Individuals and organizations cannot learn perpetually. Managers should be aware that unlearning becomes necessary to discard obsolete and outdated mental models, assumptions, behaviors, or routines. We investigated new product development teams and interviewed change consultants to explore the phenomenon of unlearning in real-life contexts. We particularly focus on examples of cases in which these steps have been used and implemented successfully. In order to make room for new knowledge and foster innovations more efficiently, we identify and suggest four critical steps managers can introduce to help their employees unlearn: creating situational awareness, providing islands of temporal and spatial freedom, encouraging an error-forgiving and stop-doing culture, and reducing the influence of old knowledge over time. Fostering unlearning can prevent rigidity and stagnation while opening up room for innovation. This article adds an important practical dimension to the mainly theoretical ideas in the field of unlearning and provides strong implications for managers and other practitioners.

Why letting go is important

When looking at rituals, traditions, behaviors, or daily routines, we often observe the same phenomenon: Humans are creatures of habit. Leaving our comfort zones is challenging (Govindarajan, 2016) and we usually avoid re-examining what is going well–—especially during times of great success. Although sticking to a proven strategy can be beneficial in many ways, our established mental models and habits might obstruct us from keeping up with the environment. Think about your own business: When was the last time you have critically scrutinized well-proven aspects of your business? Have you asked yourself why companies go bankrupt despite possessing abundant resources to innovate? Are you prepared to tackle future challenges, particularly when they do not unfold the way you expected? Such questions become increasingly relevant. Organizations are situated in dynamic and unpredictable environments; what managers have learned as best practices may suddenly become obsolete. Hence, organizations are required to discard existing mental models, assumptions, beliefs, or routines. The process of intentionally getting rid of established knowledge structures is referred to as unlearning (Tsang & Zahra, 2008). Unlearning becomes essential when we want to adapt to a new situation but some of our knowledge contradicts new ideas.