http://www.catalystnlp.co.uk
Learning to Learn
By Lizzi Larbalestier trading as Catalyst NLP
A QUOTE
“In times of change learners inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped for a
world that no longer exists!”
(Erich Hoffer)
We live in a climate of continual change and the ability to learn and adapt is more valuable than it ever has been.
Which raises the question - What did you learn this week?

So What Exactly is Learning?
If you search the internet you will find thousands of definitions of “learning as a process”, here is one I like....
„A person is said to have learnt when they have increased their options for applying, to a specific set of
circumstances, new or different behaviour which they believe will be to their benefit.‟
Whilst the definition is a little “wordy” there are some important linguistics contained within it. The phrase: „increased their
options‟, highlights the concept of “choice to apply learning or not”, since learning is not always immediately followed by an
observable behaviour shift and can quite often be stored for future use.
This definition also presupposes that in order to learn we require the ability to:
sense what is going on in our environment;
assess whether our response to an event is beneficial or harmful;
remember the event, our response and the consequences;
respond in future with a different behaviour.

Where are you in your learning journey?
Consider a skill you wish to master – it may even be “the ability to effectively learn”, begin to identify where on your development journey you are for this
particular skill. For example – are you...
Just in the early stages of learning this skill. Full of enthusiasm, but not really sure what you don‟t know yet – unconsciously incompetent
1.
Or are you beginning to develop your skill, but now realising how much you don‟t yet know – consciously incompetent
2.
Maybe you are beginning to gain confidence practising your not yet finely tuned skills to improve daily – consciously competent
3.
Or perhaps you have reached the stage of mastery where things just seem easy and you are looking to challenge yourself to continue learning –
4.
unconsciously competent
Noticing where you currently are, identify what support you may need from others and what you may need to do yourself to create and maintain motivation (it
may help to write this down). Think back to the initial definition of learning and more specifically the “learner needs” asking yourself the following –
Are you aware of the environments you perform this skill within and how each context helps or hinders you. Do you know if your actions and responses are
appropriate and helpful to you achieving success in this arena or not?
How willing and able are you to review previous and ongoing performance and consequences in this field in order to adapt future actions, deliver a different
result and avoid complacency?
Top Tips to coach yourself through your learning journey...
Unconscious Incompetence: At the beginning of the learning process, remember you may be unaware of your lack of competence, avoid assumptions
regarding the complexity of tasks, ask questions and get feedback to understand what and how much you need to learn.
Conscious Incompetence: During this stage, you‟ll need plenty of encouragement, both self motivation and from others. Accept that you will make mistakes
and learn from them, ask for guidance and support where needed. Record and celebrate small successes, to highlight how much you are improving.
Conscious Competence: Focus on effectively performing the task and don‟t give up at this point. Seek out plenty of opportunities for practice, persevere
don‟t settle for a mediocre competence level.
Unconscious Competence: Although this is the ideal state, aim to avoid complacency, and stay abreast of changes within your field of expertise to avoid
outdated thinking. Tolerate those less competent than yourself and seek opportunities to share your expertise (this will refine your skills even further).
Once you know where you are on your learning journey and have considered and put in place your learner needs, it may be useful to explore the approaches
you prefer to take to learning before creating an action plan to develop this skill.
Remember however that a flexible approach to learning is always best, rather than boxing yourself in to on approach

Learning Theory
There is no best way to learn; everyone has their own individual preferences, influenced by a number of factors. It can be useful to be informed by how you learn
best, but also to experiment with a variety of approaches to learning. There are four phases in adult learning, your preferred learning style (PLS) affects the point
you enter the learning cycle. There is a short questionnaire you can use to highlight your preferred learning style within the full version of this presentation here -
http://catalystnlp.co.uk/Documents/Learning%20to%20LearnWebPDF.pdf however the essence of Learning Styles is captured below...
Experiencing
Think about the last time you bought a new mobile phone....
KOLB
Did you take out the instructions and read them from front to back before doing anything with it (understanding the theory)? Testing Reflection
Learning
Did you read key instructions, check how to switch it on, try it, see if it worked, then move on to some functions (putting it to the test)? Cycle
Did you start by plugging it in and pressing a few buttons to see how it worked without looking at the instructions (experiencing)?
Did you recall the last time you did something like this, and use that reflection to tackle this phone (reviewing your experiences)?
Or maybe it was a combination of a couple? Theorising
Activists (learn by doing)
Activists like to get fully involved in new experiences. They enjoy „getting stuck in‟ and are happy to be dominated by immediate experiences. They are open-minded, not sceptical, and this tends to
make them enthusiastic about anything new. Their philosophy is one of „I‟ll try anything once‟. They tend to act first and think afterwards. Their days are filled with activity. They tackle problems by
brainstorming. As soon as the excitement of a new activity has passed they will be looking for the next activity. They tend to thrive on the challenge of new experiences but become bored with
implementation and longer-term consolidation. Activists tend to enter the Kolb learning cycle at the „Experience‟ stage.
Reflectors (learn by watching)
Reflectors like to stand back to consider experiences and possibilities from many different angles. They collect data, first hand and from others, and prefer to think thoroughly before coming to a
conclusion and making a move. Their philosophy is to be cautious. They prefer to take a back seat when things are going on, learning by observing other people in action. They listen very actively
and will only put their views forward when they have thought them through. They tend to adopt a low profile and have a slightly distant, tolerant, unruffled air about them. When they act it is part of a
wider picture that includes the past as well as the present and as many viewpoints as possible. Reflectors tend to enter the Kolb learning cycle at the „Reflection / Review‟ stage.
Theorists (learn by researching)
Theorists adapt and integrate the things they observe into complex but logical theories. They think matters through in a logical, step-by-step way. They can bring together separate
facts into understandable theories. They tend to be perfectionists and they also like to analyse. Their philosophy encapsulates rationality and logic. They tend to be detached and
analytical. Their approach to problem solving is consistently logical. They prefer to maximise certainty and can feel uncomfortable with subjective judgements. Theorists tend to enter
the Kolb learning cycle at the „Understand the theory‟ stage.
Pragmatists (learn by testing things out)
Pragmatists are keen on trying out new ideas, theories and techniques, to see if they work in practice. They seek out new ideas in order to try them and experiment with their application. They like to
get on with things and act quickly and confidently on ideas they are attracted to. They tend to be impatient with open ended discussions. They are basically practical people who like to make
practical decisions and solve problems. Their philosophy is „there is always a better way‟ and „if it works it‟s good‟. Pragmatists tend to enter the Kolb learning cycle at the „Put it to the test‟ stage.
Remember any “preference”, “type” or “trait” questionnaire highlights only a very small part of your wider personality!

NLP and Learning
Much of NLP focuses on learning and adapting, so below I have chosen only a few of the many NLP aspects that link to “learning to learn” as
food for thought...
Primacy, Recency and Frequency –
These are three key factors in learning effectively. I tend to consider these when working with clients and find that the principles work well
also for self directed learning. Primacy and Recency relate to the fact that we tend to remember the first and last elements of any learning
experience – hence it pays to “chunk” your development into bitesize pieces – that way the opportunity for valuable learning to be “lost in the
middle” is reduced! This chunking process also works well due to our limited attention spans. Frequency relates to the fact that repetition
strengthens our retention of learning. This is a physical phenomenon where neural pathways in our brains literally form and are reinforced
each time we revisit some learning. Interesting fact – did you know that London cabbies when learning “the knowledge” (which can take
years), can show a physical brain size increase of up to 10%! How often do you revisit important learning points?
The Zeigarnik Effect –
This is something I use a lot in coaching and training and it is something I was first exposed to in 2004 when I trained as an NLP practitioner
with Pegasus NLP who I now work as an associate with. It is hugely powerful in the learning process and uses the unconscious mind to
make sense of ambiguity or “open loops”. We undervalue the power of our unconscious – it is for example currently running and regulating all
the key systems within your body to keep you alive. How much are you concentrating right now for example on your breathing (ok maybe you
are now, but I‟d guess you weren‟t previously), what about your awareness of the position of your left foot? An example of the zeigarnik effect
at play might be - when you can‟t remember the name of an actor in a film and by simply “forgetting about it” or “sleeping on it” – ZAP the
name comes to you from out of nowhere! It is almost by “not thinking” we allow our unconscious to make sense of things. In learning by
leaving open loops (unfinished business), we can often allow our minds to take the learning far further than had we boxed the learning in and
ticked it off as “done” or “complete”. Open loop learning encourages revisiting and therefore reinforces our learning. So next time you are
learning something, consider this... it might be “ok not have ALL the answers right now”.

NLP and Learning
Two NLP principles that link directly to learning –
“There is no failure only feedback” - how many times do you think Edison “failed” before he made the light bulb? When learning any new skills
or behaviour it is hugely useful to know that successes and perceived failures are all helpful in moving you towards your goal. I was lucky
enough to hear Sir Clive Woodward speak at an event about how he coached the England Rugby team through one of their most successful
periods in history. He talked about the fact that in the review of each game EQUAL weighting was placed on what seemed to have worked as
was placed on what seemed to “go wrong”. This balanced approach enabled an objective and generative appraisal of each game resulting in
extraction of insights into how to be even better next time! How often do you “focus on the negative”, how can you reframe your experience as
an opportunity to learn?
“If one person can do something anybody can” - this links to the ability we have as human beings to model each other, learn and adapt. It is
one of the key principles that began the study of NLP. How empowering is it know that we all have within our grasp the potential to succeed at
pretty much anything which is within our physiological limits!
NB - An NLP principle is an “assumption”, forming a foundation to the study and practice of NLP.
Mind / Body and the VAK factor –
Any learning experience will be enriched by making it multi-sensory. Back to the driving example – could you learn to drive simply by reading a
book or watching somebody - quite a visual experience? Maybe if you had a telephone conversation and someone told you all their top tips -
very auditory, but limiting? How about getting in a car and having a go without any guidance - very kinaesthetic but potentially dangerous? A
combination however could provide a good foundation for progress. This highlights why effective learning requires a mix of approaches this is
also where the idea of “blended learning” came from.
And finally –
Full circle to the initial description of learning and “choice to apply it or not”. Three factors evident in effective learning are as follows...Induction
(absorbing the knowledge, skills and behaviours in whichever way suits), Deduction (making personal meaning, links and connections for
yourself), Adduction (taking your new found capability and applying it in a number of contexts with ongoing review and refinement).
So maybe my initial question should have been... “What have you / I learnt and applied this week?”
For more information on NLP, Learning and Change visit http://www.catalystnlp.co.uk