I'm keen to get staff into the mindset of learning before they come into the training room or start an eLearning course. My thoughts for a 'How to Learn' guide are:
- Think about why you're coming along. What do you want to get out of it? What do you want to do differently?
- Talk to your manager and discuss how you will apply what you learn and how your performance will be measured.
- Take notes that are relevant to you - anything important that will help you apply the learning back in your job.
- Contribute to the session. The more you put in, the more you'll get out.
- Consider your own learning style. We all learn differently - knowing your preferred style will help you tune in.
- Write an action list and share it with your manager. Review it every two weeks and at your 1:1
- Use it or lose it! It can take a while for an adult to 'unlearn' one behaviour and adapt another. Keep practising and learning.
Even typing it, it seems very dry and full of 'trainer talk'! Any suggestions, hints, tips that you can share with me?
2 Responses
How about
Rather than have a list of "instructions" that will be mostly ignored…
How about…
Before each learning event have a sequence of "must do’s" that are sent out in small chunks, 1 a week from about a month before the event.
After the event do the same for a month or 2 and build these into your performance review process.
Design a competency framework in the form of a pie chart that will highlight areas that are improving and need attention.
Being able to "see" your own progress in the form of a chart is much more engaging than a list of 1 size fits all learning commandments.
Good luck
Good start
I like your list. it’s a good start. Similar points are reflected in this blog by my friend: http://www.power-hour.co.uk/trainingblog/read_53434/to-all-adult-learners.html
I also think that helping people to understand the learning cycle and their learning style and how to get the most out of it is helpful too – as long as people don’t see this as being given permission to ‘opt out’ of certain aspects of learning. Good training (of course) caters to all learning styles, but the most important things is to ensure that people don’t simply rely on ‘the event’… what happens before and after is just as important. the sad tale of Del the delegate tells us that!