shaping and modeling

A complex skill like mentoring a team member requires much more than just
picking up a few habits to master. You pick up a lot of habits, and you learn how to
combine them in a coherent, effortless rhythm. Modeling and molding are two vital
procedures that aid in acquiring complex abilities. When you pick up a talent by seeing
someone else do it, you are modeling (or imitating that ability). Many salespeople learn
how to sell by seeing an experienced salesperson in action. The value of apprenticeship
programs in employee development is now more widely acknowledged. According to
Robert Lerman, an economics professor at American University, apprenticeships can
provide an exact match between the training people acquire and the talents that
employers want. 5 Apprenticeships require a lot of modeling by the apprentices of more
seasoned professionals. In order to facilitate modeling of skills like interviewing, settling
conflict, and leading a meeting, streamed movies and DVDs are frequently used.
Modeling frequently encourages people to engage in actions that they did not previously
appear to be capable of. Effective modeling requires close attention to the
demonstration and prompt practice of the new skill. Although modeling is a successful
teaching strategy, the learner has to be capable and motivated. Modeling is a crucial
component of social cognitive theory, which maintains that learning occurs via
observation rather than trial and error, rewards, and punishments. This idea holds that
people learn not just through their own experiences, but also by hearing about other
people's experiences or from watching what other people go through. The ability to
learn new actions without actually putting them into practice or getting rewarded for
doing so is another crucial finding of the social learning theory. 6 For instance, Claudia,
a business administrator just employed by a network of hospitals, learns that
management looks kindly upon staff members who invest in the company's shares.
Claudia decides that "a word to the wise is suffice" and buys 10 shares of the
corporation.