Performing Perfectly COVID-19 Statement

We understand at this difficult time how important the safety and wellbeing is for all Performing Perfectly attendees and staff. As a result, we have taken every measure to ensure that all of our courses are as safe as possible for those who attend. We are closely monitoring the official advice given by both the World Health Organisation and the guidelines from Public Health England.

All of our current courses are risk assessed and your safety is paramount.

Also, as a result of Covid 19, we have adjusted our courses accordingly, providing both in-person and video conferencing workshops, dealing with the many issues that have arisen due to the ongoing pandemic. We will provide tips and techniques to increase resilience and confidence in these challenging times, as well as coaching to enable you to communicate effectively with your employees, clients or as a Keynote Speaker.

Please click on the following link for full details of the courses currently available with Performing Perfectly.

Courses Available During Covid

Learning Styles Questionnaire

Reproduced from work of Peter Honey and Alan Mumford 1983/6

This questionnaire is designed to establish your preferred learning style(s). During your life you will have developed ‘habits’ that help you benefit from some learning experiences more than others.

As most habits are unconscious, the questionnaire will help you to pinpoint your preferred way(s) of learning so that you are in a better position to select learning experiences that suit your particular style.

Of course the answers may also prompt you to develop new personal learning styles and appreciate the preferred learning styles of others.

The questionnaire has no time limit though it will probably take you around 10 – 15 minutes to complete. The accuracy of the outcome depends on how honest you are in your responses. There are no right or wrong answers.

As you work through the statements, if you agree more than you disagree with a statement, then check the box next to it. If you disagree more than you agree with a statement then leave it unchecked.

1. I have strong beliefs about what is right or wrong, good or bad

2. I often act without considering the possible consequences

3. I tend to solve problems using a step-by-step approach

4. I believe that formal policies and procedure restrict people

5. I have a reputation for saying what I think, simply and directly

6. I often find that actions based on feelings are as sound as those based on careful thought and analysis

7. I like to do the sort of work where I have time for thorough preparation and implementation

8. I regularly question people about their basic assumptions

9. What matters most is whether something works in practice

10. I actively seek out new experiences

11. When I hear about a new idea or approach I immediately start working out how to apply it in practice

12. I am keen on self-discipline such as watching my diet, taking regular exercise, sticking to a fixed routine etc

13. I take pride in doing a thorough job

14. I get on best with logical, analytical people and less well with spontaneous, 'irrational' people

15. I take care over the interpretation of data available to me and avoid jumping to conclusions.

16. I like to reach a decision carefully after weighing up many alternatives

17. I'm attracted more to novel, unusual ideas than to practical ones

18. I don’t like disorganised things and prefer to fit things into a coherent pattern

19. I accept and stick to laid down procedures and policies so long as I regard them as an efficient way of getting the job done

20. I like to relate my actions to a general principle

21. In discussions I like to get straight to the point

22. I tend to have distant, rather formal relationships with people at work

23. I thrive on the challenge of tackling something new and different

24. I enjoy fun-loving, spontaneous people

25. I pay meticulous attention to detail before coming to a conclusion

26. I find it difficult to produce ideas on impulse

27. I believe in coming to the point immediately

28. I am careful not to jump to conclusions too quickly

29. I prefer to have as many sources of information as possible – the more data to think over the better

30. Flippant people who don’t take things seriously enough usually irritate me

31. I listen to other people’s point of view before putting my own forward

32. I tend to be open about how I am feeling

33. In discussions I enjoy watching manoeuvrings of the other participants

34. I prefer to respond to events on a spontaneous, flexible basis rather than plan things out in advance

35. I tend to be attracted to techniques such as network analysis, flow charts, branching programmes, contingency planning etc

36. It worries me if I have to rush out a piece of work to meet a tight deadline

37. I tend to judge people’s ideas on their practical merits

38. Quiet thoughtful people tend to make me feel uneasy

39. I often get irritated by people who want to rush things

40. It is more important to enjoy the present moment than to think about the past or future

41. I think that decisions based on a thorough analysis of all the information are sounder than those based on intuition

42. I tend to be a perfectionist

43. In discussions I usually produce lots of spontaneous ideas

44. In meetings I put forward practical realistic ideas

45. More often than not rules are there to be broken

46. I prefer to stand back from a situation and consider all the perspectives

47. I can often see inconsistencies and weaknesses in other people’s arguments

48. On balance I talk more than I listen

49. I can often see better, more practical ways to get things done

50. I think written reports should be short and to the point

51. I believe that rational, logical thinking should win the day

52. I tend to discuss specific things with people rather than engaging in social discussion

53. I like people who approach things realistically rather than theoretically

54. In discussions I get impatient with irrelevances and digressions

55. If I have a report to write I tend to produce lots of drafts before settling on the final version

56. I am keen to try things out to see if they work in practice

57. I am keen to reach answers via a logical approach

58. I enjoy being the one that talks a lot

59. In discussions I often find I am the realist, keeping people to the point and avoiding speculations

60. I like to ponder many alternatives before making up my mind

61. In discussions with people I often find that I am the most dispassionate and objective

62. In discussions I’m more likely to adopt a ‘low profile’ than to take the lead and do most of the talking

63. I like to be able to relate current actions to a longer term, bigger picture

64. When things go wrong I am happy to shrug it off and ‘put it down to experience’

65. I tend to reject wild, spontaneous ideas as being impractical

66. It’s best to think carefully before taking action

67. On balance I do the listening rather than the talking

68. I tend to be tough on people who find it difficult to adopt a logical approach

69. Most times I believe the end justifies the means

70. I don’t mind hurting people’s feelings as long as the job gets done

71. I find the formality of having specific objectives and plans stifling

72. I’m usually one of the people who puts life into a party

73. I do whatever is expedient to get the job done

74. I quickly get bored with methodical detailed work

75. I am keen on exploring the basics assumptions, principles and theories underpinning things and events

76. I’m always interested to find out what people think

77. I like meetings to be run on methodical lines, sticking to a laid down agenda

78. I steer clear of subjective or ambiguous topics

79. I enjoy the drama and excitement of a crisis situation

80. People often find me insensitive to their feelings

Learning Styles Questionnaire Scoring

You score one point for each item you checked. There are no points for items you left unchecked. The table below indicates which statements were checked.

0

ACTIVIST

0

REFLECTOR

0

THEORIST

0

PRAGMATIST

ACTIVIST	REFLECTOR	THEORIST	PRAGMATIST
20	20	20	20	Very Strong Preference
19
18		19
			19
	19	18
16
			18
15		17
14
13	18	16	17
12	17	15	16	Strong Preference
	16
11	15	14	15
10	14			Moderate Preference
9
8	13	12	13
7	12	11	12
6	11	10	11	Low Preference
5	10	9	10
4	9	8	9
3	8	7	8	Very Low Preference
	7	6	7
	6	5	6
2	5	4	5
	4	3	4
1	3	2	3
	2		2
	1	1	1
0	0	0	0

Learning Styles - General Descriptions

Activists

Enjoy the here and now
Open-minded
“I’ll try anything once” is their motto
Tend to dash in
Like short-term crises – fir fighting
Use brainstorming techniques
Look for the next bit of excitement
Thrive on challenge
Bored with detail
Can hog the limelight
Life and soul of parties

Strengths

Flexible and open minded
Happy to have a go
Happy to be exposed to new situations
Optimistic about anything new and therefore unlikely to resist change

Weaknesses

Tendency to take the immediately obvious action without thinking
Often take unnecessary risks
Tendency to do too much themselves and hog the limelight
Rush into action without sufficient preparation
Get bored with implementation/consolidation

Reflectors

Stand back and ponder
Observe from different perspectives
Chew things over before making decisions
Thorough analysis of important data
Delay reaching conclusions as long as possible
Cautious
“Look before you leap”, “sleep on it” is their motto
Take a back seat at meetings
Listen to others before contributing
Enjoy observing others
Low profile adopted
Slightly distant – unruffled air about them
Acts in interest of wider picture

Strengths

Careful
Thorough and methodical
Thoughtful
Good at listening to others and assimilating information
Rarely jump to conclusions

Weaknesses

Tendency to hold back from direct participation
Slow to make up their minds and reach a decision
Tendency to be too cautious and not take enough risks
Not assertive – they are not particularly forthcoming and tend to have difficulty with small talk

Theorists

Make theories with the data they collect
Logical – step-by-step approach
Can assimilate lots of disparate facts into a coherent whole
Perfectionists – like things tidy
Keen on assumptions, theories, models, and systems
“If it’s logical it’s good” is their motto
Ask questions like – “does it make sense?” “how does this fit with that?”
Detached, analytical
Maximises certainty
Uncomfortable with subjectivity
Uncomfortable with lateral thinking
Don’t like flippant comments

Strengths

Logical ‘vertical’ thinkers
Rational and objective
Good at asking probing questions
Disciplined approach

Weaknesses

Restricted in lateral thinking
Low tolerance for uncertainty, disorder and ambiguity
Intolerant of anything subjective or intuitive
Full of ‘shoulds, oughts and musts’

Pragmatists

Keen to try out new ideas in practice
Search for new ideas
Like experimenting
Get on with things and act quickly
“Let’s not beat around the bush”, “if it works it’s good” are their motto’s
Can be impatient with open-ended discussions
Practical
Down to earth
Respond to problems as challenges

Strengths

Keen to test things in practice
Practical, down to earth, realistic
Business-like, get straight to the point
Technique oriented

Weaknesses

Tendency to reject anything without an obvious application
Not very interested in theory based principles
Tendency to seize the first expedient solution to a problem
Impatient with what they see as waffle
On balance, task orientated not people orientated

Activists

Activists learn best from activities where:

There are new experiences/problems/opportunities from which to learn
They can engross themselves in short ‘here and now’ activities, such as business games, competitive teamwork tasks, and role-playing exercises
There is excitement/drama/crises and things chop and change with a range of diverse activities to tackle
They have a lot of the limelight/high visibility i.e. they can ‘chair’ meetings, lead discussions, and give presentations
They are allowed to generate ideas without constraints of policy or structure or feasibility
They are thrown in at the deep end with a task they think is difficult i.e. when set a challenge with inadequate resources and adverse conditions
They are involved with other people – bouncing ideas off them, solving problems as part of a team
It is appropriate to ‘have a go’

Activists learn least from and may react against activities where:

Learning involves a passive role i.e. listening to lectures, monologues, explanations, statements of how things should be done, reading, watching
They are asked to stand back and not be involved
They are required to assimilate, analyse and interpret lots of ‘messy’ data
They are required to engage in solitary work i.e. reading, writing, thinking on their own
They are asked to assess beforehand what they will learn and to appraise afterwards what they have learned
They are offered quotes they see as ‘theoretical’ i.e. explanation of cause or background
They are asked to repeat essentially the same activity over and over again
They have precise instructions to follow with little room for manoeuvre
They are asked to do a thorough job i.e. attend to detail, tie up loose ends, dot the ‘I’s’ and cross the ‘T’s’

Reflectors

Reflectors learn best from activities where:

They are allowed or encouraged to watch/think/ponder over activities
They are able to stand back from events and listen/observe i.e. observing a group at work, taking a back seat in a meeting, watching a film or video
They are allowed to think before acting, to assimilate before commenting i.e. have time to prepare, a chance to read in advance a brief giving background data
They can carry out some painstaking research i.e. investigate, assemble information, probe to get to the bottom of things
They have the opportunity to review what has happened, what they have learned
They are asked to produce carefully considered analysis and reports
They are helped to exchange views with other people without danger i.e. by prior agreement, within a structured learning experience
They can reach a decision in their own time without pressure and tight deadlines

Reflectors learn least from and may react against activities where:

They are forced into the limelight i.e. to act as a leader/chair person, to role-play in front of on-lookers
They are involved in situations, which involve action without planning
They are pitched into doing something without warning, i.e. to produce an instant reaction, to produce off the top of the head ideas
They are given insufficient data on which to base a conclusion
They are given cut and dry instructions on how things should be done
They are worried by time pressures or rushed from one activity to another
In the interests of expediency they have to make short cuts or do a superficial job

Theorists

Theorists learn best from activities where:

What is being offered is part of a system, model, concept or theory
They have time to explore methodically the associations and inter-relationships between ideas, events and situations
They have the chance to question and probe the basic methodology, assumptions or logic behind something, i.e. by taking part I a question and answer session, by checking a paper for inconsistencies
They are intellectually stretched, i.e. by analysing a complex situation, being tested in a tutorial session, by teaching high calibre people who ask searching questions
They are in structure situations with a clear purpose
They can listen to or read about ideas and concepts that emphasise rationality or logic and are well argued/eloquent/watertight
They can analyse and then generalise the reasons for success or failure
They are offered interesting ideas and concepts even though they are not immediately relevant
They are required to understand and participate in complex situations

Theorists learn least from and may react against activities where:

They are pitchforked into doing something without a context or apparent purpose
They have to participate in situations emphasising emotions and feelings
They are involved in unstructured activities where ambiguity and uncertainty are high i.e. with open-ended problems or sensitivity training
They are asked to ask or decide without a basis in policy, principle or concept
They are faced with a hotchpotch of alternative/contradictory techniques/methods without exploring in any depth i.e. as a ‘once over lightly’ course
They doubt that the subject matter is methodologically sound i.e. where questionnaires haven’t been validated, where there aren’t any statistics to support an argument
They find the subject matter platitudinous, shallow or gimmicky
They feel themselves out of tune with other participants i.e. when with lots of activists or people of lower intellectual calibre

Pragmatists

Pragmatists learn best from activities where:

There is an obvious link between the subject matter and a problem or opportunity on the job
They are shown techniques for doing things with obvious practical advantages, i.e. how to save time, how to make a good first impression, how to deal with awkward people
They have the chance to try out and practice techniques with coaching/feedback from a creditable expert, i.e. someone who is successful in the technique themselves
They are exposed to a model they can emulate i.e. a respected boss, a demonstration from someone with a proven track record, lots of examples/anecdotes
They are given techniques currently applicable to their own job
They are given immediate opportunities to implement what they have learned
There is high face validity in the activity i.e. a good simulation, ‘real’ problems
They can concentrate on practical issues, i.e. drawing up action plans with an obvious end product, suggesting short cuts, giving tips

Pragmatists learn least from and may react against activities where:

The learning is not related to an immediate need they recognise i.e. they cannot see an immediate relevant/practical benefit
Organisers of the learning or the event itself is seen as distant from reality
There is no practice or clear guidelines on how to do it
They feel that people are going round in circles and not getting anywhere fast enough
There are political, managerial or personal obstacles to implementation
There is no apparent reward from the learning activity

Developing Learning Styles

The aim should be to develop the use of all four styles to become in effect an all rounder, able to learn from all situations.

ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP YOUR ACTIVIST STYLE

Do something new that you have never done before
Practice initiating conversation (small talk)
Deliberately fragment your day, chop and change every half hour
Force yourself into the limelight
Practice thinking out loud

ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP YOUR REFLECTOR STYLE

Practice observing
Keep a diary
Practice reviewing meetings
Give yourself a research project
Produce highly polished pieces of writing
Practice drawing up lists for and against a particular action

ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP YOUR THEORIST STYLE

Read something ‘heavy’
Practice spotting weaknesses and inconsistencies in other people’s arguments
Take a complex problem and pinpoint why it developed, what could have been done to avoid it?
Collect other people’s theories and try to understand them
Practice structuring situations so they will proceed in the way you predict
Practice probing questioning

ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP YOUR PRAGMATIST STYLE

Collect techniques, practical ways of doing things
Produce action plans in meetings
Experiment with new approaches to situations
Find a pragmatist type person and copy them
Tackle a DIY project