Is there a single best method for workplace learning?

Ruth Harrowfield – BA/BSc, MSc Hons, PGDip I/O Psych, PGDip Science (Cl. Psych)

There’s not one special method you need to follow to maximise your learning.

The most effective way to learn is for the method to be based on the subject matter.

Also, learning is improved by combining different modes or activities – e.g. a lecture followed by a discussion in pairs, then a writing activity.

From my experience it’s amazing how many people expect development to happen just by reading a book or listening to a podcast.

If someone is learning a mechanical skill, we know they need hands-on experience, not just a book or a verbal explanation.

So if it’s a communication skill you need to learn, like giving a staff member feedback, you need language-based activities to learn it – i.e. speaking and listening to another person – you won’t learn that skill just by reading about it, or hearing someone else talk about their experiences.

Here’s an exercise for you to try:
💡 Think about the next thing you need to learn to be better in your role.
💡 What activity is most suited to learning it?
💡 Can you think of a couple of different activities that you could combine to really make the learning stick?

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I’m Ruth Harrowfield, and together with my partner Sam, we run Harrowfield People Development, a training agency based in Auckland, New Zealand.

We draw on the disciplines of organisational and behavioural psychology to provide fit-for-purpose training that builds capability and confidence.

We help business leaders to bring out the potential that they see in their people by shaping habits of thinking, communication and action in the workplace. Talk to us today.