It is important to understand the different learning styles of those in your team because this allows you to deliver training solutions in a way that suits each of them best.
This means they will respond to the training better and learn faster.
By understanding the individual learning styles of your team, you will be able to manage each of them more effectively. Personally, I like to learn by being told what I need to know, so I have the chance to ask questions before trying and testing a method myself. I am more engaged in the training when this happens, and I’m firmly in my learning zone. I feel empowered because it feels as if someone knows me and respects my learning preferences.
Today, businesses are using e-learning more and more as their main method of delivering training. This is great if your employees prefer to learn by reading and interacting with technology, but it’s not so great if they don’t. While I understand that e-learning is cost-effective and convenient, it’s important to recognise that it won’t work for everyone. If you have someone on your team who struggles to learn by reading, test them about what they have learnt as soon as possible after the training; otherwise, the key messages may be lost. This is especially relevant if the training has pushed someone into their panic zone (where their thoughts and feelings will be illogical and irrational) or if the training has pushed them into their comfort zone (when they will become bored with the whole learning environment and won’t engage with it at all).
Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles
Everybody has a different personality profile, and the same is true for our learning profile. This is why I use Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles tool. The questionnaire is designed to discover someone’s preferred learning style, and it helps leaders and the team understand their learning preferences. To take the test, each team member has to answer a questionnaire made up of 80 statements quickly. Speed is critical as it is important that they answer with their gut rather than their intellect to prevent them from overanalysing their responses. The questionnaire is available online if you want to use it with your team.
Over the years, you have probably developed learning habits. These habits lead you to benefit more from some learning experiences than others. Since you are probably unaware of your habits, the questionnaire will help you pinpoint your learning preferences so that you are in a better position to select learning experiences that suit your natural style. For now, let’s explore the four different learning styles identified by Honey and Mumford in more detail.
Activists
Activists involve themselves fully and without bias in new experiences. They enjoy the here and now and are happy to be dominated by immediate experiences. They are open-minded and unlikely to be sceptical, so they are often enthusiastic about anything new. Their philosophy is, “I’ll try anything once.” They dash in where others tend to hold back and throw caution to the wind in the process. Their days are filled with activity. They revel in short-term crises(crisis?) and fire-fighting, and they tackle problems by brainstorming. As soon as the excitement from one activity has died down, they are busy looking for the next. They tend to thrive on the excitement of new experiences and get bored when it comes to implementation and longer-term consolidation. They are gregarious and enjoy it when they are constantly interacting with others. This means they tend to hog the limelight. They are the life and soul of the party and seek to focus all activities around themselves.
How to communicate with an Activist
When communicating with an activist, keep things brief. So be bright and be gone. Make sure you don’t give them a lot of detail and allow them to experience the moment, so they get the chance to learn from their mistakes and experiences by trying something new, testing it out for themselves and coming to their own conclusions. After the learning experience, have a quick de-brief with them about what went well what didn’t go so well and then let them try again. You will know you have an activist in your team because they are like whirlwinds in the office, constantly moving from one thing to another. They frequently multitask and will often have numerous applications open on their computer.
Reflectors
Reflectors like to stand back and think about experiences. They prefer to look at situations from many different perspectives, collect data (both firsthand and from elsewhere) and chew over what they learn thoroughly before coming to any conclusions. They like to ensure they have a complete collection of data before beginning their analysis, so they tend to postpone reaching conclusions for as long as possible. Their philosophy is to be cautious, leave no stone unturned, and ‘look before you leap’. They like to ‘sleep on it’ rather than taking immediate action. They are thoughtful people who like to consider all possible angles and implications before making a move. They prefer to take a back seat in meetings and discussions because they enjoy observing others in action. They listen deeply and like to understand a discussion before pitching in with their own opinions. They tend to adopt a low profile and have a slightly distant, tolerant, unruffled air about them. When they act, it is part of a wider picture that takes account of the past and the present and their own observations.
How to communicate with a Reflector
When communicating with a reflector, allow them time to think. Silence is powerful, and this silence will be comforting and empowering for a reflector. They will feel that you are allowing them the time they need to consider their thoughts and responses, which feels very respectful for a reflective learner. Ask to see their reflective journal because it will be full of insights into their thoughts, feelings and actions. They will feel good that you have taken time out to share their experiences. Don’t get frustrated that they take a back seat, instead ask for their opinion 24 hours after an event. This is when they will be able to share their true thoughts because they will have had time to ‘sleep on it’. Remember this phrase as it’s a good one to use with a reflective learner.
Theorists
Theorists adapt and integrate their observations into complex but logically sound theories. They think problems through in a vertical step-by-step and rational way. They assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories. They tend to be perfectionists who won’t rest until things are tidy and fit into their ordered scheme. They like to analyse and synthesise data. They are keen on basic assumptions, principles, theoretical models and enjoy system-based thinking. Their philosophy prizes rationality and logic, and their theory is, “If it’s logical, it’s good”. Questions they frequently ask are, “Does it make sense?”, “How does that fit with that?”, “What are the basic assumptions here?” They tend to be detached, analytical and dedicated to rational objectivity rather than anything subjective or ambiguous. Their approach to problems is consistently logical. This is their ‘mental set’, and they rigidly reject anything that doesn’t fit with it. They prefer to maximise certainty and feel uncomfortable with subjective judgements, lateral thinking and anything flippant.
How to communicate with a Theorist
The most effective way to communicate with a theorist is to ask lots of questions to explain the theory about someting and how it works in practice. You have to be prepared to go into detail with these types of learners. You will also need to clarify and summarise key points to be on the same page. Don’t be surprised if you have a detailed and fully-formed action plan after speaking with a theorist. Imagine if you were an activist in a team of theorists. You might want someone giving you information to be brief, be bright and be gone but the theorists could be there checking the facts for hours! How frustrating would that be? If it happened to you, how would you manage your state? However, you might like to think about how useful a theorist could be in your team, especially if you were naturally an activist.
Pragmatists
Pragmatists are keen on trying out new ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice. They positively seek out innovative ideas and like to take the first opportunity to experiment with new applications. They are the sort of people who return from management courses brimming with ideas that they want to try out in practice. They like to get on with things, so they tend to act quickly and confidently on ideas that attract them. They don’t like ‘beating around the bush’ and tend to be impatient with ruminating and open-ended discussions. They are essentially practical, down to earth people who like making decisions and solving problems. They respond to problems and opportunities ‘as a challenge’. Their philosophy is, “there is always a better way” and “if it works, it’s good”.
How to communicate with a Pragmatist
When communicating with a pragmatist, focus on the experience. Ask questions like, “What have you learnt?”, “How will you implement this learning?” and “When will you implement the learning?” When they return from a learning experience, they will just want to get on with the job, so you will see action as well as reflection. As long as a pragmatist thinks the way they want to do something will positively impact, they will implement what they know. If they are in any doubt, they will look for another way to achieve and deliver a result.
Learning from the learning styles
Which of the learning style profiles resonate most with you?
What have you learnt about yourself and your team just from this brief introduction to the learning styles outlined here?
Would it surprise you if I told you I was predominantly a Pragmatist/Activist according to the Honey and Mumford Learning Styles test?
You can probably see now how this influences me in deciding to take on challenges. For me, taking on a challenge is exciting.
What opportunities have you accepted that fit with your own learning profile, and how has your own learning preference influenced the way you approached the task?