Claire writes: “When have you got enough information to be useful? And when does being a learning junkie actually prevent you from applying what you do know?
I was running a training event on Saturday and, as commonly happens, the delegates wanted more and more data while I was asking them to try out what they knew already! The real learning came once they started using it!
Enough is enough! Too much knowledge can mean that we don’t know what to apply. The greatest learning comes when we have enough to use and then can balance the application of skill and the aquisition of knowledge. That’s what surgeons do. Thank goodness!
So next time you feel yourself becoming a learning junkie, consider the balance of aquisition and application – and when is enough enough. Think about it…”
In what circumstances do people learn most of what they need to be effective? Is it worth investing in training courses? If you manage a budget it would be useful to know the best way to invest in activity that will really make a difference. Lombardo and Eichinger’s 70/20/10 Model said that the odds are that development will be:
- about 70% from on-the-job experiences, tasks, and problem solving (getting our hands dirty and dealing with things)
- about 20% from feedback and from working around good or bad examples of the need (via conversations with more experienced people)
- about 10% from courses and reading
So maybe courses aren’t a good investment? We recognise that development typically begins with a realisation of a need and motivation to do something about it. If you come on any of our courses you will be working on real issues that you want to resolve, and rehearsing real conversations that you need to have. You will be applying what you discover and learn to real situations so that you can approach them with confidence. Feedback from participants tells us that this approach works.
© 2012 3D Coaching Ltd
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