The Power of the Disorienting Dilemma

Getting knocked off kilter might be just what we need to learn the most.

How many times in your life have you been presented with some form of discomfort, chosen or not, that eventually led to breakthrough learning or a new and better outcome than you could have imagined before?

I can think of quite a few:

• The toughest 8th grade algebra teacher who eventually became my favorite because, despite his serious presence and my disdain for math, he cared deeply about students and rewarded effort. I learned more in that class than any other.

• The moments in my career when suddenly, the role that had been awesome suddenly no longer was (for a variety of reasons), forcing me to consider new alternatives.

• My first leadership role which made me feel completely inadequate before figuring out leading people required a different mindset and approach.

• The crucial conversation that seemed impossible, but led to an even better outcome than I could have imagined, showing me the positive side of conflict.

I could go on... Could you?

The Disorienting Dilemma

Each of these moments was, for me, what Jack Mezirow first described in the 1970s as a "disorienting dilemma." It's the first phase of his Transformative Learning Theory in which, ultimately, our learning leads to a shift in perspective, where we see the world (and ourselves) differently as a result.

The disorienting dilemma happens when we are knocked off kilter to the point that we are confused and/or frustrated. If we choose to use the power of the disorienting dilemma for good, we start to ask questions and examine it. What led us to this point? What is now different? As we get curious, we are more willing to explore alternate paths and think differently. We try out some of the new ideas and begin to gain competence and confidence, eventually leading to a shift in perspective. We transform.

Living amid a disorienting dilemma isn't fun. Very few people choose to be uncomfortable, let alone voluntarily muster the insight and patience to come through the other side better and wiser.

Yet, we rarely experience any type of transformation without some form of discomfort. If everything in our lives proceeds as expected, we have no reason to ask questions, get curious, or try out new patterns of work or thought.

There is power in discomfort, if we use it for good.

The Disorienting Dilemma as an Intentional Learning Strategy

Intentionally creating a disorienting dilemma, combined with the right type of support and facilitation can lead to transformative experiences for almost any type of learning program.

But creating such an experience can be tricky. There's a fine line between creating a challenge that encourages just enough struggle to get through the other side and creating a challenge that overwhelms or frustrates a participant to the point of no return. It shouldn't move participants to tears or cause them to throw up their hands and run out of the room.

For years, I've worked to create disorienting dilemmas that move people through transformative learning to a variety of degrees for everything from software training to developing leadership skills.

Guidelines for Success

It can seem like more of an art than a science, but to ensure I hit the right combination of struggle and learning, I use the following principles as a guide.

1: A Safe Environment. To be effective as a learning strategy, the entire disorienting dilemma must happen in a safe space. Somewhere it is safe to try new things, make mistakes, and try again without judgement or reproach. Often this looks like a simulation, a practice lab, or other situation where the risk of causing damage is low, but the opportunity for challenge and experimentation is high?

2: A Sufficiently Difficult Challenge. The challenge must be something that allows for a level of discomfort and struggle to encourage critical thinking and experimentation but not so difficult that participants turn away or give up in frustration. If you aren't sure whether your challenge fits these criteria, consider piloting it (in a safe space) with a group of willing participants.

3: Preparation for Discomfort. Communicate a clear expectation that this experience is intentionally designed to be difficult and that it will require participants to dig in and think differently. You want to knock someone a bit off kilter with the challenge but not catch them off guard or unprepared. Prepare them for what is to come and then give them the space to live in the discomfort.

4: Adequate Support Resources. To ensure your challenge doesn't end in frustration, it is critical to provide adequate support at the right times. Are there resources available that participants can use to solve problems on their own? Is a facilitator available as a guide when and if someone becomes really stuck or overwhelmed? You want participants to use their struggle to dive in and work to solve the problems (it shouldn't be too easy, that's not disorienting), but not give up in frustration.

5: A Really Good Debrief. Debriefing the challenge with questions designed to help participants draw conclusions, create meaning, and come to new realizations is the master key in the use of transformative learning strategy. It's what "unlocks" and solidifies the learning and mindset shift. The reflective debrief may happen once at the end of the experience or several times throughout for more complex topics. Carefully and thoughtfully craft the questions you will ask and show up with your curiosity hat intact. Guide participants to arrive at new conclusions.

6: Create the Conditions Whereby. If you follow guidelines 1-5, you will have created the conditions whereby transformative learning can occur, but they aren't a guarantee for every person. Some people won't agree to be pushed into discomfort, even with a gentle, safe, and supportive approach. They'll disengage or ride along until others come to the needed realizations and leave it at that. If this happens to all participants, you will want to revisit your design. But, if a few won't travel the road to transform, it's likely not your fault. Transformative learning requires engagement from the participants to work.