Learning and Mildew

#Learningandmildew

What has mildew to do with learning?

We’ll get back to that later…

Often, I start my workshops with the question: “what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word: Learning”

New stuff; Growth; Skills; Development – are the normal responses.

Follow-up question: “How many of you have previously attended a workshop?”

Everyone’s hands go up in the air – most people today by the time they finish college have attended a workshop.

Penultimate question: “How many of you take notes in a workshop”

This time fewer hands (70 % to 80% of the room) go up

Bombshell question: “How regularly do you visit/reflect on the notes you take in the workshop”

Almost no hands go up.

The point: Learning is not only about new stuff. It’s also about not letting the stuff that you already know gather mildew! Learning is about revisiting the old stuff as much as it is about new stuff

Making it happen

But that’s easy to say, how do you make it happen - when the resolve you made to regularly revisit the notes you took (from a workshop, a book, a podcast, etc.) gives way to more seemingly urgent priorities?

Here’s how

Remember the old adage – system drives behavior …

This could apply here too… setting up a simple system or process, will up the probability of revisiting the notes that you took while you were going thru your learning experience:

1.??????Define the problem or opportunity statement for a meeting, public addressal, training, etc

2.??????Refrain from the urge of jumping into the solution or putting together content

3.??????Review book/workshop/podcast notes

4.??????Try using at least 1 idea from your notes in the upcoming critical task - planning your day, creating that review deck or making that sales pitch, etc.