How To Help Yourself and Others Learn

What else are you learning about today?

It's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on our professional specialty. We feel pressed for time and, perhaps, default to the topic that's related to our immediate job. But is that the best way to get better at it? And, is it even desirable?

Dr. Ellen Weber at Brain Leaders and Learners has shown evidence that brains are not made for repetition. Ellen points out  "... that the brain is not wired to do the same things in the same way. Your brain is not even the same at the end of the day and it changes daily."

More and more, job candidates are asking potential employers, "What will I learn here?" If they don't like the answer they may keep on searching. For leaders, managers, and heads of projects, helping people learn is a critical contribution to both individual and organizational success.

How can you impact learning in your organization? Here are four areas to consider:

Four Effects of Learning

Effect on Curiosity: For every action there's a reaction. When we say or do something, people want time to react to it, talk about it, and understand what it means to them.

Practical Application: Allow time for questions and answers. The give-and-take after you speak is where people actually learn and where they begin to develop an affinity for, and commitment to, the topic. Even if you're an expert, the learning takes place as a result of people wrestling with the information or idea rather than being the recipients of a data dump--no matter how eloquent you may be.

Effect on self confidence: How you deliver and discuss the information impacts how people feel about learning it. People with position power--managers, supervisors, team leaders--all have the ability to build confidence in the learners or create a defensive atmosphere.

Practical Application: Tell the group at the outset that you value their questions and that you hope they'll jump in when they experience an "Aha!" or a "Help me, I don't get it." When someone asks a question, throw it back out to the group to give someone else a chance to form an answer that may be framed in a way different than your own. Thank people whenever they ask a question or offer an answer.

 Effect on motivation: Even as youngsters, we knew who the teachers were who made learning exciting, interesting, and engaging. Why not be the "managerial version" of your best teacher. And remember this: Managers Are The Mediators of Motivation.

Practical Application: Take some time to develop questions and break people into groups to address them; if you're talking about a new marketing approach, give people a block of time to do a concept and present it to the group. You know the content. The time you spend designing the right approach will pay off in engaged learners and, ultimately, effective learning.

Effect on Creativity: Unless you're involved in safety procedures, accounting rules, or a regulatory issue, people want to be able to offer their own "variation on a theme." One of the reasons to bring people together is to capitalize on the collective creativity and varying viewpoints in the room.

Practical Application: Give people latitude to take the discussion in directions that you never thought of. Remember, you're in charge--but to try to be in control will shut down the kind of learning that the group--and you--have an opportunity to experience.

Bonus: When the noise level goes up and people start debating, discussing, and delving into the topic, you've been successful. Let it go until the energy begins to die down. Then, capture the points that they were making with their co-workers and discuss next steps. When learners sit passively, you may feel more relaxed because you feel in control not having to respond to questions or manage the group. What it may really mean is that they aren't engaged, aren't learning, and are waiting "until the bell rings" so they can go back to their workspace.

But that's not all!

Here are some people whose topics and approach will have you looking at your own work from a different perspective:

Valeria Maltoni, the Conversation Agent.

Mr.Creativity Mark McGuinness at Lateral Action.

Contrarian Consulting's Alan Weiss.

Master of design Garr Reynolds and his Presentation Zen.

Drew McLellan at Drew's Marketing Minute.

Comments

[Frode Heimen]

Hi Steve.
I just need to make one short comment:
"Managers Are The Mediators of Motivation"
I came across this the other day: http://betterworldmovement.com/2009/07/Motivation-or-Inspiration/
And the topic made me think (I like it when that happens).

What is Managers Are The Mediators of Inspiration, would that change anything?

And as always a great post. One of the best practical trics in this post is: "When someone asks a question, throw it back out to the group to give someone else a chance to form an answer that may be framed in a way different than your own." - This really do work wonders!

Frode H.

[Mile High Pixie]

I love the sound of my own voice so much that I have to work hard at giving interns a chance to ask questions. However, I recently gave my intern a chance to do some code research for a door schedule on her own. While she didn't find all of the info she was trying to find, she did become more familiar with the codes involved with designing hospitals. It gave her a chance to learn on her own and come back with questions, and questions are a great way to learn about anything.

[Alan Weiss]

Thanks for the kind mention.

[Steve Roesler]

Hi, Frode,

Sure, I would use that "inspiration" expression as well. Good thought.

As for tossing things back out to the group:

I am guilty of forgetting my own advice all too frequently. So I thought about it. It occurred to me that we often feel the need to offer answers as a way to maintain our position in the group, a sense of expertise, or even control. Tossing it back out shows that we value the individual and collective expertise in the room as well as not having the need to "know it all."

It's also a great way to not have to work so hard mentally!

[Steve Roesler]

MHP,

You point out one of the related, but important, benefits of not "knowing it all." When other people have a chance to explore and learn on their own, they can become more satisfied and you can discover what else they need to master. In the meantime, you're able to be working on your own "stuff"!

[Mark McGuinness]

"When the noise level goes up and people start debating, discussing, and delving into the topic, you've been successful. Let it go until the energy begins to die down." Great tip - it can be so tempting to interrupt and get on with the schedule, but it's often better to go with the group's energy, even if that means skimming some of one's own prepared stuff.