What happens when you get a new car?
You learn where all the buttons and switches are to do the things you did in your old car. You also learn what the new buttons and switches do to operate the new car. You train yourself to operate the new car. You keep the manual in the glove box so if you ever need to know what a light means or how to remove the spare tire you can do so. You learn to Mastery on driving the car so that you will be safer when operating the car. You want as much of the experience of driving to be automatic so that you do not have to think to accomplish a task like changing the volume on the radio.
What happens when you get a new piece of technology?
You learn the basics to get what you were doing before done. You might even learn to take advantage of some new features that will improve your efficiency a little bit here and there. If you have geek tendencies you might even get into the options and customize it and personalize it. That is the point where most people stop. They have learned enough to be competent or even skilled with the technology and they stop learning.
Why do we stop learning?
I believe that it has to do with the System 1 and System 2 thinking described by Daniel Kahneman. System 1 thinking is the automatic system best illustrated as the amount of mental effort required to add 1+1. System 2 is mental effort that actually requires mental effort like 17 x 321. When we get a new tech we work at it until what we need is at the System 1 level of mental effort. Truly learning the new technology to achieve mastery takes a lot of System 2 level of mental effort. Most of us do not have the resiliency to continue to put in the effort to achieve that level of mastery.
To achieve Mastery you need a training program.
Implementing a training program in your life can have a profound effect on your skill set. You could take classes from a teacher or coach. You can read the manual. You could find additional resources on the web along with training on the web. You need to determine what will work best for you. Then you need to design a training program that will help you achieve Mastery in your chosen endeavor.
Designing my Training Program:
What is working for me was identifying the areas where I had a weak or strong skill set. I set three levels Competent (could do the basics) Skilled (could use more complex parts of a program) Mastered (was knowledgeable about all parts of the technology and could implement them). I then prioritized those technologies that I use the most as either High or Low frequency. I then set out a training program that focused on getting any High Frequency & Competent Skill Set technologies to a Skilled Set level. This was the low hanging fruit that would have the quickest impact. After I have achieved that I move on to identifying the technology I use most and I am skilled at and making the effort to Master those High Frequency techs. I plan to repeat the process on the low frequency of use techs.
Training Time:
Set a set training time. When you work out with a trainer to get in shape you have a set time to work out. The same applies to learning. You set a specific time and day(s) to accomplish your tech training. I use a Training Tuesday for the staff and a Training Thursday for me personally. I have a set of tasks I must master till I feel I am either Skilled in a technology or I have Mastered a technology. I work methodically through the list until it is complete and then I do an assessment to see if I truly remember how to do something I have learned.
Training others:
I mentioned that I have a Training Tuesday for my staff. We are a small office where not everyone needs to learn every program but there is a lot of cross training on the most frequently used programs. I use Training Tuesdays to work one on one with the staff to help them learn new skills or help them solve a tech problem they are having. One of our big goals in the office is to have as much work done by our computers as possible. Since we implemented Training Tuesday we have seen a dramatic improvement in the efficiency at which things get done. This process of continually improving our skill sets is freeing up time to spend helping our clients or automating more of the things we do in the office. The other aspect of training others is that is strengthens my skills further reinforcing the knowledge I have acquired.
Follow up:
Let me know what your thoughts are regarding tech training. I am always looking for new tech to help me do my job better so if you have any tips or resources for training please let me know. If you look at the screens you can see what I am currently focusing my training on.