Experience based learning

When we buy a new device for personal use, wether it is a computer, a lawnmower, drill or car, we LEARN by pushing buttons and observe what happens. Almost nobody reads the manual and certainly nobody attends a training how the new device works. This "pushing buttons method" is a typical example of what is called experience based learning. Every time we push a button, we learn more. We learn from our mistakes and Return on Investment is HIGH

If, on the other hand, the IT department at work releases to a new version of office, we demand a classroom TRAINING to know all features. Research shows us that at the end of the training we probably remember only 10% of what was told. Return on investment LOW

How comes we use a different approach at work and in private life, although we know the outcomes are poor ?

• are we afraid to screw up in front of colleagues ? 
• are we afraid we might destroy the new IT system and our company goes bankrupt because we pushed the wrong button ? 
• do we think "the boss" will fire us if we use the wrong button on our computer ? 

I don't think any of this will happen. 

But ... 

• We are programmed to be trained in a classroom. Before the age of 18 we spent about 32hours a week in a classrooms, listening to what the person in front tells us and we try to absorb as much as possible to reproduce it during an exam. 
• We are afraid to do wrong at work and fail, and perhaps even lose our jobs
• In a business environment we only consider classroom training as a training.  Experience based learning  is not to be considered as training by many. 

Luckily today many new learning methods enter the professional market ; peer group interventions, e-learning, coaching, ... and even training on the job are only some examples. 

In an interview by Seth Godin, Richard Branson explains that learning from our mistakes is the strongest way of moving forward. Do ! Act ! Take initiative ! Learn from your mistakes and move on, even if you fail hard !

In my career as recruitment manager I interviewed thousands of candidates. When candidates told me about an experience I always asked them what they learned from it. Unfortunately often, they couldn't answer me, or found it a strange question.

Experiencing is a free university. It is a personal choice. If you do learn from your experiences, you'll grow faster.

Lessons we learn from this :

• dare to try 
• failure is not a bad thing, it is a learning opportunity
• learn from what you do, : do - observe - analyze - improve - redo = formula for growth
• there are more ways to learn outside the classroom