Have you ever opened a college course catalog and seen a class titled “How to Be a Rock Star?”
Probably not. While the great musicians of our time likely took lessons to learn their craft, their real
growth occurred in the practice sessions, the performances, and the countless hours on tour buses
jamming with their bandmates. Rock stars learn on the job, and it turns out, your teams can too.
Experiential Learning Theory
Experiential learning, a theory developed by David A. Kolb, states that people learn through a four-step
Experiential Learning Cycle: Experiencing – Reflecting – Thinking – Acting. When people are engaged in
these situations, they may not even recognize that they are learning, yet deep learning is occurring.
Think about the roles you’ve had over your career. How often were you (as a new hire) parked in front
of a video, instruction manual, or classroom setting to learn your job? Did you find that helpful, or do
you feel like your real training began when you stepped out of the classroom and onto the “front lines?”
The Benefits of Experiential Learning
There are several benefits to learning through experience.
1. Teaches Necessary Skills
No matter how tailored your training program, you may be burdening your new hires (or transfers)
with information, they don’t need. Rather than gather multiple roles together for a training class,
why not place your employees in their new roles with a mentor or trainer who can teach them how
to handle situations as they arise?
2. Improves Retention
Reading something in a book or hearing someone teach a skill or task is no competition from having
people roll up their sleeves and “get their hands dirty.” When you do something, you are
more likely to remember how to do it moving forward.
3. Strengthens Teams
When you get hired at Zappos, no matter what position you are hired for, you start on the phone
providing customer service. It doesn’t matter if you come in as a senior leader, a techie, or an
accountant, you start on the phone. Why? Because customer service is the core of what they do
and you have to understand that in order to do your job and support your fellow coworkers
properly. How can you incorporate this into your business? Consider cross-training employees,
having them spend time in several roles so they understand what occurs.
4. Builds Confidence
On-the-job training fosters an environment of problem-solving. Employees have the opportunity to
navigate real-world challenges and become more confident in their abilities in the process. Imagine
the celebration when a new employee solves their first problem!
5. Inspires Creativity
Experiential, hands-on learning sparks creativity and innovation in problem-solving. Employees can
work through issues with new approaches and see, in real time, whether their approaches fix the
issue. A new employee with fresh eyes and no preconceived notions may be just what your
company needs to jump an existing hurdle.
If you want to create rock-star employees, experiential learning is a great tool to have in your tool
box.
What Does Experiential Learning Look Like
There are a variety of ways you can incorporate experiential learning into your organization. It’s time to
rethink your current training program and consider adding one (or more) of these methods:
On-the-Job Training
When a new hire joins the company, skip the classroom and put them out in the field with a trainer,
mentor, or buddy.
Cross Training
A new or existing employee can spend time with other teams, learning the ins and outs of what these
departments do.
Role-Playing
If your industry or new hire’s role doesn’t translate well to on-the-job training (too high stakes), consider
creating a safe, simulated work environment where they can role-play to learn and practice skills they’ll
need when they officially “go live” as an employee.
Interactive Workshops
Workshops can engage your team members as they do group activities, role-play, share their
experiences in the field, and practice skills they use (or will use) every day.
Conclusion
If you want your employees to learn in a way that helps them digest, remember, and feel confident
using their training, it’s time to turn up the learning! Learn from the rock stars who put in countless
hours practicing their craft, and incorporate Experiential Learning into your business.
” Practice,I used to sit on the edge of my bed with a six-pack of Schlitz Malt talls. My brother would go
out at 7 PM to party, and when he would come back at 3 AM, I would still be sitting in the same place,
playing guitar. I did that for years — I still do that.”
To learn more about rockstar leadership, visit https://marvellessmark.com/.
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