You probably all feel that your "output" is important to advance your career.
On the other hand, there aren’t many opportunities where you can learn about the mindset and how to deliver your output, so I would like to provide some helpful tips to the readers of this blog.
■The modern world is an information-oriented society
Thanks to the spread of the Internet in modern society, we now have many ways to obtain information from paper books, ebooks, audible books etc.
Through the emergence of 5G, the number of video content is also expected to increase, so if you have a smartphone you will be able to access all kinds of information.
Considering this fact, you will need to nurture high sensitivity to find relevant information, as this will determine whether or not you can be a winner in the information-based society.
■ Accumulating knowledge is not inputting?
As mentioned above, as almost anyone can access (and input) the information or knowledge they want, it is misleading to believe that input will automatically lead to self-growth and differentiate yourself from others.
Since people have equal opportunities to input information, if you are satisfied only by input, it will not lead to your growth.
It is said that an average person will have forgotten 42% of the input after 20 minutes, and 74% after 24 hours.
In other words, even if you increase the amount of input, you can only retain 26%. So, the importance here is output.
■ Output increases your retention rate to 90%
Our brain is designed to forget information, and the retention rate changes as shown below.
Attending a lecture: Retention rate: 5%
Reading a book:Retention rate: 10%
Learning by audiovisual aids: Retention rate: 20%
Observing a demonstration: Retention rate: 30%
Discussing in a group: Retention rate: 50%
Learning by experience:Retention rate: 75%
Teaching others:Retention rate: 90%
Reference: US National Training Laboratories, The Learning Pyramid.
As you can see from the above, you will be able to increase the retention rate just by teaching the knowledge you have gained to a third person(s).
The retention of what you read will be drastically different between an individual who reads 10 books a month and does not achieve any output, and an individual who reads three books and taught about all three books to a third person.
Have you ever been told by your seniors or superiors to read books and newspapers?
It is important to acquire new knowledge and economic information on a daily basis such as by reading through books, but there are very few people who actively and voluntarily create opportunities to communicate this information to someone else.
If you are aware of the above-mentioned retention rate of input after output, you will be able to make a dramatic difference in the amount of knowledge that you are able to retain, and acquire knowledge in a true sense.
■ High adaptability (resourcefulness/practical skills) are inevitable in the changing society
Today, our social and economic conditions are changing rapidly, and as a result, each industry is developing faster than ever before.
At the same time, companies and individuals are required to have good adaptability to respond to such changes.
What can be done within a company is to engage in internal training with a focus on "discussion with others," "hands-on experience and practice," and "teaching others," which can also be used for employee education, hands-on workshops, and sales training.
By acquiring experience-based knowledge through active learning, you will be able to provide what is needed in this rapidly changing society, because you will be equipped with "resourcefulness (organizational power)" and "practical skills".
■Create opportunities for output through your work
As an individual, many people may be wondering how to output (experience-based learning) in their daily work, but there really are many opportunities in your day-to-day work.
For example, when you give a presentation, when you prepare or write materials for your presentation, etc. are specific opportunities for you to output.
If you can imagine the structure of output being a way to teach others what you input, your skills will most certainly improve, so I would highly recommend you to try it out.
■Read a previous article >> 3rd Month: "How To Efficiently Become a Star Player"
Shin Arita
Life Science
Sales Senior Team Manager
Joined en world in 2013 from a chemical manufacturing company. Has specialized in the Life Science industry since. Arita became team manager in 2016, and has been in charge of the entire Life Science division as well as Chemical division, managing over 20 members.