Navigating Character and Cognitive Skill Building

Over the weekend, I delved into Adam Grant’s latest work, “Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things.” True to form, Grant’s writing is both captivating and enlightening, prompting me to highlight and annotate numerous sections with thoughts and questions that had never crossed my mind before.

Grant begins by underscoring the importance of character skills development. Often dubbed “soft skills,” these attributes have historically been overshadowed by the emphasis on cognitive skills in education. Yet, Grant presents compelling research that illustrates the profound and lasting impact character skills can have on unlocking our potential. He advocates embracing discomfort, welcoming change, and eschewing perfectionism as pathways to nurture these skills.

The book then offers strategies to cultivate these skills at both individual and systemic levels, such as infusing play and passion into routine tasks, seeking support from others, and finding ways to break free from stagnation.

As I read, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experiences with robotics programs in elementary after-school settings. Grant’s insights resonate with my belief that robotics serves as an excellent medium for fostering character skills in students. Through the iterative process of building, troubleshooting, and collaborating, students learn that success often requires more time and effort than anticipated, and in doing so, they develop resilience, empathy, and confidence.

To add a playful twist, let’s imagine the journey of two siblings, Character Skills and Cognitive Skills, in the land of Learning. Character Skills, with her colorful cloak of creativity, empathy, and resilience, danced through challenges with grace and adaptability. Cognitive Skills, with his sharp sword of logic, memory, and analysis, sliced through complex problems with precision and clarity. Together, they ventured through the Forest of Challenges and the Mountains of Mastery. As they journeyed, they realized that their greatest strength lay in their unity. Where Cognitive Skills provided the structure and strategy, Character Skills brought the heart and humanity. In every adventure, they proved that success wasn’t just about knowing the right answers, but also about being the right kind of person asking the right kind of questions and solving the right kind of problems.

Grant’s book is a reaffirmation for those of us who value character skills. However, the current educational landscape lacks mechanisms for formally recognizing and assessing these skills. There are no report cards for character, no designated time slots in students’ schedules for their development, and no competitions to showcase and celebrate these skills. This absence presents a challenge: how do we effectively teach, learn, and nurture skills that are not quantitatively measured or regularly evaluated?

I’ve observed that students who excel in certain areas may not always exhibit strong character skills when faced with unfamiliar or challenging tasks. This observation leads me to question whether character skills should be taught intentionally and separately, much like academic subjects, rather than as incidental byproducts of other activities.

In our educational system, students are often evaluated based on their ability to answer close-ended questions. Yet, in life and work, success often hinges on navigating open-ended challenges. This disconnect might explain why some individuals who struggled academically can go on to achieve remarkable success outside the classroom. They may not have excelled at answering specific questions, but they possess the character skills to tackle the complexities of the real world.

As we witness the rapid evolution of our world, particularly with the advent of generative AI, the need to reassess how we measure and value skills becomes increasingly apparent. It is crucial that we broaden our focus to include both cognitive and character skills. I hope to see a future where these measurements are not only researched but also implemented in schools and homes, enabling individuals to consistently develop and refine these essential skills.

In the meantime, here are a few resources to begin exploring, evaluating, and enhancing character skills for yourself and those around you:

• The Hidden Potentials Quiz:

  • This quiz, based on Grant’s research, assesses three character skills: imperfectionism, discomfort seeking, and being a sponge for information. My results suggest that my strength lies in being a sponge, indicating a propensity to seek and filter guidance for improvement.

• Principle’s You Quiz:

  • Co-developed by Ray Dalio and Adam Grant, this quiz offers insights into how you and others in your life may differ in various areas, facilitating better understanding and collaboration.

• Character Skills Snapshot:

  • Developed by the Enrollment Management Association (EMA), this tool measures seven character skills in students, providing a complementary perspective to traditional cognitive assessments.

In our pursuit to excel in a constantly evolving world, do you think it’s essential to cultivate both cognitive and character skills? Is there a hierarchy between the two? Looking back on your journey, how have you honed your cognitive and character abilities? What obstacles have you encountered, and what accomplishments have you achieved? Could you share any anecdotes about your own development or your efforts to assist others in enhancing these skills? What aspirations do you hold for the role of AI in fostering these capabilities? Conversely, what reservations do you harbor regarding AI’s impact on our cognitive and character development?