Leadership keynote speaker, Peter Druker in his book, Managing Oneself, asserts that people learn better by either reading information or by listening to it. Cultivating a deeper understanding of your best learning style will help you bring your best self to work.
Today we consume more information than ever before. We also have so many more options on how we want to digest information.
We can watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, read books on Kindle, and more. With so many more options, it helps to know how you best learn. Druker suggests that you are always predominantly a listener or a reader. Instead of fighting this inborn tendency, embrace it as a strength.
KNOWING HOW YOU PROCESS INFORMATION IS CRITICAL TO SUCCESS:
Readers- tend to learn by reading information first before they act (or move others to action). They assimilate the written word better than they would otherwise, hearing it out loud.
Readers prompted by vocal cues may miss key points, misunderstand the context and proceed with trepidation because they don't grasp the message. For readers in a lecture setting, it's best to write the information down so that you can read it later.
Also, readers may not be good listeners, so they will need to stretch their listening skills. If possible, ask people to write things down for you to read and remind yourself later.
Listeners - grasp concepts best by hearing them presented out loud. Verbally consuming information helps them understand it better. Listeners may struggle with the written word; they may skip over crucial details and miss the overall message.
Listeners can find value in reading ideas out loud so they can hear them from their voices.I have adapted this vital concept to my learning style. For instance, I learn best by listening, so I find YouTube Videos or Podcasts are a great way to consume information.
LEADERSHIP HACK
Leaders can help others understand important information by adjusting to their teams' styles of learning. Remember to provide information using both written material and verbally. Thus, you could send an email to a reader, and you could personally remind someone who is a listener.
Studies show that sales professionals are more likely listeners. I find sales professionals love motivational speeches because they enjoy listening. If you are a leader with a group of most listeners, you want to keep your team motivated and informed with short meetings. The group will learn best through verbal cues.
HOW DO YOU LEARN?
Leadership speaker Peter Druker suggests we learn by writing, reading, or speaking.
Writers don't learn by listening or reading, but by writing things down. Writers typically don't fare well in school because the traditional education system teaches through lectures and reading, not by writing.
Readers thrive on consuming the written word. When ideas are written, they make sense and flow. To enhance learning, readers can take notes from a lecture, so they can read and make sense of it later.
Some learn by Speaking or listening; they need to present their ideas out loud to make sense of them. For instance, my best insights come from talking things through with people. I also know I need to assimilate information by reading it out loud. Listeners tend to be visual, so I also write data in a mind map format instead of merely writing words out.
As a keynote speaker, I write my speeches with a Mind Map, and I perform out loud to myself many times before I speak.
Understanding how you learn is the easiest way to focus on your strengths. Do not try to change yourself; instead, work to enhance your strengths. Reinforce learning by taking the medium it is presented ( written, verbal, etc.) and reinforce it with your learning style.
Leaders can ask, what should I know about how you like to receive information? Next, adjust to their learning style.
