All Steamed Up: What an Espresso Machine Can Teach Us About Learning
Learning is hard.
Sometimes we forget this.
When is the last time you tried to learn something new? Something that you didn’t (and couldn’t) pick up right away? Something that required effort, persistence, and a new type of brainpower to learn?
I got an espresso machine as a combined Christmas and birthday gift (note this was over five months ago now). I’m obsessed with coffee. Really. Like sometimes I get excited to go to bed at night because I know I’ll be drinking coffee after I wake up.
That type of obsessed.
But first I had to learn how to use the machine. Which took some trial and error on its own — even with the directions in hand and a couple of corresponding videos.
Then I decided to try a bit of latte art. My favorite baristas made it look easy, after all.
The photos above include many of my attempts to learn over the past five months (starting at the top left, moving to the right and then down to the next row).
I watched the YouTube videos. I bought the coffee that supposedly made more “crema” when brewed. I practiced “listening” to the milk as it steamed.
I gathered all the tips. I even asked the local baristas for tips when I would visit a coffee shop (affirmation by the pros: Almond milk is the hardest milk for art).
Many times I was so frustrated that I gave up for a bit. I had to step away and not try that day.
It reminded me that learning something new often incorporates frustration, overwhelm, and impatience.
It reminded me that learning is hard.
It reminded me that mastering anything new takes time.
Critically, it reminded me to keep this experience in mind when planning any learning strategy for a new group of people:
To allow a safe space for mistakesTo allow for plenty of time to practiceTo reassure them that learning can be toughTo let them know that SMEs aren’t built in a day
Sometimes we forget.
This post was originally published on LinkedIn.
Jess Almlie is a learning and performance strategist with over 25 years of experience across multiple industries. In that time, she has worked in all the people development roles, from her very first job as a trainer at McDonald’s to vice president of learning experience at WEX Benefits. Now, as an independent consultant, she helps L&D leaders and teams shift their approach to work more strategically, intentionally, and impactfully.
