Learning is at the heart of Cultivated Management – and in this post and video, I will introduce the two main learning styles, and why one may be better than the other.

I will also introduce an even more powerful way to learn, by combining and building on both approaches.

You can watch the video here, or read on below.

Two Main Learning Styles

There are typically two main approaches to learning that I focus on:

  1. Information Acquisition
  2. Task Acquisition

Information Acquisition

Information acquisition is the consumption of information. It is acquiring information, adding it to what you already know (or don't), knowing how to retrieve this information and knowing how this information can sit alongside other information.

It is the pursuit of information. A good Personal Knowledge Management System has this element baked into it.

The problem is, information alone is rarely helpful in a workplace when we're trying to get things done, and build a culture (behaviours), that enrich our workplace.

Information needs putting into action to create knowledge.

Your learning goal may indeed be the pursuit of information. However, action always beats information when we're trying to get something done.

It's my view, certainly in work, that training and learning should change behaviours. Information alone will not do that - it needs putting into action.

As a side note, there are plenty of people in our workplaces that are the font of all information. They read 100 books a year, know how to land a plane (although cannot fly), know how to play professional tennis (but do not play tennis), and can spout confidently about many different theories but have never implemented said theory.

There are management consultants who have never managed anyone before. There are consultants who know just a little bit more than their clients, but it's all information - this "knowledge" has not be gained by doing the work.

You get the idea; possessing a great wealth of information does not mean you know how to do the work.

There is a world of difference between knowing how to do something, and doing it.

Task Acquisition

Task acquisition is learning by doing the actual task. It is the art of doing an activity, and learning how to do it better through the activity itself.

The photographer that picks up a camera and just starts shooting. The artist who picks up the pencil and draws. The manager who learns how to manage through the every day act of management. The business owner who learns hard lessons in business every single day they are operating.

We can learn by doing the work or activity itself. This is task acquisition.

I am a huge fan of task acquisition and always start with this approach, especially in the workplace.

However, there is a way to make this even more powerful.

Combining information with task acquisition

When we combine both information and task acquisition together, we get an even more powerful learning style.

We take in information and we put that information into action. We learn by doing the task; what works, what does not, which information was helpful, which wasn't.

We can do this the other way around too. We can start an activity and learn, then realise at some point that we could be even better if we had some information.

The two styles complimenting each other nicely.

Let's bring this to life.

Let's say I want to learn how to play drums.

I could read every single book in the world on drumming and be able to recite it to others, jot it all down and speak about drumming with authority and confidence.

However, I cannot play the drums. I've never picked up a drum stick and learned.

I could also simply pick up some drum sticks and bash away. There are plenty of self-taught drummers who may have never read any information about how to play; they just taught themselves.

This is why I prefer task acquisition learning - if you are motivated, care and self reflective, you can learn without the information.

However, maybe, when learning to play the drums, I pick up the sticks and learn, then at some point read some books, or theory, on how to get better.

This is good.

In the workplace there is little point in sending people on training courses, or providing books or other resources, if they then don't put what they are learning into practice. Equally, we may need to support somebody in their role with information - to aid their task acquisition learning.

But, we can make this EVEN more powerful - and this is what I do at work.

Combine the two AND teaching

An even more powerful approach to learning is to pair somebody who is learning how to do something, with somebody who is already excellent at it.

This is on-the-job training.

Let's use the drumming analogy again.

Let's say I wish to learn to play the drums. We've already covered why information alone won't make me a drummer - I actually have to play the drums. I may learn a lot merely by drumming too.

An even more powerful approach though, would be to bring in a teacher or coach to guide me as I learn to play the drums. This teacher (and by the way - all leaders and managers are teachers) should already know how to play the drums well.

They can then provide information, guidance, feedback, challenges, observations and other constructive feedback to get better.

The same principle works in the workplace.

There is nothing more powerful than pairing the learner with a teacher, around the actual work itself.

Mentoring, teaching, coaching - call it what you wish. Somebody is doing some work and learning. They are taking in extra information from books or courses. They are also being instructed, nudged and coached by somebody who is already excellent at the work itself.

This is the approach that rapidly develops the abilities of your team. It helps individuals move from "knowing" how to do stuff to actually doing it.

Task acquisition is learning by doing the task. Information acquisition is learning by consuming information. Both working in harmony is powerful. Even more powerful is both of them combined with a teacher.

Read more about building your own Personal Knowledge Management System here.

If you’re a manager or leader, consider on-the-job training for your team.

Pair someone who wants to learn, with someone who's already good at the activity - and learn by doing the work - supported and complimented by information.

Information acquisition is powerful and has its place. To gain knowledge though, we must put this information into action.

It's possible to learn something through task acquisition alone - but there is power in using information to support that journey.

Both working in harmony is a good mix.

In the workplace though, it's always worth trying to support people with information, learning from doing the task AND guidance from somebody who's already really good at the work. This is a powerful approach.

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