Learning styles are interesting things. While often discussed within the context of children in the classroom, the fact is that learning doesn’t (or shouldn’t!) end with graduation, and the distinction of learning styles shouldn’t be ignored in adulthood. To be honest, I was probably in my thirties before I fully understood how much of a visual learner I am. Once I figured that out, I stopped wasting time trying to understand things in a non-visual way. What’s interesting is that it was my journey as a parent, not as a professional, that taught me so much about learning in a professional setting.
My husband and I have four children and there is no doubt they all came from the same gene pool – they have so many similarities! But as each of them progressed through school, I learned that despite all their likenesses, they each had a unique learning style. My challenge as a parent was twofold. On the one hand, I had to help the kids understand how they each learn best and how they could adapt to instructors with different teaching styles, especially those who did not communicate in a way that was effective for that particular child. On the other hand, I had to try to explain to their teachers how diverse my kids were – to articulate how each child learned best, and that he might need something different than his older sibling. I eventually understood that the best students academically are usually those with multiple learning styles – they can learn from just about any teacher. And the mark of truly great teachers is their ability to teach effectively to many different learning styles, which often means teaching the same concept in several different ways.
In recent decades, successful organizations have come to understand the importance of bringing a diverse group of people together on a team. There is incredible value specifically from the differences in thought and the variety of experiences within that team. When we bring such variety to the table, we maximize the opportunity to examine more possibilities, talk through more options, and come to better solutions. Our brains are all wired differently. We process information differently. Our life experiences give us different perspectives. We all approach and solve problems differently. And in all likelihood, we learn differently, too.
Learning should never end in the classroom. For any organization to thrive, learning must be constant. Clearly, individual learning is critical, but the importance of learning from others and through others’ experiences cannot be overstated. (In many ways, it is exponentially faster as well.) Learning from and with those that learn differently than you do – be it in a conference room, a huddle room, or a boardroom – brings great value. When you are leading an organization or group, and you want to maximize the value of each individual, consider that the synergy of conversation, discussion, and even the occasional argument is where the richness of diverse learning styles, thoughts, and experiences shines through. A well-designed collaborative meeting can achieve the learning needs of the 65% of the population that are primarily visual learners and the 30% that are aural learners – and probably pick up the verbal learners and some kinesthetic learners, too.
The ability to accommodate different learning styles within your team and to maximize individual learning curves can dramatically expedite problem-solving, contributing to faster growth and increased profitability. To facilitate rapid learning among a diverse group is, in my opinion, one of the most significant characteristics of a great leader. I am incredibly thankful to my four kids for everything I learned about learning, as a parent, as an entrepreneur, and as an executive.
Anne Bain is the Head of Accounting at One Energy.
