Being cognizant of the different learning style of the various members of my Learning Group/Team helped the team fully understand the tasks and assignments. Having a variety of learning styles provided the team with a different aspect/perception of the assignment.
I know through this course there were plenty of times that I thought i understood the assignment until someone else started explaining it. Then I realized that I had it completely wrong. The way it was presented to us, my style of learning did not pick up on certain things.
This applies to the real world as well. There have been plenty of times that I had given an order and the officer is completely off. My head would spin as I try to comprehend this person's stupidity. Now I am conscious of that fact that I might not have explained in a way that the officer could understand. Going forward, I will have to remember that when directing staff.
Brian, your example of giving an order and then wondering why it was done differently is a great example. I can't tell you how many times I have seen this or done it myself. Sometimes I as well as others haven't given much thought to how it could be received by the person. We only think about how the message was sent. I have tried to remember this, however, old habits seem to pop up now and then.
I agree Brian I am dealing with this in the real world this week. The Sergeant on the K9 team with me is friends with the Captain and I swear even after we talk for hours the conversation he has with the Captain is out of left field. I have found that if I do not have an organized clear conversation and depending on the complexity I may have to provide him notes or he does not hear what I think I am saying. Knowing that he needs additional clarity I have started creating outlines when we are making presentations to our command.
Brian, I never thought of the aspect that you mention of "I thought i understood the assignment until someone else started explaining it. Then I realized that I had it completely wrong." This without a doubt happens frequently with me as well. I also like how you tied in the similarity to giving and order. There have definitely been times where I have done the same and wondered how the officer was not understanding what I was saying. Being more cognizant of these learning styles in the future is something I will definitely try to do.
Brian, that was a great real-world example that you gave when it came to giving an order. Often times we have ideas and plans mapped out so well in our head that we think there is no way something could misconstrue what we are saying, then we find out that they have a completely different idea once you ask them to relay it back to us. Having a team to work together through these assignments has definitely been a great help.
Being cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team can help the whole team function more cohesively and efficiently. With there being a variety of learning styles, a variety of perspectives are given. This benefits everyone in the group to come to the best possible understanding of what is being presented.
I also think that failing to keep the different learning styles in mind can greatly limit the teams abilities and cause some people to shut down. Throughout this course I have realized that even when I do not understand something that was presented, it is highly unlikely that everyone on the team also did not understand. I also think that failing to be cognizant of the different learning styles of team members can just create more work or strain on other team members. Information sharing needs to be all inclusive of the different styles and abilities of team members. Where I struggle, team members may not, and where they struggle, I may not.
I agree Reed. I think it’s has a lot to do with having all the different perspectives of your group and playing off everyone’s strengths. Also, avoiding the groupthink trap. If everyone thought about a problem the exact same way, the group could be missing some real good solutions. I like how you point out that there are pretty good odds that another teammate might pick up on something when you didn’t and vice versa. I know there have been more that a few times during this class when I had no idea what the heck we were supposed to be doing but someone on the team had a starting point that helped the rest of us get going. Having that inclusive environment, where everyone is afforded the chance to speak up, helps the team as a whole and avoids strain.
Reed, I have had a different experience with the work load. When I assign a task, and the person doesn't understand, I end up doing the project myself. The old saying "if I want something done right, then I have to do it myself." I have worked that way for years. It was this course that made me think about it. I just saved myself so much work by taking 10 minutes and explaining how to accomplish tasks.
Reed, I agree with Brian in that I have created more work for myself in the past when something didn't get carried out the way I wanted it to. Recently, I have made a habit of taking just a few minutes more to explain something. Or even write it down in a more sequential step by step manner so that the person can understand it.
Reed, Those are great points that you made there with the different learning styles and how we understand things. Once assignments were explained, especially during the PBL processes, if we started working on small things ourselves without communicating, it was easy to be way off from what the others were doing. We needed to all come together and make sure we all have the same idea of the project or assignment and then work towards a common solution.
Being cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team helps me understand each team member better. The idea is to translate this concept from a small-group dynamic such as this class to the larger aspects of work life and personal life. Whether in classrooms, staff meetings, roll calls or when making family decisions, acknowledging how people learn, and process information is essential for meaningful collaboration as well as decision-making.
Since each person is unique, they bring a unique approach to learning. Some thrive on visual aids, others prefer a more hands-on approach, while others may still lean on verbal communication or written instructions to understand things fully. Coming from a family of educators and working within the local school district, I had an understanding of this topic. However, I will fully admit that until covering the topic during this course I never fully considered all the different learning styles and how to apply them within a team or even in my police department. I will be the first to admit that I have overlooked these differences. By doing this we risk miscommunication, reduced engagement, and even conflict.
I feel like our team quickly learned each other's learning styles and adapted early. This gave our team an advantage in becoming a high-functioning team early on during this course. Talking about something that is already written down might seem like a waste of time to one team member. However, this might be a way for another team member to grasp the concept or assignment better. This scenario is played out on a daily basis during this course.
Early on in class, it was brought up that some other agencies' field training programs already incorporate different learning styles in the training. As the field training program coordinator, I have relayed this concept to the supervisor and to individual training officers. I feel like our agency needs to do a better job of addressing this when training our new officers. I have encouraged them to remember this isn’t just about shared goals or clear roles, it’s also about empathy and adaptability. That perhaps they need to approach a new officer in different ways, so they understand the issues and ideas laid out before them. When we start with the premise that everyone learns differently, we lay a foundation for respect, patience, and doing the very best we can to make sure others grasp the concepts and ideas.
I like how you correlated this to not only work, but to friends and family as well. I was thinking the same thing. I’ve seen people who can be the most understanding of how a loved one “is” but then at work they have zero tolerance for a coworker or subordinate that doesn’t do something “their way”. It is essentially the same concept. There are a lot of ways to do a lot of things, and a lot of them can be right.
I also like how you took this concept to your FTO program. This was a thing that came every once in a while with newer FTOs during my decades as an FTO. They seemed to struggle if their trainee didn’t do something their way. There is a time and place for that but, if you have a lateral hire or are in a later step, if the trainee is navigating the call or problem correctly, it doesn’t necessarily need to be done the FTO’s way.
Being cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team is yet another tool to help maximize interactions and collaborations while potentially avoiding unnecessary confrontations or misunderstandings. You have the sequential learners, like me, who prefer to go step-by-step and stay organized along the way. Then you have global learners who tend to grasp the big picture quickly and don’t usually get caught up in small details along the way. Those two styles stand in stark contrast and it is easy to see how one could get frustrated by the other when working on the same project. An understanding of these fundamental differences in how the other person thinks can counteract some of that frustration.
I believe that most people are more likely to be more tolerant if they know “the why” to something, even if they don’t agree with it. I also think that most people understand when they learn “that’s how someone works”. We see that in so many aspects of life. From coworkers, to friends, to romantic relationships, you learn how the other person “works” and learn to accept that and accommodate it. Obviously, it works best with there is that mutual understanding and accommodation/tolerance.
I agree with the frustration of working with others that are different learners than I am. I am one who sees the big picture and can figure out the details. I find myself get frustrated because I don't pay attention to the details and expect others to know them as well. This happens at work a lot. I give a task believing the person should know how to accomplish the task. I have been more mindful of this and explain the details until they understand.
Curt, great point about the two different styles of learners (global and sequential). I completely agree, if you understand how the person things it can aid in reducing frustrations. Additionally, I like how you mentioned providing the "why" and that if you learn how people "work" you can work towards accepting it, accommodating it, and also utilizing it to the overall teams advantage.
I agree Curt knowing how different people learn has helped me communicate my why better. In fact, it helps me to know who to ask for help when I am trying to get certain things done. Depending on people's learning styles they are better at some things then others. I need people like you on my teams that are detail oriented because I skip over everything.
Being cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team is incredibly important for top tier success. So many different perspectives can be brought in from the different learning styles and each of us must learn from each other. Different personalities, as we've learned, all interact different and respond to communication different. Some personalities you can give more harsh advice and they will respond with an increase in production and attitude. Others, you are not able to do that. You must be cognizant of each style, per the individual, because if you talk to someone in a way they won't be receptive to, you will shut them down completely.
I think that we have a good mix of personalities and have done a really good job of working together. Each of us has learned how to interact with each other and help each other out in areas that we have identified. There have been very particular areas that certain people are extremely competent in and we have worked very hard to help each other out. Each of us has been incredibly open to taking time out of their day to help each other out with problems or certain areas of our projects.
Being cognizant of the different learning style of the various members of my Learning Group/Team helped the team fully understand the tasks and assignments. Having a variety of learning styles provided the team with a different aspect/perception of the assignment.
ReplyDeleteI know through this course there were plenty of times that I thought i understood the assignment until someone else started explaining it. Then I realized that I had it completely wrong. The way it was presented to us, my style of learning did not pick up on certain things.
This applies to the real world as well. There have been plenty of times that I had given an order and the officer is completely off. My head would spin as I try to comprehend this person's stupidity. Now I am conscious of that fact that I might not have explained in a way that the officer could understand. Going forward, I will have to remember that when directing staff.
Brian, your example of giving an order and then wondering why it was done differently is a great example. I can't tell you how many times I have seen this or done it myself. Sometimes I as well as others haven't given much thought to how it could be received by the person. We only think about how the message was sent. I have tried to remember this, however, old habits seem to pop up now and then.
DeleteI agree Brian I am dealing with this in the real world this week. The Sergeant on the K9 team with me is friends with the Captain and I swear even after we talk for hours the conversation he has with the Captain is out of left field. I have found that if I do not have an organized clear conversation and depending on the complexity I may have to provide him notes or he does not hear what I think I am saying. Knowing that he needs additional clarity I have started creating outlines when we are making presentations to our command.
DeleteBrian, I never thought of the aspect that you mention of "I thought i understood the assignment until someone else started explaining it. Then I realized that I had it completely wrong." This without a doubt happens frequently with me as well. I also like how you tied in the similarity to giving and order. There have definitely been times where I have done the same and wondered how the officer was not understanding what I was saying. Being more cognizant of these learning styles in the future is something I will definitely try to do.
DeleteBrian, that was a great real-world example that you gave when it came to giving an order. Often times we have ideas and plans mapped out so well in our head that we think there is no way something could misconstrue what we are saying, then we find out that they have a completely different idea once you ask them to relay it back to us. Having a team to work together through these assignments has definitely been a great help.
DeleteBeing cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team can help the whole team function more cohesively and efficiently. With there being a variety of learning styles, a variety of perspectives are given. This benefits everyone in the group to come to the best possible understanding of what is being presented.
ReplyDeleteI also think that failing to keep the different learning styles in mind can greatly limit the teams abilities and cause some people to shut down. Throughout this course I have realized that even when I do not understand something that was presented, it is highly unlikely that everyone on the team also did not understand. I also think that failing to be cognizant of the different learning styles of team members can just create more work or strain on other team members. Information sharing needs to be all inclusive of the different styles and abilities of team members. Where I struggle, team members may not, and where they struggle, I may not.
I agree Reed. I think it’s has a lot to do with having all the different perspectives of your group and playing off everyone’s strengths. Also, avoiding the groupthink trap. If everyone thought about a problem the exact same way, the group could be missing some real good solutions. I like how you point out that there are pretty good odds that another teammate might pick up on something when you didn’t and vice versa. I know there have been more that a few times during this class when I had no idea what the heck we were supposed to be doing but someone on the team had a starting point that helped the rest of us get going. Having that inclusive environment, where everyone is afforded the chance to speak up, helps the team as a whole and avoids strain.
DeleteReed, I have had a different experience with the work load. When I assign a task, and the person doesn't understand, I end up doing the project myself. The old saying "if I want something done right, then I have to do it myself." I have worked that way for years. It was this course that made me think about it. I just saved myself so much work by taking 10 minutes and explaining how to accomplish tasks.
DeleteReed, I agree with Brian in that I have created more work for myself in the past when something didn't get carried out the way I wanted it to. Recently, I have made a habit of taking just a few minutes more to explain something. Or even write it down in a more sequential step by step manner so that the person can understand it.
DeleteReed,
DeleteThose are great points that you made there with the different learning styles and how we understand things. Once assignments were explained, especially during the PBL processes, if we started working on small things ourselves without communicating, it was easy to be way off from what the others were doing. We needed to all come together and make sure we all have the same idea of the project or assignment and then work towards a common solution.
Being cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team helps me understand each team member better. The idea is to translate this concept from a small-group dynamic such as this class to the larger aspects of work life and personal life. Whether in classrooms, staff meetings, roll calls or when making family decisions, acknowledging how people learn, and process information is essential for meaningful collaboration as well as decision-making.
ReplyDeleteSince each person is unique, they bring a unique approach to learning. Some thrive on visual aids, others prefer a more hands-on approach, while others may still lean on verbal communication or written instructions to understand things fully. Coming from a family of educators and working within the local school district, I had an understanding of this topic. However, I will fully admit that until covering the topic during this course I never fully considered all the different learning styles and how to apply them within a team or even in my police department. I will be the first to admit that I have overlooked these differences. By doing this we risk miscommunication, reduced engagement, and even conflict.
I feel like our team quickly learned each other's learning styles and adapted early. This gave our team an advantage in becoming a high-functioning team early on during this course. Talking about something that is already written down might seem like a waste of time to one team member. However, this might be a way for another team member to grasp the concept or assignment better. This scenario is played out on a daily basis during this course.
Early on in class, it was brought up that some other agencies' field training programs already incorporate different learning styles in the training. As the field training program coordinator, I have relayed this concept to the supervisor and to individual training officers. I feel like our agency needs to do a better job of addressing this when training our new officers. I have encouraged them to remember this isn’t just about shared goals or clear roles, it’s also about empathy and adaptability. That perhaps they need to approach a new officer in different ways, so they understand the issues and ideas laid out before them. When we start with the premise that everyone learns differently, we lay a foundation for respect, patience, and doing the very best we can to make sure others grasp the concepts and ideas.
I like how you correlated this to not only work, but to friends and family as well. I was thinking the same thing. I’ve seen people who can be the most understanding of how a loved one “is” but then at work they have zero tolerance for a coworker or subordinate that doesn’t do something “their way”. It is essentially the same concept. There are a lot of ways to do a lot of things, and a lot of them can be right.
DeleteI also like how you took this concept to your FTO program. This was a thing that came every once in a while with newer FTOs during my decades as an FTO. They seemed to struggle if their trainee didn’t do something their way. There is a time and place for that but, if you have a lateral hire or are in a later step, if the trainee is navigating the call or problem correctly, it doesn’t necessarily need to be done the FTO’s way.
Being cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team is yet another tool to help maximize interactions and collaborations while potentially avoiding unnecessary confrontations or misunderstandings. You have the sequential learners, like me, who prefer to go step-by-step and stay organized along the way. Then you have global learners who tend to grasp the big picture quickly and don’t usually get caught up in small details along the way. Those two styles stand in stark contrast and it is easy to see how one could get frustrated by the other when working on the same project. An understanding of these fundamental differences in how the other person thinks can counteract some of that frustration.
ReplyDeleteI believe that most people are more likely to be more tolerant if they know “the why” to something, even if they don’t agree with it. I also think that most people understand when they learn “that’s how someone works”. We see that in so many aspects of life. From coworkers, to friends, to romantic relationships, you learn how the other person “works” and learn to accept that and accommodate it. Obviously, it works best with there is that mutual understanding and accommodation/tolerance.
I agree with the frustration of working with others that are different learners than I am. I am one who sees the big picture and can figure out the details. I find myself get frustrated because I don't pay attention to the details and expect others to know them as well. This happens at work a lot. I give a task believing the person should know how to accomplish the task. I have been more mindful of this and explain the details until they understand.
DeleteCurt, great point about the two different styles of learners (global and sequential). I completely agree, if you understand how the person things it can aid in reducing frustrations. Additionally, I like how you mentioned providing the "why" and that if you learn how people "work" you can work towards accepting it, accommodating it, and also utilizing it to the overall teams advantage.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree Curt knowing how different people learn has helped me communicate my why better. In fact, it helps me to know who to ask for help when I am trying to get certain things done. Depending on people's learning styles they are better at some things then others. I need people like you on my teams that are detail oriented because I skip over everything.
DeleteBeing cognizant of the different learning styles of the various members of my Learning Group/Team is incredibly important for top tier success. So many different perspectives can be brought in from the different learning styles and each of us must learn from each other. Different personalities, as we've learned, all interact different and respond to communication different. Some personalities you can give more harsh advice and they will respond with an increase in production and attitude. Others, you are not able to do that. You must be cognizant of each style, per the individual, because if you talk to someone in a way they won't be receptive to, you will shut them down completely.
ReplyDeleteI think that we have a good mix of personalities and have done a really good job of working together. Each of us has learned how to interact with each other and help each other out in areas that we have identified. There have been very particular areas that certain people are extremely competent in and we have worked very hard to help each other out. Each of us has been incredibly open to taking time out of their day to help each other out with problems or certain areas of our projects.