How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 168

expected, they like hands-on and practical learning rather than
lectures.
4. Assimilators (Abstract conceptualizer/Reflective observer)
Assimilators have the most cognitive approach, preferring to
think than to act. The ask 'What is there I can know?' and like
organized and structured understanding.
They prefer lectures for learning, with demonstrations where
possible, and will respect the knowledge of experts. They will
also learn through conversation that takes a logical and
thoughtful approach.
They often have a strong control need and prefer the clean and
simple predictability of internal models to external messiness.
The best way to teach an assimilator is with lectures that start
from high-level concepts and work down to the detail. Give
them reading material, especially academic stuff and they'll
gobble it down. Do not teach through play with them as they
like to stay serious.
So what?
So design learning for the people you are working with. If you
cannot customize the design for specific people, use varied
styles of delivery to help everyone learn. It can also be useful to
describe this model to people, both to help them understand
how they learn and also so they can appreciate that some of
your delivery will for others more than them (and vice versa).
See also
Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential Learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hall

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