Researcher, storyteller and writer Brené Brown, on her podcast Unlocking Us names learning new things as an FFT: F-word First Time. When you’re learning something new, it’s deeply uncomfortable, especially as an adult. It’s awkward, you get frustrated and possibly angry. These emotions are human and normal and its important for learning designers to be aware of them when implementing learning.
You see, my job is to help people learn skills to be better at their jobs, I’m someone who loves performance metrics, needs analysis, learning elements and modules. But truth be told, I don’t like doing the learning myself. That’s the hard part. I’m used to solving problems with a combination of research and hard work, and sometimes the problems that life throws at us aren’t solved so easily.
Brown shares four strategies for dealing with an FFT:
1- Name it. She explains that we are a meaning-making species. Naming things, naming emotions, naming situations gives it meaning and it makes it understandable and gives us the power to understand the moment. Here I am, holding this new baby, trying to learn this new skill, in this moment of a first time.
2-Normalise it: I am feeling frustrated in this new moment of uncertainty, I feel wobbly here, this is how everyone feels in first times.
3-Give yourself perspective: I am good at many things, I am not good at this thing just yet. I will get better.
4-Reality check your expectations: I expected to be good at this skill, it is proving difficult, I can get better, but I need to give myself more time than I thought I needed.
As learning designers, we need to understand and show up with empathy for learners who may be experiencing an FFT. And sometimes that means awkward conversations or acknowledging that the job aid, quiz, or learning asset isn’t a good fit for this learner and adapting your approach.
All too often, we get caught up in modules, quizzes, lessons and deliverables, that we forget that we’re working with people, people with whole brains, whole hearts and a whole package of different life experiences. When I say I create trainings for whole people, that’s what I mean. Every seminar or session I run, I ask my learners : “how are you, for real?”, it opens up a new level of connection and gets the growth process started.
Learning isn’t linear, it’s messy and emotional. We can either lean into that or get left behind.
Charlotte Sachs 