Issue 123 cpd improving perspectives on learning and development

NHD-EXTRA: SKILLS & LEARNING

CPD: IMPROVING PERSPECTIVES ON LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT Emma Coates Registered Dietitian Emma has been a registered dietitian for 10 years, with experience of adult and paediatric dietetics. She specialised in clinical paediatrics for six years, working in the NHS. She has recently moved into industry and currently works as Metabolic Dietitian for Dr Schar UK.

There is huge recognition for learning and development (L&D) in the workplace, whether you work in the public or private sector. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) conduct a survey every year to highlight areas for improvement and key trends in L&D. In 2015, it found eLearning methods were increasingly used and commonly found in larger organisations. Up to three quarters of workplaces offer coaching and mentoring, which is set to increase further. In-house or on-the-job training programmes and coaching by line managers or peers remain the most popular development methods.1 Table 1 shows the most common L&D methods.

It is expected that an increase in the use of mobile device-based learning, virtual classrooms and webinars will be observed in the coming years. Whilst all of these L&D methods can enrich our professional development, it is acknowledged that there are challenges when reviewing and evaluating the outcomes of these opportunities. Despite the various challenges L&D throws at us, it is an ever-changing landscape and looking back on my experiences of L&D, that this quite apparent.

Over the years, as a student and a healthcare professional, you’ll attend many courses and study days, some clinical or others for personal or team-based L&D. Some will bring about those ‘lightbulb’

moments, where everything just makes sense and you’ll leave feeling inspired or empowered. Others will leave your head spinning, or you’ll simply think it didn’t really meet your needs. And there are, of course, the limitations in financial or time resources to attend L&D opportunities.

I recently attended a personal development course and whilst keeping an open mind about this opportunity, there’s always a little nag at the back of my brain saying, “you’ve got so much to do; this is using valuable time that could be spent doing your work!” However, as well as learning a new perspective on personal development, I also learnt that spending some time on personal development can reap benefits for the long term.

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE: PERSPECTIVE THAT INSPIRES IMPROVEMENT©

This course is a well-established approach to being effective in attaining goals.

Devised by Franklin Covey,2 the course has work sessions based on the content from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

by Stephen Covey.3

Table 1: The top five most popular L&D methods1* Method

Percentage use

On-the-job training

50%

Online learning

29%

In-house development programmes

25%

Learning from peers (through face-to-face interactions or online networks)

25%

external conferences, workshops and events

15%

*Based on responses by 1,993 participants. www.NHDmag.com April - Issue 123

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SKILLS & LEARNING Figure 1: The basic concept of Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles.

Source: www.rphrm.curtin.edu.au/2000/issue2/outcomes.html (accessed 23/02/17)

Initially, I thought this would be similar to other personal development exercises I’d been exposed to since being a BSc Dietetics student. However, I was surprised at the deeper level it reached.

For example, I know about my learning style, I’m a Pragmatist/Reflector (based on Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles Questionnaire4, see Figure 1). I prefer to watch and do things as a way of learning. For a rough idea of your learning style visit www.brainboxx.co.uk/A2_LEARNSTYLES/ pages/roughandready.htm (accessed 23/02/17).

There is always the VAK learning style to refer to too, which uses our three main sensory receivers: Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic (movement) to determine our dominant learning style. You may know it as VAKT (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Tactile). We learn by using all three senses to receive and learn new information and experiences. The 54

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VAK, or VAKT, theory suggests that one or two of these receiving styles is normally dominant, which defines the best way to learn for the individual.

The dominate sense may alter depending on the task in question. For more information about VAK or VAKT visit www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/ styles/vakt.html (accessed 23/02/17).

When I was at university studying my BSc Dietetics over 12 years ago, the idea of learning styles was first presented to me. It was the first time I’d completed an assessment of this kind. In preparation for placement, my cohort were given a learning styles questionnaire to complete and the outcomes were then discussed as a group. It was an insightful exercise where the penny dropped as to why I preferred to work in a certain way and perhaps why I struggled to work well with some of my fellow students in comparison to others.

THE BENEFIT OF COMPLETING THIS TYPE OF ASSESSMENT

It highlighted my learning strengths and areas for improvement and was presented to my placement co-ordinators where I’d be completing my placements. It was referred to at times throughout my placements in order to provide the correct opportunities to meet my learning preferences, where appropriate. After university its relevance remained part of my own learning journey and the experiences I sought to enhance my development as a clinician.

In more recent times, I’ve come to know my ‘Insights Discovery** colours and personality type’; and how these impact on my learning, working and communication styles. After completing a questionnaire, this resource produces a 20-page personality profile, detailing strengths and areas for improvement, as well as giving you your ‘colours’, which describe your energy or traits and a ‘personality type’, which defines your preferred role or position. My energies are predominately sunshine yellow with supporting earth green, very little fiery red and a bit of cool blue. I’m an Inspiring Helper. See Figure 2 for details of the ‘energy colours’ and Figure 3 for personality type. **A model of personality theory based on Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung’s 1921 work, ‘Psychological Types’.

Figure 2: Energy colours

Source:www.mrdynamics.com/insights-discovery/insightsdiscovery-colours/ (accessed 23/02/17)

Figure 3: Personality type

THE BENEFITS OF KNOWING THESE OUTCOMES

It helps to know how best to communicate and work with others and how they can do this in return, acknowledging that each person you work alongside has individual preferences. By knowing more about their personality type and preferences, a more efficient and harmonious working relationship can be developed.

Find out more about Insights Discovery at www.insights.com/564/Insights-Discovery. html (accessed 23/02/17).

Earlier this year, I attended a three-day course to learn about the ‘7 Habits Foundations’ (http://7habits.franklincovey.com/the-7-habitssolutions/). Prior to the work sessions, my manager and colleagues were asked to complete 360º reviews on me. I would do the same in return.

The anonymous reviews are analysed along with my own answers about my own work style, approach to others and communication style.

The report produced reflects your strengths and

Source: www.righttraxtraining.co.uk/your-development/ personality-profiling/insights-discovery/ (accessed 23/02/17)

areas for improvement in relation to the 7 habits, which are shown in Figure 4 overleaf.

In essence, the seven habits are based on a lot of common sense, but it is often hard to bring this together when you’re in the midst of a busy professional and personal schedule. www.NHDmag.com April - Issue 123

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SKILLS & LEARNING Figure 4: 7 Habits of highly effective people

Source: www.freebizplan.org/seven-habits-of-highly-effective-people/ (accessed 23/02/17)

HABITS 1 TO 3: MANAGING YOURSELF

This relates to our control over our work and ourselves.

Habit 1: Be Proactive© By being proactive we take responsibility for our actions and make choices based on principles rather than our feelings or mood. We have the choice to improve our situation and, by taking the initiative to make changes, we can move towards positive actions. It is also important to focus on the areas where you have influence, this can be limited for some, but you can influence the way you view a situation. By changing your view or paradigm to a more positive stance, it can make a situation more manageable. Simply by changing the language you use, you can totally alter the way someone interacts with you and, therefore, bring about alternative outcomes. Instead of “I can’t, I have to, I must, It’s impossible”, try, “I can, I will, I choose to”. Even your body language will alter as you change your verbal output to a more positive mode.

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Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind© This relates to our ability to clearly define our goals and where we want to get to. By having clear goals you can plan how to get there. You want to be successful, but what does success look like for you? How will you know when you’ve achieved success? By understanding your end goal, whether in a professional or personal capacity, you can avoid climbing a ladder of success which is placed up against the wrong wall. In other words, avoid being a busy fool!

Habit 3: Put first things first© This is the ability to organise yourself and your time. It’s about making room for the ‘big rocks’ in your life, which are often work, home life, personal development, e.g. going to the gym, learning how to play a musical instrument, or, whilst at work, going on that course! Those rocks will always be there but the smaller pebbles, e.g. the emails, the messages, the office distractions etc, can fluctuate and prioritisation of these things is key to avoiding a crisis.

Figure 5: The four quadrants of activity

Source: www.prudentmoney.com/are-you-a-quadrant-1-or-quadrant-2-investor/

Figure 5 shows the four quadrants of the time matrix®, which shows the most and less effective ways to manage your time. Take a look to see where you spend most of your time.

Could that change?

In an ideal world we would all spend more time living in Quad II, however, the nature of our work and limited resources (time, financial or human) means we’ll spend a sizable portion of time in Quad I. The other Quads are all risks to our time spent in Quad II and we’re all guilty of visiting these. By working out your ‘big rocks’ and making them the priority, which takes discipline and will be hard initially, the smaller pebbles should fit amongst them when prioritised.

The emotional bank account (EBA) This bridges the gap between managing yourself and leading others. It’s the trust that exists in our various relationships. In order to build and strengthen our relationships there has to be some give and take. This relates to how you respond to the needs of others; for example, do you willingly help your colleagues? Do you show courtesy and care? Do you follow through on commitments? Can you apologise when you’ve made a mistake?

These are all potential withdrawals or deposits in a person’s EBA. To develop a strong relationship, know the person’s currency. What

would be a deposit in their EBA? This will alter from colleague to colleague, but it’s essentially that old adage of know what makes people tick.

Just knowing about these things isn’t enough; being sincere about the deposit matters too.

Relationships take time to grow strong, so making small deposits will build up. At times, it’s unavoidable, but where possible, avoid making a withdrawal.

HABITS 4 TO 6: LEADING OTHERS

Habit 4:Think Win Win© This habit helps us to seek mutual benefit in all that we do. Team working is vital across all kinds of workplaces and personal situations; however, our competitive nature can get in the way of making the best of what we have when working with others. Maximising abundance comes from setting aside your competitive edge amongst your colleagues and family. This may be challenging when you are working with others who aren’t able to see the benefits of cooperative working in order to seek benefits for the team or work partners as whole. Competitiveness has a role to play in our personal and work lives, but true Win Win© situations and robust long-term relationships come from genuine co-operation, where trust, respect and willingness amongst all parties can be demonstrated. www.NHDmag.com April - Issue 123

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SKILLS & LEARNING Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood© In order to communicate effectively we must understand one another. You know what you’re thinking and why, but the people you work with or your family don’t always. This habit teaches us to try to understand another person before presenting our own point of view. It’s important to give people the respect of listening and then answer. Our reflective and empathic listening skills are key here. Ask yourself, do the people around you feel that you really understand them? Do you regularly interrupt, only agree or disagree, judge, probe too much, or tell your own story when listening to others?

It’s important to explain to others that you seek to understand (your intent) and listen to their narrative. Listen to understand rather than to simply reply. This can help to get to the heart of what really matters to the other person or team members. Reflecting their feelings and words will demonstrate that you are listening, e.g. you feel anxious about your exams, tell me more about this.

Once you feel confident that others feel understood, you can move forward and share our own point of view. Asking the other person if they would be willing to listen to your point of view and then using ‘I’ messages, are important here: “I feel, I think, I’d like to share, I can see”. These are non-confrontational and can mean a deposit in the emotional bank account as opposed to a withdrawal if using ‘you’ messages: “You are, You have, You haven’t”, which can be considered an accusation or an attack.

A clear answer, or solution, may not be frank from this conversation, but it can lead to improved working relationships where future solutions and answers can be achieved.

Habit 6: Synergize© Synergy is the effect of all of the other habits working together. Collaborating together to create third alternatives rather than settling

for a compromise. Working together to create something that would have been realised had the individuals worked alone is a third alternative.

Compromising can mean a diluted version of a great idea or strategy, whereas synergy leads to a third alternative - ‘an idea or solution that goes beyond ‘your way’ and ‘my way’ to a better, higher way that neither could have created by oursleves’2. Embracing and utilising the differences and diversities of your team and work colleagues, recognising them as strengths, can lead to greater synergy. Devising a table which lists team members, their role and their strengths, e.g. Natural Leader, Communicator, Problem Solver, Planner, can highlight best ways to delegate tasks and bring the most to the project in hand.

HABIT 7: DAILY PERSONAL RENEWAL

Habit 7: Sharpen the saw© This habit is basically about looking after you and caring for your mind and body on a daily basis. In order to be successful in our personal and work lives, we must value, preserve and enhance ourselves. This relates to our health: physically, mentally and emotionally, regularly renewing the four dimensions of our nature: mind, body, spirit and heart. Taking time on a daily basis to attend to your health and wellbeing is essential. Exercise, good nutrition, rest for the body and spending time with friends and family are all for the heart. Reading, writing, learning, or study are for the mind.

Creative or religious pursuits, spending time with nature, inspirational literature or serving others are for the spirit.

The 7 Habit course is three days of valuable insight into respectful self-improvement.

It teaches effectiveness with kindness and appreciation of others. It’s hard to condense the full extent of the information in to a short article for Network Health Digest, but the overall experience for me has been extremely positive and it will have a great impact on my future working style and approaches.

References 1 The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2015). Learning and Development: Annual Report www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/ development/surveys# <accessed 23/02/17> 2 Franklin Covey (2016). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Perspective that inspires improvement: 7 Habits Foundations 3 Covey SR (2013). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Staten Island, USA: Simon and Schuster.

4 Honey P and Mumford A (2000). The learning styles helper’s guide. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Ltd.

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