The Benefits of Slow Learning

I was looking at a competitor’s Management Development Conference one day programme. The conference promises to ‘make you a better manager’ and ‘help you to get the most out of your team’. Much of the content looks excellent – not a million miles away from what I teach on the PMN – feedback, coaching, delegation, goal setting, management style etc.

However this conference teaches in a day what I teach over a series of four half day sessions spread out over several months. I think that very few managers would be able to absorb all of this content in one day and then to apply it successfully. It looks like it has been put together more for the convenience of the trainer than the learner.

Feedback from PMN members has shown the importance of not trying to learn too much too quickly when it comes to developing your performance as a manager. How much you learn is far less important than how much you can put to use at work.

Learning something, putting it into practice and becoming comfortable with it is important before trying to learn and implement the next thing. Leaving enough time between learning sessions to incorporate what you have learned into your practice makes a lot of sense.

Try to make too many changes too quickly and things can quickly go pear shaped.

Learning new skills as a manager is one area where the tortoise really will consistently beat the hare.