The wonder of a teacher is when they know that one of their students ‘gets’ it… whatever the ‘it’ is. It is a beautiful thing to know that what is being taught has been caught. As an educator this is one event that happens which makes all the hard work, the long hours, the worrying worth it. In the business world, this is referred to as transference of knowledge. It is the adult version of ‘getting it’ in the classroom.
As entrepreneurs, we must continually be looking for that transference of knowledge to know that what we put out for our clients, actually has sticky value. This is where the four skills come into play.
The Skill of Resource
Having tangible elements in place are essential in transferring knowledge. These are those physical items used to train others. In one word… it’s content. Developing and using content created something tangible for others to learn with. Think about what type of content you are using in your business to help your clients or customers make the connection from what you want them to learn to how they implement it. Content is important. Even deeper than business, we can ask what about the content you use in your home with your significant other, or your kids, or your parents. Content is everywhere. It is the easiest resource to identify and use to help others learn and gain understanding.
The Skill of Communication
Being able to communicate with other people, asking them questions, giving them direction to complete certain tasks results in seeing if transference of training has occurred. The simplest example is that of the spelling bee. A person is asked how to spell a word and if they spell it correctly, they move on. They have studied words enough to be able to memorize (in many cases) words. Being able to ask questions to others is the simplest way to use communication for understanding. I use an acronym for ASK that means Always Seek Knowledge. This unpretentious thought delivers volumes of determining understanding.
The Skill of Connection
Another avenue to determine when transference of knowledge occurs is to be connected to someone. To sterilize this point, think in terms of touchpoints. The more touchpoints we have with another, the deeper our ability to see transference happening. To humanize this point, ask at what levels you are connected to another. Some connections are surface, some are deep. Some are familial, some are business, and some are acquaintanal. Knowing the level of connection plays profoundly into understanding transference.
The Skill of Relationship
How connected we are relationally to others also positions us to understand and see when transference occurs. The closer the relationship, not only will you see when transference occurs, but more acutely you may be attuned to where the other person is in acquiring knowledge. For example, a student – teacher relationship will look different that a parent – child one. Both will have some deep understanding of the other, however a parent will connect deeper than a teacher would (as it relates to societal norms).
Developing the skill of perceiving when transference of knowledge materializes is imperative. When we acquire the ability to see transference, we can adjust our relationship, our connection, our communication, and our resource allotments. For example, how close we get to a person (even family) depends upon how much they know or more specifically are aware of elements like boundaries. Teaching somebody something that they need and seeing them come into an understanding of that knowledge is what we all strive for in any connection that we have. Take a moment today to identify someone who has gained a transference of knowledge from you and someone who still needs to learn it. Then determine what plan of action you can take to help move that transference along.