Learning - what's in it for you?

I am often shocked by how many people I meet who say to me 'what you do, you know, it's not for everyone'. So, what? Learning is not for everyone? Yeah, right - in this world of constant change you're telling me people expect to stay in a job, standing still? I think not!

I am not a trainer. I can train, though I am not a trainer. I am a facilitator of change, an engaged motivator for continuous improvement and a driver of lifelong learning. That can come through training, sure, but learning is far bigger than just attending the odd training course. Learning is about knowledge, understanding, exploration and expanding your brain.

I did NOT enjoy learning when I was young, it was a chore, it was boring, it was forced. But, learning doesn't have to be that way, it can be interesting, inspiring, engaging and fun.

Some people find learning easy from the get-go, they're academic and absorb information easily. Others less so - and perhaps they need to invest their time in more creative learning methods than those of traditional means. Whichever form of intelligent you are though, if you want to stay ahead of the game, or even run along side the game and not get left behind as the dinosaur in your team, you need to continually learn new skills - personal, social and technical.

In continually learning we stretch and engage our brains, and when done in the right way, it is really rewarding and fun. Here are three key ways (though there are many more) that learning will benefit you:

Respect. Self-awareness is vital if you want to be respected in any walk of life. I've heard so many comments about people in work not recognising where they are weaker, losing respect from others due to not knowing the latest technical details or delivering messages in the wrong way - basically delivering poor results in one way or another. By being able to recognise what you need to do to deliver great results, on time and with social integrity, you will build respect with people all around you.

Ability to argue your point more effectively. If you like to be right - and let's face it, we all want to be right - you need knowledge and you need it to be up-to-date. By knowing your subject, understanding the best way to argue a point and how to bring people to your way of thinking (all knowledge and skills you can learn), continuous learning can help you argue the toss with backup knowledge to spare.

A more fulfilled life. People who strive to learn more are generally more optimistic and positive about life. They have more energy, engage in brighter conversations with others and face life with more confidence. Did you know that even confidence can be learned?

There are so many ways people can learn, not just through training. We can read - articles, books, web pages and even apps like Blinkist that summarise the most useful content for us for skim reading. We can watch YouTube, TED Talks and more, there's a multitude of learning resources online now with LinkedIn Learning, MindTools and other wonderful resources, there are even audio options if you don't like reading, with Audible and such like. We can talk to colleagues, mentor, coach and support one another, currently less job shadowing is possible thanks to lock-down, but soon enough that will be back on the cards - the secret to learning is not the latest training course, it's how creative you are in designing your learning journey.

So, I challenge you. What do you want to learn more about? What skills would you really like to harness and build? Think of how you learnt to drive, bake or ride a bike and consider this when looking to learn new skills. Yes, training may be appropriate for some, but training alone will not change your habits - practise and purpose will have far more impact.

Want to talk through how to build learning and career journeys for your team or business? Give us a call on 07725 468897 or email hello@thirst4learning.com.