Tom entered the meeting room, but from his perspective may also have been a jail cell. He was a prisoner in his own day's work. Why? The PowerPoint slide projected on the screen said it all. "Welcome to our training." Refresher training may be necessary for some people, but Tom knew all this stuff .. . but the training is mandatory. It also had a desk full of work most important. He himself told how this stupid policy of mandatory training was, he hated to attend training courses on things he knew.
Mary asked her supervisor to participate in the training of coaching skills to be provided by the company. The problem was that the coach was not Mary. It was not even a supervisor. You did not see any value in participating in this workshop. All I could think was: "What good is this for me?"
Kat was really excited about the workshop session that had registered for. It was a topic that was interested and wanted to know more about. He saw how mastery of these skills would help them achieve their goals. He arrived early and sat near the front. The problem became clear very soon though. The material was too basic. You already know this stuff! She was disappointed to say the least. He put out his money and time to something that was going to waste both of those things.
I'm guessing that may include at least one and perhaps all the scenarios you just read. These are just some of the obstacles that are common in our way of being the most productive learners, we are forced to be there, we do not see learning as relevant or valuable, and we seem to already know the material.
While these barriers are real, there are things we can do to jump or break these barriers - to make the time invested in these situations more interesting and useful for us. Here are three specific suggestions that will help you in each of these situations and many others.
1. Use the time to review and focus. So you do not want to be there, or feel that you already know the subject. So what? You are there. So be there (and pass themselves)! Rather than have your own party bit 'of love, or be cynical about the material and experience, use the time to review what you know. Use the time as an opportunity to do some 'thinking. Reflect on your experiences with these concepts. Think about ways you can improve what you already know. You can become a valuable resource for other students, or you can learn something new through your reflection. The weather there, use it wisely. Even if what you learn is different from what others are learning, you will have made good use of your time, improve your mood and outlook, and taken something precious from the elapsed time.
2. Look for the nugget. Everyone can learn something new. Maybe you know much of the material being covered. If this is the case, a detective. Look for and find at least a nugget that you forgot, you ceased to apply, or a twist on something they already know well. Often a good nugget will be applied to "pay" for your time invested more times. And without sleuthing, that value is never received.
3. Being a beginner. Remember what it's like when you first learn something new? You are excited, interested and entertained. Once we think we know everything, we stop looking for any evidence to prove ourselves wrong. One of the best ways to eliminate all barriers is to arrive at a situation of learning as a beginner, to ask, "What can I learn?" Zen saying states that well, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the experts mind there are few." Give yourself more options. See the world from a perspective possibilities. Come to the table of learning as a beginner.
These three proposals can have a major impact on value resulting from any learning experience (in class or otherwise). Once you know these strategies and apply these common obstacles to your learning will be a thing of the past. And you'll get more value for all your future learning experiences.
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