Information asymmetry contributes to the stress on grades as signals in decision making processes. Good grades signal an ability to learn, and that is one of many qualities for which colleges and employers are looking. However, grades are not the only sign, and in fact once grades are deemed good enough, many factors will trump them in determining success.
Therefore, we must examine what we believe success to be, and, once you have signaled you have enough ability to learn, what really determines success.
CHARACTER DETERMINES SUCCESS
Character traits such as grit, curiosity, teamwork, oral communication and creativity are non-cognitive abilities that are not tested and reflected in report cards. These traits can help you get good grades. But they are not only useful in solving convergent problems, but also addressing the entirety of divergent problems and solutions in the real world.
In the classroom, success is determined by a student’s ability to take converge to the right answer. In the real world, information is not clear. It comes from all different locations. The answers to real world problems are more divergent. There are thousands of solutions.
We must have a certain level of cognitive intelligence and ability to learn. Clearly, good grades signal this ability. Success requires so much more. Success requires the ability to communicate complex ideas to a diverse team of people, relentlessly pursue solutions, and explore possibilities beyond current knowledge.
When grades can reflect all these non-cognitive abilities, then they might hold more weight towards determining success.
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
The narrow path of success is a concept we’ve discussed in our blog before. It is one story of success. But in fact, there are unlimited possibilities when it comes to success. Most of the media paints a very consumer-centric view of success, and so that is often all that our children hear.
I cannot define success for you. The very script we are examining, “grades are important in life and grades determine success,” leaves out one important distinction. What do you want and how do you define success? Success is a personal endeavor, and if we don’t take time to step back and ask ourselves what we hope to accomplish in this life, we will never be content. Too often, we leave decisions up to others. But I charge you to ask yourself: what you want out of life? What would success look like for you? Realize that it is conscious decision, and that it is your individual vision that will lead to success.
