad-hoc responses and provide consistent rules and feedback.
These are effective perspectives for developing subordinates, raising children, and for one's own growth.
Conclusion: Learning from the Age of 50
By jumping into a completely new world at 50, I had the opportunity to think deeply about the essence of human 'learning.'
The term 'mislearning,' used in the field of disability support, was actually something that concerns all of us. As corporate professionals, as parents, and as human beings, we are always living side-by-side with the risk of 'mislearning.'
What is important is not to cling to past successes, not to fear change, and at times, to have the 'courage to relearn.' And when you have learned something incorrectly, it is to have the flexibility to acknowledge it and resolve it.
Growth is not just about learning new things, but also about letting go of old ones.
That is the greatest thing I have learned this year.