www.leadershipedge.live
www.leadershipedge.live
While teaching in a university setting, I always told my students about the final project during the first class. I told them to get started right away because it would take time to complete.
I would check in later in the semester and many of my students had not started the project yet. I asked them why and a surprising number of my students told me that they worked better under pressure and at the last minute. I laughed and debunked that myth. We are not wired to do our best work with less time and limited resources. We are wired to take small deliberate steps towards a goal, reflect and evaluate, make adjustments and then continue making progress. As adult learners, we are wired for Spaced Repetition.
Spaced repetition is a learning philosophy that promotes long-term memory and knowledge retention. The concept includes spacing learning material with variety and regular intervals.
The traditional leadership development approach is to cram as much content into a class and then send people back to their jobs hoping they apply the learning. That does not work!
Spaced Repetition Creates a Complete Learning Experience
The spaced repetition approach can transform one-time learning events into full learning experiences. Learning events typically last one or two full days, with a scheduled number of hours designated for “cramming.” Unfortunately, this strategy fails to provide participants with time to reflect on learnings and/or apply lessons back to their job.
Spaced repetition places a greater level of importance on the application of knowledge — not just the recall of the terminology or concepts.
Providing a structured reflection is essential for application of the key concepts and changed behaviors. With intentional reflection questions between the delivery of the content, participants can process, revisit and reflect on how they plan to change their behaviors and achieve greater results.
Everything really starts to come together when you provide your participants with access to a skilled coach. The coach's role is to clear a path to greater results through powerful questions and accountability.
The WRAP methodology is the ultimate recipe for changed behaviors and improved results.
Although the spaced repetition approach has a proven track record, you stand a risk of “losing” participants between sessions. In the traditional approach, everyone was held captive in a training room for several hours (or days). In the spaced repetition approach, you are sending them back to their job in between sessions and you may not get them back for future sessions.
There are several methods for mitigating this risk. These include:
Remember, your goal is to help participants apply the learning concepts. In spaced repetition, the measuring stick for success is based on changed behaviors — not session attendance.
