Learning to Learn Better
Humans retain and use surprisingly little of the information presented to us. By some reports, people will have forgotten an average of 50% of the information you present within one hour—losing an average of 90% within a week. Knowledge transfer, or retaining and using new knowledge, is complex. There are many variables involved in whether an individual will retain and use new information, including the learner’s personal characteristics, the workplace environment and whether there is management support for the specific learning, the instructional design and delivery of learning content, and whether the training has job relevance to the learner.Mission Capital recently conducted extensive research into industry trends and best practices to help us better deliver high-quality, impactful learning experiences.The research points to a number of ways to increase knowledge transfer through structure or design elements. Learning how you best learn can help you make the most of professional development opportunities.
Learn by Doing
Research shows that when you “learn by doing” (also known as experiential learning) you come away with a better understanding and immediate direction to implement what you’ve learned. Experiential learning practices include: hands-on or applied learning, action learning, teaching someone else what you’ve learned, and ability to directly apply what you’ve learned to your real life. Learning through interaction with others is increasing in popularity, particularly cohort learning and learning communities. Peer connection and networking are vital in the learning process, as is allowing for learning to happen through groups and peers (e.g., action learning).
Long-View Approach
Distributive practice, or learning over time, ensures that information “sticks.” Training sessions or learning opportunities that span days, weeks or months provide more opportunity to deeply understand and incorporate tactics. It’s also worth noting that the learning doesn’t begin—or stop—with a training session. As painful as it sounds, the idea of “homework” is founded on research. A holistic approach to professional development can include pre-work such as individual assessments or team audits, as well as post-work such as ongoing coaching, mentoring, peer networking groups, alumni groups, and follow-up sessions. In particular, individual goal setting at the end of a training program can promote long-term behavior change. Make sure you set goals for yourself after any learning opportunity to help you develop and use specific strategies.
Team Learning
The research also points to a need for organization-wide learning opportunities, not just individual leader development. To truly build lasting skills that benefit the entire organization, staffers must have support that encourages and reinforces learning together. There is inherent value in focused time as a team to set a course together. The opportunity to sit as a program team, leadership team, development team, and so on, and get structured, guided learning is extremely beneficial to nonprofits looking to make the most effective use of their professional development investments. Our hands-on intensive courses are designed for nonprofit teams of 3-5 staff to receive practical tools and tactics, along with real-time coaching from Mission Capital consultants.
Diversity in Learning
It’s also important to foster diversity in learning styles, recognizing that there’s not a “one size fits all” approach to learning. For example, allowing participants to learn a particular topic through a variety of means such as by writing and talking about it, creating models and demonstrations, role playing, applying their ideas to more complex problems, and constructing projects that require the integration of many ideas. These means have been found to promote deeper learning.
Leadership for All
Leadership development shouldn’t be afforded only to senior leaders or managers—but should be spread throughout an organization. An organization interested in growing its people should have a concerted, multi-faceted leadership development and succession plan internally. Leadership programs work best when they are part of an organization that has a learning culture and when they are aligned with an organization’s strategy. Mission Capital’s research around the Nonprofit Effectiveness Framework supports this. Our Leadership Academies offer opportunities for nonprofit leaders at all levels of their career to grow, develop and lead social change.We’re evolving our offerings to align with these best practices. As a result of this comprehensive assessment and our work with area nonprofits throughout the last decade, you’ll continue to see deeper and more effective learning opportunities that provide local nonprofits the best educational resources available, all to allow nonprofits to better achieve their mission and have a greater impact on our community.This blog post was written by Amber Fogarty with support from Learning & Leadership Analyst, Katie Popp.