An Automatic A
How to create a culture of trust, learning, and excellence
One of the most formative experiences of my life was attending and graduating from the Torrey Honors Institute (now College) at Biola University. Torrey is a unique college in that it’s a classical learning program where students study classical literature instead of the typical general education courses required at university. Modeled after Oxford’s program, students gather in biweekly groups, led by a professor tutor, to discuss great books.
An interesting attribute of Torrey is that all students are guaranteed an A at the end of the semester as long as we did the work and participated in our Don Rag (tutor evaluation). It was a huge relief to know that we as students could focus on actually learning and expanding our thinking without having to study for a test. We were evaluated based on how we participated and how we felt we were growing.
This got me thinking about how companies could benefit from having a similar ethos. The beauty of having an automatic A is that it frees up mental space for the student to actually learn without pressure of memorizing facts for a final exam, only to be forgotten after the semester.
Oftentimes, employees feel stress about a performance review, or they won’t speak their mind because they fear they could lose their job. So how can we foster psychological safety and help employees truly learn and grow? Give them an automatic A.
Now you may be thinking, “That’s crazy! Employees would just slack off and we’d have total chaos.” But that didn’t happen in Torrey. Here are four reasons why and how to apply them to your organization:
Torrey only selects students eager to learn.
Everyone in the program knows how to study and loves learning. They don’t need to be managed and monitored by a professor. In fact, these students would be studying great works even if they weren’t in Torrey.
Hire employees who love your mission, are motivated, and have a growth mindset.
Torrey provides tailored feedback to students.
Instead of a check-list, pass/fail exam at the end of the semester, students engage in conversation with their tutors to hear how they engaged and what they can continue to improve. This instills in students the desire for ongoing feedback, knowing it’s tailored to their specific needs for growth.
Provide consistent, tailored feedback to your team so it’s not a pass/fail performance review, but an ongoing conversation where they know you care about them.
Torrey creates trust and an environment to truly flourish.
While discussing great books, debate can get heated. But tutors create an environment for their students that welcomes honest conversation. This allows everyone to participate in a way where they can learn and grow without fear of reprisal. In fact, healthy debate is necessary for all students to learn.
Create a culture of growth, learning, and trust for your team.
Torrey has clear standards for remaining in the program.
As I mentioned, every student at Torrey is relieved of the pressure of final exams so we could focus on reading, writing, and conversation. We knew exactly what was expected of us and if we didn’t do it, we would be released from the program. This allowed us to engage in deep conversation during classes and to get creative in how we engaged in the program.
Be clear on what behavior or attitudes would merit dismissal from your organization, and the criteria for promotion, then let staff get creative and be authentic within those parameters.
To create a more conscious workplace, we can learn much from programs like Torrey. Transitioning from university to business doesn’t mean we stop learning. In fact, the journey of lifelong learning is just getting started.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
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The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
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