Continue learning, stay relevant
“You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
Richard Branson's words above remind us that we usually learn not by following guidelines, but by trying things, struggling, and then trying again. That is how we learn.
But there is an important choice to be made: the decision to keep learning, to be a continuous learner through one's career and one's life. It takes effort, energy and an open mind, but this is a concrete step we can all take to remain relevant, engaged, and employable in today’s fast-moving digital world. The alternative may often be a drift into irrelevance and frustration.
We are living in exciting but unnerving times. In today's workplace we are struggling to digest the ramifications of automation, machine learning and AI, demographic shifts, and the countless transitions taking place around us. Things are moving quickly and it can be difficult to keep up.
And with all this change there can be a real risk of being left behind, of being ‘stuck’ with an outdated knowledge base or a skill set that is no longer valued in the workplace. That is a scary prospect, one that is currently driving economic, social and political resentment in many rich countries: people are angry and afraid that they are literally being left behind.
How can we stay relevant in such an environment? Commit to being a continuous learner. This decision -- a commitment made by individuals and not by governments -- will ultimately be the best insurance we can have to ‘stay in the game’. It is also a proactive way for us to look after ourselves and not rely on employers or governments to solve our problems.
In addition to self-study and trying new ways of doing things, seek to learn from people who are more experienced or knowledgeable. One example of this is ‘reverse mentoring’, with tech-savvy collaborators helping executives learn about technology. And many organisations have programs wherein senior executives mentor juniors. Regardless of who learns from whom, it is about learning continuously.
The bottom line is this: in today's international economy we cannot really afford to stop learning. Continuous learners will be equipped to adapt and remain productive; those who stop learning will not. So please, keep learning.
Click on the link below to learn more about continuous learning.
Mark Brown is a leadership educator and author based in Lisbon, Portugal. He likes to swim and play the piano, but not at the same time.
Contact Mark at www.time4clarity.com.
