How do you learn best? - Leadership Questions #7
Maximize the return of investment on learning resources for your direct reports and yourself
Question
When thinking about learning new skills, do you have any preference in terms of medium? What’s the most productive way of learning for you personally?
Answers
Examples from my career
Asking a dyslexic team member: Reading books was next to impossible for them. Luckily, audiobooks exist, and so does an ever-growing list of free resources on YouTube.
Asking a friend I was coaching: He shared a preference for real-world practice over consuming video content. Written material was rated lower, but not disregarded.
When another friend was coaching me: I responded that I learn amazingly well by vocalizing whatever content I consumed previously. I also retain information better when writing things down in my own words. I don’t seem to have a preferred medium for learning as I generally enjoy podcasts, books, role plays, community immersion, and other ways of learning.
Examples from popular media
The following examples are taken from Peter Drucker’s Managing Oneself HBR classic.
Learning by taking extensive notes: Beethoven used countless sketchbooks as he composed, but never actually looked at them after. “If I don’t write it down immediately, I forget it right away. If I put it into a sketchbook, I never forget it and I never have to look it up again.”
Learning by talking: A successful CEO had a weekly habit of calling in his entire senior staff. He would talk at them for hours, raising policy issues and arguing various positions. He rarely asked for comments or questions, because he just needed an audience to hear himself talk.
Examples from the community
Got thoughts or additions? Drop a comment or slide into my DMs - share openly or anonymously. Let's chat! ✌
Be mindful
Some people only think they know how they learn best. Trust their answers while keeping an eye on the results of their learning efforts.
High-quality learning resources are generally rare. Everyone should consider all mediums instead of having a “Books are a no-go for me!” equivalent mindset (some people do).
Source
I’m unsure where I heard this first, as I included this question in my Career Conversations framework a few years ago. My first instinct led me to Drucker’s Managing Oneself, but I read that after I held my Career Conversations in this format.
There are people, like Churchill, who learn by writing. Some people learn by taking copious notes. Beethoven, for example, left behind an enormous number of sketchbooks, yet he said he never actually looked at them when he composed.
Drucker, Peter F., Managing Oneself, 2008, page 15
