Living and learning

Today we ran a session on learning styles for a group of communicators. Great fun.  The theorists told us why they loved models and hated 'but what's the point?' exercises. The activists protested that any kind of activity where they got to play and didn't have to listen to long explanations was just fine with them. The reflectors wanted more time to think about it what worked for them. And the pragmatists wanted to know how they could actually apply all this in the workplace.

If you've never done Peter Honey's Learning Styles questionnaire, it's well worth giving it a try. Basically, you answer a series of questions and it tells you how you prefer to learn, and what types of learning are likely to drive you mad or stress you out.

As one participant said today, suddenly it all makes sense why two people can come out of the same activity with one person thinking it was fantastic and the other thinking it was pointless and badly managed. It also helps you realise some people learn better by staying quiet. They're listening, thinking, processing.  They won't thank you for helpfully dragging them into the limelight and insisting that you KNOW they have some fantastic examples to share - right now. Ask them later when they've had time to form an opinion.

Liam and I have different styles (surprise!). Liam's an activist and a theorist. I'm a reflector and a pragmatist. I barely register as having any preference at all for active learning. Back when I was doing my coaching training, the words I absolutely dreaded were 'tag coaching'. One person would sit in the middle of the group, someone would be picked to start coaching them, and then others would be picked at random to run in, tag the current coach and take over. Hmm. Stick me in front of 25 people and make me attempt to use a skill I don't yet possess, with absolutely no chance to prepare. My favourite. I hated it with a passion and practically had to be tipped off my chair to make me do it.

If you don't yet know your preferred learning style, here's a chance to learn something new about yourself. Let us know how you get on.

Sue

PS I have been given the bridal suite in our conference centre! I have a whirlpool bath, fluffy cream chairs, leopard print throws, a gold cupid hanging above my rather large bed, and ... wait for it ... bride and groom teddy bears to keep me company!! Unfortunately somebody seems to have made a start on the champagne in the fridge, but hey, you can't have everything ...

Comments

[Fiona Gibson]

Pragmatist all the way. Sue, couldn't agree more about that exercise they made you do - my blood runs cold just thinking about it. I like to think of myself as a practical theorist - I like the models but I need to know how I can use them. And that's all I need to know!

Fiona

[Peter Brill]

Yup, standing in front of a group of eager communicators, all with different learning styles and personality types is a scary place to be. The hardest thing I find is not viewing particular responses as personal. The student/delegate continually giving me a hard time is probably only an activist trying to maximise their learning opportunity. The one who hardly speaks all day, but gives me glowing feedback never ceases to amaze me, but hey, they're just a reflector doing their thing. Often hard as a tutor to remember, but that's just part of the challenge.

One final question Sue - did the room come with a spare groom??!

[Sue]

@Fiona - I find it quite amusing pairing up the pragmatists and theorists. The pragmatists are fine with models ... as long as they work through how they can practically use them. The theorists are fine with practical stuff ... as long as they can see how it relates back to a concept/model/bigger picture.

Actually I also found on the Peter Honey site a trainer styles questionnaire. I came out a total pragmatist on that one. In fact I read all the indicators afterwards and thought 'scary - that is SO me'! Think I'd better get myself a bigger range!

@ Peter, agree with you absolutely. From a trainer perspective, I guess the lesson from learning styles is that you can't please all of the people all of the time.

And as to your final question - no it didn't, now you come to mention it. Perhaps I should have mentioned it on the feedback form ...!