Break a new topic into components for better skill development
When learning a new topic, technique or concept, practice is paramount for acquiring and solidifying the new set of skills. Here is a simple framework for developing skills deliberately.
STEP 1
Identify the topic or objective
The first step is to know what you intend to achieve through practicing. For example, “becoming a more effective group facilitator.” Facilitating group work sessions and discussions requires several areas of proficiency, each with a set of skills.
Planning the work session
Leading the work session
Communicating about the work session
If the topic is unfamiliar, it may be helpful to ask someone with experience in the area to help you identify the main areas to work on. Breaking down a new concept into skills for practice is its own skill, which can be practiced following this process!
STEP 2
Break out the parts
01—List the component skills or techniques
With the broader areas broken out, it’s time to focus on the individual skills needed for each. Let’s look at a few:
Planning the work session
Planning a session requires identifying the participants and interested stakeholders, articulating the objective, selecting activities, and arranging the order and timing of activities into an agenda.
Leading the work session
With a session planned and participants in place, the facilitator’s focus is on engaging participants, achieving objectives, and staying on schedule. The component parts include giving activity instructions, managing discussion threads, providing examples, and transitioning between activities, among others.
Communicating about the work session
After the session is complete, the project sponsors and participants will want a summary to review and use. Creating a succinct summary involves summarizing how the activities contributed to the objective, describing key decision points, and visually displaying evidence of the activities.
There may be other component parts; this is just an example.
02—Practice individually
With the component parts—or individual skills—laid out, the next step is to practice. Some of the skills may already be familiar to you. These individual skills are applicable to other things, after all. With them spread out in front you, select the skills you want to develop or refine. Practice them one at a time.
Particularly for new skills, it’s important to practice them by themselves at first. Become familiar with what the skill is on its own. Repeat the skill outside of deadlines or critical project work until it feels comfortable. This might be when you can complete the steps of a skill without following instructional prompts—the equivalent of doing it without looking.
To engrain the skill further, create some artificial pressures or constraints for yourself. Nothing too taxing, just some light limits that help you think about it from a new angle. Here are some practice prompts:
Time limits: What happens if you cut the amount of time available in half? What happens if you double the time?
Direction: What happens if you do the skill backwards? Can you start in the middle, or from another direction?
Context: How else can you apply the skill (be creative and think in extremes!)? If the skill is typically delivered verbally, such as providing instructions, practice writing them with text. Or drawing them.
Audience: Imagine using the skill with a different audience. If your primary audience are co-workers, imagine using the skill with a group of children. Or people with different abilities, experience and/or knowledge.
The point of all this practice is to make you free and confident applying the skill. The goal isn’t to simply acquire a new skill, but to apply to a variety of scenarios or challenges and achieve the outcomes you desire.
Follow this process for each of the individual skills you flagged to work on. Some skills will come more easily than others. Measure your progress by your sense of ease and ability to reliably apply the individual skill in several different contexts.
STEP 3
Reassemble
Now the fun really takes off! Practicing the individual skills is the first step, but skills aren’t applied in a vacuum. Connecting skills together is another moment to practice. It may be a surprise to learn, but bringing two skills together has changed the context for each. This must be practiced to achieve a fluid performance.
When individual skills are comfortable, begin stringing them together. When skills are combined, think about the inputs and outputs of each. For example:
Skill 1 input: What is required to initiate Skill 1? What resources, supplies, or information do you need?
Skill 1 output: What will result from applying Skill 1? Does it create information, products, or questions?
Skill 2 input: Take what was generated from Skill 1 to start Skill 2.
Skill 2 output: The additive result of using Skill 1 and Skill 2 together.
01—Make pairs
To practice combining skills, start with one (Skill A). First combine it with another skill (Skill B) and practice. Then start again with the first skill (Skill A), combine it with a different skill (Skill C) and practice. Continue this process with the first skill until you’ve made as many two-skill combinations you can. Then repeat the process starting with Skill B, working your way through each of the component skills.
02—Make trios and larger bundles
Continue the process above, making larger compound groups of skills. Take the time to work through any moments that are challenging or raise questions. Working through them in the safety of your own time will better prepare you for surprises that come up when applying them to real-life projects or scenarios.
Conclusion
The point of practicing is not to make busy work, but to recreate situations that allow you to grow and deliver seamlessly. I have used this process for more than 20 years with tremendous success on everything from learning a new musical instrument, to cutting onions, to leading design workshops for business.
Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash.