• Author credentials and affiliations; date published
• Abstract or summary
• Conclusion/discussion section
• First and last few paragraphs
• First sentence or two of each section
• Any visuals

• It’s okay not to read everything.
• Follow your questions … read in any order. Be a detective to uncover key ideas and support.
• Stop periodically, look up, and tell yourself what you have learned.

• First paragraph or two (news articles go from most to least important information)

• Stop when you have enough information – articles are structured for quick skimming.

• Writer’s credentials, background, expertise
• The list of previous blogs – to help you see expertise and viewpoints
• First and last paragraph or two

• Note: blogs are opinions – anyone can publish, whether They are knowledgeable or not! Be discerning.
• Note the author’s biases and viewpoints.
• If facts or statistics, wonder: “where did these come from?”

• Copyright date, author background
• Flip through for a sense of book content and design
• Absorb the Table of Contents to get a good overview
• Introduction, summary chapter
• The index (scan for key terms)

• After review of Table of Contents, tell yourself what the book is about and how you will read it
• Imagine having a conversation with the author. Let your questions determine the order of your reading. You don’t have to read from front to back!
• Consider reading “from the Index.” That is, read pages related to terms and ideas that interest you.
• Periodically stop, look away, and recall key points.

• The set up: know the key players, problem and case challenge
• Historical and background information
• The case question to answer (often at end)
• Flip through to see what kind of information is in the case

• Before: Identify what you want to learn that relates to your work and life.
• Have a detective’s mindset: you are solving a case.
• Use the analytical material and models related to the case.
• Imagine the story – see it in your mind’s eye.
• Focus hard on debriefing – bring the lessons into your life.

• Credentials, experience
• References
• Your own interview for fit
• Your own needs and expectations

• Clarify your needs and initial goals – knowing the coach/mentor will help you refine them.
• Interview first, then choose a coach or mentor you will trust and who will meet your needs.
• Set specific learning and relationship goals; scope and timing.
• Create a written contract (with a coach).
• Have regular two-way. conversations/check-ins
• Be a student – open to feedback – seek it out.
• Be clear about when relationship ends. Appreciate and review.

• The course outline – be clear about learning opportunities related to your needs
• The credentials of the subject matter experts and teachers who designed and will lead the course
• The agenda and learning resources and methods
• The list of participants (they are resources, too)

• Do the prework.
• Set your own learning goals.
• Set up SMART Notes (in TOOLS)– starting with a vision and translating the content into “knowledge to remember, skills to develop, attitudes/beliefs to update, creative idea potentials.”
• Refer to other parts of this tip section (Learn From Any Resource) to help you learn in a SMART way from specific course resources (e.g., reading or cases).
• Take full responsibility for your learning – be a partner, not an observer. Take risks!
• Learn from and help others learn throughout the program.
• Use the Transfer to Life Guide (in Tools) to bring what you learn to life and work.

• Menu of topics and time estimates; learning outcomes you can aspire to
• Whether there are tests or assessments; certificates, badges
• Any time limits or other requirements; how much control you have over pacing
• Other participants and interaction possibilities
• List of materials needed

• Set up your learning space (see tool: “/create an Environment for Learning”)
• Set up your “SMART Notes”
• Schedule learning time on your calendar
• Use the “Concentrate ” and the Learn to Last techniques (tools in this app)
• Use tests as learning opportunities – even intentionally pick wrong answers to see the teaching points that occur when you make “mistakes.”

• Menu of topics and time estimates; learning outcomes you can aspire to
• Whether there are tests or assessments; certificates
• Any time limits or other requirements; how much control you have over pacing
• Other participants and interaction possibilities
• List of materials needed
• Information about other participants
• Information about the course designers and facilitators

• Start your search with “I wonder….”
• Set up your learning space (see the tip: Create an Environment for Learning.
• Set up your SMART Notes (in Tools) before the program starts.
• Put learning time on your calendar.
• Use the Concentrate tip and various Learn to Last tips in this section of the App.
• Use tests as learning opportunities – even intentionally pick wrong answers if there is feedback for “mistakes.”
• Be active – interact with others… use the chat function, have questions in mind.
• If on your computer, set up a split screen for jotting while you interact with the program screens.
• Have a learning partner during or around the program.

Signs of expertise:

• Meet the participants and discover their expertise and interests
• Listen for key ideas to be covered

• Both share and learn.
• Use the diversity in the group as a learning opportunity. Understand before .commenting. Restate what you hear to ensure clarity.
• Summarize periodically to help you and the group check perceptions.
• Keep active and engaged
• Use the tip ,Concentrate, and the tips in the Learn to Last section of the App.
• Do a quick recap of your learning at the end.
• Throughout, take SMART Notes (in Tools) to help translate information for your use.

• Notice when you are in an experience where learning is possible . It can happen any time!
• Watch for moments when you want to emotionally react or defend your views. Ask yourself if there is a learning opportunity.
• If in a deliberate development experience (a stretch or on-job assignment) identify the specific learning opportunities

• If in a special learning assignment, get agreement about what you will learn and how.
• Be curious about problems and apparent failures. Learn, don’t defend.
• Look for deeper learning – the insights and methods that “experts” know and do. See the tips in Mine for Deeper Gold in this App.

• Your own feelings and initial reactions as you look back
• What you wish had happened
• What did happen

• Have a learning vs. an evaluation mindset
• Look back with others if you can
• Refer to the Turn Past Experience into Learning tip in this App.
• Create a new future vision for similar experiences in the future. Create a physical or mental Future Card (in Tools) to set up your conscious and unconscious self for maximum learning.

• The expert’s experiences and credentials
• The place or situation where you will meet
• The best time to approach him or her for a few focused minutes or more

• Review the experts’ credentials and, if relevant, website.
• Know what you want from the expert.
• Ask for a few minutes – or an hour to meet. If possible, get on his/her schedule for an interview/conversation.
• Share your future vision and ask for reaction; communicate what you are interested in learning.
• Ask what the keys to success, important knowledge areas, current big challenges, best ways/sources for learning are.
• Ask about most important learnings in his/her life.
• Listen for deep understanding drawing on the tip, Mine for Deeper Gold

• The rules of play
• Tutorials that help you get going

• Be clear: your main purpose is to learn. Secondarily, to win.
• Envision yourself in your future with the knowledge/ skills/ attitudes the game will help you develop (use the Future Card (in Tools).
• In early rounds – focus on learning the rules of play.
• See mistakes as part of the learning experience – games help you learn by trial and error.
• Pay special attention to feedback… try things to see their effects. PLAY!!!!!
• Look back on the experience and clarify what you learned that applies to work and life. Use SMART Notes (in Tools) to help you summarize.

• The introduction and overview statements and slides, “Here is what I will talk about…”

• Be clear about what you want to learn… set up SMART Notes (in Tools), including setting a brief guiding vision.
• Prepare to learn. Turn off your phone and texting. Sit near the front and plan to focus.
• Use the presenter’s list of topics as your initial thought outline .
• Diagram the content – draw it – to help you keep focused, be creative. Use SMART Notes format to help you process the information for your needs.
• Listen for deep learning. See the tip, How to Mine for Deeper Gold.
• Formulate your own questions. Ask one or some of them.
• Afterwards, mentally recap key points .
• Tell someone else about what you learned

• The written description of focus and content
• Speaker’s credentials
• Recording date
• Who the sponsors are and their biases

• Before listening, identify how the information may relate to your life and work
• Be sure your equipment is ready for a good listening experience. Set up for learning, with no distractions. Turn off phone and texting.
• Listen for key ideas, mentally or in writing, link details to them.
• Stop the podcast from time to time to think/jot notes when relevant. Keep your mind connected and interacting with the ideas.
• If you can, speed up the pace of playback (to no faster than 1.5x) on your device. Slow down for areas requiring more thought.
• Create SMART Notes (in Tools) as a way of recalling what you learned.

• The intended lessons from the role play
• The role play introduction, characters, and situation
• Timeframe for the role play
• The specific instructions for your role

• Know what you want to learn.
• Take time to understand and empathize with the role.
• Decide what you want to practice. Role plays exist to help you practice something new.
• Lobby for a role that will optimize your learning.
• Have a learning not a performing mindset. Try things!
• In the feedback stage, ask open ended questions for specific examples of what others saw. What worked and not. LEARN!
• Be a supportive and encouraging partner to others who are also learning and experimenting.

• Your network – how diverse it is
• Other network possibilities

• Continually align your networks with your current and future interests and needs.
• Look for patterns of conversation and blogs for trends and new ideas to pursue.
• Watch for biases and group-think in your groups – views that may tell only part of the story.
• Notice biases in information. Learn to recognize common biasing tactics. The tip, Detect Bias and Truth in this app will help you do this.
• Question the sources of information that people pass on. Only share what you know is factual and reliable.
• Use your networks to crowdsource any search questions. See the tip, Find the Best Resources, in this App
• Be a SMART contributor as well as participant. Help others be SMART learners by challenging or appreciating good information shares.

• The team’s primary purpose
• The team’s goal in this specific situation
• Who is on the team; what expertise and resources they bring; what their learning needs and desires are.

• See the Team Learning section in this App for a variety of tips to help you support better learning in any team.
• Know that learning together offers many benefits of expanded knowledge, resources, networks – as well as learning support and synergies as you explore and learn together.
• Focus on supporting others’ learning as well as your own.
• See learning as a goal in ALL teams – including in work teams.

• The text overview or summary of the video
• Check the length and whether there are video sections
• The introductory remarks and overview within the video itself
• The credentials and biases of the people or company producing and contributing to the video
• The production date

• Spend some time searching for the best videos… draw on the tip, Find the Best Resources, for search advice.
• Identify experts to follow; subscribe to their channels.
• Keep an annotated list of videos you learned from: list them in your Daily SMART Inside Journal (in Tools).
• Set up your equipment and environment for success (headphones, sound check, phone and distractions turned off.) Protect time on your calendar.
• Pause the video from time to time to recall and review. Jot notes on SMART Notes template (in Tools). Record the time in the video where important information occurs.
• Use faster and slower speeds to help you get what you need and move quickly through other parts.
• Do a screen capture of any memorable visuals (be sure to respect any copyrights).

• The source, expertise, production date, and any biases and viewpoints
• The intended learning from the experience

• Practice with the equipment to get used to being in a VR environment.
• Know what you want to learn
• Treat this as a learning experience; intend to accelerate your learning through a virtual experience
• Try new things – it’s a chance to experiment.
• Make your first experiences in VR short. Some people get dizzy initially. You need to acclimate to the new environment.
• Debrief and recall what you learned. Take SMART Notes (in Tools) as a learning and recall aid.
• Talk with others about insights and lessons.