All About Learning

Some people believe that learning was complete when they left school or college; others see it as a continuous process. Nowadays,technology changes just as fast as you can learn what is new! Organisational aspects and the market place that we need to be able to continuously learn, develop new skills and adapt our behaviour.

While people used to have ‘jobs for life’, many of us now change jobs – and even careers – several times during our working lives. We are also constantly learning outside work: there are many new technologies that have become so much a natural part of our lives that we may not realise how much we have had to learn and adapt to them. Computers, PDA’s, Automobiles, and even home appliances!

Why keep on learning?

You may not realise that a lot of the time you are learning without really trying. Whenever you buy a new car or a piece of equipment, you need to learn how the different functions operate or how to put it together (or not!). Over the years, you may have learned new hobbies or sports, or developed new interests.

At work, there might have been new computer or admin systems to master, new teams, colleagues or managers to adapt to, and new roles and tasks to perform.

The reasons for keeping on learning, over and above what you might subconsciously be doing, are many:

• To keep ahead of the game, if you want promotions and bonuses
• To keep up with technological or organisational changes
• To keep motivated and have a sense of satisfaction at work
• To make life easier by being more effective and efficient.

As the world of work tends to be constantly changing, it requires us to change and learn; by gaining a deeper understanding of the process of learning, you will be able to make the process easier and more enjoyable.

Surely I am too old to learn?

Some people fall into the habit of thinking they’re too old to learn.  But, we can change ourselves if we want to. Just think about all the retired people who take up new hobbies or all the silver surfers who learn to use computers during retirement.

Age is a state of mind – if we want change, we can get it. In fact, some research shows that older people, because they bring more experience to a situation, can often be better learners. However, it depends on what they are learning. When it comes to memorising, younger learners have a head start, but by using particular memorising techniques you can improve your ability to memorise things. Also, much of today’s learning involves having to understand things rather than memorise them. This is where older learners have an advantage, because they have better developed thinking skills and a range of experiences to draw upon.

How do really successful people learn?

Do successful people consciously learn or are they just naturals?

In order to be a success, you need to learn from all the different situations in which you find yourself. Successful people are not necessarily luckier or more intelligent, but one thing they usually have in common is that they do not give up. If they experience a failure, they learn from it and move on, taking their learning forward. The also-rans tend to be those people who are often discouraged by mistakes and failures, letting such things undermine their confidence and therefore making them apt to give up.

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For more information to help you with the people side of management,
including how to improve employee motivation and get the best out of your team, take a look at these great resources:

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