You are listening to My Freedom Grove podcast with Gretchen Hernandez, episode 152.

Welcome to My Freedom Grove Podcast, your calm space for practical help to get your dream business up and running while being authentically you and taking care of your mental health. I'm your host, Gretchen Hernandez. I'm so glad you're here!

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Hi My Strong Friends.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love your beautiful brains?  I do.  It’s true!  I love the diversity of brains.  Each brain is wired differently for learning, building and doing.

When I worked in corporate, I was fortunate enough to be trained by Adult Learning specialists.  I don’t claim to be an expert.  Not by a long shot.  One huge benefit from their training was awareness.  When you are aware that each brain has a different learning style, you start to see it.

I worked at a site of 1000 people.  I had to train at least 80% on computer systems, Lean and all things Operational Excellence.

Training effectiveness was important.  Training is a huge investment of time, money and effort.  If a person walked away without the training working, there was no return on that investment.  Not for the business and not for the employee.

Since all brains are wired differently, I had to consider how I would train people to get the maximum effectiveness.  I had to incorporate different techniques and styles to touch on the different learning styles.  Of course it’s difficult to create 1 training or program that will be effective for every learning style.  That’s where different formats of the same training come in.  Then the learner can pick which one will work for them.

Since one of the services I provide is Product/Service design & building, I want to spread awareness to you.

THE FISH AND THE TREE

I told my daughter that I was recording this episode today.  As you know, she is autistic.  Her brain is wired differently than mine. So this topic is near and dear to my heart.

Here’s how I summarized this episode for her.  There’s more than one way to train people.  

However, if a fish is given a tree to climb in order to learn the lesson, they are going to feel defeated.  The fish is either going to say the program was awful or it is going to blame itself for not being good enough.

The reality is, the program (the tree in this case) was probably an excellent program, but not designed for a fish.  The fish was always good enough to learn the lesson, but not in a learning environment that required climbing a tree.

Now if the fish was given a fish bowl for the learning environment, it would easily learn the lesson.

As entrepreneurs, we are signing up for programs all the time.  I’m in many different forums where people will say a program was good or bad based on their results.  I also coach people that are self critical if they didn’t get results from the program they tried.

I always wonder if they were a fish trying to climb a tree.

As entrepreneurs that are creating programs, I’d like you to ask yourself if your potential clients are fish.  Are you giving them a tree or a fish bowl?

DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES

I’m going to go over different learning and doing styles.  You may want to listen to this section twice.  The first time, think about you.  What is your preferred learning and doing style?  The second time you listen, think about your potential clients.  What are their preferred learning and doing styles?

4 Main Learning Styles + 8 More

1.   Visual - needs to see something to fully understand a concept

2. Auditory - learns best by listening to someone speak

3. Reading/Writing - these may be separate learning styles or go hand in hand.  Some people learn best by reading.  Even if they heard the lesson, it doesn’t sink in until they’ve read the words.  Some people learn and retain the information better if they are writing out notes.
   
   
4. Kinaesthetic - Learning through movement.  For example, I taught one of my sons a dance as a way of remembering a ton of anatomy terms.  During his exam he did a mild version of that dance in his seat so he could remember the answers.
5. Tactile - feeling something helps to understand and retain.  It may be that they person is feeling something that is exactly a piece of the lesson.  Or they may be playing with something as they are learning something else.  The feeling of that thing helps them to process and retain the lesson.

6. Sequential - learning something in distinct pieces one after the other.  The learner does best by focusing on the first piece first.  Once it is understood, they are ready to go on to the next piece.
   
   
7. Simultaneous - prefers to learn multiple things at the same time.  The items may or may not be directly related.  They may find a connection between the different lessons that helps them understand one piece of a lesson because they are also learning a piece of a different lesson.
   
   
8. Reflective / Logical - needs time to process the lesson and possibly rephrase it into their own way of describing it.  It has to make sense.
9. Verbal - the lesson is processed and retained by speaking the lesson back. This may be in the moment or at a separate study time.

10. Interactive - The learner is doing something within the lesson.  Since they are doing something, the lesson is reinforced by their memories of doing the thing.
    
    
11. Direct or Indirect experience - This is a relevant learning style especially in the world of online coaching.  Some people learn best by getting direct coaching.  Others will learn best by watching somebody else get coached.
    
    
12. Rhythmic / Melodic - music seems to be a learning style that works on all of us.  Consider the alphabet.  26 letters are easier to learn and repeat in the correct order by having a song.

Now, I want you to think of all of the different trainings, programs and services you’ve tried throughout your life.  Specifically, think about the ones that didn’t work for you.

What type of learning style was it designed for?

Visual

Auditory

Reading/Writing

Kinaesthetic

Tactile

Sequential 

Simultaneous

Reflective / Logical

Verbal

Interactive

Direct or Indirect experience

Rhythmic / Melodic

I know that is a long list.  The transcripts have all of the details if you prefer to look at them.

Small note here - A Podcast with a Transcript meets the needs of auditory and reading learning styles.  Occasionally, I also throw in a graphic or music to touch on those learning styles.  I also tend to give numbered steps for sequential learners.

In fact, I pull in all of these learning styles from time to time.  I may try to challenge myself one day to pull on all 12 of them.

Anyway, back to the original question.  The trainings, programs or services you’ve tried before…which learning style were they designed for?

Now consider what your learning style is.  Was that training, program or service a good match for your learning style?

Feel free to pause this podcast if you are writing things down and reflecting on this question.

DESIGNING YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE FOR DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES

Let’s shift our perspective.  Let’s think about your potential clients.  Do you know what their learning style is?

This might be the first time you are asked this question.

Oftentimes we’ll just explore who they are.  We’ll focus on a profession, role in life, or stage of their life.

For example - midlife nurse.  We know 2 characteristics.  We know a profession and the stage of their life.

This group of people may have the same pain points and problem statements to solve.  They may also have the same dreams.

You may know exactly how to solve their problem and help them realize their dream.  You have knowledge and skills.  Now it’s time to put it into an official program.

What if the majority were auditory learners?  Would your program be 100% effective if it was based on a book they have to read?  If there was an audible version, maybe.  But, not if it was exclusively in print.  Most likely the clients wouldn’t read and retain the full book.  In fact, they may stop using your program all together.

Does it mean that your program doesn’t work?

No.  Your knowledge is spot on.  How you teach it is perfect.  It’s the format of the teaching that didn’t work.

However, if you knew they were mainly auditory learners, you would be inclined to create an MP3 of the book yourself or get it set up as an official audio book.  What would happen to the success rate of your program?  Yep, it would go sky high.

How do you know which learning style they have?  Simple.  Ask people.  To reduce your amount of rework, ask them before you create your product/service.  At the very least, get feedback from anyone that tries your product/service.  Make sure to include questions about learning format.

DOING STYLES

You may have a product/service that includes the client doing something. First, let’s reflect on your doing style.

1. The Gatherer - gathers all of the materials first.  As they learn how to do the thing, they already have the materials on hand to start.

2.  The Planner - Creates a to do list and schedules the activities.  Then they focus on the next task due.

3.  The Winger - Dives right in on learning.  May have to pause to go get supplies.  May improvise along the way to go faster.

4.  Solo - Loves to work alone or 1:1.

5.  Teamwork - Does their best as part of a team

6.  Quiet & Reflective - May spend more time upfront processing and making sense of it all before starting anything.

7. Social Brainstormer - Does best by talking with others about all the different tasks.  This is different from the Teamwork style.  The Social style may have their own project, but still wants to talk with others about it.

8. Granular - Loves to think about and sort every itty bitty detail before starting.

9. Visionary - Comes up with an exact picture of the end result before starting anything.

10.  Scientist - Creates the best projects through multiple experiments.

11. Artist - Creative and intuitive.  They just start.

12. Resourceful - work with whatever is on hand and makes it work

13. Extravagant - prefers the very best materials

Think about a time you completed a significant project.  One where you were in harmony with the process of creating it.  How would you describe your Doing Style?  Perhaps there are more than one style that make up your perfect style.

The gatherer
The planner

The winger

Solo

Teamwork

Quiet & Reflective

Social Brainstormer

Granular

Visionary

Scientist 

Artist

Resourceful

Extravagant

Again, you can take a look at the transcripts for this list.

If there was a time you did a program where you were supposed to create something, but it didn’t work for you, why?

Which Doing Style was supported in the program?  Was it your doing style?

DESIGNING YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE FOR DIFFERENT DOING STYLES

Time to shift perspectives again.  If you are creating a  product or service that includes your clients doing something, what doing style were you considering?

Sometimes we default to the doing style that seems easiest for the business owner.  Or we default to our own doing style.  Or worse yet, we use the Industry trend for Doing Style.

There are folks out there with unmet needs that would love something designed to fit their needs.

Consider someone that has an Artistic doing style.  If all of the programs were geared for people that have a Scientific doing style, they would not be set up for success.

They would be the fish trying to climb up the tree.

Then you come along and create a program specifically for people with the Artistic doing style.  Suddenly that fish comes your way, with gratitude in their heart.

If you had a program designed for the Extravagant doing style, the Resourceful doing style would be way out of their comfort level.  But, if there was a program for people with a resourceful doing style, it would be perfect!

You may want to print a copy of the transcript pages that have the learning and doing styles.  Then spend some time brainstorming all the ways your product/service could be delivered to meet those different styles.

This is what will make your product/service unique and extra desirable.

My friends, let’s celebrate diversity.  The world is better by having all of our different, beautiful minds in it.  The world will be even better when there are products/services to meet unmet needs.

If you are considering a new program for yourself, investigate if it supports your learning and doing style.

If you are preparing to create a new product/service, who do you want to support the most?

Thank you for taking this extra consideration into your business.  I hope you have a great week.  I’ll talk with you soon.  Bye Bye.

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Thank you for listening to My Freedom Grove Podcast. When you are ready to make your dream business a reality and take care of your mental health, I invite you to join the Unshakable Business Co-Lab. This is the mastermind membership you've been waiting for. There's no limits on your imagination, nor your timeline. We're with you every step of the way. To learn more, please visit www.myfreedomgrove.com/join. I'll see you there!