How To Speed Up Learning - Tips To Get You Up To Speed Fast
In business, the ability to quickly get up to speed with topics is a core skill.
But how can you learn it? It's quite simple - a technique called immersion learning.
Generally, immersion is used to teach students a foreign language, but the concepts are applicable no matter what you want or need to learn.
The underpinning philosophy is simple.
Humans are a learning machine - our brains naturally learn and want to learn.
If you want to learn something, provided you have the right learning environment then you will learn it.
It is that simple.
If you go into a learning experience with that philosophy, then you are a long way there.
That is why sending "conscripts" to training is counter-productive.
People need to sign onto the concept that they want to and are willing to learn.
They need to be willing participants.
Fastest learning comes when three things fall into place - thought, word and deed or action.
Training needs to engage the heart and mind and must be experienced.
Traditional learning focuses on just the mind - teaching "stuff" with a little bit of practice thrown in.
This may sound a bit "woo-woo" but unless your heart is engaged in the learning - unless you get an emotional response, or you can "feel" the lesson, then the lesson is not as successful.
With immersion learning, you spend 100% of your time in the foreign language.
You read it, speak it, think it, talk about it, hang out with people who are doing the same thing, and experience it.
You don't take a break from it - as you lose the momentum.
You just leap in and stay the distance.
Think of it like going to live in a foreign country for a time - if you throw yourself into the culture by eating where the locals eat, hanging out where they hang out, trying the language out and doing what the locals do, you get a better understanding of the country and the language than if you drive through on an English speaking tour bus staying in Western hotels eating Western food.
Compare a 7-day immersion in a country with a 7-day tour bus experience.
Who can speak the language better at the end of 7 days? You see if you fully immerse yourself in your industry, business, or thing you want to learn you get up to speed super fast.
In 7 days, you can learn the equivalent of a few years of drip feed study, or mind only study.
That's why I love experiential live in programs so much.
You can really get massive learning happening in a short space of time.
Where can we see examples? Think of reality TV - the Biggest Loser.
Take a group of overweight people and put them in a house together.
Teach them what and how to eat, push them to exercise, challenge their emotions, and get them to focus 100% on losing weight.
What happens? They lose massive amounts of weight.
They are immersed in weight loss.
Immersion as a learning strategy is everywhere.
It works really well for everything from new employee orientation to learning how to internet market.
You just need to learn how to apply it to your industry and your business, be willing to throw yourself in the deep end, commit to taking action, and go in with the philosophy that you can and will learn.
But how can you learn it? It's quite simple - a technique called immersion learning.
Generally, immersion is used to teach students a foreign language, but the concepts are applicable no matter what you want or need to learn.
The underpinning philosophy is simple.
Humans are a learning machine - our brains naturally learn and want to learn.
If you want to learn something, provided you have the right learning environment then you will learn it.
It is that simple.
If you go into a learning experience with that philosophy, then you are a long way there.
That is why sending "conscripts" to training is counter-productive.
People need to sign onto the concept that they want to and are willing to learn.
They need to be willing participants.
Fastest learning comes when three things fall into place - thought, word and deed or action.
Training needs to engage the heart and mind and must be experienced.
Traditional learning focuses on just the mind - teaching "stuff" with a little bit of practice thrown in.
This may sound a bit "woo-woo" but unless your heart is engaged in the learning - unless you get an emotional response, or you can "feel" the lesson, then the lesson is not as successful.
With immersion learning, you spend 100% of your time in the foreign language.
You read it, speak it, think it, talk about it, hang out with people who are doing the same thing, and experience it.
You don't take a break from it - as you lose the momentum.
You just leap in and stay the distance.
Think of it like going to live in a foreign country for a time - if you throw yourself into the culture by eating where the locals eat, hanging out where they hang out, trying the language out and doing what the locals do, you get a better understanding of the country and the language than if you drive through on an English speaking tour bus staying in Western hotels eating Western food.
Compare a 7-day immersion in a country with a 7-day tour bus experience.
Who can speak the language better at the end of 7 days? You see if you fully immerse yourself in your industry, business, or thing you want to learn you get up to speed super fast.
In 7 days, you can learn the equivalent of a few years of drip feed study, or mind only study.
That's why I love experiential live in programs so much.
You can really get massive learning happening in a short space of time.
Where can we see examples? Think of reality TV - the Biggest Loser.
Take a group of overweight people and put them in a house together.
Teach them what and how to eat, push them to exercise, challenge their emotions, and get them to focus 100% on losing weight.
What happens? They lose massive amounts of weight.
They are immersed in weight loss.
Immersion as a learning strategy is everywhere.
It works really well for everything from new employee orientation to learning how to internet market.
You just need to learn how to apply it to your industry and your business, be willing to throw yourself in the deep end, commit to taking action, and go in with the philosophy that you can and will learn.