You may be aware of the learning styles according to Neurolinguistic Programming:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Kinaesthetic
- Audio Digital
These are great to know for yourself and your team to ensure you make the most of your training opportunities.
What I discovered in the past few weeks though, is that there is another layer to our learning styles.
Disclaimer: this is coming from my experience and I have not researched this yet, so let’s call it a discussion.
One of my clients, we’ll call her Abigail, was commenting about how one of her team members did not access the training provided in their resource library.
Abigail kept redirecting the team member to the library and was frustrated because she expected the team member to be an independent learner.
In other words, help yourself to the training, which I might add had been prepared to cater for all learning styles above. There were videos, written instructions, verbal instructions and do it yourself instructions. Audio Digital is more about making lists in your own mind, so of course there were checklists to follow.
“I don’t understand Shirley, how come she won’t sit down and learn by herself. She is constantly interrupting other team members and asking questions, when the answers are there in the procedures”, questioned Abigail.
Hmmm. This reminded me of another conversation I had recently had with another client, we’ll call Joseph. Joseph had wanted he and I to enrol in a training course together.
I mentioned to Joseph that the course was digital and we had to learn at our own pace.
He didn’t like the sound of that.
“I want a facilitator”, he said. “I want to be taught.”
I shared this with Abigail.
“OMG! That’s right”, she said.
“She wants to be taught and I don’t have the time or resources to enable 1:1 training. I need independent learners.”
This got me thinking about my own learning style in terms of whether I prefer to learn on my own or be taught. For me, it doesn’t really matter because I just love learning.
However, I can see that it does make a difference to some.
How about you? How about your team?
Are you an independent learner or do you need to be taught by someone. Do you need a facilitator to interact with?
It’s a great concept to look at in your organisation. Whilst you may have been paying attention to the V.A.K. styles of learning, now might be a good time to go a little deeper and look to whether your team are independent learners or needing a facilitator, and if needing a facilitator, how you might be able to accommodate that.
As I ponder this, it also helps explain to me how much value our Leading Yourself and Leading Others experience is because it is fully facilitated by me, over 4 intensive days, plus follow up 1:1 coaching sessions and a mastermind session.
The online Practical Leadership membership is a different story. There’s over 3 years worth of content there and I notice that some members don’t access the content, yet they show up for the twice monthly group coaching/mastermind calls.
It’s a fascinating topic and something I want to learn more about because my mission is to inspire, educate and support you to be, do, have and feel what you want. To that end, if I’m educating you, it’s to both our benefit to know your learning style.
Something for you to think about over the Christmas New Year period. Wishing you all the very best for the festive season. No breaks here, the Weekly Thoughts will continue.
Merry Christmas.
P.S. EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT for our February 2023 Leading Yourself and Leading Others Experience ends on 31st December, 2022. Save yourself up to $1500. If you’re thinking about enrolling, do it before the 31st December. Click the link for more information https://shirleydalton.com/leading-yourself-leading-others-may2020/
