Comments on: How to learn and apply new things fast. http://www.toach.net/blog/2006/11/02/how-to-learn-and-apply-new-things-fast/ Working as Expected Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:26:54 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Michael http://www.toach.net/blog/2006/11/02/how-to-learn-and-apply-new-things-fast/comment-page-1/#comment-615 Michael Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:38:34 +0000 http://www.toach.net/blog/2006/11/02/how-to-learn-and-apply-new-things-fast/#comment-615 Very true. Although finding this content is less about learning and more about how you make decisions. How do you know you that you don't yet have enough information to make a decision, for example? In business, most businesses do exactly what everyone else in their industry is doing. Each business examines their competition and then makes decisions based on what they are doing (where to advertise, how to advertise, etc). The real gems come when you find one aspect that you can apply from what everyone in an industry most removed from your own is doing. I know, for example, of a cafe that uses advertising techniques from real estate agents and of an accountant that uses methods taken directly from self-help gurus. You just never know where that great idea is going to come from. And bringing it back to the personal, next time you meet someone and they tell you what they do, follow up with a question like: "What is it about what you do that gets the most effective results?" And then listen carefully, and wonder how you can apply this to your own work... Very true.

Although finding this content is less about learning and more about how you make decisions. How do you know you that you don’t yet have enough information to make a decision, for example?

In business, most businesses do exactly what everyone else in their industry is doing. Each business examines their competition and then makes decisions based on what they are doing (where to advertise, how to advertise, etc). The real gems come when you find one aspect that you can apply from what everyone in an industry most removed from your own is doing. I know, for example, of a cafe that uses advertising techniques from real estate agents and of an accountant that uses methods taken directly from self-help gurus. You just never know where that great idea is going to come from.

And bringing it back to the personal, next time you meet someone and they tell you what they do, follow up with a question like:

“What is it about what you do that gets the most effective results?”

And then listen carefully, and wonder how you can apply this to your own work…

]]> By: David Becker http://www.toach.net/blog/2006/11/02/how-to-learn-and-apply-new-things-fast/comment-page-1/#comment-612 David Becker Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:36:24 +0000 http://www.toach.net/blog/2006/11/02/how-to-learn-and-apply-new-things-fast/#comment-612 I agree, and with this also comes a concern. With so much niche content available now through podcasts, blogs etc. There is a danger of missing out on diverse ideas and skills that could be taken completely out of their original context and reapplied in your own area with amazing results. The problem is how do you find diverse content when you select it based on interest? Selecting your own media to consume is great but it can cause tunnel vision. I agree, and with this also comes a concern. With so much niche content available now through podcasts, blogs etc. There is a danger of missing out on diverse ideas and skills that could be taken completely out of their original context and reapplied in your own area with amazing results. The problem is how do you find diverse content when you select it based on interest? Selecting your own media to consume is great but it can cause tunnel vision.

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