While creating a presentation for a Leadership Training , I was focusing on “How is learning absorbed”,  I realised that the Adult Learning principles offers so many insights to leaders on Team engagement and Leadership. Smitten by the phenomenal potential it offers, I decided share these insights here so that leaders can benefit from this and use it for their respective teams.

Adult learning principles (ALP) were defined by Malcolm Knowles in 1970 to describe how adults learn. The crux of all the principles of ALP is that the reasons most adults enter any learning experience is to create change. The change could be in skills, behaviours, knowledge level, their attitude.

We all know 70:20:10 principal. It says that 70% learning happens on the job. That’s the area you own as a Leader. Right? Now, let’s go through these adult learning principles to see how you can maximise the learning to bring real engagement for your team.

 “Change is the end result of all true learning. ― Leo Buscaglia

The adult learning principles are as follows:

1. Adults must want to learn:

They learn effectively only when they have a strong inner motivation to develop a new skill or acquire a particular type of knowledge. Since this is very individualistic, take some time to reflect on the following question for your team:

Is this team member really interested in the kind of work we do?

Simply put, does it align to his/her strengths, because that’s when they will be interested to learn from the work they do. The basic motivation and interest is part of their equation not yours.

1. Adults will learn only what they feel they need to learn:

Adults are practical in their approach to learning. They want to know: “How is this going to help me right now?” Reflect on these questions:

• Does this person know how our work aligns to the overall strategy of the organization?
• Does he/she know how our work fits into the overall portfolio of the organization and how their work is contributing to the bigger numbers?
• Does this person have the complete view of the value chain starting from his own interest to organizations revenue? 
• Most importantly does he feel that he is an integral part of your team?

 As mentioned earlier, engagement can’t be a blanket approach. Engagement is individualistic and as a Leader, it is your work to make sure each and every individual in your team is engaged. Mind you, highly engaged team saves you the cost of attrition, hiring and repetitive learning interventions.

These questions can also be leveraged in a one-to-one meeting with your team member to understand the complete picture and find solutions.

1. Adults learn by doing:

Children learn by doing, but active participation is more important among adults. They need to be able to use these skills immediately so that they see their relevance. Ponder these questions:

• Is your team member getting the opportunity to apply his/her skills?
• Are you as a leader aware of his/her potential?
• Has he/she been involved in desired projects?
• Are there any steps taken towards understanding his liking of work?

1. Adult learning focuses on problems and the problems must be realistic:

Children learn skills sequentially. Adults start with a problem and then work to find a solution. Begin by identifying what the learner can do, what the learner wants to do and then addressing the gaps and developing practical activities to teach specific skills. Interestingly, most of the team members have a limited view to their work. Do take time out to see:

• Is he aware of the outcome we are expecting?
• Does he know in depth what problem are we trying to solve?
• Has he shared any ideas that could have been considered?
• Does he know he can share ideas and that will be heard?
• Is he aware of the basic purpose and values on which we operate and function?

1. Experience affects adult learning:

  Adults have more experience than children. This can be an asset and a liability.

• Does your team member get the opportunity to brainstorm ideas with the larger team?
• Are you, as a leader, challenging his assumptions?
• Are you encouraging him to think beyond obvious?
• Does he have the opportunity to take some risks to validate his thinking and break limiting beliefs?

1. Adults learn best in an informal situation:

Children have to follow a curriculum. Often, adults learn only what they feel they need to know. The questions you should be asking here are:

• Are you approachable as a leader for each and every member of your team?
• Do they really find it hard to find time in your schedule?
• Do you get one-to-one time with them to just listen to them?
• In your conversation with them are you listening or talking most of the time?
• Is there an open environment in your team to be able to cross-sell and bounce off ideas?

1. Adults want guidance:

Adults want information that will help them improve their situation or that of their children. They do not want to be told what to do. They want to choose options based on their individual needs. The important questions here are:

• Are you helping them brainstorm or expecting them to come to you with perfect solutions?
• Are you coaching them with the right questions?
• Are you listening to their thoughts and validating their work couple of times to reach a good level of understanding?
• Where does most of your time go? Instructing, coaching, counseling or reprimanding?

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin

Too many questions for you to deal with? Well, let me summarise it for you.

• Is your team member doing what his core area of interest and strength is?
• Does he/she get to contribute for bringing change?
• Is he/she aligned with the bigger picture of team and organization?
• Is his/her own aspiration in line with organization’s vision or goals?
• Is he/she getting appropriate coaching and guidance to navigate through work and career?

While not all your team member would be at the same stage, there can be some efforts aligned to these questions in effort to bring real long-term sustainable engagement.

You can start asking these questions to yourself to be able to do a test and then try finding out in your team how will it work out for others. The choice is between the entertainment and real engagement. Explore what comes out of your team survey through these questions.