When implementing training for your company, consider using accelerated-learning techniques

Michelle LaBrosse, founder, Cheetah Learning LLC

As published in Scotsman Guide's Residential Edition, August 2008.

If the tone in your office is a little down with the current mortgage climate, it may be time to infuse some learning to improve spirits. I'm not talking about the kind of learning with homework, but accelerated learning, which helps people learn and retain information better.

Accelerated learning involves the whole person. It uses everything from music to physical activity to communicate new information and strengthen retention. People become involved in their own learning and can use their natural instincts to process new information.

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There are three key elements for accelerated learning:

1. Keeping people safe: For accelerated learning to work, people must feel safe. Set some ground rules so people can share openly.

For instance, let people know that the information shared in the class is not to leave the classroom. Also make it a rule that everyone has to contribute and participate at least twice during the session. Have people leave their egos at the door. There are no wrong answers.

2. Improving retention: People remember the most at the beginning and end of sections. It's best to serve bite-sized learning modules. Here's a possible learning flow:

• Engage staff members in a question-and-answer session to establish their preparedness for the module's activities.
• Once everyone is ready to move forward, provide instructions and allow the group to work through the activity.
• After the activity, follow through with a debrief period. This gives everyone the opportunity to share individual and team discoveries.
• Finally, briefly segue from the current module to the next. Give participants time for an additional Q-and-A and a break.

3. Using multiple learning modalities: Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to how they learn. When you use more than one learning technique or modality, you will appeal to your entire team and have a better shot at success. Here are some useful methods:

• Music: Classical music is an ideal choice for a learning backdrop because it has alpha frequencies, which have been found to increase learning capabilities. In fact, many educational entertainment programs include classical music because of its ability to boost accelerated learning in children.
• Kinesthetic: People with this learning style learn by doing. Think about using a physical activity such as golf or something relevant to your business.
• Logical-spatial: Visuals always help people remember information. Charts, graphs, process maps or organizational trees can be helpful.
• Linguistic: Use words to guide the learning process. Try brainstorming as a team, writing down the ideas and then verbally presenting the ideas back to the group.
• Mathematical: Work through problems and issues systematically. Ideal activities include process-mapping, scheduling, budgeting and creating to-do lists.
• Intrapersonal: You also can have team members work solo on projects and then share information after they've had time to think them through.
• Interpersonal: This learning style works best for people with strong social styles. They like to develop team-based solutions and operate through social activities. This is perfect for problem-solving and for brainstorming new ideas and solutions.
• Emotional: Choosing a memorable activity or experience is a powerful way to reinforce information. This could be a hike, a scavenger hunt or a team experience, like working on a build for Habitat for Humanity.

Training doesn't have to be a series of boring slides. Accelerated-learning techniques can help you make the most mundane information memorable and enjoyable. Apply these practices to nearly any course, and you'll likely see participants re-energized, focused and motivated to learn.

Michelle LaBrosse is founder and "chief cheetah" of Cheetah Learning LLC, the market leader for project-management training and professional development. In 2006, The Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org) selected LaBrosse as one of the "25 Most Influential Women in Project Management in the World." LaBrosse is a graduate of Harvard Business School's owner/president-management program and is author of Cheetah Project Management and Cheetah Negotiations. Reach her at marketing@cheetahlearning.com.