A very efficient learning method that you disdain but have

Today, I would like to share with you a highly efficient learning method that you disdain, which is imitation.

This method was learned from my colleague W. Colleague W is a very ordinary girl with average qualifications and abilities.

But in just a few years, I have grown from a frontline worker to the general manager of a business unit.

If there is anything special about her, it is her ‘super learning ability’ – imitation. She is like Kakashi’s Sharingan in Naruto, with the ability to quickly replicate others’ excellent practices and transform them into her own action power.

What left a deep impression was that in 2020, we participated in Professor Zhang Lijun’s “Squatting Horse Step Manager Communication Training Camp” together.

When learning the team management tool OKR, while other teams were still puzzled, confused, and questioning, W had already led the team to imitate and practice according to the template.

The training camp is not over yet, and a small department’s assessment system has been built and quickly applied in the department.

Although there were still many details that were not fully considered at the beginning and the operation was not particularly perfect, through continuous adjustment and optimization, their department’s OKR assessment system produced particularly good results that year.

On the one hand, it improved the department’s work efficiency. Under the same human resources situation, the average performance increased by 20%, and the delivery cycle was shortened by 30%.

At the same time, the introduction of OKR visualization function also allowed company leaders to quickly understand the detailed progress of projects.

This set has also become an excellent management practice promoted by the entire group. This kind of case is everywhere in her, relying on her imitation ability and strong execution ability, W grew rapidly.

Imitation was an important weapon in her growth process. Imitation is a shortcut to growth. The role of imitation is often underestimated.

Many people believe that innovation is the driving force behind social progress, and that only originality has value, and they disdain imitation; Some people also understand that imitation is just copying without any novelty; Some people even think that imitation is a particularly incompetent behavior because of their good face.

Truly talented people know how to learn from others’ strengths and achieve more through imitation. What are the functions of imitation.

Imitation allows us to take shortcuts and spend less money. When we learn new things, imitation is like a treasure hunt map that can help us quickly find direction.

For example, those who are just starting out as self media may not know how to write compelling copy or how to live stream.

If you can imitate the writing style of popular copywriting, learn the language and copywriting structure of internet famous anchors during live broadcasts, you can quickly get started and avoid blindly trying to waste time and resources.

Or, just like a beginner learning to draw and copying a master’s work, they can quickly start practicing composition, color, and stroke techniques.

Imitation allows us to have an example and not be confused. Imitating excellent people or things can help us clearly see our own gaps and clarify the direction of our efforts.

People who learn calligraphy will copy the characters of calligraphers, discover their shortcomings through comparison, and then practice accordingly.

Beginners of dance can master techniques faster by observing the movements and rhythms of excellent dancers.

Imitation allows us to accumulate experience and innovate. At the beginning, imitation may seem rigid, but over time, the experience accumulated through imitation will gradually be internalized as our own ability, laying the foundation for innovation.

Many great artists initially imitated the works of masters and gradually developed their own style. Steve Jobs also drew inspiration from many excellent designs in other fields when designing Apple products, ultimately creating products that lead the global technology trend.

So how to embark on the path of imitation. Here are a few suggestions: 1 Before embarking on the journey of imitation learning, it is essential to clearly define one’s own learning objectives and carefully select suitable imitation objects.

For example, if you want to learn photography, if you set the goal of having over 100000 followers and 20 photography works with over 10000 likes on Xiaohongshu within six months, this goal is very concrete and makes us more clear about the direction of our efforts.

At the same time, the imitators can choose photography experts who have numerous high-quality works on the Xiaohongshu platform and whose styles match their preferences.

Clear goals and imitators will make our learning clearer and more efficient. 2. After carefully observing and analyzing the selected imitation object, we need to carefully observe its every move and delve into the secrets and key elements behind its success.

Taking learning to write as an example, if a master is chosen as the object of imitation, we will delve into the design of his title, table of contents, structure, word choice and sentence structure, theme selection, and various details in the steps of his article creation process.

3. Boldly practicing and actively seeking feedback. Merely staying at the level of learning and observation is far from enough.

We need to take action, apply the knowledge and skills we have learned to practical operations, and actively seek professional opinions and suggestions.

Taking writing as an example, actively participate in learning on platforms and communities, widely obtain feedback from others on one’s own works, especially seek advice from experts in the writing field, and continuously adjust and optimize one’s writing techniques and creative ideas based on feedback.

For example, An Xiaohui’s writing study community is a great feedback platform. The Advanced Sublimation of Imitation: From Imitation to Innovation.

In the process of imitation, we should not blindly follow the trend or copy everything. Imitation is just the starting point.

True masters are not satisfied with imitation alone. On the basis of imitation, they should have their own innovative thinking, gradually shape their unique personal style, and always maintain a persistent learning attitude to prevent giving up halfway.

So, we should abandon prejudice, master and apply the learning “magic” of imitation proficiently, and constantly improve on the path of growth.