Turn the Fear of Unlearning and Reskilling into a Thriving Learning Mindset

Blogpost by Katja Schipperheijn.

In an era of relentless innovation, organizations face an urgent challenge: enabling employees to adapt and thrive amidst constant change. The need to unlearn, reskill, and embrace the future of workplaces puts immense pressure not only on corporate strategies but also on the well-being of employees as they struggle with fears of falling behind or becoming obsolete.

However, this fear can be transformed into a powerful strength by fostering a thriving learning mindset rooted in positivity and continuous improvement.

Use a positive approach while avoiding buzzwords and the trap of myths

Regardless of age, many employees have spent years honing their expertise, applying hard-earned skills, only to find that some of these skills are suddenly deemed irrelevant. It's no surprise that stress levels rise, commitment falters, and overall well-being takes a hit. Business leaders aren’t solely to blame. Media and politicians often make blunt, fear-inducing statements that fuel negativity. However, the responsibility to foster resilience remains critical.

In my book The Learning Mindset: Combining Human Competencies with Technology to Thrive, I debunk myths such as the notion that learning becomes harder with age or that humans have an "unlearn" button. These myths not only misrepresent what learning truly is but also perpetuate a negative and inaccurate narrative. In reality, older employees with a learning mindset demonstrate remarkable neuroplasticity and often bring well-developed competencies, such as social and collaborative skills, which are invaluable when properly recognized and utilized.

I understand why "unlearning" is a popular buzzword. It’s catchy and provocative (and yes, I use it in my title, too). However, the term often creates a misleading image of erasing the past, as if our brains are like 1980s floppy disks waiting to be reformatted. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Learning is cumulative, building on the foundation of our prior knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. The goal isn’t to replace what we know but to continuously improve and transform, fostering sustainable growth within a thriving learning ecosystem.

The Steps to Strengthening a Learning Mindset: Reflect, Relate, Reframe

A strong learning mindset is cultivated through self-awareness and intentional action. Organizations can apply the Reflect-Relate-Reframe model to nurture this mindset at

every level. This approach to learning emphasizes positivity and distances itself from mere training or conditioning. It encourages us to draw on the curiosity of our younger selves as curious toddlers who explore the world with wonder, unafraid of mistakes and eager to learn from failures.

This inner toddler, which we can awaken, still possesses genuine human competencies that set it apart from even the most human-like AI. Competencies like curiosity, imagination, openness, empathy, resilience, and my personal favourite, consilience (the ability to see connections where none seem apparent), are our greatest strengths to thrive in an unpredictable future.

When organizations embed this positive approach to amplifying these competencies into their learning strategy, they can apply the following three interconnected steps:

1. Reflect

Encourage employees and leaders to reflect on the drivers of their learning mindset. This can be inspired through an engaging keynote or combined with tools like a Professional Learning Mindset Profiler to personalize the experience.

Reflection focuses on the present and empowers individuals to take positive steps based on their unique strengths. Employees are challenged to become learning influencers, sparking a ripple effect of positive, sustainable change within an infinite learning ecosystem.

Key areas of reflection include:

• Past experiences and emotions related to learning that contribute to current abilities and attitudes.

• Unique, deep human competencies that support learning, collaboration, company culture, well-being, and innovation.

• Active and conscious attitude towards learning, essential for agility in times of accelerating change.

• Adaptability to new technologies and AI, including tools supporting learning and collaboration within a learning ecosystem.

• Approach to social and collaborative learning to improve oneself and colleagues, whether working directly or indirectly with them.

Through reflection, individuals can identify their strengths and opportunities for growth, laying the foundation for meaningful transformation.

2. Relate

Reflection often begins with provocation, but its goal is to inspire, creating “aha” moments that emphasize the urgency of embracing a learning mindset. Once employees recognize their drivers, they can connect these insights to their personal and professional lives. Organizations, in turn, can align learning initiatives with strategic goals to foster adaptable, competency-driven employees who thrive in a culture of constant change.

Analyzing insights from team and organizational Learning Mindset Profilers can help prioritize projects and tailor initiatives. Relating individual and organizational growth strategies ensures that the learning mindset becomes an integral part of the company’s continuous improvement process. It’s the cornerstone of building an infinite learning ecosystem.

3. Reframe

Instead of focusing on “unlearning,” reframing takes a positive approach by building on and transforming existing knowledge, skills, and behaviors to fit current realities. This involves adapting while valuing past experiences, not erasing them.

Managers play a critical role in this step. They must create a safe environment where employees feel supported in navigating change. For instance, extra initiatives around fostering curiosity or building empathy may be beneficial. Keynotes, executive workshops and coaching can all contribute to this as C-level executives serve as role models in this process.

Through open communication, fostering a feedback culture, and sharing their own failures, learning leaders demonstrate adaptability and inspire others to embrace a learning mindset. My leadership articles with Monique Borst emphasize this need for future-oriented leadership as a cornerstone for cultivating a thriving learning culture.

The Urgency of a Learning Mindset Is Now!

Organizations that invest in cultivating a thriving learning mindset don’t just prepare for the future; they actively shape it. By focusing on continuous improvement, embracing human competencies, and applying the Reflect-Relate-Reframe model, companies can transform fear into growth and hesitation into action, thereby transforming the organization into a thriving learning ecosystem.

Whether through keynotes, workshops, or professional learning tools, the time to act is now. Strengthen your teams, empower your culture, and ignite the spark of transformation. The journey begins with one step, and that step starts with you!