How do you tailor feedback and coaching to different staff learning styles and preferences?

There is no evidence whatsoever that adapting teaching or coaching to these alleged learning styles achieves anything other than pigeonholing people into a category. People have different preferences depending on motivation, method, subject, time of day… The learning styles myth was debunked a long time ago. This is what happens when you let AI write an article without an expert checking the result. AI can be helpful and can be the starting point of an overview, but not the unchecked end product.

A combination of learning styles at any given time throughout a learning and teaching journey can be valuable to help the learner assimilate information and apply learning to assessment. At Pearson (when I worked there) their Revel product was particularly effective as it broke down heavy ebook chapters with embedded interactive activities with instant feedback and grading to check learning and understanding in bite-sized chunks. Of course there may be learners who can read an entire book, quite quickly and then perform well in any assessment relating to it but for someone like me with a limited concntration span the Revel approach would have been most beneficial for cementing knowledge and learning.

This is so helpful to consider when planning learning activities for staff teams. I find many organizations I work with want to "empower" managers (subject matter experts) to "train" staff teams, but they often don't have any training design skills or specific knowledge on learning styles and how to ensure their training hots all the necessary spots. If subject matter experts want to deliver training, at the very least, give them proper training so that they understand learning styles and how to create activities which work for people with different learning needs!

Having recently managed a team of 8 business development professionals, all at very different stages of their careers and with varying personality types the above statement definitely rings true to me. The one thread that united the team was theeir positive response to feeling supported and encouraged at all times even in a situation whereby the feedback might not be positive. By framing the feedback in such a way that the individual can see a constructive way to improve, in partnership working with myself other internal colleagues, the progress of the individual and team was notable.

One thing that helped me to develop as a manager was learning that the written word can always be possibly misconstrued or taken in the wrong way so in terms of delivering anything that may be perceived negatively I find that dialogue first with an individual, to have a positively focused discussion when something needs raising, followed by something in writing which summarises the points discussed is the best process to follow (if anything needs documenting in writing). If the feedback is to be positive, there is less of a need to follow this process, i.e congratulating someone on an excellent project or performance, and via email/chat/text etc which is less likely to be misconstrued in writing by the recipient.

And, while coaching focused on the individual's growth, be sure to highlight and connect to how individual growth is linked to organizational improvement.

All of the above is applicable to any individual or team scenario and can be well received particularly if you relate it to your own experiences as you've developed yourself over time. Linking the improvement of a skill directly to an individual's personal career objectives or explaining clearly why it is important in the context of their role and the company's overarching goals when implemented is key.

It's important to inquire about the cognitive load people are carrying in general. Where do they experience tension, joy, and pieces that they can celebrate? It's also important for coaches to ask themselves: "Am I supporting growth? Or am I just suggesting solutions?"

Start with good questions that explore rather than inform. Knowing your people is first, then you can learn more about what works best for them and can unlock growth and learning that comes from deeper reflection of what's in front of them.

The feedback and coaching cycle also increase self-awareness. Can employees identify their own areas for growth? In what ways are these areas aligned with organization-level improvement?

As an individual, repeated bad approaches to giving me feedback only drew me further into a shell of silence over time. Developing an indivudual's sense and feeling of worth and belonging through ongoing coaching and underpinned by positive reinforcement increases their engagement with the team, the role, the vision and purpose of the company and mutual trust across the team including with the leadership of the organisation.