Consultants are always looking for better ways to help clients and teams perform their best. What if there was a simple idea that could greatly improve how people learn and achieve success? This is what educational expert Benjamin Bloom described as "mastery learning" and what became known as "Bloom's 2 sigma problem".
What is mastery learning?
Mastery Learning is a teaching approach where learners must fully understand a topic before moving to the next. Think of it like building blocks: you make sure each block is strong before adding another. Unlike typical training where everyone moves at the same speed, mastery learning offers:
- Clear goals: Everyone knows exactly what they need to learn.
- Flexible pace: People can learn at their own speed.
- Helpful feedback: Learners get specific advice when they make mistakes.
- Extra support: They receive more help until they master it.
The main idea is that with enough time and the right support, most people can truly master a subject.
Bloom's 2 sigma problem
In 1984, Benjamin Bloom did an important study. He compared how well students learned in different situations. He found that students who received one-on-one help from a tutor (a strong form of mastery learning) learned much better than students in regular classrooms.
Specifically, the average student with a tutor performed two standard deviations (2 sigma) better than the average student in a normal class. This 2 sigma difference means that the average student with a tutor did better than about 98% of students in regular classes.
Imagine what this means for our professional world: an average person, if taught using a mastery approach, could reach the skill level of someone in the top 2% of performers. This is a very powerful idea.
How this helps consultants
For consultants, Bloom's findings offer valuable lessons:
- Building skills: Instead of quick training courses, think about using mastery approaches for key skills. This makes sure our consultants truly know a topic before working on complex client projects.
- Client projects: When creating training for clients, focus on mastery. Helping people deeply understand and use what they learn, instead of just covering information, can lead to stronger, longer-lasting results.
- Improving performance: The 2 sigma effect suggests that personal, flexible learning plans can unlock a lot of hidden ability in our teams. Finding and fixing individual learning gaps carefully can greatly improve how well the whole team performs.
While it's hard to offer one-on-one tutoring to everyone, the ideas of mastery learning—clear goals, flexible support, and focused help—can be used in many ways for professional growth. By using these ideas, we can help our teams and clients achieve truly amazing results, turning what's possible into what actually happens.