Ellie and Emma chat about the power of continuous learning.
This year’s Learning at Work Week theme is ‘Learning Power’. Continuously learning throughout life is so powerful, for both individuals and organisations alike. It helps us to stay on top of our game, challenge our thinking and learn new skills along the way. Who wouldn’t want a learning journey of growth, connection and engagement?
It’s now been a year since we completed our apprenticeships, and arguably the end of our ‘education chapter’. However, we didn’t see this as the end, but instead it was just the beginning of our own learning journeys. Not all learning has to be a qualification like an apprenticeship. Learning could be in the form of reading books, watching TED Talks, listening to podcasts, shadowing colleagues, or even completing a secondment. We’ve been fortunate to have the best of both worlds, but we’ve found the best development has been from seeking and seizing our own opportunities, big or small. As Mortimer Adler, an American philosopher, once said, “The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.”
Since the end of our apprenticeships, we’ve both continued the more formal education route. We want to gain more skills, experience and credibility to help us now and moving forward, with a more structured approach. We’re both working on achieving qualifications within our own areas of expertise and interest, for the purpose of enhancing ourselves and our performance in our day-to-day roles.
We’re also developing in our teams, through pow-wows and development sessions, which also help us achieve our mission. These sessions are a great opportunity to develop connections and skills within the bunch, whilst sharing our own knowledge and top tips. Some of the areas we focus on during these sessions include mindset, models, the power of coaching, facilitation best practice… the list goes on!
Some top tips we’ve learnt along our learning journey are:
- begin with the end in mind – how is this learning going to help you and others? What tasks or activities might benefit from this new (or more finely developed) skill?
- your mindset – how can you adopt a growth mindset on your learning journey?
- set yourself goals – these should be measurable, motivational and attainable
- be accountable – find a buddy that you can check in with along your learning journey and schedule reminders to do so, so you can help each other stay on track
- create the right environment – find the best learning environment for you. You could listen to music, sit outside, avoid screens… trial out different environments to find your preferred learning space
- do what works best for you – it’s important to think about your learning style. For example, don’t force yourself to read a book if this won’t help you to learn effectively, instead find an alternative. Perhaps you could listen to an audiobook or podcast, watch a video, or find something more tactile and interactive to pique your interest
There’s no right or wrong way to learn. As long as you’re engaged and find a benefit, it’s been a valuable experience along your journey. How can you strengthen your learning power?