Keep learning… or pay a price
“If you don't change with the times, the times are going to change you.” -- Marv Levy, former NFL football coach.
The international workplace is changing fast. We are in the midst of a technological and social revolution, absorbing the implications of automation, artificial intelligence, demographics, and countless other transitions taking place around us every day.
And with all this transition there is the genuine risk of being left behind: of being ‘stuck’ with an obsolete knowledge base or a skill set that isn’t really required anymore. This is a daunting prospect, one that is already creating serious economic, social and political tensions in rich countries around the world. What can a professional do to remain relevant and competitive in such a situation?
One practical move -- and a decision that allows us to rely upon ourselves rather than hope for a visionary employer or a benevolent government -- is to commit to being continuous learners. We need to dedicate ourselves to learning constantly in order to remain relevant and employable. This will ultimately be the best insurance we can have against being left behind in a rapidly-evolving market.
So what can you do to make this happen? A first step is to pursue new knowledge and fresh perspectives through courses, on-line seminars, or self-study. Don’t wait for your firm to offer something: go out and find it. Opening our minds to new ideas and interacting with different people is enriching and encourages adaptation. And this is all about adaptation.
Self-motivated learning like this requires energy and effort, and is an enriching way to fend off stagnation and irrelevance. The bottom line is this: we cannot afford to stop learning anymore. The constant learners will be equipped to adapt and remain productive; those who fail to continue learning will not. And unfortunately, there will be a price to pay for that.
A second tip is to simply try different ways of doing things. This can be tricky for many of us because habit, age and inertia make it easy to find a ‘comfort zone’ and do things the same way every time. We find an approach that works for us and we stick with it. It’s comfortable.
But that comfort does not really encourage learning or adaptability. If we want to be continuous learners, we need to be open to new approaches, particularly in dealing with people. So to accommodate yourself to a fast-changing work environment, keep learning and be open to new ways of doing things. Click on the link below to learn more about becoming a constant learner.
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.
