How to get maximum value for the time and effort you invest in acquiring new skills and knowledge.
Bringing new knowledge into action and have it work for the organisation is just as important as acquiring it in the first place. Going back to school as an adult, even for just one day, is an active decision that requires you to take full responsibility. How you show up, your expectations and your ability to be fully present determines how much of an impact your new knowledge will have.
But what exactly can you do to make sure your organisation and you as a professional benefit as much as possible from your newly attained skills and knowledge?
Here is how you get most out of your education efforts
It all starts when you sign up. We’ve put together a few simple tips for you that can be easily implemented before, during and after your next course:
Before
Prepare well in advance. Showing up well prepared includes more than simply having the course date marked in your calendar. Allot time for preparation some days or weeks before the actual course date(s).
Use your allotted time slots for reflection on learning opportunities and for reading background materials:
Reflect on your decision to attend this course. Some questions to guide you, could be:
- why do I attend this particular course?
- what will be different once I’ve attended the course?
- what questions or issues do I expect the course to answer?
Familiarize yourself with the course material. Depending on the type of course you plan to attend you will most likely receive mandatory as well as optional reading. Make it a priority to at least glimpse through the recommended literature. That way your learning process starts already before you show up on the actual course day.
How we nudge you:
Most often, at Atrium, we ask our course participants to submit particular areas of concern that they want covered during a particular course. This is your opportunity to have an impact on the course. Providing input not only affects the course program but also sharpens your own focus prior to attending. That in itself sets you off for success.
During
How you get the most out of your education efforts is directly related to how invested you are during the course. The more openly you share, ask questions and actively enter into discussions the greater the take-aways.
Engage in activities throughout the course and remember that listening is an important skill, that you should also make priority. Therefore, make sure to:
- Actively share your experiences, perspectives and cases of specific relevance. Use the course as an opportunity to discuss issues that you normally deal with alone or rarely get a chance to debate with like-minded people.
- Be a good listener. We tend to listen from our own perspective. No matter if you are a seasoned expert or new in the field try to show up with curiosity and a beginner’s mind. That way you challenge your own thinking and store new information differently.
How we nudge you:
In the class-room setting there are particularly two things we do to support you in getting the most out of the time you spend away from your daily work environment. First, we make sure to create a safe space and remind everyone that the course is a confidential room for knowledge sharing. Secondly, our courses always take into consideration different learning styles and active involvement. That is why our courses are highly interactive, and we expect of our participants to be actively engaged because that’s how you learn new things.
After
Lots of new input, then what? We’ve all experienced leaving a course highly inspired and wanting to make changes, but then daily life strikes, and mails, meetings and other daily tasks need our full attention.
We tend to be more committed to our goals when other people are involved. Why not book time already while you’re at the course? Make meeting invites that keep you committed to bringing your new knowledge into action.
You may want to:
- Give a brief presentation of what you’ve learned to colleagues that will benefit from that particular knowledge – teaching is the best way for you as a course participant to implement new learnings.
- Stay in touch with some of the other course participants – you now share a knowledge base in this particular field of expertise and this is a chance to extend your network.
How we nudge you:
Towards the end of all of our courses we ask for your feed-back. This, of course, is for us to become even better, but it is also an invitation for you to revisit the course and your most important take-aways. We also offer formal networks if you want to take your peer networking to the next level.
Formalize your networking efforts
Networking with colleagues in the industry is a high priority for most professionals working in Life Science and Pharma. Atrium’s networks give you the opportunity to debate important dilemmas within your field of expertise, discuss current regulations and interpretations and stay on top of trends and market changes. Find your next network here.
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