In the fast-paced world of business, professional development is key to staying competitive and growing your career. While traditional skill-building programs focus on hard skills, an often overlooked aspect of self-improvement is understanding how you learn best. Enter VARK: a tool that helps you identify your learning preferences and harness them to enhance your personal and professional growth.
What is VARK?
VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic—four different modes of learning. Each of us has a unique combination of these preferences, and by understanding yours, you can optimize the way you acquire new knowledge, solve problems, and communicate at work.
For example:
Visual learners process information best through images, diagrams, and charts. It is helpful for them to summarize ideas by drawing diagrams or making charts.
Aural learners prefer to learn by listening to explanations or getting involved in discussions. They like to clarify their understanding by talking things through.
Read/Write learners find value in written words and learn best by reading texts, reports, and note-taking. They find it helpful to clarify their understanding by working through their thoughts in writing.
Kinesthetic learners excel when they can engage in hands-on practice, real-life demonstrations, and interactive activities. To really understand something, they want to know how it applies to their own real-life experience.
By knowing your preference—or if you’re multimodal, preferences—you can take control of your learning and professional development journey in a way that feels natural and efficient.
Leveraging VARK for Career Growth
Maximize Your Training and Development
In many workplaces, training programs are not tailored to individual learning styles. By understanding your VARK preferences, you can advocate for yourself. For instance:
- If you’re a Visual learner, seek out supplementary diagrams, charts, and videos to aid understanding when attending workshops or reading dense manuals.
- If you’re a Kinesthetic learner, don’t be afraid to request hands-on learning opportunities or participate in simulations during training.
Knowing your learning style means you can adjust any training material to suit your needs, making the learning process more enjoyable and effective. You can guide your own learning by choosing resources that fit your style. Podcasts or TED talks for Aural learners, charts, diagrams, and infographics for Visual learners, and case studies, videos, or physical practice for Kinesthetic learners, to name a few.
Improved Communication and Collaboration
Professional development doesn’t just involve gaining knowledge; it’s about applying that knowledge in teamwork and communication. Understanding your VARK preference allows you to work more effectively with colleagues who may have different learning styles. For example:
- If you know that a colleague is an Aural learner, you might prioritize verbal discussions to get your ideas across.
- If your team includes a mix of preferences, you might make sure to follow up a verbal presentation with a Visual diagram and written summary, ensuring everyone has access to the information in a way that suits them.
Being aware of these differences will help you adapt to diverse communication styles, foster better understanding within your team, and avoid frustration. For instance, Aural learners might sometimes be stereotyped as “talking too much,” but when harnessed correctly, their ability to engage in meaningful conversations can enrich team brainstorming sessions.
Enhancing Problem-Solving Abilities
VARK isn’t just about how you learn but also how you approach problems. People with different learning preferences often bring different perspectives to the table:
- A Read/write learner might be excellent at breaking down complex issues in written form and creating detailed plans.
- A Visual learner could create diagrams that make a solution easier to grasp.
- A Kinesthetic learner might suggest practical solutions that work well in real-world scenarios.
By leveraging your VARK preference, you can play to your strengths when solving problems, while also appreciating and incorporating other perspectives, enriching the decision-making process.
Boosting Your Self-Confidence
One of the great benefits of knowing your VARK preference is the confidence it brings. Professional development can sometimes feel like a struggle if you’re learning in a way that doesn’t match your preferences. If you’ve ever felt like you were underperforming in a workshop or training session, it could be that the material wasn’t aligned with your preferred learning style.
By taking ownership of how you learn and process information, you’ll feel more engaged, less frustrated, and more capable. This awareness gives you the tools to seek out resources that suit your preferences, whether it’s a specific format of training or approaching a task in a way that feels more intuitive to you.
Next Steps in Your Professional Development Journey
To make the most of VARK in your professional development:
- Take the VARK Questionnaire: Start by identifying your learning preference. Once you know your learning style, you can make better decisions about how to approach your development.
- Tailor your learning: Whether it’s reading, listening, drawing, or doing, align your professional development activities with your VARK preferences. Supplement company training with your own self-guided learning methods, such as podcasts, videos, or interactive workshops.
- Communicate your preferences: When appropriate, communicate your learning preferences to managers or mentors. This can help them provide resources or opportunities that match your style, making learning more productive for you.
- Embrace diversity: Finally, remember that everyone learns differently. When working with others, value the diversity of learning preferences within your team. This understanding will make you a more adaptable, empathetic, and effective team member or leader.
By integrating VARK into your personal development plan, you’ll not only improve your skills but also enjoy the journey of learning in a way that feels natural and rewarding. Professional growth isn’t just about gaining knowledge—it’s about knowing how to acquire that knowledge effectively, and VARK can help you do just that.
