In my opinion, September gets a bad rap, primarily because it’s considered the back-to-school month. I concede that I may be a little unusual in that I always looked forward to those first days of school. New clothes. New teachers. New textbooks. And opening your mind to new ideas.

It should come as no surprise then that I don’t believe that learning stops with school. We have to continually feed our brain with new information, so that we continue to grow professionally and personally.

We value “Smart” at Clearfield and are always looking for ways to increase our competitive edge by being just a little bit smarter than the competition. To that end, we want to ensure that we get the most out of our professional development efforts.

In “What Does it Mean to Be Smart?” , Robert Sternberg writes about a Yale study, based on the premise that intelligence has analytical, creative and practical aspects. When it comes to learning, our abilities are broken down into four key areas:

• Ability to memorize information
• Ability to analyze
• Ability to practically apply information
• Ability to be creative

Accordingly, there are four corresponding Key Learning Styles:

• Highly imaginative students who favor feeling and reflecting. (They prefer to learn by talking about experiences; listening and watching quietly, then responding to others and discussing ideas; asking questions, brainstorming and examining relationships.)
• Analytic students who favor reflecting and thinking. (They’re great problem-solvers and are drawn to how things work. They thrive on tasks and deadlines, and believe in their ability to get the job done.)
• Common sense students who favor thinking and doing. (Prefer to learn through lectures and objective explanations, by working independently and systematically, and by reading and exchanging ideas.)
• Dynamic students who favor creating and acting. (Prefer to learn by self-discovery, talking, convincing others, looking for creative solutions to problems, engaging in free flights of ideas. They experience difficulty with rigid routines when are not allowed to question.)

My takeaway: Since we all process information differently, it’s critical that we understand our own learning style — and that of the people with whom we work. That way, we can ensure that we’re providing the best environment and tools to get the best thinking from our people.

Then, just sit back and watch the magic happen.