Gwyn ap Harri

July 6, 2022

How to teach complex concepts that stick

In these last few months, I have never learnt so much. To teach adults how to lead, I have had to dig extremely deep into what it means to be human. I’m glad that, for now, my head is back out of the rabbit hole.

But I have almost drove myself mad as well as my friends, colleagues and family as I wonder around with balloons, ‘hello fresh’ recipe cards, a half dollar coin and a rubrik’s cube… like a crazy but shit party magician…

You’ve got to go there to come back, and I am writing it all down to share eventually in one way or another, but I thought - why not put at least something out - just so I can at least stop thinking about it now…

So, here is my solution to Rubik’s cube.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/153br-_7YqFjv2iUElAapLiHIIXx1V-bxNz6G3W_QnC8/edit

Why the hell would I want to learn how to solve Rubik’s Cube I here you say!? I could do it in the 80s, but now I’ve forgotten I here you say!? EXACTLY!!!

When we teach complex concepts, we want them to stick. Turns out, we can do it in totally the same way we look at empowering leadership.

For the record, my wife and I went for a weekend in Hornsea, stopping at my in-laws caravan. How could I make it more dull than it already was? Well, I left my phone at home - no internet whatsoever - and I picked up the cube. How could I solve the cube without following any instructions…? While my wife was sleeping (she sleeps a lot…), I started rattling the cube. It had secrets in it, and I wanted to get at them.

My solution is like no other I’ve ever seen. One move, one concept. That’s it. I used three concepts that I am using to teach and learn how to lead adults:
  • Simplification
  • Start with why
  • Smoothly unfolding sequences

I’d like to thank and recognise Greg Bryant and Christopher Alexander and Simon Sinek and everyone who has recognised beauty in simplicity.

Simple is hard. Anyone can make anything more complicated.

Now, brain… …please rest.

Gwyn

About Gwyn ap Harri

Hi, nice to meet you! My name is Gwyn ap Harri - thanks for dropping by and showing some interest in this stuff. I am the CEO of XP School Trust, a group of schools in the UK that allow kids to express who they are through their work. I am also the CEO of realsmart, an edtech company that empowers us to learn more and learn it faster.

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