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Your Employees Learning Style

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Your Employees Learning Style

Everyone wants to become a good leader that employees respect and value as a person in their life. One of the things thats sets the great manager apart from others is his/her actions. For the manager to be able to get the best from the employees he/she needs to get cut through the differences of the personality and see how each individual is different.

A careful review of adult learning theory done by American educational theorist David Kolb reveals that three learning styles predominate and knowing your employees style can help to guide them and get their devotion. A person can also have two learning styles that dominate together or some characteristics of each.

 

Analyzer

This style has to know all the details and loves to analyze the task. The person takes the given responsibility seriously and before taking any actions wants to be well prepared. Analyzers hate making mistakes which is why they are trying to get as much information about the task as much they can in advance.

The best way to coach this type of employee is to give them time in the beginning and do not the pressure on them. Analyzers will appreciate the details and usually will have follow-up questions. Help them by breaking down the role with tasks and then letting them build it back up. It is important to not to put them in the situations or give tasks spontaneously. Even though commonly managers see mistakes as a great way to learn, its does not apply for Analyzers. Letting them learn in advance and support it will make them feel safe and cared for in the company.

 

Doer

Another dominant learning style is based on doing. When comparing this style to Analyzer it is important to notice that while Analyzer is learning prior to the task, the Doer type  is learning when they are in the process. Analyzers want every point and detail to be covered, however, people who learn by doing will be most effective when you explain wanted outcomes and give them freedom to reach them. The recommended way is to give small tasks and once they figure them out slightly increase the responsibilities and complexity of the tasks. The Doer might make the mistakes, but it is the way they learn the best and fastest.

 

Watcher

    The third style is the Watcher, these employees learn neither by preparation nor by doing the task itself. The best way for the Watchers to learn is to see how the good job is done and how everything comes together. It is important for them to be able to understand and see how to perform. When they see what steps are needed to be taken they learn and bring great outcomes. Watchers might not be able to learn by role playing or by trying to do the task themselves, however if you put them with your best employee and show how the job needs to be done, they will start to learn and build their way to the wanted performance.

 

Do not try to change your employees

It is important to understand that each of your employees is a unique individual and can contribute to your company in his/hers own unique way. Your part as a manager is to figure out and get to know your employees so that you would be able to see their strengths and weaknesses and later that can be incorporated for the overall benefit. By having freedom and not feeling the pressure of control employees will start to trust you and will have the best environment for giving their highest performance.

 
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