Monthly Archives: October 2011

Learn New Skills-The Essence of Learning New Skills-How We Learn

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Learn New Skills-

The Essence of Learning New Skills-How We Learn

Learn new skills or learning anything new can be very complicated. To simplify the topic, I’ve included the essence of how we actually learn about new subjects of
interest.  Here is the essence of how we learn new skills. How we learn new skills is actually pretty simple and the process is very enlightening.   Final footnote: we use learn new skills as the premise for our posts, but it is also a metaphor for learning anything you want to learn.

Learn new skills-how we learn

  • * 10% of what we READ
  • * 20% of what we HEAR
  • * 30% of what we SEE
  • * 50% of what we SEE AND HEAR
  • * 70% of what is DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS
  • * 80% of what is EXPERIENCED PERSONALLY
  • * 95% of what we TEACH TO SOMEONE ELSE

Learn new skills- in three steps

Notice how the amount or retention grows once you begin to use the skill and teach the
skill.  We always used a three step practice to training our employees on new skills.  Shortly you will see how it ties together with the trhee levels of knowledge.

  1. We teach the skill
  2. They use the skill several times
  3. They teach the skill

Once you reach the level where you can teach the new skill you learned, that’s when you really begin to grasp the knowledge. This doesn’t happen overnight, but the quicker you can get through these three stages, the quicker you own and learn new skills.

Learn new skills-the three levels of knowing

Now that you know “how to learn”, it’s time to bring our attention to the essence
of knowing and knowledge. You can’t be a great thinker or learn new skills
without understanding the three levels of knowing and the three levels of
knowledge.

This model identifies the three levels of knowing.

The Three Things You Know

The Three Things You Know

 

 

 

 

 

So now that you know…what are you going to do with it.
Here are few more enlightening statistics when it comes to learning.

  • 75%  will do nothing
  • 15% will look at it
  • 10%-will learn, practice and teach the new skill

That’s the magic number to learn new skills. Statistics tell the tale.  Only
10%- actually it is less than 10% of people will actually even learn new
skills, less will practice the new skill and even fewer will eventually teach
it.  That’s why so few people really ever succeed.

Call it lazy, call it procrastination, call it not fun.  Once you change your mind set
to learn new skills and begin to embrace them as tools that will help you
achieve your goals, get ahead in life and prosper, you will be more inclined to
put yourself in that 10% grouping.

Learn new skills-the three levels of knowledge

This model shows the three levels of knowledge.

Knowledge-The Three Steps To

Knowledge-The Three Steps To

  1. Basic recall is the lowest level in
    the hierarchy of knowledge. That’s where you first learn new skills, your first introduction to learning anything new.
  2. Comprehension- this is where you begin to learn new skills and understand new things.
  3. Application- this is the final step to knowledge the gateway to really learn new skills.  Those who reach this level with a skill, actually begin to develop their real skills.
Learn new skills- the rest of the story

The rest of this post will focus on basic memory, and we will address the higher levels of knowledge in the next posting.

Learn new skills- all about memory

In simple terms, memory is the mental activity of recalling information that you have
learned or experienced. That simple definition covers a sophisticated process
that involves many different parts of the brain and serves us in different and
unique ways.

Just like muscular strength, your ability to remember increases when you exercise your
memory and support it with a proper diet and other healthy habits. There are a
number of steps you can take to improve your memory and retrieval capacity,
especially when you learn new skills. First, however, it’s helpful to understand how we remember.

Learn new skills- short term memory

Memory can be either short-term or long-term. In short-term memory, your mind stores
information for a few seconds or a few minutes: that’s about the time it takes you to meet look up a friend’s telephone number. Short term memory is fragile, and it’s meant to be. If not, your brain would quickly be faced with “sensory overload” if you retained every phone number you called, every person you met. Your brain is also meant to hold an average of seven items: called the magic of (7 +-2), which is why you can usually remember a new phone number for a few minutes. Anything more than 7 and you have difficultly recalling.

Learn new skills-long term memory

Long-term memory on the other hand, involves the information you make an effort
(conscious or unconscious) to retain, because it has some significance or is
important to you. For example: information on colleagues, and friends). Some
information that you store in long-term memory requires a conscious effort to
recall: episodic memories, which are personal memories about experiences you’ve
had at specific times; and semantic memories (factual data not bound to time or
place), which can be everything from the names of the planets to the color of
your child’s hair. Another type of long-term memory is procedural memory, which
involves skills and routines you perform so often that they don’t require
conscious recall.

In our next from learn new skills we will post, we will review improving memory.

Check out our intro price from learn new skills on their Be Thinkful skill development plan.

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Thinking Skills- Reflective Thinking: Learn New Skills From The Inside Out

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Reflecting and refelctive thinking

Looking from the inside out with reflectve thinking

Thinking Skills-

Learn new skills from the inside out

Here is a great opening quote on learning thinking skills on reflection and reflective thinking

When it came to thinking skills, Confucius said it best…

…”By three methods we may learn wisdom 1st, by reflection, which is noblest; 2nd by imitation, which is easiest; and 3rd by experience, which is bitter sweet.” – Confucius

Thinking skills-history repeats itself

They say history repeats itself. Lessons from the past are one of the smartest thinking tools you can use.  Embracing the lessons from the past is what “reflection” and reflective thinking skills are all about. When you reflect, you draw on past experiences. Drawing on past experiences puts things in perspective and sheds a new light on the teachings and lessons learned.

Thinking skills-reflective thinking turns experience into insight”

Having been through something once, gives you a sense of confidence that experience teaches.  We call these “AHA” moments-teachable moments.   Thinking skills like reflection and reflecting is a sure fire way to jump start any thinking process. When you reflect on something you get to see the entire picture.  The good, the bad, the ugly. You can learn something from both positive and negative perspectives, so don’t turn your back to the negative side of the lesson.

Here is a pointed quote for you on experience on thinking skills- “Those that forget the past are condemned to relive it”

When you look at both the positive and negative side of a coin using reflective thinking skills, it has a unique way to take a bad experience and turns it into a valuable one. Do not miss the opportunity to get something of value from it.

Thinking skills-two sides of the coin

It’s easy and fun to pull the wisdom from a positive experience. A good experience is the most valuable. Having done it once successfully, you should be able to repeat the positive experience. To ensure that you get the same results with the next new experience, ask yourself these questions:

Was there one big factor in the experience, and what role did it play in the solution and outcome?

What was the one negative thing about the experience, how could I have prevented it, more importantly, what lesson did I learn?

  • What steps did I take?
  • What questions would I have asked if I had another expereince similar to it?
  • What was my biggest surprise?
  • What could I have done differently to improve the results?
  • What did I learn?
  • What could I have done to improve the past experience?

Thinking skills- exploring the past

Exploring the past is definitely inspirational. It also provides integrity to your thinking, and most important of all, it puts the past experience into true perspective. You can use this thinking tool for any challenge. You can also use it to just sit back and reflect, you will be surprised what you learn.

Here is a practice exercise that is simple to do. Think back in time, and then think through these different subjects-one at a time:

  • Opportunities
  • Family
  • Career
  • Hobby
  • Goals
  • Giving
  • Short Comings
  • Problems
  • Work

You can also use this thinking skills tool and strategy to think about any scenarios to see if you experienced something similar in the past that you can draw on. Always keep balance and perspective in mind when you reflect. If you have a current challenge you are working on, reflect on it, give it some mental energy, give yourself a place to reflect that is quiet and a time that is most peaceful for you, and what is really important here is-let it incubate.  Give reflective thought time to blossom, grow and develop.  Time is your friend with reflective thinking…so give it some room

Reflective thinking skills is the first place to start when you want to think about something and think better.

Thinking skills- looking ahead

Exploring the future is definitely inspirational. Thinking associated with new ideas, planning different objectives and also stretching your creative thoughts on how to proceed in a different way, provides you with loads of positive energy!  Use the past to think ahead, set goals and cherish the insight these thoughts give you.

Reflective thinking is just one of hundreds of different patterns, strategies and insights from our Be Thinkful© thinking and creativity E-Book and skill development program.  Learn new skills and check out our special limited time intro offer now at www.thinkingskillsets.com.

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Learn New Skills-The REAL VALUE Of Thinking And Creativity

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Learn New Skills-

The REAL VALUE Of Thinking And Creativity

Stand out in a crowd when you learn new skills like thinking and creativity

Learn New Skills-The REAL VALUE Of Thinking And Creativity And Top Performance

Learn new skills-The real value of thinking

When you learn new skills like thinking skills, here is what happens.  Great thinking produces the groundwork for great results.  You just can’t have performance and great results without better thinking.  Poor thinking creates negative consequences, and average thinking produces simply no improvements or progress.

Great thinking generates great improvements in your performance and progress.  Great thinking combined with great ideas releases a person’s real potential.  Good thinking generates more good thinking for those who turn it into a practice.  That’s exactly how you start to become a great thinker.

“An invasion of armies could be resisted, but never an invasion of ideas”

Learn new skills- thinking should be obvious to us

The REAL VALUE of great thinking, generating ideas and the ability to sell yourself and influence others should be apparent to all of us.  It’s hard to advance without it, and it’s even harder to be successful, or to earn life changing income, without being a better thinker.

Here’s why.  Unsuccessful individuals concentrate their thinking on existing and surviving.  How can you generate ideas when you are merely trying to get by?   When you learn new skills like thinking and creativity, you understanding the effects associated with changing your thinking, and you are more inclined to improve your thinking skills. 

 Learn new skills-improve your thinking and creativity

1. Improved thinking creates the base line for good results
2. Poor thinking only creates negative results
3. Average thinking produces little to no progress
4. Good thinking improves your chances for success
5. Great thinking produces greater performance, success and income

Only when a person makes the proper changes and improvements to their thinking do things change, and turn out better for them.  That’s when you can start to understand better, think better, and generate great ideas for your company or yourself.

Learn new skills-change your thinking

Improving your thinking is all about changing attitudes and beliefs.

Change is a personal thing- “I would really want to change.”  Change is really possible-“I am able to change.”  Change is profitable- “I’ll be rewarded by change.” 

Changing your beliefs, changes your expectations.  Changing your expectations, changes your attitude.  Changing your attitude changes your behavior.  Changing your behavior changes your performance. 

When you learn a new skill like thinking, this is what happens.  Changing your performance, changes your life…and this my friends is exactly how you become successful and produce life changing income!

Learn new skills–creativity

Thinking and creativity go hand and hand.  The more creative you are the better thinker you are.  Here is an inside look at creativity and the skills you develop as you become more creative.

1. Learn new skills like-Curiosity

When you learn new skills like creativity, you start to ask ‘why’, ‘what if’ and ‘I wonder…’ are great questions to build into your life if you want to be a more creative person. Learn new skills like creativity to be more employable is one great benefit.  Companies like creative people.

2. Learn new skills to-Finding the FUN in Problems

The biggest problem is that we often see problems or obstacles in life as unacceptable parts of life. We avoid pain or suppress it when it comes and in doing so, we don’t often see and feel symptoms that are there to tell us something important. Creative people see problems as a natural and normal part of life – in fact they often have a fascination with problems and are drawn to them.   That is why creativity and thinking go hand in hand.

3. Learn new skills to Confront Challenge

Most of the most creative ideas through-out history have come from people facing a challenge or crisis and rather than running from it asking ‘how can I overcome this’?

4. Learn new skills for- Constructive Discontent

Creativity and creative people often have an acute awareness of what’s wrong with the world around them – however they are constructive about this awareness and won’t allow themselves to get bogged down in grumbling about it – they take their discontent and let it be a motivation to doing something constructive.

5. Learn new skills for Being Positive

Learning creative skills gives you a unique attitude and belief that most (if not all) problems can be solved. No challenge is too big to be overcome and no problem cannot be solved (this doesn’t mean they’re always happy or never depressed – but they don’t generally get stumped by a challenge).

6. Learn new skills for Suspending Judgment

As you start learning creative skills, you begin to hold off on judging or critiquing an idea is important in the process of creativity. Often great ideas start as crazy ones – if critique is applied too early the idea will be killed and never developed into something useful and useable. (note – this doesn’t mean there is never a time for critique or judgment in the creative process – it’s actually key – but there is a time and place for it).

7. Learn new skills- Obstacles Lead To Innovation, Improvement & Solutions

This subject is similar to the example above,  but by ‘hurdles’ I mean problems and mistakes in the creative process itself. Sometimes it’s on the journey of developing an idea that the real magic happens and it’s often out of the little problems or mistakes that the idea is actually improved.

8. Learn new skills- Stick With It-Ness

Creative people who actually see their ideas come to fruition have the ability to stick with their ideas and see them through – even when the going gets tough. This is what sets apart the great from the good in this whole sphere. Stick-ability is key.

9. Learn new skills to develop-Flexible Imagination

It’s fun watching a truly creative person at work when they’re ‘on fire’. They have this amazing ability to see a problem or challenge and it’s many potential solutions simultaneously and they have an intuitive knack at being able to bring previously disconnected ideas together in flashes of brilliance that seem so simple – yet which are so impossible to dream up for the average person.

Is Creativity tied to Personality A Trait or Can it be Learned?

As I read through this list of traits of creative people – the question that I know the answer to is whether creativity is tied to personality type or whether it can be learned?

Yes creativity is a learning skill.

Some people are just creative – they don’t train themselves to think like they do and they often don’t even know that they are any different from the rest of us – it’s just who they are.

However, we can all enhance our ability to be creative over time when learning new skills.   When you learn new skills like our thinking and creativity skill sets, you will really become a creative type.

If you want to become successful and live at a new level, you have to be more creative and think at a new level.  Learning skills and using the life changing skill sets associated with Be Thinkful© is the right product for you, and the right time for you to start learning how to think and understand better, be more creative and yes…even generate great ideas.

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Learn New Skills- Develop Your Personal Value Proposition And Learn New Skills

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Increase your value prosoposition with thinking skills

Learn New Skills-Insight Career Development

 Learn New SKills Video-Thinking Skill Development

Learn New Skills-

And increase your value

Are you tired of hearing no?  No, you don’t have the skills we need.  No you didn’t get that promotion.  Maybe it’s time you take steps now to learn new skills that every employer and company are looking for.

 When it comes to increasing your core values as an individual or in growing your company, nothing can enhance your value proposition more than to learn new skills.  Companies spend a great amount of time and money developing their value proposition and here’s way.

Learn new skills- defining a value proposition

A value proposition is promising some value to be delivered and a belief from the customer of value that they will experience. A value proposition can apply to an entire organization, or parts thereof, or customer accounts, or products or services.  Creating a value proposition is a fundamental business component and a critical high level business strategy.  Kaplan and Norton are two world known business strategists, and here is a short summary of what they have to say about a value proposition. “Strategy is based on a differentiation and satisfying customers is the source of a sustainable value creation.

Learn new skills-high level strategy

If it holds true for companies, doesn’t it make sense for individuals as well?  In these tough competitive times with high unemployment, erosion of good quality jobs and intense competition on the jobs that are out there, now more than ever you need to increase your value proposition and the best way to do that is by learning new skills.

Here is the key point to value propositions.   A value proposition is the solution to a customer’s problem and in your case, maybe it’s a prospective employer.  It goes hand in hand with the problem the company or the product is solving or what the company needs from a job candidate.  With that knowledge in hand now we need to take a deeper look at developing a personal value proposition so that you can increase your own personal value.

 A personal value proposition “should be a statement of the tangible results a company will get from hiring you, the unique skills and benefits you will bring to an employer that others won’t.”  That is where a unique and differentiated strategy comes in.  Before we begin to develop a personal value proposition (PVP) let’s digress and look at a new term we need to introduce called: “value drivers” and the best place to start for understand this term is the investment banking world. 

Did you ever wonder why one business has buyers lined up willing to pay top dollar while another sits on the market for months, or even years?   What do buyers look for in a prospective business acquisition? The characteristics buyers seek must exist before the sale process even begins.   It is the job of the business owner to create value within their business prior to a sale.

 Learn New Skills: High Level skills- Value Drivers that enhance value

Here is a short list of the items, common to all industries, which drive up value for an entrepreneur’s called: “Value Drivers.” Here are the critical key value drivers for any successful business:

  • A stable, motivated management team
  • Operating systems that improve sustainability of cash flows
  • A solid, diversified customer base
  • Facility appearance consistent with asking price
  • A realistic growth strategy
  • Effective financial controls
  • Good and improving cash flow

These are the core reasons a buyer is willing to pay a premium price.  The more successful you are in developing each component, the higher your business value. These value drivers are centered on their perception of risk and return.

Now let’s take a look at the core value drivers when you learn new skills to increase your personal value proposition.  These are the critical skills employers are looking for today when you learn new skills.  Interesting to note, for the most part they haven’t really changed for years.

 Job skills and formal education

  • Communications skills
  • Thinking skills
  • Leadership skills
  • Pride in your work and a hard work ethic
  • Creativity and the ability to solve problems
  • Time Management and
  • Self Confidence
  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Learn new skills

Sure, there are specialized high level skill sets some people have like: project management, graphics art, internet marketing.  The list goes on and on and yes, having high level skill sets greatly increases your value tremendously.  When you learn new skills, these aslo increase your value tremedously as well.

Make the time commitment now and learn new skills.  The best one to start with without a doubt is thinking skills.  Our Be Thinkful© skill set development program includes three skills in one

  1. Thinking skills
  2. Creativity skills
  3. Influence and persuasion skills

Learn these skills now at http://www.bethinful.com/ and increase your value proposition. And most important of all…and keep on learning.   After all, if you have a passion for learning and learn new skills like thinking and creativity, you will already be on well on your way to increasing your value.

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