Redefining “Learning”

All these business development and marketing seminars are great, but…

During the first week of December, I attended a 5 day live seminar delivered by Eben Pagan and Wyatt Woodsmall on “Advanced Learning and Teaching” technologies.

I am a lifelong learner, as well as a coach and teacher — so I’m always up for great new strategies on how to learn and teach better.

I got those in SPADES at this event!  I left after five days with a huge headache – but it was the good kind, the kind you get when you’ve had so many new, powerful ideas implanted in a short time that it feels like your brain is expanding in real time to make room.

If you’re a lifelong learner, a coach, a speaker, a trainer, consultant or teacher as well, then stay tuned.  I’m going to wander through my notes and write a series of posts to share with you the biggest ideas that I learned, and hopefully expand your current ideas and paradigms.

Let’s start with this…”to know” does not necessarily mean “to have learned”.

Here’s what I mean…

I used to think that learning consisted of receiving, and understanding, new information.

Now, however, I do not consider that I have learned until my behavior changes as a result of that new information, understanding, or insight.

Here’s a few real-life examples that come to mind…

I manage my own investments and, over the years, have received a lot of information about “when to sell” an investment, and distilled it into a set of criteria.

It’s happened more than once though, that an investment meets my sell criteria, but I don’t sell.  So have I really learned when to sell?

Before, I would have said yes. But now, I realize that I have all the information, but I didn’t actually learn from it because it did not cause my “buy and hold” behavior to change.  (i.e., I learned that buy and hold strategy too well!)

Here’s another small example…

On my way home from the seminar, I checked in at the United Airlines Counter at LAX only to be told that the flight was operated by Air Canada, and I had to check in at the other terminal.

I did this very same thing each of the last three times I departed LAX to fly back to Toronto in the last few months.

Interestingly, each time I did this, the agent informed me that Expedia (where I booked my flight) does not always indicate that the flight’s being operated by Air Canada on their tickets.

And yet, each time, I went to the UA checkin only to be turned away and told again that AC operates these UA flights.

Notice: I received the information. I understood it. I could even say “I knew” that AC operated these flights.

But…since I did not change my behavior, I did not learn.

Next time, when I first go online or call to confirm that my flight is operated by AC and go to the correct terminal to check in, I can say I learned it.

The implications are profound and affect all parts of our lives.  It’s a new way of looking at when:

• Our children have learned that new subject at school.
• We have learned that new marketing strategy.
• Our clients and students have learned what we’re teaching them.
• We learned how to manage our investments.
• We learn what being healthy really means.
• We learn what is most important in our lives.
• … and so much more.

Here’s the distinction: acquiring new information is not learning until your behavior changes as a result of acuiring it.

If you’re a lifelong learner, or a coach, teacher, trainer, speaker, etc., this has big implications.

As a student, you now go beyond just accumulating information.  You can ask how to change your behavior so you learn what’s most important to you.

As a teacher (coach, speaker, consultant .. etc), if we truly intend for my students to learn what we teach, then we will provide more than information: we will provide a context that inspires, motivates and supports our students and clients to change their behavior in the real world.

I’ll share some specific models for creating transformative learning in follow up posts in this series — stay tuned.

For now, I wold appreciate your comments.  Would you let me know if you “get this”, and how that will change your behavior – in your life and/or in your work – in 2009?