Have you ever thought: “Why does everyone seem to know this but me?” Most of us have been in situations where others were picking up on things much more quickly and our self-esteem was eroding fast.
But before the self-esteem slips away completely, we need to stop and remind ourselves that everyone learns differently. Rather than blaming yourself for not learning “like everyone else,” try instead to begin profiling how you learn best.
Learning out loud
How do you absorb information? For example, you may love to pore over this newsprint in complete silence, perfectly absorbed. Someone else may be happiest reading a little, talking about it, then reading more.
Similarly, some may savor the opportunity to work alone, and collect information and reflect on their discoveries. Others would be happiest in situations where there is much sharing of knowledge in conversation or meetings. It’s true that people are not just trying to annoy us; this really is one key difference in how we can best learn.
Physical environment
What context makes it easiest for you to concentrate to learn? Do you prefer absolute quiet or some level of background noise, even music? More and more offices have modular or open spaces that are great for some people and very challenging for others. Do you feel energized or distracted by bright and cheerful colors? Or do you not even notice? Take note of the best work environment for you, even if you can’t have it all the time.
Social context
What happens to you in competitive situations? Do you love being able to achieve a noticeable edge over others by learning new things? That is, you feel most stimulated when you or your team is given recognition or other rewards for picking up new information. Or, does competition shut down your learning? Some people are happiest in situations where learning allows them to cooperate and connect with others, such as in teaching and mentoring roles.
Situations are seldom without some aspect of both competitive and cooperative goals, but what is best for your learning? If you are competitive, if possible, create a prize to try to win while learning and working. And if you are cooperative, perhaps find a partner, or teach someone else so you can learn better yourself.
Natural styles
We all latch onto some types of information more easily than others. Examine what works best for you and try to incorporate your natural style into your working life.
Are you a numbers person, someone for whom the facts say it all? Or do you need to see beyond the practical details and first get the big picture before anything else will make sense?
When explaining an idea to someone else, are you inclined to try to draw a picture or flow chart, even if it’s on a cocktail napkin, thinking they would need to understand it in the same way you would?
Are you a doer? Would you rather jump in play with new software than go to a class or read the manual? Do you like to listen to lectures and audiotapes? Do you read books? Do you enjoy researching on the Internet but would never set foot in a library?
It’s true we can’t always shape situations to perfectly match our profile of how we best learn. But knowing as much as you can about personal learning styles will be valuable for preserving self-esteem and maximizing learning efforts.
Recognize, too, that there are others around you with different learning profiles who will need to do the same.
