How to teach something to someone. Here are the two key strategies

One of the significant keys to teaching anyone a new skill is based on the idea that you have to have a willing participant. We've all heard the saying that you can lead a horse to water...but you can't make them drink. Most think they understand the meaning of that statement...but I guess most link it more to stubbornness than a natural animalistic tendency related to someone not wanting to learn something new until they know why they need to learn this new skill.

What are the benefits to me? or How does it help something that I care about? - Might be questions that need answering first. As a manager and coach...the real question should be...how do you get the horse to want to drink the water? Let's get good at figuring out how to show those around us why something is important and then instruct from there.

The desire for self-improvement is vital. There is no point in pushing children; they need to be the ones who want to learn new skills.
-Tony Buzan

Tony Buzan is an educator and writer that has built the mind mapping teaching concept that is based on and first developed by Leonardo da Vinci. More about Tony Buzan 

What are some reasons that you go to school and/or why do you want to further your education?