Understanding Adult Learning

When it comes to seminars and workshop, people often ask what adult learning is. Seldom do people realize that the way we learn as children and adolescents is very different from how we do as adults. This is because as adults, we are usually able to make our own decisions independently and we can be responsible to our own success. We use the information we have in order to make these decisions and choices.

In 1985, Malcom Knowles who pioneered in adult learning has observed that adults learn better given certain conditions. He also made assumptions that learning in adults is based on 5 assumptions. First, he mentioned that as an adult matures, he moves from a dependent personality to being a self-directed human being. Second, the person’s experience becomes a very healthy source of valuable information that grows over time. Third, the adult learner becomes more oriented toward developing and learning things that are relevant to their role in the society. Fourth, the adult learner wants to immediately apply what they learned rather than delay its application. Fifth, that the person’s interest and motivation toward learning is innate.

Let us attempt to understand these conditions so that we can see how we can create better training programs for our adult learners.

Adults need to understand the importance of learning the information. Adults tend to retain information which they see as valuable to the things they do on a daily basis. During learning events, it is important to discuss how the new information can be used in practically at work. By discussing these, it motivates the adult learner to remember the information that is shared. It also helps them make an active decision to learn.

Adults need to learn using a method that is appropriate to them. There are different types of learners and you need to create a program that can touch base with most of these learners. Most learners are either Kinesthetic, Visual, or auditory. But there are many other learning styles for adults.

Experiential learning is always more powerful. Experiential learning is when adults apply what they have learned. You will notice that workshops allow adults to have an opportunity to test out what they learned through exercises. Sometimes, it even requires role-playing activities to experience the learning firsthand. The application is usually immediate so that the adult learner is able to retain the lessons longer and more effectively.

Timely learning. You need to allow the participants to learn something that is appropriate to their needs. Timing is important. When you schedule the learning session, put it at a time that they are thinking actively. If you have a choice between morning and evening after work hours, the former may be the better option as they are not yet tired. This gives more readiness for them to learn. Lessons related to recent life events also prove to be learned faster.

Positive Encouragements. It is very important for adults to feel encouraged to do the task. Boosting their confidence always works better than shaming them in class. You need to make adults realize that they have the power to apply change because most of them rely on habits. Validating that they have done the task successfully based on standards help them feel ease in getting out of their comfort zone and trying new things.

Adult learners are never to be treated like the younger students. They should be given some level of autonomy. To see the contrast, we should realize that teacher-centred learning is never applicable. Adult learners cannot just be quiet listeners who will do what they are told; they have to be involved, encouraged, and motivated so that they can comprehend and retain information long-term.

COMPETAD Launches Communications for HR Workshop

23 March 2019, COMPETAD Training and Professional Development Services has conducted its very first-Quarterly HR Learning Session this 2019 at the 2^nd Floor Marsk Building in Aurora Boulevard. The workshop was entitled, “Communications for HR” which was attended by thirty HR participants from different industries. The session was facilitated by our very own, Mr. Philip Nucleus Sia I, a Certified Human Resource Professional by the International Federation of Professional Managers (IFPM).

Topics during the half-day session included a quick review on the Common Grammar errors for the HR professionals make, Email Usage for HR, Body Language, and Vocal Communications. It was a fun-filled session that was jam-packed with learning. The session was very interactive with activities geared toward engaging the participants while illustrating the learning points being shared. One of the highlights of the session was a quick demonstration and exercise for vocal communications. The participants were able to practice proper breathing exercises to help them project a fuller, more audible voice tone that they can use when public speaking. The audience also had their share of pronunciation exercises to help them sound more natural and neutral when speaking in English. Another highlight is the sharing of the concept of postural feedback, where the participants were made aware that their actions not only affect others but it also has an impact to their own body chemistry, hormonal constitution, mood, and confidence. The crowd was very engaged as they did power poses to help boost confidence and focus.

The 1^st Quarterly Learning Session was an overall success. The participants enjoyed learning during the session, with a few of them even saying that there was no dull moment during the workshop.

More About Our Quarterly Learning Sessions.

COMPETAD’s Quarterly learning sessions are tailored to the needs of HR professionals, focusing on things that HRs should know but often times overlook. The sessions are great as they are interesting, tailored to the HR profession, and very friendly to the budget-conscious learner. The sessions are only Php 799 per participant, which is also offered at Php 599 to those who take advantage of the early-bird rates. COMPETAD developed these programs in order to provide the community with an alternative way for continuous professional development for those who are new and a bit more experienced in the profession.

COMPETAD Secretariat for the Quarterly Learning Sessions, Mr. Michael Natividad, mentioned that he still feels that there is a lot of room for improvement in reaching out within the HR Community so the organization is still bringing forth more topics in the coming months. He said that with a more aggressive awareness-building effort for these value-conscious programs must be in place so they could appeal to a larger community and make the learning available to anyone, even the start-up professionals.

This year, there are four topics identified for our Quarterly sessions, which we felt are good start-off points for HR development. Communications for HR has already been completed but we still have three topics to offer: Etiquette for HR, Labor Relations Basics, and HR Professional Image. We shall release more information to you as we move forward in the coming months regarding these programs.

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Life Coaching in the Workplace – A Key Ingredient for Success

If you have lead people, you would agree that one of the most challenging things about it is making them follow instructions. People have varying points of views and background. Some people are more assertive than others. Some are fast learners, while some are average. We cannot have cookie-cutter approach to manage these individuals. Sometimes, even the levels of commitment individuals give toward achieving a goal differ. Are there any ways that you can make employees motivated so that they can do their tasks effectively and more consistently?

Coaching is an effective tool for improving in supporting the professional development of your employees. According to studies, employees stay in an organization when they feel that their career development is being supported by the company. Coaching provides your employees an opportunity to feel that they are supported.

What is Coaching?

For most, coaching is giving instructions and providing details to employees. When we hear the word, we usually think of a sports coach saying exactly what the players need to do. It seems to be a one way street. However, there is more to coaching employees than just this. While in a ball game, a quick instruction that players need to follow for an hour or two is easy, it is more challenging in the office when instructions and feedback must last for far longer than an hour or two. Coaching is about listening and having a conversation. It is about facilitating the processes of reflecting, thinking, and understanding. Below are some of the important things coaching can give to us:

Office-culture Integration

When we hire employees, they don’t usually have the company culture in mind. Through coaching, we will be able to align our employees to our company values. Mentoring and coaching our employees during the first few months of their stay with the company is crucial in developing a sense of ownership and accountability. Coaching, when consistently done, shall allow employees to see how the company values support their work. Awareness that is built through coaching also allows employees to truly imbibe the culture and values we would like to encourage at work.

Professional Development

While having a training and development program is important for professional growth, coaching provides you with an effective means of follow through and support. Whatever our employees learned in class or during an on-the-job or class training can be refined by providing coaching. Companies who have supported their training programs with consistent coaching have proven that the skills learned through training are more easily applied to the workplace. By providing coaching, supervisors are able to check how much knowledge their employees gained from training. Since coaching provides an avenue for open communication, leaders will be able to assess what is lacking, too.In turn, this can be communicated to the training department as feedback, which helps refine whatever professional development programs you already have in place. Employees who have received coaching also strongly feels the impact of their training to their professional development.

Employee Satisfaction

A big fraction of employees leaving the company results from a feeling of lack of value. By having a coaching system in place, people feel valued as they know what they can improve and they are empowered to implement changes in their own work. Similarly, those who are responsible for giving coaching will be able to see their impact to others’ lives and career. This gives them a sense of fulfillment. Of course, the more people working effectively in their teams, the more productive the company becomes, which helps leaders feel a sense of direction too. With coaching, not only will the rank-and-file employees feel satisfied with their work, the leaders as well. All these will positively affect employee morale and engagement and greatly reduce employee attrition as well.

How to Get These Benefits?

In order to take advantage of these great benefits from coaching, learning the proper way of coaching is key. This starts with having leaders who truly understand its meaning. They must be armed with the skills and knowledge in implementing proven and proper methodologies for coaching. Remember that coaching isn’t about telling; it is about listening and guiding. It is important to ask powerful questions; questions that will uncover intention, reasons, and understanding. The goal of the coach is to help the employee identify these important pieces of information and empower them so that they can use these to make changes in performance. Coaching therefore is a reflective activity facilitated by a well-trained coach.

If you would want to learn how to apply the life coaching principles in your office, you may learn about it online, research, or read books. You can also look for videos discussing the concepts of life coaching. These resources will definitely help you have an understanding of how you can apply the concepts effectively in the workplace. You may also enroll in our upcoming coaching workshop and be guided by our certified coaches. You can ask questions and also consult with them during the training session. Our next session shall be on the 19^th of May 2018. You may click here for more information. For inquiries, you may also call us through (02)4333342 or through mobile (0998)5624984 to 85.